Part Two : A Year In Review : From a Sellout Product, to Failure, to Totally Refocused

In this next post, I wanted to chat a bit about the name of this series: "From a Sell-Out Product, to Failure, to Totally Refocused." Some of you might be scratching your heads regarding the "sell -out product", while others are probably thinking, "I remember those days!"


For those who’ve been around since the 2017-19 days, this might feel like old news. But if you enjoy looking back at the good old days, stick with me! Sweet As April started in 2016 in what is now our dining room. It was my way to stay home with my kids, get creative, and the reason I made bonnets was that I couldn’t afford to buy them for Leia. By pure chance, bonnets were becoming all the rage on Instagram, and I jumped on the small shop train that already had a solid community.

As the business picked up and I found my rhythm, we brought in a seamstress to help with the growing demand. We aimed to make about 400 to 700 bonnets a month, depending on my designs. Each month, I’d set a drop date, usually a Saturday evening at 6 PM EST, and when the bonnets hit the website, thousands of people logged on to grab them. We’d sell out in just 10 minutes. It was such an exciting time for me as a maker — people were logging on not just to shop but to see the "sold out" icon. Everyone was rooting for our success.

That excitement lasted about three years. We had some slower times and a few items that didn’t sell, but for the most part, I’d design all month, market our new pieces with Leia in cute outfits, drop the bonnets, and then immediately start restocking for the next month. Just writing that out is tiring! I definitely pushed myself because the demand was there. Who wouldn’t? I loved what I was doing, so as long as people wanted to buy it, I was all in.



Then in 2021, things started to change. We switched from monthly drops to weekly ones, and slowly, we began just keeping the site fully stocked all the time. By 2022/2023, we were pretty much in a slump. I think a lot of small shops were feeling it, not just us. It was a bit of a relief to know we weren’t alone, but it hurt to see so many of my favorite shops closing up. The small shop community that was once thriving started to fade away.

During 2022 and 2023, I was pregnant, then with a newborn and figuring out how to be a mom of three, which was a huge adjustment for our family. My focus shifted away from Sweet As April and how it was slowly crumbling; I had bigger things to deal with. Then came 2024 — the year that nearly broke me. I was coming off my postpartum depression meds, which caused a big weight gain, and we were so deep in debt that we considered renting out our upstairs apartment (we live in a two-family house and were currently living in both apartments). It was a tough time for us, affecting my marriage and mental health. Thankfully, Marc and I are a solid team, so our kids didn’t realize what was going on.



With some family support we pulled through, Marc landed the best job he’s ever had (although it has insane hours), and we finally felt like we could breathe. Sweet As April didn’t have to be our lifeline anymore, which freed me up to focus on rebuilding and rebranding. I’d already realized that change was needed, so I had started to switch things up. I jumped into learning about pattern design, digital painting, and creating passive income to breathe new life into my brand.

Now, here we are. Things look way different than they did last January, but the changes we’ve made this year and the growth we’ve experienced — both in the business and as a family — have been life-changing. In July, when Marc went back to full-time work, I told myself I would dive into my full potential as an artist and not limit myself to "what once was."



Styles change, people change, and businesses change — and that’s totally fine. I’m not the same person I was eight years ago, and I can’t expect a brand I’m passionate about to stay the same either. In the next post, I’ll share what I focused on to revive the business, what I let go of, and my plans for 2025.

 

 

 

 

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    I have been designing bonnets for over 7 years now & never tire of seeing these little hats from to life. This blog is a place for us to share that journey - from BTS, new designs, sales, thoughts & just my every rambles this is a place where you can stay up to date on all things SAA & join our loving community

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