Why Slower Doesn’t Mean Less Dedicated
From the outside, it might look like we’re working more slowly these days.
Messages aren’t answered instantly.
Responses don’t always come the same minute they’re sent.
Orders move through the process with a little more space between steps.
But here’s the truth:
We’re not working less. We’re working smarter with the time we have.
And that change is very intentional.
The Reality of Wearing Every Hat
If you run a small business, you know the deal. There is no single role. There is no clear “off switch.”
You are the maker.
The designer.
The customer service rep.
The marketer.
The accountant.
The shipping department.
The problem solver.
All at once. Every day.
And when everything lives on one phone, in one inbox, in one constant stream of notifications, it can feel like you’re always behind even when you’re doing everything you possibly can.
That’s not sustainable.
And it’s definitely not healthy.
Why We Kept a Separate Work Phone
One of the biggest changes we’ve kept, even after closing the storefront, is our separate business phone.
It holds:
Store email
Social media accounts
Messages and notifications
And now, we’ve added a little structure to how we use it.
I keep my business phone with me Monday through Friday, 7am to 5pm.
Outside of those hours, it stays in the workshop.
On holidays, it stays there too.
Not because we don’t care.
But because we care enough to protect how our time is used.
That phone gives us the ability to be fully present when we are working and fully present when we are not.
Slower Responses, Better Work
There is a difference between being slow and being intentional.
We’ve chosen to create space in our day to:
Actually sit down and do admin work
Process orders carefully instead of rushing through them
Design without being interrupted every five minutes
Think clearly instead of constantly reacting
When every message demands immediate attention, nothing gets the attention it truly deserves.
By setting boundaries around our availability, we’re able to do better work, not less work.
Making Room for Life Outside the Business
This part matters just as much.
Running a small business does not mean giving up being a human.
We need time to:
Be with our family
Rest our minds
Step away from screens
Even enjoy our hobbies once in a while
Those moments don’t take away from the business. They fuel it.
A burned-out creator does not make better art.
An exhausted business owner does not make better decisions.
What This Means for You
If you notice that we’re a little less instant and a little more measured, that’s not a lack of dedication.
It’s a commitment to:
Thoughtful work
Consistent quality
Long-term sustainability
And being a business that can actually last
We still care deeply about every project we take on. We just refuse to build a system that requires us to be on call 24/7 to prove it.
Slower Can Still Mean Stronger
We are choosing a pace that allows us to do good work and live a good life at the same time.
Not rushed.
Not burned out.
Not constantly chasing the next notification.
Just focused, intentional, and fully present in the work that matters most.
If that means things look a little slower from the outside, we’re okay with that.
Because on the inside, things have never felt more aligned.
