You CAN have it all…

…You just can’t have it all at once. As we enter a new year, I can’t help but reflect on where I am (crashing in my MIL’s house with my 3 young kids and husband and 100k instagram followers while we renovate our new 5-acre farm?!?!) And how in the WORLD I got here. Anyone that has known me for any amount of time knows that I’m a hustler. Always have been, always will be. Complacency is not in my DNA – I only feel like I’m thriving if my plate is completely full. Sometimes this drive has been my greatest strength. I mean, it helped me propel my marketing career. It pushed me to start Craven Haven with a new baby at home and another on the way, and has kept pushing me to grow it! grow it! GROW IT! It led to financial gains as we renovated and sold our family homes in a climbing market. But make no mistake: this drive has also been my greatest weakness.

And here’s why: I can’t stop. I bite off way more than I can chew, but then chew it anyway. I say yes to everything. I push myself to do more after a hard day of mom’in when I should probably just call it good. Because I want to be the best, do the most, WIN. And all of this hustle takes a toll – on my relationships I don’t have time for, patience with my kids, presence as a spouse. So while I’ve learned how to juggle pretty well in the last few years and LOVE it, theres always something that has to give. And with the 5-Acre Fixer on the table, I forced myself to take a step back. And (gulp) – how to be okay with it.

Which, let’s be honest, has been REALLY hard for someone like me. Hence my long instagram break. I needed time to really gameplan how I was going to adjust my juggle, and figure out which ball(s) I would drop now that we have a huge renovation thrown in the mix. You CAN have it all. You just can’t have it all at once. I have to remind myself of this quote daily. Because, saying no to opportunities really kills me. There are moments I’d love nothing more than to hit the gas pedal and grow Craven Haven to it’s fullest potential, using this remodel as the catalyst – but I love my 3 little babies much more. This isn’t the season for me to invest in myself; it is the season for me to invest myself in them. My time will come. And until it does, I’m going to try and be much more purposeful with the the moments in front of me.

So, what does this mean for Craven Haven?

Quality over Quantity

Maybe you noticed I was posting less (even before the break). Maybe I’m not that important in your life, it’s all good I get it I’m a stranger. I love creating instagram content, but it’s honestly a full-time job in itself. With the project management, design projects and DIYs of our renovation on my plate, I knew I wouldn’t have time to consistently create shareable hacks or catchy inspo reels. No consistent reels = no growth. But I have accepted the fact that maybe this crazy season of my life doesn’t merit instagram growth – maybe it merits personal growth. Am I still going to share on instagram? Absolutely. I’m just not going to beat my brains out to come up with new gimmicks and fresh content every day.

Content Diversification

So instead of focusing solely on the gram, I’ve switched gears and decided to prioritize my followers (you!) and develop my website – blog posts, shopping section and newsletter. This is a much more scalable way for me to be able to provide links and information that doesn’t disappear in 24 hrs or get buried by an algorithm. This beautiful new website (thanks StudioVanM!) is going to allow me to easily share content on multiple channels that gives you guys WHAT you want and a behind the scenes look at everything going into the renovation and my life – whether it be through the easy shopping section, a new newsletter or the revamped blog

Scalable Client Services

When I first started Craven Haven, my intentions were actually client-centric, not influencer-centric. I dreamed of helping people select finishes and furniture for their renovations and builds, and offering e-design solutions to make the designer look more attainable for anyone wanting to update their space. But as life found me with a popular instagram account, repeatedly pregnant (lol) and with more of my OWN projects than I had originally planned – client projects became few and far in between. This is what I had to scale back and inevitably cut from Craven Haven to make time for everything else – but that never stopped my inbox from being flooded with DMs seeking my advice, opinion, and solutions for very specific one-off design issues. I don’t have time for FULL design projects right now – but I still want to HELP you and keep my design and client-facing skills sharp. So, I came up with this 45-minute consultation idea. Spaces will be limited per week but for the first time EVER you’ll be able to schedule my time directly from my site so I can answer all of your burning one-off design questions and provide unique and specific feedback and advice. I’m wrapping up the groundwork for this new offering as we speak, and plan to roll it out in mid January. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know when this new service is officially rolled out!

So, like I said – I’m not going anywhere. I’m just saying no to a little more and yes to a little less. Cheers to NOT having it all in 2023, but to having and doing what matters the most. I’m so looking forward to sharing it all with you, every step along the way.