There are so many reasons why I decided to create Letters From Poppy:
- A creative outlet, particularly for my writing
- It was a business idea I’ve had in some shape or form, for years
Essentially, the idea was inspired by an “Open When You’ve Had a Bad Day letter my old boss gave me years ago. Whenever I had a “bad” day, I would think about opening it, but wouldn’t because my brain would tell me “ah, but you’ve had worse days!”.
Although I had never opened it, knowing it was there, had helped me so much. I wanted to recreate that feeling, by helping people deal with the big moments that can feel overwhelming and scary.
I only opened that letter, after finding it when I left that job, around three years after being given it.
But Why Now?
This is a really great question. At the end of every year, for the past few years, I have taken the time to look back on what I have achieved that year, so that I can plan what I want the upcoming year to look like; what I want to focus on, and what projects I would like to move forward. It’s a great practice for the growth of my business, and me as a person. It’s definitely an exercise that I recommend everyone does, at least once a year.
Over Christmas 2024, when I was looking back at what I had achieved in 2024, I realised that I hadn’t achieved anything for *me*.
- I had paused 80% of my business
- I had stopped working on my passion project book
In fact, I was barely writing at all. For a large chunk of 2024, I hadn’t even been writing blog posts outside of case studies for Tidewater 3D Printing.
So, I made it my goal to change that for 2025. I wanted to spend time focusing on my writing, for both fun and gain. This was a business idea that I had had for years; it meant I could get back to writing whilst helping people through various situations, and it just made sense to start this business.
Transparency of Running a Business
I’ve been running businesses for the best part of 15 years, to varying levels of success. However, this one feels like the hardest to get moving.
Social media has changed immensely since I launched my other business Made in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, and I am finding it difficult navigating the ever-changing algorithms. This is also such a different type of product, that is a little “unique” and so I don’t think people quite understand it yet. Which absolutely makes sense, but I am relearning how to promote this business, and raise awareness.
But I am always learning, and always growing and I am always trying new ideas to move my business forward. Hopefully, you will come on that journey with me 🙂