Building this website has not been easy. Having to start over again for the third time has been difficult. I’m not going to lie, it has been very difficult. I would sit down and work for a bit, and then get distracted. My discipline was not there, and that made it too easy for me to do other things. When the Printful plugin failed, it left me no choice but to delete all the products in the shop.
To think about all the work I had done up until that day made me sick. I had invested a great deal of time—over 300 man-hours in labor over 3 months—and more than $150 in expenses.
I was sad, but because it was not my fault, I was able to look at this not as a loss, but rather as an opportunity. I told myself that there was nothing I could do, so there was no point in crying over spilled milk. Starting over again has offered me a great chance to reflect and reevaluate the progress and direction of the website.
I am now back in business with a new Print On Demand partner, Printify. I had previously done research on Printify and was pretty happy with the product catalog and the easy-to-use design software. All that was left was to get some kind of assurances that the same plugin update situation would not occur as it did with Printful.
I sent a letter to customer service detailing my experience and asked them directly about any potential problems, and specifically how they handle updates with core WooCommerce and WordPress. I was satisfied with what they had to say, and so I was ready to start over.
But as I began to reflect and review, there were some things that were bothering me that I wanted to change. Having to start over again gave me the opportunity to do some things differently.
First of all, The Haus Of Legends is an Art Haus, not a stationary store. It is a place for me to showcase my artwork and to sell products featuring my artwork. The site was getting farther away from Art Haus and closer to a stationary store. The whole point of having a wide variety of products using my artwork is to offer art in different sizes and formats that make it affordable for anyone to buy my artwork. My goal was to offer as many products as were appropriate to be accessible at several levels of cost.
Losing all that work meant I could reframe my approach and return to my original vision for The Haus Of Legends. This experience has taught me several valuable lessons:
- Stay True to Your Vision: It’s easy to get sidetracked by the possibilities and the pressure to expand. Remember why you started and what you wanted to achieve. For me, it’s all about showcasing my art and making it accessible.
- Be Prepared for Setbacks: They will happen, but they are not the end. Each setback is a chance to learn and improve. Take it in stride and use it to make your project stronger.
- Seek Reliable Partners: Do thorough research and don’t hesitate to ask tough questions. Your partners need to support your vision and be dependable.
- Embrace Change: Starting over can be a blessing in disguise. It forces you to reevaluate and can lead to better results than you initially imagined.
- Maintain Discipline: Distractions are inevitable, but staying focused is crucial. Set clear goals, break tasks into manageable steps, and hold yourself accountable.
The journey to building The Haus Of Legends has been a rollercoaster, but each twist and turn has brought me closer to creating something truly special. Starting over may be daunting, but it is also a chance to breathe new life into your dreams. Here’s to new beginnings and the endless possibilities they bring.
