Pitching the new greeting card collection to retailers is in full-swing (oh, the baseball metaphors) and I’ve learned a few things in the process.
1) It’s not for the faint-of-heart. It takes time, a lot of time, to research retailers that would potentially be interested in carrying my cards. That includes browsing through physical shops and online stores, finding contact information, writing and sending pitches, and recording dates in which to follow up. I heard a statistic, recently, on The Professional Creative podcast, that if you receive 1 “yes” from 100 pitches, you’re on track. 
That sounds ginormous but demonstrates the importance of consistency and not quitting.
2) Progress is slow. I made initial contact with my warmest lead 8 weeks ago…and am still in “wait and see” mode. Shop owners are busy people, not only managing inventory but personnel, too. With that in mind, Stacie Bloomfield, owner of Gingiber, says, “Slow growth is good growth.” She’s right.
3) I can’t wear all-the-hats. I’m reminded, perhaps for the 100th time, that in order for my wholesale business to grow, I’ll need to bring in outside help as soon as possible. That time hasn’t arrived yet (see #2), but I’m looking forward to handing off the business tasks that aren’t my forte, to allow me to focus on the things that are. It will be win-win for everyone involved.
In the meantime, I’m slowly growing my list of wholesale contacts and reminding myself to keep going.
Now for the not-pitching part.
We recently returned from Steamboat Springs, CO, in what’s becoming an annual trip I can’t imagine not taking.
It’s become a place of refuge, adventure, and personal connection, a getaway that’s so good for my mind, body, and soul.
While I didn’t have any major anxiety attacks on the mountain this trip 
, I also didn’t progress as much as I would have liked, either. I’m finally starting to accept that, for me, learning to snow ski well is a slow process (again, see #2 above). But, I’m grateful for the goal of improving, the opportunity to ski, the beautiful outdoors, and quality time with people I love.
~Christina
p.s. I saw another fox this trip! I was riding a lift so I didn’t take my phone out, but its red fur against the white snow was stunning. 
