I’ve always had the option to grow my business bigger.
From the very beginning, expansion was possible. More products. More inventory. More marketing. More reach. More revenue. None of that was ever out of reach for me.
But it was never my priority.
I love what I do. I truly do. I love creating products that support women through pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood. I love the care that goes into every part of this work. But being a present mother, a present wife, and a present midwife has always mattered more to me than building something bigger just because I could.
In the early years of my business, things moved fast. Very fast. I got busy quickly, and I was successful quickly. On the outside, it looked exactly like what people aim for when they start a small business. Orders were steady. Demand was high. Growth came easily.
And it took more from me than I expected.
My time disappeared. My margins for rest and presence shrank. My mental space was constantly occupied by what needed to be made, shipped, answered, or posted. I was constantly on my phone. I was doing something I loved, but I was rarely fully present anywhere else.
I do not want that version of my life again. I can't afford it.
I refuse to build a business that competes with the people I love or the work I am called to do elsewhere. Motherhood requires real presence. Midwifery requires emotional availability. Marriage requires intention. None of those things thrives on leftovers. This is not to say that those who run small businesses aren't intentional in their lives. I just saw how enveloped I was when orders were rolling in, and I know I cannot handle that again.
So, I choose to stay small. On purpose.
That choice shows up in how and when I work. I am intentional about my time. I do not operate on urgency for the sake of growth. I keep my inventory realistic. I set boundaries around availability. I allow seasons where the business is quieter because my life requires more of me elsewhere.
This does not mean I am unambitious. It means I am clear.
I define success differently now. Success looks like doing work I care about without resenting it. It looks like being able to write myself a check each month, even if it is not impressive by internet standards. It looks like contributing to my household, supporting my children, and still having the capacity to show up fully in my other roles.
If I broke this business down by the hour, I would likely be making well below minimum wage. And yet, the income matters. It supplements our family. It supports my kids. It allows me to keep doing work that feels meaningful and aligned.
More importantly, it allows me to stay.
I am not interested in hustle culture or constant expansion. I am interested in sustainability. I am interested in longevity. I am interested in building something that fits into my life instead of overtaking it.
This business exists to support my life, not consume it.
And for me, that means choosing small every time.
Love, Carley