there’s room for all of us, just not always at the same table

sometimes social media can be a lot. when running a business nowadays, social media is unfortunately crucial to advertising, networking and pulling in your customer base. social media can be a fantastic tool, until it’s not. it becomes overwhelming, an algorithm full of things that don’t interest you, or just too overstimulating. that’s when the block button and filtering come into play.

running a business or simply just having social media, the block button has come to be seen as a tool for disliking someone, when in reality it is not. blocking or filtering your social media does not mean you have any ill feelings. it can simply mean you don’t share the same intentions, it doesn’t bring you joy or things become too much.

using filtering for anything on social media can be a useful tool to keep your page where you want it to be. it can protect your mental health and keep your algorithm tied to the things you truly value and need. it does not mean you hate anyone, don’t support them, or want them to fail. it comes down to not all access being healthy access.

things don’t align sometimes, and when building a business, you can either compromise your principles, morals or whatever your core is. profiting in a business matters, obviously... but does it need to come with a cost? the answer is no.

without the people, how can any of us grow?

business to me isn’t solely about profits. the entire reason i get to do what i do is because of the people who believe in me, the folks who buy my products, ask questions, the ones who trust me enough to vend with me at my markets and so much more. we can have a no-sale day, but if one conversation was had, i would consider it a win. it’s when someone comes to my table looking for something and i can whip out a business name to recommend them, it’s when someone comes to me with a question and i can point them in the right direction so they can get that thing completed. it’s when someone asks where they could potentially sell their items outside of markets and we can get them to a business owner who can get that accomplished.

businesses do not succeed without a community behind them, and not every community is for you. communities can be welcoming while still not being the right fit. you can leave a community that isn’t right for you without it becoming a fight. there will be another community, market, opportunity or environment that will suit you better.

do not feel pressured to stay in a community because of another. no two people are exactly alike. you don’t have to shy away from that when it comes to communities.

i’ve always stayed true to my roots when i do something. i tell others often, if something isn’t the right fit, do not be afraid to walk away and block access from it. we can always find a better-suited solution.

support doesn’t require the same table.

for me personally, i don’t need a front-row seat to anyone. social media has become so entirely vain that i rarely use my personal accounts these days and post solely to my business pages. ’cause, let’s be honest, you fail to post one day now and the algorithm boots you to a forgotten island. i will absolutely still support and root for anyone, even if i don’t have them on every platform. i can hope everyone succeeds without watching it happen. most importantly, i can hope someone well while protecting my own space. at the end of the day, social media is a reflection of what you want it to be, and you can control what you want that to be without being malicious to anything.

my mental health is extremely important to me. i’ve got through a lot, and most anyone who knows me knows maybe two percent of that. when i feel my mental health drifting, i know what i need to do. whether it be difficult to do, it has to be done. nothing should ever compromise your mental health. if you ever find yourself on social media and you start feeling anxious, losing focus, questioning motives, overthinking, or any similar things, you are allowed to stop what is triggering that cycle. when you constantly have something triggering you in your safe space to put you in an anxious spot, you don’t have to accept it. a key reminder for that is, something triggering you doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you, it just means you know what affects your body and health. that is something you should be proud of because it means you’re aware. how you respond to that trigger is the most important aspect of it. do not step out of character, stay true to the roots you have established and handle it. you do not owe anyone an explanation on how you manage your social media, health, business, or sanity. you are the creative of your own life, don’t let another’s actions try to dull that story. protect what you’re building and keep accomplishing that shit.

protecting your peace does not require me or anyone to wish bad on anyone or anything else. the best way to explain that is, in gardening you have companion planting. the whole garden can thrive when things work together. if something isn’t working, do not force it, you move it to a better-suited space.

there is enough room for all of us to grow, maybe just not in the same garden. we don’t need to be in the same garden bed, and that’s okay.