And here we are, two and a half years later, and my youngest son is now potty training. We are on day three.
It’s wild to watch him go through it. He’s starting to understand his bodily functions, something that feels completely automatic to us, but to him it’s brand new. He’s learning to notice the signals, to recognize what’s happening, and slowly, to control it.
Watching him learn something so basic made me think about the basic functions of KAEIU. What are the things I’ve been doing automatically, without really paying attention?
For a long time, one of those things was social media. At my best, it was two to three reels or posts every week, plus daily stories. Posting to please the algorithm gods, because once you fall out of favor with them, it’s hard to get their attention again. But earlier this year I realized that constant posting was drowning out something more important: the signals coming from the business itself.
So I took a pause.
Not because social media isn’t important, but because I needed to focus all my energy on breathing fresh air into the brand. Just like my son is learning to notice the signals his body gives him, I’m learning to notice the signals my business gives me — what’s working, what’s draining me, what actually deserves my attention, and what will propel the business forward.
When I began designing new styles in January, I thought my focus needed to be on shipping. I had just been slapped with 50% tariffs, and my mind was very much on reducing costs. If I could flat-pack some of my styles, that could potentially save a lot of money. But as I’ve been designing over these past weeks, something slowly began to shift. Redesigning existing styles purely to save costs started to feel like pushing a boulder uphill. Every small decision felt heavy and slow. Designing from a place of fear was utterly... uninspiring.
But when I began designing things that were new, exciting, and genuinely useful for you, everything felt lighter. The ideas came faster. I could clearly picture someone walking up to my booth, or opening their package at home and thinking, “This is exactly what I needed.” Each design decision felt more certain, and I wasn’t second-guessing every little detail. What I started to realize was that yes, the redesigns will come. But they weren’t as urgent as the newness the line needed. And, if I’m reading the signals correctly, I’m starting to see that people want more variety and giftable items that can be personalized.
So, those are coming your way!
I have some fresh, new designs in the works, and I’m really excited to share them with you soon.
With love,
Maria