Back in 2007, I went to work for a local technology firm as the Executive Assistant. I knew the basics: I could set up a computer, install a printer, learn just about any software put in front of me, and troubleshoot a paper jam without losing my cool. But that was the ceiling of my technical prowess.
Our team there became a family of our own, and over time one of the long-running jokes among us was that if it involved anything more complex than a paper jam, don’t ask Jenn.
Naturally, because the universe has a brilliant sense of humour, I frequently ended up running the Service Department when someone was out. There I was, "at the helm," holding on to our engineers and techs for dear life as I needed so much help from them to keep the train running smoothly. What parts do I need to order for this ticket? How long should I schedule this job for? Who has the right certifications to work on this ticket? And the classic end of day question from me, which one of you is buying me a drink after this?
Me, circa 2009; if anyone had told this young woman she would one day run her own website, she would have laughed in your face as she asked for help fixing her printer problem.
Fast forward to 2020.
The world hit pause, and my husband looked at me and said, "If you’re ever going to launch the website, it has to be now." I looked back at him, jaw on the floor, and asked, ‘how exactly do you expect me to learn how to do all that?’
Three months of steep learning curves later, after moments of success, moments of frustration, and a few melt downs, I found myself on the phone with Shopify Support. As we clicked the button to go live, I didn't just cheer - I cried. I was immensely proud of myself, a little exhausted, and completely stunned that the girl who could only ever fix a basic printer problem back in 2007 had managed to learn enough to launch a website for her little shop. I don’t think I will ever forget that feeling.
The Learning Never Pauses
Since that day, I’ve essentially become my own one-woman Service Department. The only difference is that now, when I have a 'ticket' to work on or a technical glitch to troubleshoot, I can’t turn to an engineer and beg for their help as I offer to buy the first round that night. I’ve had to put in the hours - researching SEO, decoding Google Ads, and learning the 'language' of the web - to ensure our digital doors stay open. It’s a daunting task to balance the 'backstage' tech with the front-of-house shop life but seeing how much we've grown makes every late-night research session worth it.
What This Means For You
I’ve poured everything I’ve learned recently - the research, the trial and error, the late-night reading - into a major update for our site. I’ve refreshed three of our main pages and shifted how I’m writing our blog moving forward.
I want our website to be more than just a reliable place for a fabulous gift and greeting; I want it to be a place where you feel the same care and expertise has been taken for all of you that has been taken for those who visit our physical store.
Come take a look; I would love to show you what's new:
I’m so proud of how far we’ve come since that tearful launch in 2020, and I can hardly wait to show you what else I am planning for our website this year.
Warnest regards,
Jennifer