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ROAD TO 10K DIARY
- PinMe
- Jun 4
- 14 min read
Updated: Jun 24
This Road to 10K Diary is the story behind the numbers, documenting the moments, lessons, and milestones that shaped PinMe 1913 on the journey to 10,000 orders.
Entry 01 • VIP 113
Entry 02 • Lessons from Custom
Entry 03 • The People Who Believed First
Entry 4 • Beyond the Product
One of the things I am most proud of along this journey has very little to do with sales numbers.
It has to do with collaboration, community, and shared knowledge.
Somewhere along the way, PinMe 1913 became a space where conversations beyond products could happen. One of the most meaningful moments was collaborating with my dear soror, Ms. Rita Johnson Mills of Tennessee, to create a workshop focused on preparing women for paid corporate board positions.
She brought incredible knowledge, insight, and lived experience to the conversation, and together we created a space where women could learn, ask questions, and begin thinking differently about leadership, positioning, and possibility.
That mattered to me deeply.
Because beyond the designs, I have always wanted PinMe 1913 to contribute to expansion in some way. Not just through products, but through access, information, encouragement, and opportunity too.
That's why Acts of Love, 22 Acts of Kindness, annual fundraising support, and opportunities to share knowledge will always be a part of the PinMe ecosystem.
There is something powerful about women sharing what they know with one another.
And honestly, that kind of impact will always mean more to me than numbers alone.
Entry 5 • The Designs That Didn't Make the Cut
One thing I am carrying with me from this journey is the realization that I need to apply the lessons I am learning from building what PinMe will become to my actual life.
I exercise great restraint in PinMe.
I am always doodling. Doodling becomes sketching. Sketching becomes concepts. Concepts become designs. And eventually, some of those designs become the pieces you see today.
What most people don't know is that there are countless designs they have never seen.
Some never made it past paper.
Some made it to renderings.
Some made it all the way to production samples.
And some were beautiful.
They just weren't PinMe.
Sometimes the idea in my head doesn't translate the way I imagined once it is rendered. Sometimes a concept is technically possible, but it lacks meaning. Sometimes a design is doing too much. Sometimes it simply isn't aligned with where I want PinMe to grow.
So I let it go.
Now, there are a few pieces in the collection that I personally do not love as much as others. But PinMe supporters love them, and that matters too. Part of being a founder is understanding that value is not determined solely by your own preferences.
But when it comes to the designs that never make it beyond my desk, the lesson has never really been about design.
The lesson has been about restraint.
Through PinMe, I have learned the power of no.
I have learned that fewer but stronger is often better than more.
I have learned that not every idea deserves execution simply because it can be executed.
And that is a lesson I am still working to apply beyond business.
I don't need to do everything just because I can.
I don't need to say yes to everything just because I can.
There is beauty in restraint.
There is clarity in restraint.
There is power in being intentional enough to choose what deserves space and what does not.
The truth is that not every design deserves to exist simply because it can.
And perhaps the same is true of many other things in life.
Entry 6 • The Third Thing
One of my most meaningful collaborations began in year three when I started developing a bag collection with one of my line sisters, Elle. While we are still in the early stages and have only produced one bag so far, that experience opened my eyes to a different way of creating.
Collaboration itself is not new to me. I have always enjoyed building with others. What was new was the opportunity to collaborate under the PinMe banner. It challenged me to think beyond my own ideas and explore what becomes possible when two creative minds come together to build something neither could create alone.
That lesson continues to shape how I approach collaboration today.
One of my current collaborations with Carinda, founder of The Special Tee, has been among the most exciting creative experiences of my PinMe journey. She allowed me to take one of her original concepts and bring it to life in a distinctly PinMe way. What emerged from that exchange became one of my favorite pins in the entire catalog: the LUV DST Mosaic Pin.
What I appreciate most about this collaboration is not simply the product it produced, but the process itself. It required trust. It required listening. It required me to step into someone else's vision while still bringing my own perspective, design language, and storytelling approach to the work.
The result became more than a pin.
That collaboration helped give birth to the LUV DST Collection. It helped inspire the LUV DST NYC Pop-Up Shop. And it continues to influence ideas, experiences, and future pop-up opportunities that may one day appear in cities beyond New York.
The more I create, the more I realize that the most meaningful collaborations create a third thing. Something neither person could have created alone.
These opportunities sharpen my creative instincts, expand my perspective, and remind me that some of the most beautiful things we build happen when we are willing to build together.
As I look back on the road to 10K, I am grateful for every person who trusted me enough to build something together.
Entry 7 • Showing Up
Entrepreneurship has taught me that not every opportunity can be measured in immediate sales.
Over the years, I have participated in vendor events, marketplaces, conferences, pop-ups, and community gatherings of all sizes. Some were highly successful. Others were not.
What they all had in common was visibility.
When people see PinMe online, they experience the brand through a screen. When they see PinMe in person, they experience something entirely different. They touch the products. They hear the stories. They ask questions. They make connections between pieces and moments in their own lives.
Those conversations matter.
Some customers place an order at the event. Others purchase weeks later. Some never purchase at all but tell someone else about the brand. The impact of showing up is often impossible to measure in the moment.
What I have learned is that presence creates opportunity.
Every event taught me something about my customers, my products, my storytelling, or my business. Every table setup became a lesson. Every conversation became market research. Every introduction became a potential relationship.
As I look back on the journey to 10,000 orders, I realize that many of those orders can be traced back to moments when I simply showed up.
Not because I knew exactly what the outcome would be.
But because I believed the brand deserved to be seen.
That belief has carried me through every event, every setup, every long day, and every uncertain outcome.
Not because I knew what would happen.
But because I believed that showing up mattered.
As builders, creators, and dreamers, we often spend so much time thinking about results that we forget the power of conviction.
So I'll leave you with a question:
What is something you believe in deeply right now?
And are you giving it enough opportunities to be seen?
Entry 8 • The Pop-Ups
One of the things I never expected when I started participating in pop-up events was how many meaningful relationships would come from them.
Of course, pop-ups create opportunities to introduce people to PinMe 1913. They allow customers to see the pieces in person, hear the stories behind the collections, and experience the brand beyond a screen.
But some of my favorite pop-up memories have nothing to do with sales.
One of my favorite stories began with another vendor.
Over time, a fellow soror vendor became a friend. She had been participating in events long before I entered the space, and whenever I have a question, she is always willing to share her experience and offer guidance. What started as two vendors occupying space at the same event grew into a relationship that I truly value.
Then came one of those moments that reminds you how small the world really is.
By training and profession, I am an actor. One of my closest friends is also an actor. During a conversation, I discovered that my vendor friend's brother had directed a film starring that very friend. It was one of those unexpected connections that makes you stop and laugh at how intertwined our lives can be.
Another favorite memory happened at a recent event when I found myself admiring the products being sold across from me. As we started talking, we realized we had actually vended across from one another before at an entirely different event in another state.
The world is much smaller than we think.
Moments like these remind me that pop-ups are about more than products. They are about community.
They are also one of the few opportunities I have to watch people experience the designs in real time.
Customers often comment on details that are difficult to capture in photographs. They notice the scale. The texture. The sparkle. The craftsmanship.
And if I am being honest, those moments matter.
So much of building PinMe happens behind a screen. There are hours spent sketching, designing, planning, photographing, posting, writing, packaging, and problem-solving.
Pop-ups allow me to step out from behind all of that and connect with the people who support the brand.
Those conversations fuel me.
They remind me that there are real people behind the orders, real stories behind the purchases, and real connections being formed through the work.
As I look back on the road to 10K, I realize that some of the most valuable things I gain from pop-ups are never reflected in a sales report.
They are friendships.
They are conversations.
They are moments of connection.
And they continue to be some of the reasons I keep going.
Entry 9 • The Order That Took PinMe Abroad
Recently, I had the opportunity to create a custom chapter logo pin for the United Kingdom Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
I hope that design eventually requires me to make a trip across the Atlantic to say hello to my sorors in person.
If it does, it will not be the first time PinMe has taken me abroad.
That distinction belongs to one of the most unique custom projects I have ever had the opportunity to create.
One of my friends was working on a film as a superhero in the Marvel universe. As filming came to a close, she decided she wanted to thank the cast and crew with a custom wrap gift and entrusted PinMe with bringing that vision to life.
Because the project involved the Marvel universe, the process was unlike anything I had experienced before. Permissions were required. Approvals were required. There were markings, imagery, and intellectual property considerations that had to be reviewed before the design could move forward.
Thankfully, the necessary approvals were granted, and I was able to complete the project.
The order became one of the largest custom projects I have completed to date.
The piece was carefully laid out, paired with a personalized pin card, packaged, and prepared for distribution to the cast and crew as a personal expression of gratitude from someone who was proud to be part of that film.
I was proud to be a small part of that story.
The project became even more memorable because as production came closer to wrapping, I began to worry that shipping timelines might not align with the crew's schedule.
I had already wanted to visit the set and support my friend. After all, how often do you get the opportunity to watch your good sis fly through the air as a superhero?
But the deciding factor was much simpler.
I did not want her wrap gifts to arrive late.
The only way I could guarantee they would get there on time was to carry them myself.
So I got on a plane.
I hand-delivered the order, watched the pieces reach their intended destination, and had the opportunity to witness a small part of a moment that meant so much to someone I care about.
My friends have always poured into me, encouraged me, challenged me, and supported me in ways that helped PinMe grow. This project was another example of that support.
And along the way, I had the opportunity to surprise her with a special pin to commemorate the moment.
How many people get to say they created an approved custom design connected to the Marvel universe?
I am sure there are others.
But I only know one who made pins.
As I look back on the road to 10K, I realize that some of the most memorable opportunities arrived through relationships, trust, and people who believed in my work enough to invite PinMe into moments that mattered to them.
That order remains the largest custom project I have completed to date.
But I am ready for someone to change that.
Let's see what the road to 20K brings.
Entry 10 • What You Don't See
When people look at PinMe 1913, they often assume there is a team behind it.
They see the collections.
They see the website.
They see the photography.
They see the custom projects.
They see the pop-ups.
They see 10,000 orders.
What they do not always see is that 99.9% of it has been built by one person.
Me.
Sure, friends have stepped in.
Sorority sisters have helped.
Mentors have guided.
But when it comes to the day-to-day work of building PinMe, the designing, writing, photographing, posting, packing, planning, problem-solving, and dreaming, it has overwhelmingly been me.
For years, I have worn nearly every hat in this business. Designer. Photographer. Copywriter. Customer service representative. Shipping department. Product developer. Inventory manager. Website builder and editor. Marketing director. Social media manager. Founder and Chief Creative Officer.
People often encounter PinMe at its most polished.
They do not always see the late nights.
The learning curves.
The disappointments.
The moments when things did not go according to plan.
They do not see the flood.
They do not see the manufacturer transition.
They do not see the lost molds.
They do not see the products that had to be remade because they did not meet my standards.
They do not see the personal resources invested to keep moving forward when the easier choice would have been to stop.
What they see is the finished piece.
And honestly, that is how it should be.
My job is not to hand customers my challenges.
My job is to create something beautiful.
But as I reach 10,000 orders, I think it is important to acknowledge that every milestone has a story behind it.
Every collection has a story behind it.
Every design has a story behind it.
And every order represents a decision to keep going.
One of the realities of being a solopreneur is that customers often experience only one part of the business.
They see the order confirmation.
They see the shipping notification.
Sometimes they see a processing time and wonder why their order has not already arrived.
What they do not see is everything happening behind the scenes.
The founder designing the next collection.
The founder answering emails.
The founder updating the website.
The founder creating content.
The founder packing orders.
The founder working to recover lost shipments.
The founder crying because insurance covered only a fraction of what was lost.
The founder learning new systems.
The founder taking classes to strengthen the areas where she is still growing.
The founder trying to figure out business debt.
The founder trying to figure out taxes.
The founder trying to build something sustainable while still making something beautiful.
The founder learning, in real time, what it actually takes to run a business.
Because the truth is that I am a creative first.
I understand stories.
I understand design.
I understand vision.
What I have spent the last several years learning is the business that must exist around those things in order for them to survive.
PinMe has required me to grow beyond the creative process and learn the systems, structures, and strategies that allow creativity to become a sustainable business.
And that growth continues every day.
There are days when it feels like there are ten people behind PinMe.
Then I remember they are all me.
At least for now.
For a long time, I believed that doing everything myself was the only way to ensure it was done correctly.
I wanted to write every caption.
Take every photograph.
Design every pin.
Tell every story.
Set every display.
If something was one inch out of place, it would bother me.
What I am learning now is that building a sustainable business requires more than hard work.
It requires systems.
It requires support.
It requires a willingness to evolve.
Recently, one of my sorors, Randi N. Gray, founder of Stronger Systems Group, helped me begin looking at my business differently. She is also one of the women responsible for bringing me into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, which makes this chapter of the story feel especially meaningful.
Interestingly enough, there is also a PinMe design named after her.
Years ago, after seeing the oversized Violets & Pearls Soror Pin, Randi texted me a doodle she had sketched on a random slip of paper and asked if I could bring her idea to life. I remember texting her back to let her know the concept was clean, but I would need to make a few adjustments to make it work as a pin. I told her I hoped she would like the finished product.
She did.
The rest is history.
Today, that design has become one of the pieces PinMe customers love most.
Years later, through Stronger Systems Group, she is helping me bring a vision to life. Not a pin this time, but a stronger business.
That feels fitting.
A woman whose idea became one of PinMe’s most-loved designs is now helping me build the systems that will support the next chapter of the brand.
For a long time, I resisted tools like artificial intelligence because I misunderstood what they were. I thought they would replace the parts of the business I loved most.
Instead, I am learning that the right tools and stronger systems can create space for me to focus on the things that only I can do.
The designing.
The storytelling.
The creating.
The connecting.
The vision.
Because the truth is that I cannot build the road to 20K the same way I built the road to 10K.
People often say it takes money to make money.
Building PinMe has taught me just how true that is.
Every collection requires investment.
Every mold requires investment.
Every product requires investment.
Every lesson seems to require investment.
I started this business with my own resources.
And over the years, I have had to reinvest in it again and again and again.
The easiest thing to do would have been to stop.
Instead, I kept reinvesting.
I kept rebuilding.
I kept believing that the vision was worth the cost.
As I look toward 20K, I am excited by a possibility that once felt out of reach.
Not because I expect the road ahead to be free of challenges.
But because I know the road can be stronger.
The systems can be stronger (thanks, Randi).
And I do not have to walk it alone.
The truth is that while PinMe is a solopreneur journey, there has been collaboration at every stage.
Friends.
Family.
Sorority sisters.
Mentors.
Customers.
People who believed in me long before the milestones arrived.
People who continue to help me build what comes next.
And somewhere along that road is a dream that has been with me since the beginning.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated means the world to me.
One of my greatest PinMe aspirations is to receive a commission from my beloved Sisterhood and have the opportunity to create something that serves and celebrates the sorority on a larger scale.
The dream is not a new one.
Dreams are also fuel.
The road to 10K certainly required it.
Long before PinMe became a business, I knew there were stories I hoped to tell and designs I hoped to create. Some of those ideas have been waiting patiently for years, tucked away on random slips of paper, inside impromptu sketchbooks, and scattered throughout notebooks and files, waiting for their moment.
When the opportunity arrives, I intend to be overly ready.
When I look at 10,000 orders, I do not just see a number.
I see every obstacle I overcame to get here.
And more importantly, I see proof that I can overcome whatever comes next.
The road to 10K taught me how to build.
The road to 20K will teach me how to sustain.
And if the road to 10K taught me anything, it is this:
Keep building.
Keep learning.
Keep believing.
You never know which opportunity is waiting around the corner.
Thank you for walking this road with me.
I thank God for keeping me.
The journey continues.
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