The future of GGC and being a mom

Newsletter feb 5, 2026

I didn’t think I would be a SAHM (stay at home mom). In fact we had always joked about me retiring my husband and he would be the SAHD (stay at home dad). I envisioned a girl boss pink office, with a fun extraordinary team, great outfits, and a profit that ended with a lot of zeros. 

But here I am with my precious baby boy Jack in my lap, after nap-failing  (meaning he refused to fall asleep and I’m hoping he’ll fall asleep in the car when I meet my friend for lunch) writing this newsletter and running a skeleton of what GGC once was. 

My desires changed, my body has changed, the world has changed, and thus my circumstances have changed, and that’s ok. 

And actually, the intro to this email was written about a week ago and I’m finishing it a week later. And that’s also ok.

As you know, at the end of 2024, I canceled events for the next year and let go of my team. The math wasn’t mathing and I was basically breaking even on events. Even though I loved my team, and mostly loved throwing events, it wasn’t working out.  I spent about $170,000 on my business in 2024, and profited about $40,000. Since I am not an S Corp and acting as a sole proprietor, that $40,000 was my take-home (instead of having a salary in addition to potential profit). 

In 2025 I had been recommended for a job at Adobe, had 4 interviews and didn’t get it. Disappointed and also relieved, I then made the plan to focus on content creation and brand partnerships and give myself space to breathe and figure out what GGC could be without events. 

Mid-January, 2 days after Trump’s inauguration, I found out I was pregnant. We were sorta-not trying because of gestures around. But surprise, shock, and uncertainty eventually became excitement.  

I had a rough pregnancy, I was nauseous the entire time, even with meds, and I was pretty depressed. I’m generally not too much of a depressed person, I tend to hang out with its cousin, anxiety, more. 

All these details to say, last year I barely worked. I really didn’t have much in me. I worked an hour or two a day, on content mostly, and was bored out of my mind the rest of the time. My focus was terrible, I was doomscrolling constantly, and could barely enjoy TV.  I did get help - I upped my Sertreline dose and started the process for a new talk therapist. 

I gave birth to Jack in October. He is a sweet, giggly one, and is currently learning about his hands. My body took a while to recover and is still recovering. But my hormones have done a full 180 and I am much less depressed. Jack is a joy to be around, but I am also tired. My days consist of tummy time, breast feeding, pumping, and trying to get Jack to nap. Besides all that, on a good day, I can usually do one work thing, one house task, and one self-care activity. 

By the end of the year I had brought in about $67,000 and spent about $12,000 on business expenses. (Let’s compare that $12,000 number to the previous year with a whopping $170,000 of expenses!!) This means I somehow profited more than the year before. I made more money working significantly less hours, with much less stress, and only ¾ of the year.

Why am I sharing this? Because I think it is important to see what other business owners are actually making. Because I think it’s important to share why the events weren't working financially. Because I believe it’s important to explore what different business models actually look like. And as someone who helps other entrepreneurs, I believe in transparency and sharing our ups and downs, pivots and uncertainties. 

At the beginning of this year, I applied to a few jobs. I wanted more stability, a consistent paycheck, and to work towards buying a house. I was ready to try something different. 

I had 3 interviews with a roofing company that needed a social media manager  (I know, I know so different than my GGC work). Somewhere in that process I got a “full body NO” to being ready to take on a full time job, go into an office, and put Jack into day care. 

I didn’t end up getting the job anyway, and I’m moving forward with mostly being a stay at home mom. 

So where does that leave my work and GGC? Well financially, I’m saving money not paying for day care, and the majority of my money will still be coming in from brand collaborations. I have monthly clients like Adobe and Printify that are dependable, and additionally I will pitch content to other aligned brands. (If you are interested in learning how you, too, can pitch partners and work with brands on content, I do offer a class for this called the Brand Deal Deal).

I also plan on putting a little more energy into my apparel line again this year. I will participate in a few local craft fairs like Salem Arts Fest in June and Haunted Happenings in October. 

I’m thinking about the podcast returning in some form, but I’m not sure where that fits into my day to day, plus it has been an expense rather than a revenue source. I at least want to continue conversations with fem business owners like my Creative Chats series I produced last year. 

I want to continue to help fem business owners make their work fit into their lives rather than their lives fit into their work. I do think running your own business can be radical, when treated with intentionality, integrity, and the community in mind. 

This year I am also interested in having conversations about the scam-y/MLM-y nature of creator/influencer programs and also exploring the nuances of AI. 

All of this is to say, I’m still here. Girl Gang Craft is still here for you. Whether you find my occasional newsletter engaging (maybe more frequent this year who knows?), or joy from a meme I’ve curated or made, or come away with actionable steps after a coaching session with me, or even if you find my thrifting videos on my personal IG account entertaining. I’m still here for the small business community as much as I can be in this season of raising a baby.

If you have suggestions for what you see GGC offering, please let me know! If you have questions for me about local craft fairs, or what’s the best email marketing tool, just reply to this email and ask! I’m an email or DM away. 

Ok, if you’ve read this far, this whole novel, thanks for being here! Please take care of yourself and your community during this wild time and collapse of empire. 

Call your reps! Call the DOJ! Hold these evil men accountable. 

Ok, that’s it for real. I hope to send more of these. 

Sending love.

-Phoebe