A Letter To You on Small Business Saturday - 2020

Hi there, my friend.

I’m writing to you from my looks-like-a-tornado-came-through-here home office in our new home state of Idaho with sleepy eyes, coffee in hand and my 5lb, 12 year old Yorkie snoring in my lap.

Writing this letter this year feels different… well, I guess because it has been different. I actually just re-read the letter I wrote last year and thought “gahhh that girl has some ENERGY”, haha!

I’m Skyler, the owner of SugarSky, and am still the same gal on the other end here, but coming to you with a raw perspective on what this year has been like and what it means for you to shop with us during this season. I hope you’ll continue reading :)

This year has been heavy. I know you all feel that. I’m not going to rehash what all it’s been filled with because we’ve all lived it and, frankly, I don’t need to spend these precious moments of you reading this doing that. Please know that my heart goes out to all of those that have suffered and felt the heaviness that 2020 has brought. You are on my heart every day and I mean that.

In my letter last year I wrote the full SugarSky story (you can read that here). I talk about my mom’s hand-me-down sewing machine, the $200 I used to start the business in our 300sf tiny above-garage apartment, and the roller coaster that has ensued ever since I pressed the launch button in January 2015.

Let me just say, starting and owning this business has been a RIDE.

This year has proven no different. We have had some of our highest highs this year and some of our lowest lows. Owning and running a small business (especially a business that manufactures all products here in the USA) is such a blessing and also, well, frankly very hard at times. 

I don’t mean the kinda hard that’s like quantum physics hard, but instead like the risky, night-sweats hard. The everything’s on the line kinda hard. The hard that feels like if you fail, you’ve lost everything hard.

But then I take a step back and remind myself of a few things:

Firstly, for many reasons, this isn’t about me. This business isn’t my identity and I refuse to let it be. Not what you'd expect, yeah? I’m a firm believer that when we have our identity wrapped up in worldly things, we have, in fact, lost ourselves. Secondly, while I may have a good case of the night sweats several times a week during peak seasons, so many others that come in contact with SugarSky are on the receiving end of the positive benefits of us being around... which brings a huge smile to my face.

Let me share what I mean:

Our products are through and through handmade in the USA. This means, we employ + empower those right here on our turf. In a day where off-shore manufacturing is made easy, it has never been an option here at SugarSky.  

From patterns and packaging to web services and stickers - all parts of our business are designed here in the USA by local-based designers. Our packaging cards are printed in our previous home-state of Colorado and all of our products themselves are printed, cut and sewn by highly-skilled and well-paid USA sewers on our soil.

Though 2020 has been a season where some things have felt impossible and a lot of things have ebbed and flowed over the last (almost) 6 years we've been in business, it has always been and always will be our mission to employ + encourage + empower those right here in our local community and in our country. 

You should know that when you purchase a product from SugarSky (whether during this holiday season or not), you're not only receiving a very high-quality, one-of-a-kind, versatile product, but you're also putting food on people's tables, helping pay their power bill or buy that particular Christmas present for their child/spouse, allowing them to exercise and share their amazing skillset(s), talent(s) and creativity with the world, and most importantly, you're allowing them to continued to feel empowered in what they do. 

My gratefulness abounds that you have taken the time to read more about who we are and that you might potentially choose to shop with us this season!

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to me directly by shooting me an email here.

Loving you this season with the kinda love that pours out deep from the soul,

-Skyler

 PS: If you've made it this far, please feel free to use code: LETTER25 at checkout for 25% off of your order through 12/1 at midnight :)