I think it’s safe to say that most of us had some rough patches this past year, and honestly, I’m glad we’re talking about it. It is sad to see so many small business closing their shops but I applaud their transparency and vulnerability in sharing their journeys. As for me, I feel like I’m on the verge of joining them.
2025 Retrospective
2025 was the year of my failings. Every project I started failed. Epically.
I set my heart and mind on 3 major efforts in 2025:
- Complete a collection of ritual guidebooks and have them available in printed editions.
- Finish writing and designing an oracle deck and guidebook; have a Kickstarter campaign to bring the project to life.
- Launch a cohort of my annual 10-day intuition development course.
Okay, yes, I technically did all of these things, but not how I intended.
The Unfolding
Back in the spring I launched a line of self published ritual guidebooks. Never sold a single one.
In the summer I launched the Kickstarter for my bespoke oracle deck, the Rhetorical Oracle. The campaign went unfunded and the project ended.
In the fall I launched my annual intuition development intensive, The Safe Unknown. No one signed up.
I was baffled, dumbfounded, and heartbroken. Yes, I was having successes in other areas of my life but these missed marks felt like utter and complete failure. Aside from the time and energy I invested in all 3 efforts, I also invested money. Having no financial return on these investments has left my business underwater for the first time ever. What the hell went so wrong?
1,000 Cuts
Now let me be clear, not everything fell apart at once but all the little disappointments started adding up.
I thought the people who came to my in-person workshops for the past 2 years would jump on digital and print offerings, but they didn’t.
I thought the people who bought from me at events would make purchases on my website, but they didn’t.
I thought the people who sought out my readings would invest in the divination tool I created, but they didn’t.
It’s not their fault. I wasn’t offering what they wanted, or so I thought. Turns out, I wasn’t telling my story and explaining what I was offering.
The Reckoning
I had an ah-ha moment while out to eat with a friend. I was excitedly sharing about my oracle deck Kickstarter when she asked what an oracle deck was. I was stunned. Her question was valid and honest but I just didn’t know how to answer her.
Like, what???
Imagine that; me, a person with a robust collection of tarot and oracle decks at a loss of how to answer the most basic of questions.
My brain bufferend and the silence of the conversation was suddenly so loud. I fumbled through a jargon filled explination and whatched her eyes glaze over.
Then it hit me: Holy shit, I don’t know what I’m selling.
It was only some time later while thinking about our conversation more that I realized how many assumptions I was making. I assumed people knew what I was talking about. All the time. With all my projects.
Turns out I did, but they didn’t.
Audience of 1
It feels foolish now to realize how much I was marketing my projects to myself. I knew what I was talking about but I was not the target audience. Even now, I don’t have full clarity of who my target audience is and that is truly the failure.
I knew in my heart and mind exactly what I was doing, why it was important, and how to make the most of it, but I never actually explained that to anyone. Part of me arrogantly functioned under the presumption that the people would find me, everything would click, and all my efforts would be more successful than I imagined.
It’s not that anything I offered was bad, unhelpful, or useless; it’s that I never articulated the value, function, or purpose.
Step and Pivot
The close of this year has me sliding across the spectrum of wanting to keep trying and absolutely throwing in the towel. I bounce back and forth, not feeling connected to either extreme option. I still want to share my creations and writings but I need to spend time figuring out how best to craft a message, connect to people, and create a true invitation to my offerings.
I decided to offer the guidebooks as PDF downloads in addition to the print editions. It’s a more accessible price point and it gives folks instant access to the material.
I’ve send along proposals to publishers for the Rhetorical Oracle in hope of walking a traditional publishing path. So far, all rejections, but I still have 1 I’m waiting on (fingers crossed!).
Now The Safe Unknown is available to embark on at any time; no cohort required.
Shifting these offerings may be helpful but it’s not the whole answer. I still need to dive back into myself and really figure out the details of what, why, and how. What am I conveying, why would people want it, and how can I connect them to my work?
To read more about my lessons learned from a filed Kickstarter, click here.
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