Building Systems Before Sunrise

Today I was up before the sun — and no, not for a workout this time.

Instead, I gave myself a solid three-hour block to sit with the chaos of my process and start bringing order to it. Because let’s be honest: if I don’t build a system I can stick to, I’ll burn out before this store even has a chance to shine.

First up? Templatizing.

I’m tired of starting from scratch every time I make a listing. So I started mapping out a system that I can rinse and repeat — something that works for me and actually saves time. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m finally getting the bones down.

Then came the Canva whiteboard.

I know everyone swears by Figma, but I’m not there yet — and honestly, I’m not trying to take on another platform. Canva’s whiteboard feels limitless, which is overwhelming at first, but I’m learning how to use it to brainstorm freely. Once ideas feel solid, I’ll move them into documents or templates that are easier to execute from.

And finally, I dug into Alura for Etsy shop research — studying the top sellers in my niche, how they price, what kind of deals they offer, and what actually moves. It’s a lot to absorb, but every insight helps me make better decisions.

This journey isn’t about doing it perfectly.

It’s about showing up, building smart habits, and staying all in — even when it’s messy.

Your turn:

What’s one part of your process you could templatize today to save time (and stress) tomorrow?