New beginnings look like this

The day is finally here. I’ve spent a really long time thinking of what to say and how to say it. But I guess there is no right or wrong way.

My little shop is changing ownership and I am excited for all the good that is to come! Honestly, I’m sure this news is going to catch everyone off guard. It’s not something that I’ve taken lightly or haven’t spent what feels like forever crying over. But the one thing I do know, is that it’s for the best.

It was the summer of 2021 when I felt changes in my heart starting to stir. There are a lot of things when it comes to owning a business that you don’t know until you know. Especially owning and running a brick and mortar. The more the shop grew, the more it demanded from me in a lot of different ways.

I felt myself wanting to be home and more present for my family and the people in my life. Especially my little one. Can you believe she’s about to turn 2! The more she grew, the more I wanted to be home. It sounds like a simple reason but honestly it was the only reason I really needed.

The stronger these feelings became, the more I fought them. I wasn’t ready to walk away from something that I had worked so hard and tirelessly to build. The more I fought, the more conflict I felt within myself.

At the beginning of this year, I was starting to think about potentially selling the shop. I felt like I was no longer able to balance all the things I had been juggling. I’m also the type of person that if I’m unable to give 110% of myself to something then I need to find a better solution. The shop was ready to grow, but I had to tell myself that maybe I was no longer the best person to do this.

Then February came along, and brought with it the best news. I’m expecting baby number 2! My pregnancy so far has been like night and day compared to my first. To say that it’s been challenging would be an understatement. I’m so thankful for all my family who has rallied around me to not only help with my day to day, but to also keep the shop open and running.

I spent months praying and giving the decision to God. I felt Him telling me that this new season of my life that I’m getting ready to enter would be the most beautiful and fulfilling one yet. But I needed to be willing to let some things go.

When I finally talked to my husband to let him know my decision I still questioned if I was doing the right thing. Let me tell you something. When you are listening to the will that God has for your life, He will make that abundantly clear.

A few days after the decision was made, Lauren, a local artist and small business reached out me. She told me that she knew the next step for her business was to open a shop, but she didn’t know where or how to start. She asked if I wouldn’t mind answering some questions. I had to reread her message a few times. I hadn’t said a single word to anyone other than my husband at that point about wanting to sell the business. I was worried about finding someone who would love and care for the space and the people who came through the doors just as I always had.

After answering her questions I let her know that if she was interested, I was selling my shop. She was couldn’t believe her luck and how the timing of our lives seemed to match up perfectly. Here I am, getting ready to enter a new season of my life, and here she is, also getting ready to enter a new season of her life.

I immediately felt validated in the decision I made to sell the shop and that I was ultimately listening to what God was telling me to do. I did not have to go searching for anyone. This process could not have gone any smoother. There was no need for me to worry or be anxious.

I am so excited for Lauren and her family and their new journey! I know that she is going to be able to take the shop to a level that I would not have been able to. It’s going to be wonderful to see the space live on in a new form and to see how she puts her spin on things.

I also want to take a moment to thank each and every person who has supported my journey thus far. Thank you for these past few years of being a shop owner. It will remain one of the highlights of my life and I will always be able to look back with fond memories. I truly loved all the people I got to meet and their stories they shared with me. It has really changed my heart in so many ways and all for the good!

So naturally you might thinking, well where does that leave me? Honestly, I don’t know. For the first time in my life I get to slow down. I get to immerse myself in my artwork and being an artist. I will be able to focus on my family and my growing babies. I don’t have much of a plan, other than continuing my art and stationery line. You’ll be happy to hear that Salty Kai will remain a part of me. I want to create things that make the world a little brighter and a little better. Hopefully you will continue to follow my journey as I grow not only as an artist, but as a person. Sometimes this life that we spend so much time planning out for ourselves ends up looking like nothing we could have imagined. And that’s okay. New beginnings look like this.

– Renée