We made it! 2023 is right around the corner but there is still a lot to talk about. I want to start off by giving you my biggest thank you for the most incredible year we've had at TheCoffeeMonsterzCO (TCMC). I do not go by a day without acknowledging how lucky I am to be able to create for you, so thank you again! In this blog post, I will be reflecting a bit on 2022 and discussing what is to come for 2023.

1. Challenges of 2022

Personal Challenges

There were many... new things that happened which as a creature of habit, was challenging in the sense that I felt out of control. The biggest challenge was probably getting through my final year of university and making it to graduation. I did a big move across Canada, and re-adjusted my entire routine. My family also ran into a series of bad luck health wise (my dad literally got poked in the eye by a potted plant... what?). I also started going to therapy for the first time to confront some of my troubles which was a whirlwind.

Needless to say, it has been a weird year. And while I try not to let personal challenges affect my work much, there were definitely some overlaps.

Business Challenges

One of the biggest flaws of TCMC that I hope to address in 2023 is processing times. It is unfortunately not an easy problem to fix, as getting to space to bring on more employees, hiring the right fit, giving proper training, and coordinating schedules with releases all come with time. However, I give you my promise and dedication that this is where a lot of my effort will go towards. Who likes waiting for processing and shipping?! No one!

Another challenge I hope to address is the pacing of new releases and events. Especially in the second half of the year, there are so many things we "have" to do and they are all tightly packed. Autumn releases, Halloween releases, advent calendars, winter releases, Christmas releases, New Years releases, Black Friday weekend, and all the little things in between. While I can't really change these definite dates, I hope to move at least some of our seasonal releases a few weeks earlier so there is more leeway. Furthermore, I will make it so that my birthday sale will happen actually on my birthday (August 6) rather than 2 weeks after my birthday to alleviate the pressure on later releases.

2. 2023 Stationery Subscription

[information held back since we are announcing later this afternoon!]

3. Moving Forward

Apart from the major challenges mentioned in the beginning, there are several improvements I will be working on over the holiday break:

• Better navigation of our website so you can find the products you need
• Restock notifications
• More clear organization on what are older items and what are newer items
• Working with Shopify to better the speed of checkout processing
• Shifting into options for eco-friendly packaging
• More rewards for our Potato Points program

And overall, make your shopping experience better time after time.

4. Wrap Up

That's about it for now! Thank you again for all of your support. I do talk about being tired a lot, but this truly is my dream and every bit of work is worth it for me. Despite some rough patches in 2022, I am so hopeful for next year and all the fun things I have planned. There are so many things I want to do: a mock magazine, cook book, apparel, and just so much more. But I will take it one step at a time and ensure foremost that the emotis arrive at your doorstep safe and sound. I feel very lucky because of you, and the world is lucky to have you. I hope you have a beautiful day!