02/08/2024
Hustle, Heartbreak, and Humility
How I let heartbreak & imposter syndrome ruin my mental health in 2023 and the reasons why Operation Made is temporarily closing.
*****
I write this letter against the advice of my coaches and mentors. Iāve never been one to listen to the āexpertsā anyway .... I prefer to be completely transparent. Hopefully this will answer all the questions that Iām sure will come with the announcement. Here goes nothing!
*****
(This is a long read)
As some of you may know, I never intended to be an entrepreneur.
In 2011 the Air Force sent my family to Okinawa, Japan for a 3 year tour. To be honest, I did not want to go. I had two toddlers (3 years old and 18 months old) and my husband (at the time) had accepted a job that would have him traveling 280 days out of the year. Being āaloneā on an island on the other side of the world with 2 babies and no friends or family was not alluring to meā¦. AT ALL. Butā¦ that is life for a military family!
Once the kids and I got settled into our new home and I felt comfortable in my new environment, I began crafting again. I started exploring the island; one thing led to another, and I ended up turning my hobby of creating license plate art into a full-time business, which I named Unique Pl8z. I employed fellow spouses on the island and started shipping my art all over the world. This little hobby turned into a 6-figure business before I could even catch my breath.
Fast forward a few years, the kids and I returned back to the United States. My husband did not come with us because they deployed him to the Middle East right from Okinawa. We had no idea where we were being sent after the deployment, so essentially the kids and I were homeless. Soā¦we came home to Rhode Island, moved back in with Mom & Dad for a year, and waited for the deployment to be over.
I continued to grow Unique Pl8z and enjoyed being back with friends and family. A year later I moved my family and business to New Jersey. Once again, we started over. This was our 7th move in 13 years. Things were different this time around though. To this day I try to pinpoint where things went awry, but in the end, I guess it doesnāt matter. My husband and I ended up separating and once again, the kids and I ended up back home in Rhode Island.
Through all of this, Unique Pl8z remained the one constant in my life. The business continued to grow and I ended up securing a wholesale agreement with TJ Maxx and HomeGoods. I officially hired an employee (many of you got to know Greg over the last 5 years) and was fortunate enough to get help from so many friends and family members. When 3 tractor trailers pulled up to my house to pick up the shipment, I quickly realized that it was time to take Unique Pl8z out of my house and into a manufacturing facility.
Greg, a 20 year National Guard Veteran, and I continued to grow Unique Pl8z together. We solidified the mission of Unique Pl8zā¦ to empower military families through employment and entrepreneurship and hired many Veterans to help us with the business. During a camping trip in the summer of 2018 we came up with the idea for Operation Made, and on Veteranās Day that year we officially opened our doors.
We poured our heart and soul into both Unique Pl8z and Operation Made for many years. Due to the support of the military community across the nation, Unique Pl8z was a flourishing businessā¦meaning Operation Made didnāt need any business loans because Unique Pl8z was able to carry the cost of operations for the first few years.
In 2023 Greg decided he wanted to pursue another path for his life. We tried to work together for a few months, but that didnāt last long. He is no longer a part of my life or either business. To say I was heartbroken would be an understatement. As the Fresh Prince of BelAir would sayā¦ āMy life was flipped, turned upside downā. I was holding onto life and both businesses by a thread. I didnāt know what to do or where to turn, and I felt like there was no way I could take even a minute to stop and breathe.
I was trying to keep both businesses thriving all by myself, which meant my parents stepped up big time to help me with my two kids and the day-to-day aspects of life. Less than a month after Greg left, my Dad passed away. His passing was sudden and a shock to us all.
Now life got real interestingā¦. I was trying to keep both businesses alive, by myself. I was trying to keep my kidsā life in-tact and keep up with all their studies, sports, and extracurricular activities, and I was trying to be as supportive and helpful as I possibly could for my mom.
My focus and attention was split, in what feels like, a million different directions. My friendsā¦ I burnt out. Like totally and completely burnt out. The holidays were as good as they could be. But I would be lying if I said I enjoyed them.
I am grateful for the love and support of so many customers who supported our small business and our military community. I am so proud of the community weāve built and the money we have infused into the military community. Iāve made life-long friends that I never wouldāve met had I not taken a chance on Operation Made.
Although I am proud of the community Iāve built and the businesses Iāve built, my friendsā¦. I AM TIRED. I am so very tired and I need some time to adjust, heal, grieve and grow.
I have accepted a corporate job that will allow me the flexibility to keep working on and growing Unique Pl8z. I will be moving my studio back to my house where I can be present for my family more.
I have made the VERY difficult decision to step away from Operation Made. Since I am no longer a military spouse I just feel like I donāt have a voice in the community like I used to. At times I feel inauthentic.
I wholeheartedly still believe in the mission of Operation Made, and I believe the community does too. Operation Made is so unique. There is no other physical store, at least on the East Coast, that serves the military community like we do. With that being saidā¦ Operation Made is for sale.
I would love to see the mission continue to unfold and grow. I just feel like I am no longer the person to take it to the level of success I know it can reach. If you know of anyone that might be interested in purchasing the business, please reach out to me at [email protected]
Who knows what will happen. I am letting Jesus take the wheel. If no buyers are interested, and I get back on my feet, maybe one day Operation Made will re-open in a bigger and better location!
I will never have the words to thank you enough for supporting me, my mission, and our military community over the last 5 years. I hope you continue to support Veteran and Military Family Owned businesses.
I hope you come follow me over at Unique Pl8z License Plate Art and let me continue to create fun, custom license plate art for you! My mission is still to support the military community through employment and entrepreneurship. Hopefully I can grow Unique Pl8z again so that I can hire more Veterans and Military Spouses to work with me.
SOā¦. WHAT HAPPENS NOW????????????
All merchandise is 35% - 75% off! Come get your favorite items at a deep discount!
Select display pieces are for sale and all remaining tactical gear is available for purchase for whatever amount you want to offer.
Our last day at this location will be Friday, March 15th, and up until then our hours will vary due to my āmomā duties and my transition into my corporate job.
Here is a list of store hours by the day. All items in store will be available online, so if you canāt make it to the store during business hours you can shop online and we can ship them right to you. www.operationmade.com
Friday, February 9th- 10am-4pm
Saturday, February 10th - CLOSED
Sunday, February 11th - CLOSED
Monday February 12th - CLOSED
Tuesday, February 13th - CLOSED
Wednesday, February 14th - 10am - 4pm
Thursday, February 15th - 10aam - 4pm
Friday, February 16th - 10am - 4pm
Saturday, February 17th - 10am - 4pm
Sunday, February 18th - Wednesday March 6th
CLOSED
Thursday, March 7th - 10am - 4pm
Friday, March 8th - 10am - 4pm
Saturday, March 9th - 10am - 4pm
Sunday, March 10th - 10am - 4pm
Monday, March 11th - CLOSED
Tuesday, March 12th - CLOSED
Wednesday, March 13th - CLOSED
Thursday, March 14th - 10am - 4pm
Friday, March 15th - 10am - 4pm LAST DAY OF BUSINESS
