Hire Smart, Not Fast: A Handmade Seller’s Guide to Strategic Hiring

Why Pausing and Reassessing Beats Desperation in Building Your Dream Team

Today I want to share a little insight that’s been a game-changer for my journey in the handmade world. I recently had two eye-opening conversations—one with a handmade brand boasting over a million subscribers, and another with someone whose subscription box community is nearly 25,000 paying members strong. Both were feeling the pressure to hire immediately. One was overwhelmed by personal life demands, while the other was torn between focusing on community and content creation. Their first instinct? Throw money at the problem.

I’ve been there, too.When I first started out, I often felt like hiring was the magic bullet to ease the overwhelm. But I learned the hard way that hiring from desperation can cost you more than it saves. Quick hires led to misalignment, extra stress, management headaches, wasted money, and lost momentum. I realized that chasing a quick fix only deepened the chaos rather than streamlining my creative process.

So, what did I do instead? I hit pause and took a deep breath. I began asking myself, “What’s really causing the overwhelm?” More often than not, it wasn’t a lack of manpower—it was the pressure I was putting on myself. I learned to step back, reassess, and recognize that sometimes, the best move is not to hire at all.

Communication became my lifeline. I started being honest with my audience and my team. I’d say, “I need some space to think and do what’s best for the long term.” This honesty not only reset expectations but also built a deeper connection with my community. I'm stuggling today becuase USPS lost 1500 packages, but we're on it-- give us a day or two. Or I'm completely overwhelmed, I need to work from home alone today. I discovered that my audience and my team both understood that building something real takes time. It wasn’t about having it all figured out immediately—it was about building a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

Before making any hiring decisions, I created space for creativity. I consulted with friends and experts, shifted my schedule, and slowly built a backup vault of resources. I learned that preparing before I need it—setting up systems while the sun was shining—was infinitely more effective than scrambling in a storm. Instead of chasing shiny objects, I focused on building structures that would serve me in the long run.

Now, I only hire when it’s the right strategic move. I wait until I know that adding someone will truly fill a gap and align with my vision. A rushed hire won’t save me; a smart, thoughtful hire will. My decisions now are driven by strategy, not stress. This approach has not only saved me a lot of money but has also kept my brand’s momentum strong, my creative spirit and my sanity intact.

If you’re feeling the pressure to hire just to ease the overwhelm, remember this: sometimes the best move is to pause, reassess, and prepare before you need to. Take the time to understand what’s really causing the stress, communicate honestly with your audience, and build in that breathing room. Hire strategically—only when it truly aligns with your vision and fills a genuine gap in your business. This mindset shift has been crucial for my journey, and I believe it can help you too.

Hugs, Cheri