The story behind Create Heart Work
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I started creating digital products while I was teaching 3rd grade...
I remember showing up to my teacher meetings with notebooks, data binders, my planner, different pens, highlighters (you get the point). As soon as I purchased my first iPad after getting a summer bonus, I knew there must be a way to simplify things on there.
I had accumulated experience in my years of teaching on how to design digital products. Digital planning was not a term yet and I created my first digital planner back in 2018. I remember I spent my whole summer creating a planner from scratch. That planner saved my teacher life. I was able to show up to meetings with just my iPad. I felt like I had the most organized school year that 2018.
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I had created a planner that actually solved so many of my teacher problems
I remember telling my family that I had created a planner that actually solved so many of my teacher problems when it came to organization. My parent’s response was “just focus on being a teacher & don’t waste time on anything else” (yikes).
A part of me really wanted to post the planner up for sale on Etsy. I had dreams that others would be able to use something I crafted by hand. A big lie rushed in my head and said “how embarrassing if nobody likes your work”. I prayed and decided to post it anyway. I opened up my own instagram and purchased my first 50 fake followers (true story).
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I believed in what I was doing. I decided to change my strategy.
I messaged a bunch of “influencers” on the internet begging them to try out my planner for free in exchange for exposure. They all denied. I should have given up right there because it was kind of humiliating (my instagram and my 50 fake bots) but I pushed through. I believed in what I was doing. I decided to change my strategy. I didn’t need a huge following. I didn’t need perfect pictures. I just needed to believe and love what I was doing because my digital planner had actually solved an organization and productivity problem in my life.
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I started sharing how I used my planner in real life
I just put myself out there with my horrible angles and lighting. (scroll down to my first instagram posts @creatingwithlucy to see what I’m talking about), but I truly loved my planner! I got my first sale after a couple of months and the big secret? I just kept showing up. I believed in what I was doing. I knew I was offering value. Today, by the grace of God we are over 30,000 sales and trust me, I still don’t believe it. It doesn’t make sense in my mind how other people are actually using our products and leaving 5 star reviews left and right!
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Create Heart Work was birthed 2 years after.
We decided to trademark that brand name for our planners. Why Create Heart Work? I truly believe that when you work on things that light your heart on fire, you can’t fail. I stopped trying “hard” and instead put my heart into what I was doing. I truly loved every single moment creating, crafting, and designing. Even if nobody agreed, I knew I had something up my sleeve. I pray this story inspires you to go after the things God has placed in your heart. One step at a time, little by little, do the thing that lights your heart on fire. Remember it’s heart work not hard work.
This is Jona, my husband. I met Jona at a church camp. We dated for 6 years and got married on November 2018. I am forever thankful for his life.
Teaching is my passion. I miss my students SO much and this will always hold a special place in my heart. I truly believe teaching paved the way to start Create Heart Work® Today I still get to tap into my teacher passion by teaching at my local church.
Apart from Him, we can accomplish absolutely nothing. I didn’t grow up a believer. At age 17, He reached down in the lowest of lows and I haven’t looked back since. Today, we serve as young adult pastors at our local church and there is truly nothing I love more than sharing Jesus.
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