A Massive Shift

I can’t find the way to articulate how emotional it is to dismantle something you worked so hard to build. The reasoning for closing LGS is messy and multifaceted. By many metrics, LGS is a wild success story. Something I started on a whim and with no real plan grew in ways I never imagined. In between late nights at the Idea Foundry, coffee and sawdust in my garage, my first 1000SF warehouse, and into our current shop, I grew a hobby of mine from a seedling into a full time career for myself (and Sarah!) over the last several years. I am really proud of that. 

In truth, over the last 18 months or so we’ve been fighting rising costs and lower sales. I’ve had to constantly reinvent and pivot to adapt to the ever changing landscape of our small business. Every new venture, twist and turn demands SO much from me to make it succeed. I just don’t have the same energy or bandwidth I had 9 years ago to devote to new growth or ideas. My entire life looks different now than it did when I started. The current financial environment forced me to think about why I started this and what I want the future to look like.

When I started LGS full time, my goal was to create a lifestyle that allowed me to enter motherhood with flexibility. By that measure, I definitely succeeded. LGS provided me with an extended maternity leave when our babies arrived prematurely. I had the chance to send the girls to daycare on a part time schedule their first year of life. It allowed me to become a safe harbor during the pandemic when we were all scared of the unknown. It allowed me to enjoy countless slow mornings; drinking my coffee and snuggling or playing Barbies before school without feeling pressure to rush off to work. It allowed me the privilege to be the parent to pick them up every time they had an earache or fever. LGS gave me space to grow, mature, and become the mother I wanted to be.

In the fall, my girls enter kindergarten. What do I want for this next season of my life? 

Our society is constantly messaging us to chase more, to grow bigger, “Become a girl boss in five easy steps!”. It is hard to filter out the noise and listen to your own inner voice. My inner voice is guiding me away from that hustle culture. It’s guiding me to simplify, to seek stability, to find new possibilities.

In truth,  I’m exhausted — I’m tired from wearing all the hats all the time, from years of never feeling fully on top of things, from constantly trying to reinvent and push through roadblocks. I’m exhausted from worrying about where our next big lead will come from, what product idea will carry us through another slow season, and from navigating all the turbulence small businesses face. 

I know I could overcome the current financial challenges but it comes at a cost that I’m not willing to pay anymore. I’m not willing to work around the clock, to “hustle harder”, to travel to markets every weekend, and to give up feeling present with my kids to make LGS succeed at this same level. Something needs to shift.

So, I’ve been sitting in purgatory of sorts; not knowing how to move forward. Because on one hand, closing means the stress, overflowing inbox, financial worry and recent burnout is gone. But with it, I also leave behind the best job I’ve ever had. To walk away from a dream feels so heavy…. I am trusting that the different seasons of life lead you where you need to be.

I have grieved so much over this decision. There have been many tears and moments of insecurity; questioning if I am making the wrong choice. In the last few weeks, something changed. I have found peace in my choice and path forward. The part that’s felt impossibly hard is telling all of you, my wonderful supporters.

You have made me feel special, valued, and important. You have given me community beyond anything I’ve had before in my life. I am humbled — truly, truly humbled — that my business has grown this much and made it this far. I am proud of myself for overcoming challenges and succeeding. LGS has been my full time job for 7 years. I am really, really proud of that. It has only been possible because of all of you and your orders, referrals, and encouragement. 

Your support allowed me to explore my creativity, to enter motherhood with grace, and to challenge my own beliefs about myself. This entrepreneurial adventure has affirmed to me that I am not just a dreamer; I am a doer. I have grit and determination. I am ambitious. I am unafraid to learn new skills and take risks. I am brave. I can fail and recover. I can pivot and reinvent. I am creative. Today, I am reminding myself I will always be those things, even without LGS to “prove it”.

I can’t predict what the future will look like. My earnest hope is that I will be around in a much, much smaller capacity. Maybe I’ll do a show again or show up online after the dust settles. I’d like to reconnect with making things for the pure joy of it again. 

In the here and now, the path forward means I am closing my studio space. 

I will be having a sale to clear out the space soon (details to come!) and I will be selling some fixtures, material stock, and equipment as I move out. I’ll be shutting our website down while I transition out of LGS and back into the corporate world after seven years away. I’m going to take some time to process this seismic shift in my life. 

I truly hope to reopen in a smaller way; I plan to keep my baby laser (think tumblers, cutting boards, and smaller goods!) and some key tools for tinkering at a hobby level. Maybe I’ll love the other side of the fence so much, I’ll never be back. I have no idea what the future holds. Change has always overwhelmed and terrified me. I’m doing my best to ride the wave and trust the seasons of life. 

And don’t worry, if you have an inquiry in my inbox or an order placed, I will still be honoring those projects. I will announce a “last call” date for orders soon. If you’ve been thinking of a piece for years and haven’t pulled the trigger, now is the time. 

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. Thank you for the opportunity of a lifetime.  I have designed and made thousands of signs since starting. Many of those have been keepsake pieces to you as customers. Thank you for letting me in your life. Thank you for trusting me with your loved ones handwriting, your wedding song lyrics, your new babies birth announcements, your annual Christmas traditions… Your encouragement and support of LGS is something I will never get over. 

I am humbled to know my art has found its way into all of your homes. I have crossed paths with SO MANY wonderful people because of LGS. I found community here and will always cherish those connections. I get teary eyed thinking about saying goodbye to all of you. So, I won’t. I’ll just say, I love you. 

Shop small. Support local. It matters so much. 

With so much gratitude and love, 

Brooke