In Vlogmas Day 17 of my 30 before 30 challenge, I’m finally talking about something that’s been “top secret” for a while: I’m fully shifting my business for good. While I pack up mini candles and make my inventory wall look all cute and colorful, I walk you through how Monica’s Collective has evolved over the last six years—from me handmaking literally everything as a side hustle during my software engineering 9–5, to realizing in 2024 that I didn’t have a side hustle anymore… I had two full hustles (the shop + content creation). Quitting my corporate job was the start of the shift, but this year ended up being more restful and perspective-building than I expected. I share the real mindset changes that come with growth: higher customer expectations, the pressure to ship faster, and the constant noise of people saying handmade “isn’t scalable.” For me, mass manufacturing is still off the table—mission-wise and ethically—but collaborating with independent artists (like my matcha ceramics) feels so right. The big shifts I’m planning for 2026 are hiring more help so my role changes, and investing more into the business (money, supplies, tools, and systems) while I treat myself like an employee of the brand—not the brand itself. Basically: I’m choosing sustainable growth, better boundaries, and a business that can flourish without me burning out on bulk making forever.