#144 Hitting the Pause Button and Planning for Growth

For the first time in BHooked Podcast history, I’m hitting the pause button and planning for growth.

But this is not goodbye! The BHooked Podcast will return with episode 145 as soon as I can make it happen. I explain all of this in the details in episode, including why I’m hitting the pause button and what you can expect in the coming months from B.Hooked as well as what to expect from the show when it returns. If you want to get your crochet podcast fix in the meantime, browse through the archives of this podcast including more than 143 hours of podcast inspiration, motivation and tips.

See you soon, friend.


About The BHooked Podcast
Brittany's primary goal is to inspire you and help you grow in your craft with The BHooked Podcast. Through her own stories and the stories of each special guest, you'll discover tips and tricks to improve your crochet and knitting skills and find inspiration to achieve your hobby goals. When you want to kick back and learn from yarn industry experts, grab some yarn and turn on The BHooked Podcast. There's never a shortage of all things crochet, knitting or yarn.

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Transcript

Brittany 0:00

You're listening to the B Hooked Podcast, episode 144, with Brittany. Well, hello there, friend. Welcome to episode 144 of the Be Hooked podcast. And by now you've read the title, so the cat is officially out of the bag. But don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here helping you get better at your craft in other ways. Honestly, I'm hitting the pause button on this show, as I alluded to in the last episode with Brittany from Ideal Me. You heard me mention in that discussion that she said some things that I really needed to hear, and that's because I've been battling with this decision for a while. Truth is, I've battled and fought with this decision harder than any other decision I've made this year ever. maybe any decision that I've made so far. And that's because you know how much I love the podcast, how valuable it is for me to be able to connect with other makers and other crocheters and knitters and be able to share that conversation with you is just so incredibly amazing. So I wanna start things off by saying this show is absolutely coming back. It's not going anywhere permanently. This is not goodbye. I could never just not do a podcast. It's become such a big part of my life and something that I really look forward to. And I know it's something that you look forward to as well. And I just couldn't let you down in that way. To me, a weekly show isn't just a commitment that I've made to myself, but it's also a commitment that I've made to you. And that is something I don't take lightly. However, I have finally realized through valuable conversations and heart-to-hearts that in order for me to keep my commitment to you, to be the person here motivating you and helping you get better at your craft, I need to shift my focus briefly to making the BeHooked community the place that has everything you need. First and foremost, I want to assure you again, this podcast will continue with episode 145. However, for the first time in the BeHooked podcast history, I'm hitting the pause button for a few months. There's honestly three reasons behind this, and that's what I want to share with you today, as well as what to expect when the show returns. If you've been listening for a while, I'm sure you've picked up on the fact that I'm a little nutty when it comes to planning, time management, and productivity. So you know, if there was a way to continue this weekly show while also building these exciting new resources, I'd be the one to figure out how to do it. And trust me, I have tried to figure out how to do that the past couple of months, and I just realized that The honest truth. For me, multitasking isn't something I strive to be great at. In my experience, for me personally, multitasking means that I'm doing several things kind of lousy. And that's not the experience I want for you when you visit BeHooked.com and when you interact with me on social media. I want to be fully present for you and be the best version of myself, provide the best resources that you can possibly find on the internet. I want you to have that best experience, one that you're confident to recommend to a friend. I know, I know, this is a little cryptic. You can see that things are going to happen, but you're like, come on, Brittany, tell me what's up. Well, here's as much information as I can offer you right now. A couple months ago, I hopped on a Whip Wednesday live show with Leigh from Coco Crochet Leigh. She does those on Instagram Live. Well, on that call, for the first time, I said out loud that bhooks.com is getting a new look. If you've been to the website recently, you may have seen a survey at the top of the page. So that's really no secret, but it is something that's been going on for several months. Actually, in April of this year is when that undertaking started. To be honest, a lot of things prompted this, but the big reason is that currently there are over 500 posts and pages on BeHooked.com, ranging from free patterns to podcast episodes and pretty much everything crochet and knit related in between. Well, every single one of those posts has hours of work invested into it, and it has something valuable that I believe will help you accomplish your goals to get better at your craft. However, I've never quite been satisfied with how those posts, how those resources are arranged and how easily you can find them on the website. So that's the first big thing changing during this pause. Behooks.com is getting a new look that'll make it easier for you to get exactly what you need from me. So that's the first reason that prompted this break. Now, although I've been working on the new design since April, So much of what I'll work on during this break is very much in its infancy, so I'm kind of hesitant to share too much details for fear that things might change a little bit between now and when the podcast comes back. I certainly wouldn't want to get your hopes up or set a certain expectation just yet because I'm not 100% on some of these details. But here's the second reason for the pause. Again, a little cryptic, but that's only because I want to be a woman of my word, and right now I don't have all the answers. But when the show returns, I promise you'll hear all about it in full detail. So the second reason what I'm able to share with you is to finally build something my community has basically been begging me for for a long time. Two things, actually. A better way to learn from me, in an environment where access to me is possible and access to ad-free resources. So here's the deal with the ads. I've never been too shy to tell you that this is what I do for my full-time job. If you are new to the show, the Cliff Notes version of that is that I worked a regular nine to five, it was actually 8.30 to 4.30, from college to 2017. While working on BeHooked in my spare time, just sort of for fun in the background. But when passion and profit surpassed my day job, it made sense for me to do this full time. So I made the leap, leaving that comfy job and going full time with everything I do here. That means I depend on income from BeHooked to support my family, myself, and my husband. That's where the ads come in. They bring in income so all the resources you find on the website and the YouTube channel are free for you to watch and consume and use. However, I understand that some would rather have a different experience, one that's ad-free, more convenient, and more perks like having access to me to ask your questions and learn from me in a more hands-on approach. So that's the second reason for the pause. So I can finally put 100% of my focus into building the things I know my community needs and wants for me. Now that being said, it is extremely important for me to continue providing free resources for anyone to use. So that will continue. Free patterns are still a thing. Free tutorials, that's still a thing. Those aren't going anywhere. They will continue from now until forever. But I do want to offer something in addition to those free resources for the people who are looking for a more hands-on, ad-free approach. So not only will these resources help serve a direct purpose and a need in the BeHooked community, but I believe they will also serve an integral role in BeHooked in the sense of potentially building a small and mighty team. I've always been open with you in saying that I'm a one-woman show. I wear all the hats here at BeHooked, and to be honest, I love every single moment of it. But something I have always known but tried to ignore is you can't do it all. You can't do everything well. However, I also understand that it's a pretty big responsibility and undertaking to bring on a part-time or maybe even a full-time employee, that's a decision I don't take lightly and that is why it hasn't happened as of now. However, I do know that with this addition, this is possible. It is definitely possible to bring on somebody to help me make all of these crazy dreams that I have a reality and resources for you to use to help you get better at your craft, to help motivate you and accomplish your crafting goals. The last reason is to do a little restructuring, if you will, for this show. To be completely honest, I don't know exactly what that looks like right now because I need your help with this. Last year I did a survey which allowed you to tell me exactly what you want out of this show and those responses very much shaped the way the show operated this year. Well, I want to do that again for when the show returns because that was really, really helpful information for me and it allowed me to produce a show that you actually want to listen to. The survey this year, again, will ask a handful of questions that when answered will give me insights into your wants and needs for this podcast. We continue to be one of the very few, maybe even the only crochet podcast out there. With that comes a pretty big responsibility for me to find the perfect balance between what you want as a listener and what I can provide as a host. So if you have some time between now and the end of the year, and you want to give me your feedback, just visit beehooked.com slash podcast survey. And remember, every detail matters. Every answer will be read and used to form the new BeHooked podcast when it returns. So that's the last question. When will it return? Another question I've been really battling to answer. As much as I hate to leave it unanswered and open-ended like this, I'm afraid that's the best thing I can do right now. The things that I'm building during the break are completely new territory for me, so I really don't have a clear idea of how long they'll take. Here's what I do know. I hope to take some much needed family time during the month of December and hit the ground running in the new year with these new things. Some of these things are progressing very nicely and won't require a lot of time. Others will require a little bit more time for me to invest and develop and build them. So although I can't promise a date for episode 145, I can promise you this. I will work as diligently as possible so you're not without a crochet podcast too long. So here's the best thing for you to do right now, because the last thing I want you to do is completely forget about this podcast. I mean, believe me, that's actually been my biggest fear with making this decision, that you'll completely forget about the podcast and there'll be crickets when I come back. I know that totally won't be the case. We often fear the absolute worst, and what we fear usually doesn't actually happen. But the best thing to do so you don't miss that episode is to subscribe to this show on whatever podcast player you're listening to right now. Because when you do, that podcast player will likely alert you when new episodes are available. So you'll see episode 145 when it publishes. Another thing you can do is follow me on social media, wherever you like to hang out. I'm on Facebook and Twitter at BeHookedCrochet and Instagram at BeHooked. And there will most definitely be an announcement on all of those platforms when that new episode is available. The cool thing is that this podcast has been running for 143 solid episodes. That's a little shy of 143 hours of crochet inspiration and knowledge and things that you can go back and listen to. So I would encourage you during this break, if you're feeling the need for a crochet podcast, maybe dive back into the archives, listen to some of those earlier episodes that are still very relevant and applicable today to find that inspiration, to find some help with the things that you might be struggling with. as it relates to crochet and knitting and maybe even starting a business or that sort of thing. Now the big takeaway for this episode is this. It's okay to take a break from something if it means serving better for you bloggers out there or if it means refining your purpose for the thing you're taking a break from. I think that's something we all as crocheters and knitters can relate to. All right, so please don't forget to check out beehooked.com slash podcast survey to answer some short questions about how I can make this podcast even better for you when it returns next year. Subscribe on your podcast player so you don't miss that next episode. Go back into the archives, listen to some of those amazing episodes from the past. Follow me on social so you can see that announcement when it comes out. Now that does it for this podcast episode. Thank you so much for tuning in and even more for sticking with me here to the end of the episode. Happy Thanksgiving for my friends here in the States. Happy holidays to all who celebrate and cheers to an epic new year. I'll see you soon, friend.