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134 posts on Instagram for 126 followers. Here's how I really feel about that

After 134 posts on Instagram, Gilly Bee has 126 followers and I'm being honest about what that feels like. This isn't just about numbers. Without reach, there are no eyes on my shop, no orders, no future for this little handmade business I love so much. I compare myself to other makers, I struggle with photography, and I'm still figuring out how to build trust with people who've never held my work in their hands. But when an order finally comes in? It means everything. This is the unfiltered version of what building something small and handmade really looks like.

5/30/20262 min read

Here's the thing that keeps me up at night though, it's not really about numbers. It's about something far more practical. Without eyes on my Instagram, there are no eyes on my website. Without eyes on my website, there's no one finding my shop. And without people finding my shop, Gilly Bee stays a beautiful secret that only I know about.

I need people to see what I make. Not because I need validation, but because this is a real business that I have poured real time and love and money into and for it to survive, people need to be able to find it, visit it, and feel moved enough to buy from it.

Instagram - I've given more than I have grown. And I am still here

"Instagram isn't just a creative outlet for me. It's the front door. And right now, I'm standing behind it wondering why no one's knocking."

I'll confess something else while I'm being honest. I do compare myself to others. I can't help it. The platform is basically built for it and here's what makes it harder: when I look closely at what other makers are putting out, I genuinely believe my products hold up. In many cases, I think they're better. The quality is there. The craft is there. The care is absolutely there.

What I haven't cracked yet is the photography. Getting what I make to look on a screen the way it looks and feels in real life, that's a skill I'm still developing. I know my products deserve better images than I've been giving them and I know that a blurry or flat photo can make even the most beautiful thing look ordinary. That gap between what something truly is and what a photo can show, it's frustrating in a way that's hard to explain.

Because trust is everything when you're small. People can't pop into a shop and feel the weight of something, turn it over, notice the finishing. They're making a decision based on a handful of photos and whatever feeling your words give them. And I'm still figuring out how to close that gap and how to make someone who has never heard of Gilly Bee feel certain enough to click and buy.

I think about the moment an order comes in. I want to describe it properly, because it's not just a notification. It's someone, somewhere, deciding that something I made was worth their money and their trust. It genuinely makes my whole day and makes me believe that if I can just keep going I will finally get some momentum.........and then I wait another few weeks for the next order and my heart sinks.

But I keep going. I keep posting, keep learning, keep trying to get better at photographing what I make, keep hoping that the right person stumbles across the right post on the right day and follows the thread all the way to my shop. That's the dream, not viral, not famous. Just found. By the right people, at the right time.

If you've made it this far and you've never visited the Gilly Bee shop. I'd love for you to have a look. And if you know someone who appreciates handmade, considered things made with genuine care, please pass it on. Word of mouth from real people means more to a small business than any algorithm ever could.

Thank you for being here. It means more than you know

With love from the sewing room,
Gill x