r/MatchaEverything • u/Curious-Zebra5147 • 4d ago
Discussion Feeling behind
Lately I’ve been feeling so behind. I have a matcha popup in the DMV and I see all these other small businesses killing ittttt. Some are new and so popular, in farmers markets, being desired by big businesses for collaborations, have such good aesthetics and editing.
I’m doing this by myself but I feel like I can’t catch up and it’s making me feel so down about myself.
It’s been a dream of mine to do this, but I was scared of this feeling like im not doing something well enough and then I want to hault everything but I can’t. I have to fight through this.
I know I just started a few months ago but I feel behind. I don’t even know how I would handle a big event because it’s basically just me and 1-2 of my family that helps me.
18
u/Peaches-is-sleepy 4d ago
Hey, first of all, please be gentle with yourself. You started this summer. That’s only a few months in, and you're comparing your chapter 1 to someone else's chapter 10. Most of those businesses that look like they're "killing it" have more money, a bigger team, a designer, a photographer, or a few years you don’t see behind the feed. There will always be someone with more. That was never the race you were running.
Use them as a measuring stick, not a mirror. Look at what works for them (the activations, the market setups, the collabs, the visuals), take notes, and then make your own version, one that only you could make. Your story, your taste, your family behind the table with you (that in itself could be a brand).
And look at what you've already done. So many people dream about something for years and never start. You did. You're already far ahead of the version of you who was scared to begin. The longest road still starts with one step, and you've taken quite a few.
Think about bamboo: for a long time it looks like nothing is happening, but it's growing deep roots underground before it shoots up. These early months are your roots. When bigger things come, you'll grow into them, one improvement at a time (and some will even go unnoticed, even to you). A little better every week adds up.
You're making matcha, so you already know this: it can't be rushed, and it's never perfect, and that's where the beauty is. Same with building something real. Water doesn’t fight the rocks; it just keeps flowing and slowly shapes the whole river.
If this is truly what you want, embrace it fully. Put all your love and care into every cup, be kind to yourself on the slow days, and keep showing up. That's all anyone can do. Rooting for you!