Aug. 27, 2026 A Day In The Life Of A New Entrepreneur

Today could have been a day of spiraling — letting depression and the weight of other people's opinions pull me under. Instead, it became a day of rebuilding. And that makes all the difference.

Let me take you back to the beginning.

I started my morning the way most entrepreneurs do — checking Instagram, hopeful that the power of AI-assisted content was bringing customers through the door. In truth? It was only half working. Yes, I had views — 27,000 to be exact — but zero customers. Zero.

Then one post stopped me cold. It had 2,551 views, 9 likes, and 17 comments. I'd never had that kind of comment activity before, so I clicked through — and what I found broke my heart a little. Comments like:

"Your cup could be used for a vase." "Your entire page is AI, including your cups." "You couldn't just take a photo of a real person? AI slop!"

Ouch. But also… they weren't entirely wrong.

Those AI-generated videos misrepresented my products in ways I hadn't even noticed — cups looked liquid, bottoms were rounded instead of flat, stainless steel interiors appeared white, and product names were mispronounced. My brand was being shown to the world in a way that simply wasn't me.

So I made a decision most people wouldn't have the courage to make: I deleted everything. Over 1,000 posts across Instagram and TikTok — gone. And I started over, this time with me at the center of it all. My products. My face. My voice. My story.

But first, I silently thanked every person who left a comment. They helped me see what I couldn't see on my own.

Over the next three hours, I rebuilt. I created posts across all four of my social channels sharing the truth — the tearing down and the rebuilding of Creative Things By Gen LLC. I shared my brand-new BBB accreditation (yes, I became BBB accredited yesterday! 🎉). I introduced the world to Miller Manor — our home — and to Nana's Glitter Empire and Nana HQ, the basement where all the magic happens, where every handmade piece and digital product is born with love.

And I walked people through it. Literally. The fourth TikTok post was a tour of Nana HQ — because if you're going to know my brand, you should know where it lives.

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Here's what today taught me: AI does not fit my brand. Because I am not fake.

I am a real person, with a real heart, running a real business from a real home. I want my pages to feel warm and inviting — because that's who I am. The heart and soul of Creative Things By Gen LLC is authenticity, and the BBB accreditation I earned is a testament to that. So is the courage it took to tear it all down and rebuild it stronger.

If you're reading this and you've been tempted to take shortcuts — I get it. I've been there. But I hope my story saves you the time, the money, and the heartache that comes with building something that doesn't truly represent you.

Build real. Build from the heart. 💕

— Gen, Nana HQ