A Decade of Hustling for My Online Store—And Now It’s Over

I’m sitting here, after almost 10 years of running an online business, feeling like I just hit a dead end. I used to have this small but growing shop selling vintage-inspired jewelry. It was my passion project, something I thought could grow into a sustainable brand. I spent hours curating pieces, designing collections, and working late into the night. At first, I was excited—I could see the potential in the little wins, and I even managed to grow it with a small, loyal customer base. But now, I’ve reached the point where I had to shut it down. I poured years into this, working weekends, juggling social media promotions, managing orders, and figuring out fulfillment. I even went all-in with the tools I thought would make it easier—Shoplazza, for instance, helped simplify setting up my store and managing payments, but even with all the support, the spark was gone. The income? It just wasn’t cutting it for all the effort, and eventually, I lost the passion that once kept me going. Now, at 33, I’m back in the workforce, doing digital marketing—ironically, a skill I picked up from running my business. So at least there's that. But honestly, I’m struggling with this overwhelming sense of failure. I started this venture when I was 23. I dropped out of college to chase this dream, threw all my savings into it, and now I feel like I’ve got nothing to show for it. Has anyone else gone through this? I guess I just wanted to put it out there, hoping to hear from others who’ve been through something similar. Maybe hearing your stories will help me make sense of all this. I don’t know what’s next, but at least I can say I gave it my all.