There is something magical about being in the office at the end of a productive day. When all of the staff is gone, all of the sand is cleaned up, and right when I click the lights off, I love to turn around and see the glowing red sign hung up on the wall.  Declan's Mining Co. Est. 2020. 

It's hard to believe that we have been in business for 3 years and how far we have come. If you're new here, I'd like to share our story of how we came to be the company that social media has come to recognize and love.

I always say that I started this business in my basement, and while that holds some truth, it really kicked off in my spare bedroom. And it had nothing to do with mining buckets. 

We started off this journey with a tiny little bundle of tumbled crystals. We were in the middle of a pandemic, and I was really wanting a change from the job that I had held for almost 6 years. I decided to try a small shop and share the things that I love the most with the people that had followed my social media journey for so long. It was a fun way to stay connected to everyone virtually and have something to look forward to when I would host my "Sunday Night Lives". It wasn't long after that when the world shut down completely. None of us could have ever prepared for the seclusion the world would feel.

In this forced downtime, we created Declan's Mining Bucket. My son was missing our summer vacation to New Hampshire, where we would get to enjoy this fun activity as a family. We started to share it online and with friends as a great way to stay socially distanced while still having fun. It wasn't long before we put it on TikTok, had a viral video, and our business BOOMED.

This brings me to the reason I sat down to write this blog. I don't think that anyone or anything could ever prepare you for a product that you made to go viral and become exposed to the entire world. The amount of chaos and hustle that happens when you wake up to hundreds, if not thousands of orders, is indescribable. First, you feel a rush of excitement, followed but slight panic, then straight pedal to the metal mode.

When Declan's Mining Bucket went viral for the first time, we were dealing with a broken elevator! Something that, before having 500 orders for a 9lb bucket, didn't seem too much of an inconvenience quickly turned into full panic. Within 24 hours, we had set up shop in a lobby that is only 9 feet wide and 20 feet long. Every friend and neighbor we could think of jumped in to help us take on this new high demand, and we made it work! 

When a small business goes viral, from the outside looking in, it can seem like that is the reason for the success of their business. But as someone that has put themselves out on social media for the last decade and has now run a successful business for 3 years, I can affirm that is the farthest thing from the truth! What it takes to get to a viral video is beyond what a non-entrepreneurial brain can comprehend. It's years of dreaming. Countless sleepless nights. Taking risks most wouldn't dream of. Falling flat on your face and happily getting up to try again. Vulnerably putting yourself out there for the world to judge, and having skin thick enough to handle the criticism that comes along with it. Having a deep belief in yourself when maybe no one else does.

I've been forever indebted to our faithful and loyal social media following since the day I started sharing my life on numerous platforms. That goes without saying. But when the lights go down, and the algorithm works against you, all you have is you. The grit, determination, and creativity to make it happen day in and day out. These are the real moments when a creative person has to dig deep and fall back on that trust that they have in themselves.

As I left the office last night, clicked the lights off, and turned around to see that glowing red sign, I was reminded of just how far we have come from my tiny spare bedroom. How far in this world our mining buckets have reached, and just how far we have left to go.

Love and Light,

KRS