I won’t make this a long post. Heck Yes, Y’all continues to pivot and change as I try my best to trust that I’m doing the right thing. I’m guessing that, because it feels uncomfortable and a little scary, it means I should do it, right?

I mean, growth does often feel uncomfortable and scary.

After much consideration - post Golden-Con 2023 - I’ve decided to pivot the HYY brand.

FFS Hillary, again with this sh*t? you may be thinking. Well it’s true! If I want HYY to grow in any way then things need to change.

Why the pivot? I’ve mentioned in my blog post right after Golden-Con that I felt that I’d pretty much exhausted my tap into the Golden Girls fanbase (at least in the United States.) So if I feel that I’ve capped out, where do I go from here?

I didn’t truly comprehend all that it would mean to grow a company (i.e. how much change would take place and continue to take place.) In a way, it’s like a baby because there are so many stages. Just at the moment you think you’ve learned to ride that wave another one comes swooping in and you’re knocked down with a mouth full of sand.

It feels really vulnerable when you’re riding a wave and the next one pummels you in real time, and it’s on display for the world to see.

I know where I want to go.
I know what makes me feel productive, creative and alive.
I know that I truly feel awesome when I connect with others.

I often worry that people will see the growth (i.e. pivots) over the last six years and view me as unfocused, obscure or unprofessional.

I don’t think my actual brand voice has changed as much as the circumstances around it.

What people don’t see are things behind the scenes that halt productivity, even when they are the driving force for growth. Most people don’t know that my Cricut machine (which has been instrumental in creating silkscreens which I use to print all my apparel and costs $300-$400* per machine) became unusable while we were in Chicago for Golden-Con.

Ergo, I have been unable to create anything new since April and now, I’m unsure as to whether that machine should be replaced, or if I should consider other options to create the products I want to make.

What people don’t see:

The anxiety that builds every time I print something by hand (as opposed to sending it to a printer, which I’ve never done.) The few people who leave negative reviews are the ones in my head when I receive an order.
The serious shit that comes up in your personal life that takes a very real toll on your bandwidth. And if you’re someone who puts loved ones first, how much bandwidth do you have left for work? Not much at all.
The overwhelm that comes of knowing that you must do everything.
The pressure to secure a constant social media presence even though you value quality over quantity and see no reason to post for the sake of the freakin’ algorithm.

I was operating was not sustainable for the actual company - nor for my mental health - in the long run. And quite frankly, limiting myself to something so niche truly does cut down on my connection with others.

So that’s the answer to why HYY is once again pivoting: because I want it to grow so more connection can transpire.

Progress over perfection any day, y’all.

Progress over perfection.

With heaps of humor and heart,

Heck Yes, Y'all (quietly) turned 6