One of the hardest parts of Merch by Amazon is the waiting.
Tonight I finally saw movement. A tote I uploaded on January 2 moved into processing. That might seem small, but for me it confirmed what I already knew. My hunch was right. It did trigger a manual review. And more importantly, it was not rejected.
That alone brought real relief.
Merch can sit quietly for days or even weeks. In that silence, it is easy to feel like nothing is happening or to question whether you should keep uploading at all. Yesterday I did not post here, and I honestly cannot remember if I posted anything new anywhere else. On the surface, it felt like a non-productive day. I know I made a video of one of my products, which will come later.
But I did NOT do nothing
My full-time job is as a marketing manager, and my days have been packed from early morning until late at night. What is interesting is how closely my job mirrors what I do in my free time and with my side projects. The same skills. The same type of thinking. The same creative and strategic work, just applied in different places.
Right now, I am trying to figure out how to better capitalize on that overlap without burning myself out. That part takes time, patience, and a lot of trial and error.
Tonight was a reminder that progress does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it shows up as a quiet status change. Sometimes it shows up as trusting your instincts. And sometimes it shows up alongside a mistake.
Wall of Shame
A very long time ago, at my first job in graphic design, I worked for a newspaper. We had what was known as the “wall of shame.” It was reserved for big, obvious mistakes.
One of my contributions was a grocery store advertisement where “roast beef” printed as “roast beast.” No one caught it. Not me. Not production. Not proofing. Honestly, it was funny, but it still earned its place on the wall.
In the three decades since, many things have happened that deserve a spot on my own virtual wall of shame.
Last night, I learned of a new one (aka mistake by me) currently circulating in my community. A rack card I have out there right now. Not only did I miss the mistake, so did every other person who reviewed it. And so did every person who helped place those cards around town. Although to be fair, by that point, even if they had found it, it was paid for and printed by that point.
What was the horrendous mistake?
The event date reads April 46, 2026. Yes. I invented a date. Completely made it up. Ladies and gentlemen… SMH.
It happens. Far worse has happened. Far less has happened. It will not be the last mistake I ever make.
But it is still incredibly cringe-worthy.