The Long Road to Sift Pro

This is a moment I was starting to think would never come, but

W E M A D E I T. 

We are FINALLY ready to launch Sift Pro, the subscription based version of Sift!! 

Now, you might be thinking….greatttttt you’re going to start charging me to use the app…shocker. To that I would say, yes true, but also not true (becasue the free version isn’t going anywhere). But let me explain why this is such a huge deal for my husband, Alex and I. 

Side Hustles = Dreams come True

Like any business venture, the goal is to make money. But for me, Sift is and has ALWAYS been so much more than that. I grew up in a middle class family. My dad worked in construction, and my mom stayed home with my brother and I (which was always a dream of hers). Being a single income household came with big sacrifices on my parents’ part, but one of the ways they made it work was by earning a little extra income from my mom’s custom cake and candy side hustle. She would make custom cakes from our home on weekends and do craft shows throughout the year. It helped support our family so that she was able to be the stay at home mom she always wanted to be. All of that to say, I have seen first hand how a creative side hustle has the power to give people the family life they've dreamt of!

It's Not All Rainbows & Butterflies

Whether your home business is your creative outlet, a way to support your family, an opportunity to make extra income, or a tool to help your dreams come true, I have no doubt that it challenges you some days and makes you think…"why am I doing this?"

Managing life and a creative business is not for the faint of heart.

There is so much more that goes into it than what people on the outside know and see. I think maybe that is the reason that there really aren’t any tools out there for creative side hustles and small home businesses.

The Problem & A Solution

During my time as a high school physics teacher I started to look for tools to help me manage my custom cookie side hustle, but I kept running into the same thing. The free tools were too basic and didn’t really help me the way I needed them to, but the small business softwares were too complicated! They had a million features (that I would probably never use) and had a steep monthly fee. Honestly, they were geared towards well established small businesses and I just felt like that was too much for me. I was just a one woman show with a creative side hustle. I felt like people like me were kind of forgotten in the world of “business” tools.

That is why I am so passionate about Sift. I believe that home businesses and side hustles are so important and the people struggling to balance them on top of all of life’s responsibilities deserve a tool specifically for them!

A Long, Exhausting Journey of App Development

I’m going to be super transparent with you. Until now all of the development for Sift has been self funded. Every penny I have earned over the last 2.5 years from my custom cookies, cookie classes, workbooks etc has gone directly to development costs (so THANK YOU if you have ever bought any of them & supported me). Needless to say, I am exhausted! When we decided to go for it and bring Sift to life we were SO naive. I legitimately thought I would have a profitable app within 6 months….HAH. The past two years have made me question my sanity more than I'd like to admit. I oftentimes ask myslef, "why am I still trying to make this thing work." But I think that's life and that's business right?? From the outside, people think “wow…her cookie business is thriving, (which is true & and I am so thankful for that) but on the inside I have been running myself ragged just trying to afford development costs. Sift has been one giant money pit, until now. 

Don’t get me wrong I am so proud of how far Alex and I have been able to bring Sift, and nothing brings me more joy than when you reach out letting me know how much it is helping you with your side hustles and small businesses! But, being able to launch Sift Pro feels like we finally made it. I can finally take a step back, take a deep breath and let Sift start to fund itself so that I don’t have to do it all myself. While I am BEYOND excited to have some money coming in from Sift to help pay the bills, I also know that not everyone is in a place where they can afford another subscription.

We are NOT getting rid of the free version of Sift. I always want to make sure this is a tool for anyone at any stage of their creative journey. Whether you are just starting out with a new hobby or if you’re running a thriving small business, I want Sift to be a tool for you. 

So, moral of the story...Sift Pro is set to go live on December 12th, 2023 and I am SO excited. This is a huge step for me personally and I just want to thank each and every one of you for your support leading up to right now and continued support in the future! I cannot wait to keep improving and adding new features and capabilities to turn Sift into every creatives’ dream business management app! 

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Update (3/20/2024) - Sift Pro is LIVE! Want to know if Sift Pro is for you? Watch the video below for a quick overview of the extra features Sift Pro will unlock for you!

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