Getting through Challenges with Imposter Syndrome and Dunning Krueger

This is our second attempt at doing a small print business. First run we were completely bootstrapped, set up shop in the living room of a milltown house in a low income area. Was just getting to the point of stability when we went through a series of family deaths, leading us to pack up and move. But neither my wife nor I ever did the college thing-- her graphic work is fully self taught, mainly assisted by Canva just because you can't beat the licensing. Even with that, we've never had complaints about the quality of our product, even though we've seen many people with the same equipment struggle.

Now that we've moved and my wife lost her job at the beginning of the year without being able to get past the interview anywhere else, we were assisted in what was supposed to be buying a screen print shop that went all sorts of sideways ending up with us getting into an oversized space with screen print equipment that I need to figure how to get up to operate because my wife doesn't have the personality to "just figure out it."

We were pretty well received at a popup event this past weekend, and opened the door for a smaller one this weekend. Since the shop is so big and we need to cover a few grand in rent, we've expanded to include a maker space to provide kid friendly activities. I'm still working a 40 hour week of 4 tens, but I've been doing gig work during my 3 days off to help stretch and haven't been able to because of needing to do the market stuff.

Definitely having bouts of feeling like we're doing this wrong or constantly questioning what it is we are missing when we do have successes where others are struggling. I've always been self-reliant-- came from nothing myself while my wife is the baby child from a middle class family. We have bills that need paid, but I also feel that doing this is the only way that my wife will be able to hold a job due to ADHD and refusal to medicate or actively seek therapy, which of course isn't an option without health insurance anyway.

For those who started and succeeded, how did you get through your doubting thoughts? For those who folded a time or two, what led you to folding instead of digging in harder?