1st Order of Biz: Grazie, Danke, Arigato!!!

You, my faithful followers, are the reason I am here sitting at my desk typing this right now.  (My ONLY typing class was 1 semester in 7th grade, so this is painfully slow.)  After developing and perfecting enough of a line that I was ready to go public, each year I had a different marketing strategy to introduce my products to diverse groups of people.  After a year of “practice” shows, small, quiet, free gigs that gave me experience setting up and representing my line instead of the hairdressing I knew so well, I was ready to take the plunge.  (I couldn’t believe how hard it was for me to “sell” my own products!!!  I eventually learned why.  More on that later.)

Then universe lined up and I got the very last teeny tiny spot tucked in the corner in a separate little room from the main room at the brand new indoor farmer’s market at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County.  I thought I died and went to heaven!  Well, I did nearly die, working my booth every Saturday for 9 months in addition to working in the salon and manufacturing all these products.  AND I did go to heaven too,  the real theme of this post.  That exposure to that demographic of people was the foundation of my budding business.  Next came indoor craft shows at schools and churches followed by all the biggest outdoor shows like the Spiedie Fest, etc.  I pretty much tested the waters anywhere they would have me.

Again, I tear up at the thought of all of you whom I have met along the way and my forever hair clients who have listened to the endless monologues about it all (as well as let me test everything on them!).  It is your stories and your friends’ and families’  stories who you share with me, how something as simple as a proper cream or deodorant can solve a chronic skin issue.  (I am far from a doctor or chemist, but I do know that often coming back to basics, pure and simple ingredients is often all we need.)  I have learned at least as much from all of you as you have from me.  And one by one you are coming in to the salon for your purchases and sharing the launch of this website with people you care about.  This will allow me more time at home to develop new products and perfect the ones I have.  And by the way, this is the first summer in years that I have had the opportunity to enjoy much of what it has to offer, since I am doing far fewer shows.  For that, I am grateful.

Gracias, Spasiba , Mahalo, Merci, Gracias!!!

P.S. The irony of this, is it is torture to get me to sit still to do any kind of administrative desk work.  I’d much rather be making something or be behind my table.  I’m just not a sit still kinda gal 😉