12.27.2008

New Year's Evolutions

I decided this year, I wasn't going to make any New Year's resolutions. Instead, I'm working on New Year's evolutions. They differ from resolutions in several ways, the most basic being that it's not about abruptly stopping or starting a behavior. My New Year's evolutions are about expanding or contracting things in my life. The reason for this is simple. Like most other human beings, I am not good at sustaining large changes in my life. I've learned that we are all much better at making small changes.

The example I point to is weight loss. Many people make a New Year's resolution to lose 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds. That lasts about a week, until the kids are cranky, the job is stressful, the finances are tight...you name it, there's always something that comes up to break our resolve.

In fact, studies show that people who are most successful at losing weight and keeping it off make a series of small changes. They reduce their caloric intake by 100 calories per day or they start walking for 30 minutes three times a week consistently. It's that simple. After 6 months, those habits are in-grained and they no longer seem like something you have to 'do'.

The same is true for just about anything else you want to change in your life. So, this year, my evolutions are these:
- Be a bit kinder
- Be a bit tidier
- Take time to have a bit more fun

Now, if you look at this list, you can see that it wouldn't stand up to the scrutiny of a business project plan - it doesn't have measurable outcomes - and that's the appeal. Evolutionary change is gradual, kinder, gentler change. As an added benefit, it's easier to be successful with New Year's evolutions. So, at the end of 2009, I'll look back over the year and ask "Was I a bit kinder this year? Was I just a bit tidier this year? Did I have a bit more fun during 2009?

I suspect my answer will be "Yes, but let's keep working on it."
Best wishes for wonderful, evolutionary change in your life in 2009.
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12.21.2008

What Really Matters

During this holiday season, many people in this country and around the world are concerned about their economic security. For some, this is a mild discomfort - but for many millions more, it is a vague, threatening feeling lurking just under the horizon of consciousness or a massive, in-your-face reality. Regardless of the source or reason, it is impacting us all.

This year, we started shopOrganic.com. In January, the future seemed bright and shiny and full of possibilities - all of which included wild success. In the spring, we saw the problems in the housing market and knew it would 'soften' the economy a bit, but we remained optimistic. By fall, we saw the impending collapse of the mortgage and insurance giants. Concerning but still manageable. We remained optimistic. Then came the broader collapse of...well, many more giants in the financial industry.

We started thinking, 'wow, what unfortunate timing we had, to open a business in a year of historic worldwide financial problems.' Still, we remained optimistic. OK, some of you might be thinking 'these folks must be insane to remain optimistic in the midst of this mess.' Maybe. But I see it differently. Let me digress just a bit further and we'll circle all the way back in a moment.

I was listening to NPR a few months back. They featured an interview with the woman who is CEO of the company that owns International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP). I'm always interested in hearing how others approach business, especially in businesses very different from those in which I have experience. The interviewer asked the CEO how she handled a particular problem and she answered 'I focus on what I can do. I can't control the economy. I can't control my competitors. So I focus on the things over which I do have control.' Sounds a lot like a 12 step program...and it's still sage advice.

So, back to the issue of control, as promised. Do I wish the economy was better? Yes. Do I wish it wasn't impacting me, my friends, my family and my co-workers? Absolutely. But I have no control over these macro-economic issues. I can write my Congressional representatives or contact the President-elect at change.gov - but I alone will not impact this situation. So, it comes down to choices - financial and otherwise. I'm trying to make wise financial choices that include spending where needed (doing my part to keep the economy chunking along) and being wise with my funds. I'm also choosing to remain optimistic. After all, how I view things may not control the outcome but it certainly controls my experience of it.

I've been living on a pretty strict budget this year because I knew I'd be spending all my time and money starting this business. I've already learned to tighten my financial belt and I've developed new habits as a result. And along the way, I discovered something really important. When you actually take away all the 'stuff' we grow so easily accustomed to, you're left with your self, your life, your relationships. It's like cleaning out a room only to discover the most magnificent hard wood floors hidden under that hideous old worn out carpet. I've talked with friends in the past few weeks who all have experienced the same thing - a renewed sense of love and appreciation for what they DO have in their lives. So, while we're in a tight spot as a nation and a planet, we have a unique opportunity to take a new look at what we do have. We can cherish the people in our lives that bring us joy, comfort and friendship. We can choose to be optimistic and find ways out of this jam - together.
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12.02.2008

Our Debut at the Tucson Farmer's Market

We were at the Tucson Farmer's Market at St. Philip's Plaza in Tucson, Arizona on Sunday. It was our big debut and we had a blast. There are lots of vendors there and our line of organic dry goods including organic beans, rice, nuts and dried fruit was a great complement to the other products there. We were nestled between a company (I forgot to get the name, sorry Laurie, next time! selling herb and spice mixes (as well as a heavenly smelling potpourri blend) on one side. On the other, Polish Girl Bakery, specializing in the most tantalizing organic baked goods you can imagine. So, we were in great company to start our adventure at the Tucson Farmer's Market on the weekend after "Black Friday".... (photos to follow in the coming days)

It was fun being outside (the weather in Tucson this time of year is chilly in the morning then sunny and temperate in the afternoon - perfect for a farmer's market. There were people from all over the U.S. and a few international visitors. The best selling item of the day was dried organic Turkish apricots - they're the most delicious dried fruit I've ever tasted and somehow our farmer's market visitors' radar was set for those as well. We'll bring more next Sunday.

Since we're an online retailer and most of our interactions with our "friendstomers" (that's friend and customer combined, which is how we view our customers) is by email or phone, it was really a pleasure to step out into the bright sunshine of a perfect November day and get face to face with our friendstomers, our neighbors and our Farmer's Market friends. We'll be baaaccckkkk.

A special thanks to Scott and Josh at Adventure Coffee Roasting. We carry their unbelievably good organic, fair trade coffee, but they roast and sell directly at the Tucson Farmer's Market (and other locations) as well. They stopped by several times to see if we needed anything since they knew it was our maiden voyage. We appreciated your stopping by - thanks!

So, for those of you planning on being in the Tucson area on any given Sunday morning, please stop by the Tucson Farmer's Market at St. Philip's Plaza (River/Campbell) between 9am and 1pm and say hello! We'd love to meet you and we're sure you'll be dazzled by the array of unique organic and artisanal products - ours and all the other vendors there sharing the love.

Now, go out there and enjoy your day!
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