The Best Small Business Advice I Ever Received

The comment came at the end of my first soap show. And it came from my husband.

“If I were you, I never would of done this. You have the basics covered, but there is so much to do…  you need to add signs for your soap… create something that draw people in…”

Anger began to rise.  You’ve got to be kidding me. I retaliated,

“I‘m sorry, what?  We just had our first show.  It was successful. People liked our product. I made my booth fee times 2.  So for “testing out the market,” I think we should really make this a “thing.”  What are you talking about?”

“Slow done cowboy. Let me try this again.” He replied. “If I were you, I never would have done this because it’s not perfect.  I would have waited for the perfect moment or waited for a sign before I would do this.  Which means, I never would have done it. …  What I’m trying to say is, I’m proud of you. You got your first booth, and you did it yourself!  It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough. Most importantly, you found out you want to do this as a business.”

I often think back to this moment when I’m struggling to do things.  I often put off tasks because it’s not the right time.  But it’s never the right time.  Either you do it or you don’t.  Blogging is a perfect example of that.  I can write and write until I’m blue in the face, but I can’t hit the publish button because it’s not perfect.  Or, I can’t think of anything to write, so that when I finally do write, I don’t think it’s worthy enough to publish.  Either way, the blog doesn’t happen. 

My husband’s comments remind me that there is no perfect moment, and there is no “sign” to tell us when to act. There is just you. And by doing, by takings risks that are ‘good enough’, you learn. You may fall on your face, but you get back up, dust yourself off and revise. Be proud of that imperfect action because it may lead you on a path you least expected. 

And so, this post is good enough.  I’ll push the publish button!

Why I Started My Own Business

It takes a lot of courage to create your own path in life. Oftentimes the people most closest to us will be the first to call you crazy, "You want to do what? You can't make money doing that! How are you going to support your family?" But that's the thing... Sometimes it's not about the money, sometimes it's about what makes you happy!

I was a classroom teacher in Oakland for 8 years. Then I became a teacher's coach for 4 years before I left my 9-5 job a year ago. Why did I leave a stable, ten-yeared position? Because I was anxious, overwhelmed, and depressed. If the word, "No Child Left Behind," "Common Core,"  "Rubrics," or "Assessment" came up in conversation, my blood pressure would rise to unhealthy levels. I argued with my husband and yelled at my kids all the time.  With the pressures of work, I couldn't think, I was drained. I had nothing to give to my family, let alone myself.  A change had to happen.

 I didn't just quit all of a sudden. I saw this move coming two years earlier, and slowly decreased my hours as an educator in order to increase hours in a more creative endeavor of starting my own soap business. My soap business infused hope into my life. I felt sane while designing and creating soap. I enjoyed hearing instant feedback from customers because I new immediately the impact my soap had on others.  (In my old profession, I never knew the impact on a child's life unless they told me years later.) Eventually, I started to feel motivated when I got up in the mornings, and the relationships with my family improved dramatically.  

In some regards owning my own business is harder than teaching. I don't always know where my next check is coming from. I was not formally trained to own a business like I was becoming a teacher, so I've had to learn about sales tax, city codes, marketing etc. on my own. Finding supports like the Indie Business Network (IBN) have been instrumental in my learning. Most importantly, I am blessed with the support of my husband as he is the main bread winner while I get Handbrewed Soaps up and running.  I still dabble in education by consulting for a music education non profit, but it's at a level that doesn't give me a heart attack. Now I am able to make my own rules, lead the life I want to lead, choosing my own path.  Yes I have times where I think all the odds are against me in this crazy world of entrepreneurship! What I've learned so far on this journey, is that if you are truly passionate about it, if you work hard for it, you'll figure it out. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd be owning my own soap business! 

It Has Been 11 Years!

As I get older, I realize how time flies.  I remember back to my elementary days (first grade I think), standing in the lunch line thinking, "When is this year going to end?  I've been in the first grade FOREVER!"  (Note: I have no idea why I remember this, but it's very vivid!)  As I got older, and my perspective changed, especially about time, experiences started to fly by.

Thirteen years ago, I met my best friend.  We were both teachers at Thornhill Elementary School in Oakland.  I was a fifth grade teacher, and he was the music teacher.  When I first met him, I thought his last name was Swinhart (like a pig) and proceeded to call him that until my students corrected me.  I'm sure I actually called him Mr. Swinhart to his face, but he never said anything.  (Ahh, what a nice guy!)

After clearing up the situation about his last name, flaking on 3 dates with him, and giving each other awkward colleague hugs (once I actually showed up for dates,) we soon made plans to travel to Peru together and once we got back home, I proceeded to ask him to move in with me, and a year after that asked him to marry me.  Now, it's been eleven years since we've been married (today!) We have two very awesome girls (with a boy on the way), we've laughed (boy have we laughed), and we've cried.  It's been the quickest eleven years of my life, and it's the one area that I wish would slow down, because I'm having to much fun!

So Eric, this year on our anniversary, I'm not writing how amazing you are in a card... you get a whole blog post!!! Thank you for teaching me to:

1) Take risks:  This guy moved out to California, got a day job, and started playing in multiple bands.  My favorite band he played in was STUNG: A Tribute to the Police... They still play (minus Eric), but you should still check them out!

2) Follow Passions:  Eric has BIG IDEA's.  Whether it be growing 12 hops strains in our backyard, raising the back of our house, or starting a Music Education Research Project for the kids of Oakland, he does it.  Eric is amazing at seeing a problem, making a plan to try to fix it, and implementing it.  

3) Be Kind to EVERYONE:  Eric is one of the nicest people I know.  He can turn anyone's frustration or bad day into a great one with his corny"Middle School" jokes, smile, and damn those dimples... apparently he's been getting out of trouble since preschool by flashing those dimples!

4) Give Loyalty/Support to Others:  Eric is a great supporter.  Without his support, Handbrewed Soaps wouldn't be here.  He pushes me to focus all of my energy on my passion of beer soap!  He comes up with new ideas for me, and is usually the brains behind our shenanigans.  And he sticks with you, through good and bad times. He does this for all of his friends and family

5) Laugh:  I have never laughed so much with a person.  Eric has a talent for using  his corny-ass humor to deflate conflicts and brings humor to serious situations that may not need to be so serious (if you know what I mean.)  He is goofy ball.

6) Care:  Eric is very caring, so much sometimes that he worries himself to death.  He cares for/about things that many people would look over.  But this is what brings him back to his passions.  And if it's a passion, Eric will pursue it!

There are many more things he has taught me, these are the big six!  Thanks Eric for these past 11 years...  I can't wait to see what the next 11 will bring! Happy Anniversary!

How to Travel with Your Favorite Handmade Soap

Are you going on a road trip or traveling this summer?  Well we sure are, and the biggest thing I struggle with is keeping my skin happy! Depending on the environment, my skin can be dry one minute and oily the next. That's why it's important to me that I bring my soap (Handbrewed Soaps) with me. But I'll be honest, REAL soap doesn't always travel that well because it needs to dry out between uses or it will turn into a soggy mess. To keep that from happening, I like to cut my soap into small chunks (like a pat of butter) for single uses. I transport them in a sandwich baggy. When I'm ready to wash -up, I take one pat of soap out of the baggy, use it, and then dispose of it after a single use. My skin is happy, and so am I as I don't have a soap mess to worry about!!  What traveling tips do you have?

How to Make A Calculated Risk In Life

There come times in your life when you have to make choices that involves risk.  These choices are risks because they have an unknown outcome such as job/ career changes, relocation from family and friends, leaving or starting a relationship, following your dreams when others think it's silly.  Taking a risk is exciting, but scary.  By taking a risk, you are entering uncharted water.  Depending on your personality, you may thrive by risk taking or be scared to death of it.  Either way, you know you need to take the risk because you hope that by following this choice, you will be happier and more fulfilled then you currently are.

I'm in the middle, I love risk taking because it's exciting and challenges my creativity.  However, I'm also scared of it because I I need to think about how it with affect my growing family. Over the past week, I have had to make a choice that involves a risk regarding Handbrewed Soaps.  The biggest question I had was, "Why would I take this risk?"  To discover the answer, I took out a piece of paper and did a brain dumb on the following four sub -questions.

1)  How does this risk match with my mission and goals for my business and personal life?
2)  How does this risk challenge me in a creative, fun-way?
3)  How will this risk open me up to new opportunities and experiences?
4)  What fears does the potential risk bring up for me?

Questions 1-3 are more about practical application.  My family and how I structure my business life around them is VERY important.  If it fits into our family/business lifestyle, then it's a go!  If it's a fun challenge that will open doors for me, then count me in!  Question #4, however, is the most important sub question because this is usually my "NO!" instinct!  This is what threatens my comfort zone. By naming this fear, it has been acknowledge and the "sting" is taken away!  If #1-3 point to yes, but #4 points to a no, well then, I'm taking the risk!  But if there is any concern in #1-3, it's a no go... no matter how tempted I am.

Again, I am no expert, but this worked for me! And yes, I am taking the risk... (details to follow!) What process do you go through when contemplating a risk?

How to Deal with being Wiped Out

Image from: brainlesstales

Wiped out can mean lots of different things: being tired, run down, to 'everything' being taken away from you.  Today I experienced the latter, and boy was I on an emotional roller coaster.  I was scared, I felt lost.  I yelled, I got into arguments with my loved ones... why me?  But then after hours of should-of's, could-of's, I realized that I was perceiving that everything was being taken away.  I still had my family/friends, a shelter, and food. These three things being the most important things I could ever need or want.  And if these things were still there, what was really being taken away?  An object, an idea?  How did I make this realization you wonder?  Well....


1) Take a nap.  I knew that I wasn't making any decisions with a clear head.

2) Listen. By taking a nap, I was able to hear criticisms, or concerns with an open heart (not being defensive) and get feedback on what to do in this situation.

3) Stop and Ask. By asking myself, "What does 'everything' being taken away really mean to me?"  I was hearing what other's thought, but how did I define it?

Step three was a turning point in my day.  What matters the most is all around me.  What more can I need!

Thank you for reading my "vague" description of the day!  I would love to hear what you do when you've been wiped  out!

3 Things I Learned from Having a 'Farm'

1 of our 8 Veggie beds

About six years ago, we jumped on the urban farmer movement that was sweeping the Bay Area.  We went on Urban Farm tours through out Oakland and Berkeley.  We (shall I say I) because obsessed with the works and teaching of Novella Carpenter, a woman who turned a vacant lot next to her West Oakland Apartment into a farm, complete with turkeys, chickens, and rabbits.  To me, she was a revolutionary...  doing something that Oakland really need at the time, to invest in FRESH FOOD in communities where there was a grocery store wasteland.  (There are parts of Oakland that do not have a grocery store within a 5 mile radius, but only convientient stores.  Many peoples menu choices are Cheetos, Soda, and Hungry Man's Frozen Dinners.)   One day, while driving on the freeway a couple of weeks after I finished Carpenter's Book GHOST TOWN FARM, I was very aware of the farming way of life.  Eric and I noticed a Toyota Truck that had hay flying out of it (this is a sight you NEVER see in the Bay Area.)  Of course I made Eric catch up to car wondering who/what farmer was in the middle of the city, and it turned out to be Novella Carpenter!  I had a heart attack at that moment and quickly found a piece of paper which I wrote:  I LOVE YOUR BOOK THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU!!! As we drove past her, I held this sign to the window.  I'm proud to say she saw it.  She gave me a thumbs ups and a huge grin!   It was a sign, we were going to create our own farm!!!  And ultimately, we would become happier, calmer people.

Plum Wine In The Making

And for the next four years, we had an 1/8 acre "farm" in our backyard completely with a plum tree, apple tree, fig tree and four chickens named Puffy, Cinderella, Bramha, and Lady.  We grew Quinoa, Zucchini, Fava Beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and even our own Omega- 3 rich chicken food.  I made homemade apple sauce, pies, plum jam, and plum wine.  I even started experimenting with making cold processes soap (yes I am self taught!), laundry soap, and Eric started brewing beer. And don't forget, both Eric and I were both full time teachers as well.  We learned a lot about farming and ourselves.  Here are the top 5 things we learned about have our own 'farm.'

1) Don't Believe Everything You Read:  One of the biggest reason this city slicker started an urban farm was because everything I read (books, blogs, how-to's) painted a picture that by having a farm, and living sustainably would simplify my life and the life of the community around me.  I would let go of my worries, find inner peace, and heal a community problem of lack of fresh food in our community. Was I a little nieve?  HELL YES I was...  Maybe on Saturday morning I found peace, but that was probably because I wasn't around 30 kids.

2) Running a Family Farm is Hard Work:  Don't get me wrong, gardening, cooking, and collecting eggs where very much a stress reliever, but not so much around report card time. There was a lot to do.  We had to get up in the morning and water everything and collect eggs.  And don't get me started about chickens...there was chicken shit EVERYwhere.  They dug up my artichoke plants (which at that point... if the neighborhood skunks got them for dinner...  good for the skunks!) I had so much zucchini, and lettuce that I couldn't give it away fast enough (we left boxes of fresh food for people to take!) Processing Quinoa to get toxins out of it is no joke....  it took ALL DAY just to clean one cup of the stuff.  But the pies were good and plum wine would knock your socks off, I can't complain about that!

3) Giving Up is Not the Same as Knowing Your Limits:  This experience led me to a new found appreciation for the farmers of the world, their hard work, and their commitment to bringing people food. As the years went on in our little farm, the more responsibility it took on.  Eric and I were at the point, where it was becoming a full time job and needed to reconsider how we were going to keep up with all of this. Both of us have dreamed of a lifestyle such as this.  We talked (and still do) about owning 50 acres, but this experience taught us that right now, at this point in our lives, we were not ready for it.  To keep our sanity, we needed to scale back. We needed to get rid of those elements that were overwhelming and keep doing the things that only brought us joy!  So, we found a nice home for our chickens in the next city over.  We believed growing our own food is still a priority, but we only grew enough for the family.  And I made cold processed soap a priority (how I went from classroom teacher to running my own soap business is a whole other story!), and Eric kept up with brewing beer on a regular basis.  Most importantly, we had faith that one day we would have our 50 acres.

Yes, one day...  What experience have you created in you life that have shown you your limits?

Handbrewed Soaps Beer Challenge Results

Well I am happy to report that our beer challenge was a success and that by the end... everyone was in great spirits thanks to the wonderful beer that was tasted.  My dad joined in the tasting too. Though he had no idea the types or breweries, he hung in there and drank whatever was in front of him!  We tasted four different beers, all of which have a personal story...

1)  The first was a Leffe Blond.  We actually discovered this beer when we were in Holland.  Eric had a gig there a week before we got married, so I (OF COURSE!!!) tagged along.  We found this great pub in the back alley of a back alley in Groningen... and drank ourselves silly with this beer:

2) The next beer was from our own hometown here in Oakland.  It was Ale Industries, Golden State of Mind. I also picked it because we make beer soap for them using their beer... you can find them in their tasting room in Oakland and Concord.  I personally love this beer because the taste of the camomile and cardamom really comes through...

3) Next was Laguitas Hop Stoopid, a good Hoppy beer.  I threw this one in to trick Eric.  He's been drinking a lot of IPA's lately, and I was hoping he'd confuse it with the other IPA I would have him taste.

4) Finally, Eric got to his favorite "go-to" beer....  Bear Republic's Racer 5.  This, without a doubt, he got....  He KNEW this beer!!!

We hope you enjoyed their Father's Day!  Cheers!

Persevering through Writer's Block

   

Today I have writer's block.  I have no idea what to blog about.  I'm day seven into the blog challenge, and I'm at a loss for words.  I have a list of topics that I can write from, but nothing is speaking to me.  All I really want to write about is how I don't know what to write.
     When I was a classroom teacher, I always had my students spend the first 15 minutes of class writing in their journals.  I has a laundry list of ideas for them to write about on the wall including: 1) what they did over the weekend, 2) the most unusual food they ate, 3) the biggest surprise they ever got etc.  And just like I'm experiencing now, my students would tell me, "Ms. Swi, I don't know what to write about!"  And my response would be, "Then write about that.  Write about how you don't know what to write, why you don't know what to write, and what would inspire you to write."  Usually their entries would look something like this....

"I don't know what to write.  I don't know what to write.   I don't know why I don't know what to write, I just don't know what to write.  Nothing would inspire me.  Why are you making me do this???"

And right now, that is how I'm feeling!  So, I'll give myself my response that I would give to them:
     "I know how you feel.  I've been there.  But by writing the five sentences you just wrote you got to practice.  You reinforced your writing skills of spelling and sentence structure.  You voiced your feelings.  You explored what the point of this 15 minute exercise is all about.  You got through a rough patch.  You persevered.  I'm proud of you!"

Yes, I got through this!  I persevered and I'm proud of myself!

Father's Day Beer Tasting Challenge

So that important man in your life is a beer geek.  He claims to know everything about beer including the style, the brewery, and alcohol ratio.  So, this Father's Day, put him to the test!  Create your own Beer Tasting Challenge!  Here's what to do:
1) Buy a selection of beer for your participants.  Choose some favorites and maybe some obscure ones.  Note:  Trader Joe's let's you mix and match your six pack!
2) Cover your labels, but don't take them off because you'll need proof.  You can get as fancy as you want.  I'm just using materials that I have around the house.  We tend to brown bag it around here, so that's what I'm doing. I'll tie it with raffia to make it look special.  Here are various levels of craftiness below!

Pic from Celebrate Mag!

Pic from Draft Mag!

3) Pour the beer into glasses and have him/participants taste.  With each one, have him write down the style, the brewery, and alcohol ratio.
4) When he's done, give him the big reveal!

Even if he doesn't get them right, he'll be a happy camper after tasting six beers.  And a few laughs will be had by all!

Interested to see how Handbrewed Soaps stands up to the test?  Find out on Monday!  I can't wait to see how Eric does!

Happy Father's Day

The Blogging 30-Day Challenge. Want to join me?

       Today marks the day that I begin my 30-day Blog Challenge.  For the next 30 days, I will blog about beer, soap, and my other shenanigans.  Why?  Because Donna Maria, of the Business Indie Network told me too…  Well that’s not the only reason.

      The truth of the matter is, I’ve been “social media stocking” the Indie Business Network (IBN) for the past year.  I’ve been hanging out around the fringes of this group (liking their Facebook and Instagram accounts) and going to their public site for info on how to grow my small business. I’ve participated in their Instagram chats (open to the public) on Wednesdays, and I have even had my “Master Mind” peeps, tell me to join.  I’ve learned so much from IBN within the year, but it wasn’t until Tuesday Night that I received the sign…  The sign from Donna Maria… that by joining IBN, I could get even more out of the network….  And that sign looked something like this:

 
      Hell's Yaaaa!   I was finally going to be held accountable, by a group that I knew was super awesome, for what I knew needed to be done to take my business to the next level.  And I can’t say thank you enough to Donna Maria for the sign! I’ve been wanting to blog and now I have a community of people that are doing it with me!  Most importantly, I now have a community of people to figure out this whole small business thing! 

 
     Please don’t get me wrong, about this blog challenge.  I’m wondering what the heck I am going to be blog about?  I worry about what people will think. I’m a horrible speller, and my grammar is not that correct…  but what I do know is that if I plug away at it, I’ll get better.  And all of these doubts have just stopped me in the past.  The benefits of this challenge outweighs my fears.

     By updating blog posts frequently, I know my business and my writing skills will grow.  My website will go higher in the search engine. I’ll get to know my audience and they get to know me better, and posts keep giving back (traffic continues to go to each post over time!)  So I encourage you to go on the same challenge for your small business, or another 30 day challenge such as exercising, cooking, or taking a class. I thank you ahead of time for going on this journey with me, and I hope you do it as well.  I hope to inspire you to blog (or be challenged in another way) for 30 days straight, and if you do, let me know in the comment section, as I would like to follow you on your journey!

-A