You Can Heal Your Life

One of the most influential people in my life - even though I've never met her - is Louise Hay.  I first heard of her from my Grandmother, who was deeply religious and spent her life in a small Texas town.  In a way I was surprised that my Grandmother recommended such an open-minded teacher, but that's part of Ms. Hay's genius.  Her teachings are radical in their simplicity, and are deeply inclusive.

Hay's most renowned book is You Can Heal Your Life, which was published 30 years ago and has sold tens of millions of copies.  You can download the e-book right now for a limited time for only $1.99.  I'm only mentioning this because it's a great book at a great bargain, and I'd be thrilled if anyone who reads this post decides to get the book, just because I found it so helpful. 

I love to search for Louise Hay's talks on YouTube.  She has a very soothing voice and a stealthy sense of humor.  There's one talk of hers I have on my iPod that I've probably listened to a dozen times.

Lately Ms. Hay has also been an inspiration to me in business.  I get her email newsletter, and it's one of the few that I read without fail.  Of course, each newsletter is promoting one or more of her Hay House authors, but she wraps the promotion in a relevant and honest teaching, almost like a friend telling you about something they really believe in.  It's impressive!

Support Small Biz: Marfa Brand Soap

Today's small business that I love is Marfa Brand.  

I use their fancy, fragrant, dreamy bars of soap.  The scent they make for El Cosmico - it's called Ranch Road - is my favorite.  With "notes of Lapsang Souchong Tea and essential oils of cedarwood, patchouli, vetiver, juniper berries, clary sage, cardamom and clove," it smells a little earthy and mysterious on the skin.

As their name implies, they're located in Marfa, Texas, a tiny town that I've grown to love.  I've also gotten to hang out with Ginger, the boss of the operation, who is tall and trustworthy and sparkles when she smiles.

Made with the "finest natural olive, coconut, palm, avocado, and almond oils with shea butter, botanicals, and pure essential oils," these bars are top notch.  

I used to be the kind of person who would scoff and say, "Ten dollars for a bar of soap?!"  But then I realized the act of granting yourself luxury can be transformative.  

Premium ingredients, beautiful packaging, natural scents, a lingering fragrance, a heft when you hold it in your hand...  

When you allow yourself luxury, you're saying that you are worth it.  You are worth a little extra time and effort.  Imagine, then, the vibe you give off.  Worthy.  Valued.  Beautiful.

Ten bucks for a little luxury...sounds like a bargain to me.

Breaking in a New Screen Printer

I'm beginning to work with a new screen printer today, organizing a reprint of T-shirts for some upcoming John Doe shows.  Last year I intentionally created a perennial design for JD that wasn't tied to a certain album or tour, so that he could sell them anytime.  My strategy has worked, since he's been using the same design with different T-shirts & ink colors for about a year.

The design was based on his tattoos.

Here are a few things I need to suss out when beginning to work with a new screen printer: 

  • Communication style - is phone better? email? how quickly do they respond?
  • Vibe - friendly? just-the-facts? accommodating? fussy?
  • Pricing
  • Turnaround time - especially important for band merchandise
  • Specialized techniques - this time around I needed discharge ink, tag printing & had customer supplied goods
  • Location - for timely pickup, and in this case dropping off customer supplied goods

So far, so good.  I feel lucky to live in the East Bay where there are so many screen printers to choose from.