As many of you know, I have been a teacher for over 20 years -- both Spanish and English, most of which was spent at the 12th grade and University level, probably because that’s where the depth of discussion was possible, and that’s where my passion was...and is. I’m going to say it: I’m a good teacher. I have always adored teaching. I have hundreds of reviews from the University of Delaware telling me my students agree. You know why? Because I teach like I parent: I have high expectations, but I also care about my ‘kids,’ and they know it. Why am I sharing this? Stay with me...
As I’ve reached my 7th year in Second Spring Naturals, I still teach a bit, but it’s online now and not quite the same. I also know I can’t keep doing both -- in this way-- for much longer; there has been this internal struggle that lies mostly with the business side for me, as if I’m missing something and it nags at me with questions and empty spaces. Well it has, until now.
During the past couple weeks the solution to this one question of how the business is serving my true purpose has finally begun to reveal itself. I’ve always known my business was about so much more than soap and skincare, but the writer and teacher in me really struggled to reveal HOW to all of you, and really, to myself as well.
Maybe it’s because of the long walks I’ve committed to taking every morning, or maybe it’s my new morning routine of journaling and learning to meditate (more on that one to come), but hey, I’ll take the answers however and whenever they choose to materialize.
Let me backtrack a bit to talk about the importance of community to me. I have always envisioned this amazing community surrounding Second Spring Naturals that was full of like-minded, creative, wise, nurturing women who loved my products as if we all lived in this rainbow of soapy bliss discussing the real issues that plague us as women and delve into how self care is supposed to work. So I started a facebook group years ago to build this community, but without a real mission in mind. I struggled to get them to engage with me and with one another, unless we were having a sale on products. Up to this point there has been a conflict within me as to what to do with this group to get this to happen, and then the answer came: bring your worlds together. Be the teacher you know how to be and share the lessons you have learned. Facilitate the discussion to benefit us all. Wellness is there for the taking, but we need to figure out how to live better and feel better. We can do this, I know we can.
I mean, I have a mission for my business and a vision in the future of helping women to help themselves and it has happened -- through month-long campaigns for Wings for Success, through offering products that contribute to self care, through offering a community where women can talk about the hard things and even learn from some experts - from books, podcasts and real live people! Now it is moving to a new level and finally bringing this brand to its potential. At least that is my hope.
I also realized that I have subconsciously named all of my product lines over the years that speak to the needs of women: baseline, morning routine (a major theme in the January group!), Energy, Rainy Day Sunday, Balancing Act, Cool Your Jets, Day Dreaming, Sweet Surrender and so many more. I’ve even started to add quotes to my candles. It was slowly merging, I just didn’t know it… And now, I can bring my ‘gifts’ together and not only offer amazing natural products (because the group still has sales), but also create a theme for each month this year, the launch year - the trial year that the women in the group can embrace via challenges (through challenges), but also study (through books, podcasts, videos) and discuss (with each other and experts on the sub-topics) it while hopefully experiencing some real and true WELLNESS as we journey to bring the outside of wellness in to our core this year. That’s it. I’m putting it out there and I’m going to bring my all to this, so I hope to see you there. Without the amazing women to bring the discussion, there is no community. I’m just the facilitator after all. And don’t worry, the sales are still there every month, but now there will be new makers and service providers offering their work as well. https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondspringskincareandwellness
LOVE THIS !!