RetailingInsight Volume 34 I Issue 3 I June 2020
MAGAZINE
SMALL BUSINESS
DISCOVER WHAT INDIE STORES IN AMERICA ARE DOING TO SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC
5 WAYS
TO FIND PEACE & BALANCE DURING TIMES LIKE THESE
ESSENTIAL OILS
AND THEIR POSITIVE USE FOR MENTAL HEALTH
HOLISTIC
HEALING
TWO INSPIRING N E W DECKS F R O M R E D F E AT H E R M I N D , B O D Y, S P I R I T !
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
The Creativity Oracle 978-0-7643-5899-9 | $34.99
The Shadowland Tarot 978-0-7643-5903-3 | $39.99
LET YOUR SPIRIT TA K E F L I G H T
Contents
HOLISTIC HEALING
SPECIAL
28 E DITORS’ PICKS
JUNE 2020
Healing Crystals & Intuitive Jewelry
FEATURES
6
51 FRESH!
A galleria of NEW products
BENEFITS OF ESSENTIAL OILS FOR MENTAL HEALTH Learn how the use of essential oils with intention are beneficial to keep your mind focused on what is positive, especially during times like these
12 RECOVERING FROM THE INVISIBLE DISASTER
Discover what a candle maker is doing to keep her business alive
18 DIVINATION CARDS – CALLING OTHERWORLDLY BEINGS
Seek guidance from mystical energies & messengers!
30
SALES MAGIC WITH HEALING CRYSTALS Discover why crystals and stones are still one of the hottest products
36 AFFORDABLE WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
Learn how social media can help promote your brand and generate new leads
IN EVERY ISSUE 4 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 BUSINESS & MARKETING
Programmatic advertising campaigns
24 MEET MY STORE
Apothecary Smudge Wands – an online store based in Minnesota
42 FINE PRINT
Inspiring and uplifting NEW books on conscious living
46 PLAY LIST
Special coverage on Music Licensing
50 TAKE FIVE
5 ways to find balance and peace during these times
2 RetailingInsight
ON THE COVER Chakra Power Watercolor Painting by Benjavisa
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Holistic Healing I June 2020 3
Editor'sNote RETAILING INSIGHT MAGAZINE
Dear Retailing Insight Reader, What incredible challenges our local and international communities are facing these days! Regardless of what link in the retail chain you occupy, you’re likely sharing the same experiences – our makers, producers, entrepreneurs, and consumers – ordinary people like you and me are in a place that seemed unimaginable just a few months ago. Like so many businesses, our operations were closed down temporarily, delaying the publication of this issue. No doubt these unique times require extraordinary efforts, an enormous dose of courage, empathy, positive thinking, and visionary leadership to finding ways to keep business operating even if physical stores are temporarily closed. Maybe your region is still under quarantine and customers are not allow to walk in to stores and you don’t know when things will be back to normal. Even so, it’s important to keep in mind that your customers are still shopping . . . somewhere online! There’s little question that having an online presence today is a necessity. But adding services like a curated product selections, mix-and-match product ideas and DIY kits to sell; email marketing with promotions and instant savings and other ways to let your customers know you’re still ready to provide the great service is so important. Those solution are not only clever ways to engage, but they’re also proven to be effective in boosting sales. I hope this issue can provide you great insights to help you and your business these days. I also hope our articles lift your spirits and that you can find the balance and peace so needed right now. We will get through this together. And here at Retailing Insight, we’re looking forward with optimism. For the next issue, we’re gathering amazing stories from handmade business, personal accounts of business and life after the crisis, economy projections for 2021 and more. You don’t want to miss it! Stay Safe!
Roberta Gazzarolle Roberta Gazzarolle, Editor, Retailing Insight Magazine
Editor’s Note – Footnote
Get your FREE SUBSCRIPTION today! Go to www.retailinginsight.com/subscribe or call 800-463-9243 4 RetailingInsight
is a bimonthly trade publication specializing in the conscious living retail market. The magazine is published exclusively for retailers and small independent businesses in the USA. Our mission is to share one on one business advice, unique product reviews, advertisement from top sellers in the industry, and exclusive and mindful topics to help businesses continue to thrive.
PUBLISHER EDITOR COPY-EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS
SALES
Joe Mount Roberta Gazzarolle Sean Ruck Stephanie Biddle Melinda Carver Lydia Delrossi David & Steve Gordon Megy Karydes Emily A. Francis Margaret Ann Lembo Uma Silbey Jacki Smith Karen Johnson
Retailing Insight® magazine is published by Continuity Publishing Inc.
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©2020 Continuity Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. ISSN 2372-7977. Volume 34/Issue 3/ Year 2020. The magazine is published bimonthly/ six times a year (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sept, Nov) by Continuity Publishing Inc., P.O.Box 11761 Charlotte, NC 28220. Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER send address changes to Retailing Insight Magazine, P.O. Box 11761 Charlotte, NC 28220.
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Benefits of Essential Oils for Mental Health By Margaret Ann Lembo
It is undeniable that the emotional, spiritual and physical body play an integral part in mental health. The chakra system involves the four bodies – mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. While this article is focused on the benefits of essential oils for mental health, good health is dependent on all aspects of the human being to find balance and well-being. Essential oils have a true effect on activating memory and healing for inner peace and restoration. You can use an essential oil on many levels – for example, to relieve physical ailments such as respiratory challenges, to enhance your mental acuity, to heal emotional issues such as sadness or embarrassment, and/or to deepen a spiritual practice.
Essential Oil Safety There are many ways for essential oils to have positive effects on the body, mind, and spirit. The three ways I recommend using essential oils, whether as single notes or part of a blend, are:
1
Diffusion
2
Inhalation
3
Topically
Cold-water mist from a diffuser or mister into the air. Smelling the oil or blend directly from the bottle or as a mist. Application to the skin (usually the soles of the feet) with the use of a carrier oil or lotion.
Inhalation is the preferred method. Use essential oils in moderation and mindfully. Do not use the same oil repetitively, but rather use various oils that potentially provide the similar benefits in moderation.
Holistic Healing I June 2020 7
The Grades of Essential Oil — Not All Products Are Created Equal
Aromatherapy products have entered the commercial marketplace by force. There are many commercial-grade products marketed as “aromatherapy,â€? but they are either not made with quality essential oils or contain synthetic fragrances. Therapeutically, it is essential to know and understand the differences between the various grades of essential oils. True medical-grade oils provide real therapeutic results. They bring about a physiological, mental, emotional, or spiritual response immediately. The following is an overview of the various grades of oils you will encounter on the market: • Pure Medical Grade essential oils are 100% pure and completely natural. This means they do not contain any synthetic or unnatural adulterations. They are determined to be pure through quality control from the point of growth, processing, and laboratory analysis. • Pure Grade Organic essential oils are from organic flowers, plants, and trees that are certified by U.S. standards and inspections. They are considered pure medical grade oils. • Aromatherapy Grade essential oils are adulterated with natural and unnatural components and additives. • C ommercial Grade essential oils have been distilled again, creating a lower grade oil or have components added or removed to improve odor or safety.
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I use medical grade oils for therapeutic reasons. Being the largest organ of the body, the skin is the key location for the absorption of the essential oils directly into the bloodstream. To use therapeutically, add the chosen oil or synergy to carrier oil, as described earlier, and apply it to the soles of your feet to maximize the integration of the oil’s physiological benefits. Application to the feet also avoids sensitivity challenges in those with sensitive skin; irritation is less likely to affect the soles of the feet, which are generally thicker-skinned than the rest of the body.
Recommendation for Beginner’s Use I recommend inhalation and diffusion as the preferred method of use until you get to know your essential oil allies a little better. Always remember that essential oils have true chemical constituents with real effects on your body. Medical grade essential oils are much more potent than a roll-on fragranced oil. So use them sparingly, as a little bit goes a long way. Once you know a particular oil well, you can then graduate to the next level by applying the essential oil in a carrier oil to the soles of your feet. Refrain from applying the oils directly on your body and do not take them internally. Other than that, have a good time exploring the many uses of nature’s aromatic gifts and turn to the myriad of vibrational support available to you as you begin creating aroma-energetic blends with far-reaching beneficial effects.
Essential Oils for Mental Health ANGELICA – can be used with the intention of calming the mind’s incessant chatter. Providing a sense of serenity, this oil is beneficial for times when too many things are happening at once and you need to regain your mental focus. It is a good oil to add to a synergistic blend with the intention of promoting inner peace and restful sleep. Angelica can help release emotional wounds. It supports release through dreaming, journaling, crying, emoting, and/or processing your emotions. Use this oil to help clear away unnecessary emotional baggage and outside negative inf luences. For your safety: This oil is phototoxic. Therefore, avoid exposure to direct sunlight when using topically. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. CLARY SAGE – relaxes the judgments in the mind, allowing you to let go and let other’s live their lives. As you release judgment of others and yourself, you become the objective observer. Clary sage relaxes, comforts, and grounds feelings and emotions. It replaces the energy of hysteria with a sense of well-being and euphoria. It is especially beneficial when emotions are rampant. Use it for calming and releasing anger and frustration. Clary sage lowers the blood pressure. For your safety: Has a sedative effect; avoid prior to driving and
when it is necessary to stay alert. Avoid when drinking alcohol, as nausea may result. Use sparingly or occasionally as overuse may cause headaches. Do not use if pregnant or nursing. LIME – brings mental clarity. The sweet scent of lime helps to counteract dark thoughts and bring awareness to the sweetness of life. Lime assists you in feeling joy and finding inner peace. Use it to recover from periods of the blues or low self-esteem. This oil raises your awareness so you can work through your feelings, validate them, and move on to more joyful pursuits. Place a bit of lime oil in a diffuser or on a hanky to inhale while journaling to achieve both emotional and mental clarity. For your safety: This oil is phototoxic; therefore, avoid exposure to direct sunlight when using topically. PALMAROSA – is useful for decompressing and releasing pressure in your mind. It helps to expand your mental pathways so that you can more easily generate new ideas. Palmarosa is helpful for reducing stress and anxiety. Use it as an aid when you are trying to release problems and truly want to let them go. This oil can help release any anxiety you are feeling and allow your affairs to unfold with ease. Add this scent to synergistic blends to help let go of feelings of insecurity/lack of confidence and to help drive away the blues and relieve the symptoms of depression. No known contraindications. PETITGRAIN – shines light on mental obstacles. Use this oil for manifestation and to activate the power of the mind to create reality.
This essential oil activates creative thought processes, helping you to bring forth inspiration. It calms the mind, relieves mental stress, supports mental activity, and increases positive thinking. Petitgrain is a calming aroma and therefore relieves agitated feelings. It is a perfect ingredient in synergistic blends for lifting you out of the blues and improving personal power and awareness. No known contraindications. The mental uses of essential oils offer benefits of clarity and positive affects for the central nervous system. The energy and scent realigns the mind. The mental subtle body contains all the thoughtforms in your consciousness that create your reality. To manage and balance your thoughtforms is paramount in creating a happy, healthy, and productive life. Use the oil with intention to keep your mind focused on the positive: what you do want, not what you don’t want.
Margaret Ann Lembo is the author of Chakra Awakening; The Essential Guide to Crystals; Minerals and Stones; The Essential Guide to Aromatherapy and Vibrational Healing; Archangels & Gemstone Guardians Cards, and many more. Margaret Ann’s upcoming book The Essential Guide to Everyday Angels will be available in September 2020. Margaret Ann is an evolutionary aromatherapist, the creator of Smudge in Spray, and the owner of The Crystal Garden — the conscious living store of the Palm Beaches established 1988. Visit her website at www.margaretannlembo.com or www.thecrystalgarden.com.
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Holistic Healing I June 2020 9
Business&Marketing Programmatic Advertising By Megy Karydes
If you’ve not begun experimenting with programmatic advertising, the time to start is now. What Exactly is Programmatic Advertising? Programmatic advertising is a way to buy ads that’s automated by machines, which makes it more efficient, faster, cheaper and more targeted. Hits all the high notes, right? It’s different from traditional digital advertising in that you set certain parameters and then similar to how an auction works, you bid in real time to purchase impressions to display your ad on various websites. A traditional digital advertising approach would mean you’d have to request quotes manually and buy the digital impressions in advance, making the whole process annoyingly time-consuming and unnecessarily frustrating. Why Do Independent Retailers Need to Consider Programmatic Advertising? Programmatic advertising should be a part of your marketing mix for a few reasons: a) It’s targeted. Right now, many independent retailers are spending ad dollars on platforms that may or may not be reaching their audience. With programmatic advertising, you’re able to layer advanced data targeted to focus on those customers who have searched for or interacted with content related to your offerings. For example, you can add behavioral targeting to show your ad only to people who have searched for, or interacted with, content related to fair trade gifts or tarot cards (or whatever you want to focus on). Also, since these ads show up in mobile apps, you could create a “geo-fence” and target those who drive by your physical retail store. b )It expands your reach. If you’re advertising on platforms like Facebook and Google, you’re likely reaching some of your customers but programmatic allows you to expand your reach through other mobile apps. How Can You Get Started? Before you flip the page and I lose you because this sounds complicated, stay with me. It’s a lot easier than you think. And by spending a few minutes understanding it now, you’ll not only save yourself a lot of time and money, but you’ll be at the cusp of using some of the latest technology available to bring in new business. Consider these six things from the onset:
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Think through your strategy. What are you hoping to achieve through programmatic advertising? Instead of jumping on a new bandwagon, think through what a successful campaign will look like. This will save you time, money and headaches in the long run. Sign up with an agency that allows you to buy programmatic ads. Consider who you are trying to reach. Advanced targeting is probably one of the best things about programmatic advertising because you can be really detailed about who you want to reach. The only caveat here is that the more targeting data you add, the higher your ad buy will be. Also, if you start getting too detailed, your audience might be smaller than you want. Just take some time thinking through your audience and play around to find what might work best for you. Consider your ad format. If you’re trying to drive traffic to your website, might a standard display ad work? Could a native ad work to get customers to stop in the shop? You could even test video ads. That’s the beauty of programmatic advertising — you can buy several different types of ads. Tweak. The fact that you have access to real-time data is a gamechanger because it allows you to make changes to your campaign and give you the best chance at running an effective campaign. Don’t forget to measure. There are different ways you can measure the success of your campaign and it’s smart to think about this in advance. If you want to track how many people come through your doors through programmatic advertising, you can measure that pretty easily. But if you want more advanced tracking features and analytics, you’ll want to make sure you have things in place to track that so you can see how your campaign fared. We live in a time when technology can really help us become stronger and smarter business owners. It’s imperative that we adopt new tools like programmatic advertising which are specifically designed to make our advertising campaigns more powerful and successful. Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based writer currently working on a book on behalf of a client that wants to use it sell and promote their organization. Visit her website at www.megykarydes.com.
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Recovering From the Invisible Disaster By Jacki Smith
My story may feel familiar. In no way do I think I am unique in the trauma I have been processing the beginning of this pandemic, this an important conversation to have at every opportunity. You that are not alone in this, and yet, you are unique. The way I am processing and recovering from our invisible disaster is different from you, yet we are all following a similar pattern of trauma and recovery. Same invisible storm, different boat. There is no pinnacle moment in this Pandemic like when a natural disaster hits. There is only a cascade of ever-increasing concern and stress. There is no enemy, no one to hate. What we are frustrated with is a series of decisions that are profoundly affecting our lives and we have no say in them. We are all traumatized. 60 days quarantined, watching the news, obsessing over social media, checking on the loved ones we were isolated from before we got word of a plan to keep us safe. 60 days to imprint a continual state of fear. When the plan is finally revealed, it is not to eradicate this virus, but learn to co-exist with it while treatments and immunizations are created. We have stepped into a scary unfamiliar world and we are faced with a choice. Retreat or co-exist. Both are viable choices and my story is the journey to co-exist and begin recovery from this trauma. As unique as I feel, I am still following the same 4 stage trauma recovery pattern that everyone goes through.
Stage 1 – IMPACT The Initial Shock Thursday, March 12th, 2020 The head of the Oakland County Disaster Response (also the Ferndale Fire Chief) presented the Ferndale Downtown Development Authority with the upcoming expectation of a the Covid-19 outbreak, on Thursday, March 12th, at 8am. The facts he laid out shocked me, so much so, that as the chair of the board, I had to be reminded to continue the meeting. It was hard to pay attention while I mentally listed all the things needed to keep my staff, customers, and family safe. It was hard to talk while there was a lump in my throat and hard to make any decisions when I knew my foundation just turned to sand. I knew in that moment that my leadership role just took on another ton of responsibility and I was terrified I would not measure up to it. At 11:30 am I gathered my staff and I told them the news. I pointed out the signs I just put up about hand washing, distancing, and reporting any symptoms. As I handed them the pamphlets from the county I broke down and cried. “This is real,” I told my team. My production staff is young and prone to not believing anything like this can affect them. We did not make candles the next day and by Monday, when the schools closed, we laid them all off. I sent the production team home with a $200 cash bonus, for what I thought was a two-week quarantine. Tuesday became a day of strategy with my management team. I was obsessively waiting for the stay home order, so I flipped the script and I planned for it. We homed in on one goal, “Stay in business.” What do we need to do to stay in business once the order came in to go home? We created then three objectives to that goal: communicate (customers, staff, and community),
Holistic Healing I June 2020 13
manage inventory, and manage financial resources. We populated our action items and executed the first stage of our plan. I had purpose, focus and direction. I was confident and energized. We had 30 days of inventory on the shelf and 30 days of raw materials. We had a line of credit application already in process and my banker was communicating openly with me. I thought this was it, emergency handled.
Stage 2 – RESCUE I may have been acknowledging what had happened on many levels, yet I was not fully processing it. I was still dealing with the initial shock and the range of emotions that were surfacing. I talked to my therapist, so I thought the shock was handled. I did videos for my community and shared my vulnerability and invited my customers to create a web of hope with me. My invitation to put your name on my resilience spell went viral and I had more names that space to write them. “I love you all. We are resilient,” had
become my regular statement when talking to anyone. I was willing to hold this space while creating my own rescue. Quickly my journey to close my line of credit was put on hold and I began the journey to close a PPP loan. I called myself the “Money Hunter” and applied for every grant and loan I could find, negotiated with landlords, vendors and looked for every overpayment and money leak I could find. Once the stay at home order finally came in and the two weeks was predicted to extend to three months, fear started piling on. I was strong for everyone who needed me. My retail store closed, my factory closed, my sales and marketing staff needed to stay on the payroll, and I needed one person per building shipping orders. This nightmare kept growing and my plan needed to keep up. We revisited our one goal “stay in business”, and everyone checked in on their part. Phones were forwarded, key documents scanned digitally for
easy access and daily check-ins kept us apprised of daily needs. I had to keep reminding myself why my businesses were closed, we have a virus killing people faster and faster every day. This was happening to everyone, not just me. This virus is invisible, and we are making a million micro decisions every day to avoid contracting Covid-19 or passing it on. It was easy to forget the big picture and why we are here when you are counting the pennies and wondering when and where you can buy groceries again. The first day of the quarantine, it all hit me, and I got sick. Really sick, as did my husband. The doctors said we were not symptomatic enough to get one of the precious Covid-19 tests, so we fought it out at home. I did not have a high fever, they kept saying I had a bad cold. That was all I could do for two weeks: stay home, sleep, eat rice or soup because nothing tasted good and cough the worst cough of my life. All those emotions running around all coalesced into fear and
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14 RetailingInsight
then I became afraid of the fear. Every day I wrote out everything I was grateful for to counter the downward spiral. My strategy, however, was in play and I had a team of people focused on our one goal and taking care of business in my stead. Loan papers were signed, grants were won, and products shipped, and problems resolved because of our focus and if it didn’t further that goal, it could be postponed. The weeks where I was sick are a blur and I only know what happened by rereading email and getting recounts from my staff
Stage 3 – INTERMEDIATE RECOVERY Acceptance of the new normal set in and I started creating a space of recovery – physically and emotionally. Lots of zoom meetings and more strategizing. Waiting on PPP, going on unemployment, watching my savings dwindle caused me to swing from being amazed at my supportive business community into fear and disillusionment on the enormity of the task at hand. Then I
“
remembered, only now exists. I have a goal and a strategy to get there. I have a team on layoff itching to come back as soon as
can you do today to create a new normal.” The videos to my customers and team started up again and I kept the faith of the
Waiting on PPP, going on unemployment, watching my savings dwindle caused me to swing from being amazed at my supportive business community into fear and disillusionment on the enormity of the task at hand.
possible. I have managers who are not letting us sink and working harder than I ever saw before. I was recovering from being sick and my mind was clearing. My Mantra was “what
”
moment, the new normal. Talking to my community of businesses we collectively decided that surviving this pandemic involved a daily decision to keep going.
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Holistic Healing I June 2020 15
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My million micro decisions continued each day. I was exhausted and I took it slow. That was really all any of us could do. It was almost a comforting limbo while the waited. The PPP wasn’t funded, the banks were not talking about any other loan, everyone was closed. All I could do is wait and hang onto my sanity. I made a conscious decision to stay in the facts of Covid-19. I read reports from the CDC and the hospitals that were treating the worst cases and left the conspiracies to those who could mentally afford them. I could not. What I did in this time is reimagine my world. Since this was a giant re-set, I had nothing to lose in the exploration of what I want to leave behind and what I wanted to move forward with. I started to call my customers and see how they were holding up and I was inspired. Most of us were asking the same questions “What are we leaving behind? What are we making this mean for us? What are we taking with us into the future?” The new strategy began. I talked to entrepreneurs and we ask each other a ton of questions. I talked to legislators on the local, state and national level. I learned a lot, and I was inspired to never settle for less, or faster, or growth for growths’ sake. I fell in love with my business all over again. I updated our goal from “stay in business” to “stay in business as the best magical candle makers” and I couldn’t wait to start up again… and then we did. I almost fell right back into the old, overwhelmed fast paced, nothing is good enough, crisis again. I posted a sign with our new goal to keep on track with the new normal to be the best magical candle maker. Our strategy included re-training everyone on our original processes, slow down to ensure quality, remember why we make these candles and stay safe. One of the hardest things to manage has been resetting expectations of turnaround time on orders. Our customers have been patient, it is our self judgement that we are slower to fill orders than we were pre-Covid-19. We must remind each other daily that we are still in the early stages of coming back and be gentle with ourselves and make communication an equal urgency as shipping the orders.
Stage 4 – LONG TERM RECONSTRUCTION Recovery is going to be slow and I have tentative plans for long term reconstruction. I have a new future vision that releases me from legacy beliefs the kept me small. I am stepping into the ideal of what I want my business to contribute to the world, “Empowered Belief.” I am living my values and ensuring my entire production team will be making $15 an hour by the end of the year. I am letting self-care be my personal driving force and living life just a bit slower. I do not know what commerce will look like by the end of 2020, so it is difficult to make firm plans. I am taking my time and casting my lots in eight-week increments while instilling the inspired ideals into our foundation. Deliberate action to move forward and not fall back into old habits means I must be a leader 100% of the time. Planning sessions start with two questions: “What are we doing this month and what might next month look like?” and “Where do we want to end up and how does that get us there?” Futurists are telling us that we are forever changed. No-touch commerce is here to stay for a while, people will invest in comfort, only the best or cheapest will do, customers will choose to wait rather that settle for mediocrity, and there will be a huge focus on self-care and personal health. Every day there is a new piece of information to assess about Covid-19 that changes the rules and causes a new set of micro decisions. I am focused on the lessons learned over quarantine and blending them with my future vision to create the reboot I needed to let go of my fear of the possibilities and start living them. We are all in the same invisible storm, different boat that we can rebuild it as we sail. Jacki Smith is the founder, president, and witch of Coventry Creations. Her brand was founded in 1992 and has passed the test of time as a continual best seller and staple product. Her nearly 30 years’ of business experience in the spiritual market makes her realize you must be a bit magical to be an entrepreneur. You can find her products on www.coventrycreations.com
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GIFTS OF THE ANGELS
CRYSTAL BOWL HEALING 2.0
“Gifts of the Angels” is the soundtrack to Kimberly Meredith’s “Angel Awakening” CD.
Available from NewLeafDist.com, Music Video Distributors.com, StevenHalpernMusic.com
DIVINATION DECKS By Melinda Carver
CALLING OTHERWORLDLY BEINGS Seeking guidance from mystical energies & messengers!
The ethereal world is filled with wondrous beings that answer our cries for guidance and assistance on our life path. These beings bring clarity to those seeking insights, focus to allow transformation, and hope for positive outcomes. Introduce your customers to these otherworldly beings highlighted in the latest decks.
card image from deck Angel Kindness Cards (details on next page)
Angel Kindness Cards Teresa Kogut ISBN 9781572819863 I Price $21.95 Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
The stunning artwork hand painted by Teresa Kogut features angels with wings, halos, hearts and flowers on one side and gentle messages of encouragement on the reverse. Regular use will shift awareness to allow blessings. The author urges you to pass along singular cards to those in need of kindness. Deck includes 52-double-sided cards.
Pixiekins: A Daily Inspiration Deck Paulina Cassidy ISBN 9781572819887 I Price $22.95 Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Magically delicate creatures elicit a carnivale feeling in Paulina’s latest inspirational deck. These Pixiekins with fanciful names like Daddy Tequila Sundown, Miss Moonfang and Elephairy will brighten your mood and reignite your sense of fun while seeking encouraging insights and advice. Deck includes 72-cards.
Elle Qui Oracle Arwen Lynch Artwork by Melanie Delon ISBN 9781572819733 I Price $21.95 Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Elle Qui is French for “She Knows” and features diverse Divine Feminine archetypes of warriors and heroines from all around the world. Each card is titled and lists keywords of the archetypes to assist you in looking within as well as jumpstarting your intuition. The booklet features descriptions of each female, their keywords and thought-provoking questions for one to consider. Deck includes 44-cards and 80-page booklet.
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Field Guide to Garden Dragons Arwen Lynch Artwork by Stanley Morrison ISBN 9781572819795 I Price $22.95 Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
An adorably playful deck, it provides the seeker with mystical messages from dragons found amongst the fruits and vegetables in your garden. The field guide includes each dragon’s common and scientific name, keyword, appearance, habitat, field notes, and mystical meaning. Get ready to giggle as you search your own garden for these whimsical creatures. Deck includes 46-cards and 135-page booklet.
The Starseed Oracle Rebecca Campbell Illustrated by Danielle Noel ISBN 9781788172882 I Price $24.99 Published by Hay House
The absolutely breathtaking artwork of this deck opens portals to star systems, ancient sites, and distant planets. These cards will unlock your soul activations, providing guidance and inspiration to shine brighter in our world. Just holding these cards lifts your energies. The booklet features detailed insights into each card and activation activities to propel your soul forward. The box is a triangle cut and is interactive for use with reading the cards. Deck includes 53-cards and 137-page full color booklet.
The Archangel Metatron Self-Mastery Oracle Amanda Ellis Artwork by Jane Delaford Taylor ISBN 9780764357138 I Price $29.99 Published by Red Feather
The first oracle deck devoted exclusively to Archangel Metatron is a beautifully made set from the artwork, gold edges of the cards and the informative full size book. Those seeking Metatron’s wisdom and assistance will flow in his powerful energies utilizing sacred geometry, color therapy, and the elements. Bold gorgeous artwork on “Cosmos”, “Kundalini” and “Dimensional Gateway” will raise your awareness and energies. Deck includes 55-cards and 128-page full color booklet.
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>> Featured New Card Decks
The Heart Path Oracle Cards NADINE GORDON-TAYOLOR
Gemstone Guardians Cards and Your Soul Purpose
An intuitive oracle deck illustrated with images of animals and esoteric symbols along with channeled messages of Universal love
MARGARET ANN LEMBO
A deck and guidebook set to help you discover your life’s work with the assistance of the inspiring gemstone guardians
$30.00 • Boxed set • ISBN 9781591433903
Dragon Wisdom CHRISTINE ARANA FADER
$19.99 • Boxed set ISBN 9781644110676
A hands-on way to connect with the wisdom, love, and magic of dragons $19.99 • Boxed set • ISBN 9781644111086
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Scripting the Life You Want
Odin & the Nine Realms Oracle
Animal Soul Contracts
ROYCE CHRISTYN
SONIA GRACE
TAMMY BILLUPS
A step-by-step guide to the process of “scripting” your future and successfully manifesting what you want in life
Deepen your connection to spirit and follow your life’s path with the ancient wisdom of this powerful Norse oracle card deck
A guide to discovering the spiritual agreements between our souls and those of our animal companions
$16.99 • Paperback • ISBN 9781644110195
$14.99 • Paperback • ISBN 9781591433644
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Dragon Oracle Cards Diana Cooper Artwork by Carla Lee Morrow ISBN 9781781809068 I Price $18.99 Published by Hay House
Explore the concept of dragons being etheric beings of the angelic realm, assisting the angels on multiple dimensions to assist in our spiritual ascension. Each card is titled, provides a description of the high-vibrational energy, and inter-dimensional activity being started on your physical self with the pull of the card. The booklet includes information about each dragon and it’s guidance to inspire and heal you. Deck includes 44-cards and 112-page booklet.
Sacred Mysteries: The Chakra Oracle Kooch N. Daniels & Victor Daniels Illustrated by Pieter Weltevrede ISBN 9780764357114 I Price $34.99 Published by Red Feather
Western psychology meets the Yogic tradition to accelerate transformation in your life with this energetic deck. Featuring the 7 colors of the chakras, each card is numbered and titled with gold trim. Meet the Hindu Gods and Goddesses and align your energy with sacred geometry. The enlightening guidebook includes Keys for Interpretation and Pathway of Spirit towards Tantric wisdom. Deck includes 49-cards and 224-page full color booklet.
Angelic Messenger Cards: Divine Guidance for Personal Healing & Spiritual Discovery Meredith L. Young-Sowers Artwork by Judi A. Winall ISBN 9781577315704 I Price $34.95 Published by New World Library
Instead of the expected angelic artwork, these cards feature close up photos of vibrant flowers, providing a different spin on angelic guidance for life issues. The expansive guidebook features the Present Challenge, Angelic Message, Spiritual Opportunity and Application of the card’s meanings. Deck includes 44-cards and 240-page guidebook.
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The Tree Angel Oracle Deck Fred Hageneder Artwork by Anne Heng ISBN 9781644110386 I Price $19.99 Published by Earthdancer Books
Walk the Ancient Path into a sacred grove, the space of angels with leaves. Featuring 36 species of trees, this deck urges your connection to the wisdom of the gentle beings living with the trees. Cards are numbered and titled with a white border. The booklet includes information about each card and the message to the seeker. Deck includes 36-cards and 143-page full color booklet.
6th Sense Connection Oracle Cards Anne-Marie McCormack ISBN 9780999897102 I Price $22.95 Published by 6th Sense Connection
Designed by a psychic medium, these cards urge you to expand your intuition and to become aware of guidance from Spirit. All cards are numbered, bordered and titled including “Emerge” and “Cut the Cords”. The booklet includes special affirmations and crystal suggestions to use with each card to broaden wisdom. Deck includes 52-cards and 54-page color booklet.
Fairy Wisdom Oracle Amy Brown Illustrated by Nancy Brown ISBN 9781572819924 I Price $24.95 Published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
A Daughter-Mother team bridges the worlds of human and elemental in this charming deck featuring fairies, angels, elves, and dragons. Seeking wisdom and guidance from the fairy realm will assist with developing intuition and healing with nature energies. The illustrated book offers fairy messages and chants to focus intentions. This deck is a positive introduction to nature spirits. Deck includes 64-cards and 140-page hardback book.
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MeetMyStore
Read the stories of some of the best indie stores in America
s d n a W e g d u m S y r a Apothec 24 RetailingInsight
APOTHECARY SMUDGE WANDS www.apothecarysmudgewands.com St. Bonifacius, Minnesota Owner: Leigh Cohen Wyatt Hours: M-F 9am-5pm Year Opened: 2019 Store Type: Online Products in Stock: Smudge jars, smudge wands, palo alto, crystals, charms, and a variety of scented sage bundles Inventory Method/ Software Use: Wix E-Commerce, Square Inventory Turn: Seasonal Sales by Category: Sage, dried florals, palo alto, herbs, crystals, charms, metaphysical, holistic wellness, organic Events/ Services: (i.e.: workshops, book clubs, meditation center, etc.) Besides our e-commerce store we offer additional services and private events, such as: private readings, private parties, expos, national gift shows, spiritual centers, and wellness centers.
Apothecary Smudge Wands is an online store created in 2019 by Leigh Cohen Watt. One of the most popular and wellrespected intuitive readers within the metaphysical industry for more than two decades. Entrepreneurship has been in her blood forever. She grew up in a small city, where her family owned and operated the primary store in town. Her grandparents and parents had a keen sense of serving the community, which they did for more than 42 years. When she was a kid, she used to wonder the racks of clothing and accessories of Cohen’s Department Store in Buffalo, Minnesota, and she ultimately acquired the skill and knowledge necessary to run her family business. Years later, she opened her own store where she sold metaphysical products of her own making and those of other synergistic partners. Readings, Reiki treatments, Aura photography and other holistic healing services were offered as well. The store was the manifestation of her life’s work as an intuitive reader. By the time after her new marriage and a move deeper into rural Minnesota, she decided to close the store and focus on only a few products that truly combined her love for other passions, specifically gardening, and decided to create a niche marketplace for them, online. Since her e-commerce business was launched last year, she has experience phenomenal online growth due to the
growing awareness in the benefits of smudging and smoke cleansing, thanks to the country’s booming interest in self-care, healing, and wellness. With a custom mix of handmade sage-based wands and jars, her products are made with dried organic florals, herbs, crystals, and charms that enhance cleansing and blessing experiences, can help transform a space by creating renewed energy and a positive spiritual experience, and promote healing. Leigh is proud to say Apothecary Smudge Wands is a women-owned business that promotes self- empowerment for consumers and retailers. According her, as the world struggles through its most challenging time as a community, she expects even more demand for products for a newly contemplative culture – one where people have greater focus on slowing down and clearing negative energy. Today her products can be also found at brick-and-mortar stores nationwide. Here is more about her online business. Why did you decide to open an online store instead of brick-and-mortar? I wanted to be readily available to my clients and new customers when they needed access to products like mine. The online store better serves the need of someone who desires to treat themselves, is online searching for ways to heal, or
wants to send something unique and special to someone who needs it. An online store also broadens the reach to those I can help through the use of these unique products. I already conduct phone readings to people throughout the world. Shouldn’t my products be available without the boundaries that exist when there is a brick-and-mortar location. I also believe an online storefront allows me to provide more education on how to use the products, their benefits, the history of smudging/smoke cleansing, and so much more. This can’t always happen inside of a physical store. I was not always available to spend time with customers in my physical store because I was busy, a different employee was working that day, or the customer didn’t have time. Products in our industry are so rich with information. Questions I get include, what does a certain chakra color mean? What does a certain smell from a burning flower evoke? Where and why did the act of smudging originate? How many uses will I get from one wand or jar? How do you smudge? How would you describe your e-store type? Apothecary Smudge Wands is truly eye candy for the soul! Online, I have the opportunity to share beautiful images of every
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type of sage wand and jar, so that people can see their beauty and enjoy the shopping experience. Each hand-made product is a piece of artwork. I like to keep the site simple because the products are the focus. I don’t need a lot of graphic design for the site because the flowers, herbs, sage, and crystals do the work of delighting visitors and they really sell themselves. The site facilitates both B2C and B2B commerce – retail and wholesale purchases are made there. My social media strategy, also centered on the beauty of the products so perfect for Instagram, also educates people on all topics about smudging/smoke cleansing. The posts drive people to the site for more information and to ultimately make their purchase. How would you describe your group of consumers? The products appeal to a large age group of mostly women (from 18-50s generally) focused on spirituality. The products are largely purchased by groups who use them in rituals. My customers are also yoga instructors who smudge their classrooms, chiropractic wellness practitioners, healers, artists, and interior designers. Often times a sage wand or jar resting on a surface is a beautiful addition to a room’s décor. And, of course, many are gift buyers because the products are unique, hand-made, and I believe are so much more thoughtful than mass-produced items that lack meaning and symbolism. Do you take advantage of your website page to encourage purchase behavior? Yes. I make sure my website features dynamic, changing, and valuable content. I use metatags and make regular revisions to the page layout. The photos I use really spur engagement and response. Recently, I added a video to better showcase the products. I also run promotions on the site at various times of the year. Do you use social media to promote and sell your products? Yes. I am active on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I use rich photography, which is particularly eye- catching and
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appealing on social media. I like to think my posts cause people to pause and soak in the beauty of the products. I also maintain a CRM database of my reading clients, product purchasers, and wholesale customers, and regularly reach out to them through email. Lately, I have layered in paid social to target my demographic, which is highly active on social. As an entrepreneur with a strong online presence how would you describe your weekly routine? Because my products are so custom, a nd much t hou g ht goe s i nto t hei r assembly, much of my time is devoted to creating them. Because I have been an intuitive reader for more than 20 years, I also have many very intimate relationships with clients, so personal discussions with them are important. These take time and are important for cultivating lifetime customers and it increases the number of referrals they provide for me because they know my style and trust me. I split the remainder of my time between creating promotions and managing advertising. How do you promote your brand awareness and products to grow profit margin? One of the ways we do to promote our brand are by getting our products into other locations to extend beyond our website page, and we have other entrepreneurs mentioning them as well. Plus, we do a lot of social media posts, and print advertising has also brought us tremendous exposure. After two decades in the metaphysical industry, I know which events yield results, so I take time to be a part of those and I make sure to integrate my products into my reading sessions and gallery events. Now, when people purchase the product and then display it before using it, those who see it ask about it. When those in the healing profession use the products, their clients ask where they can get their own. And, because the products are high-quality, I can maintain a competitive price point! Do you go to Trade Shows to look for new products for your store or do
you frequently search for new products online? If so, which trade show would you say is a “must go”? I do attend major trade shows and conferences – those that not only help me sell my products and services, but where I can generate new ideas and learn from others in our industry. The Minneapolis Mart is one of those shows. I also attend expos, spirituality conferences and retreats, and research products online. Do you work exclusively with made in USA makers and suppliers to ensure that your customers are only purchasing products made with the highest quality and pure ingredients? Yes, including organic grown producers. I source from my own garden, when possible, which is in the heartland of the USA. I also prefer to purchase product locally, if possible. Do you ever think about expanding your business and have a physical location or a pop-up store for instance where more consumers can shop locally? As a lifelong entrepreneur, expanding my business is always on my mind. I currently have products in eight stores in Minnesota and select others nationwide. That number can and will grow, as will my online sales. I also think about expansion in terms of my product line. The wands have significant capacity to be expanded – by adding versions for intention-setting, specific
rituals, meditation only, magic, removing negativity, alleviating allergies and bacteria, for self–empowerment, affirmations and featuring Zodiac colors.
e-mail, phone calls and/or personal chat messaging. It’s imperative to understand and use social media to its full capability. Make sure to respond to customers in a
“ ” One of the ways we do to promote our brand are by getting our products into other locations to extend beyond our website page, and we have other entrepreneurs mentioning them as well.
I grow some of the components of my products in my own garden. While my online store will always be focused on sage wands and jars, if I were to expand, I would incorporate additional items to ref lect specific themes or properties. I will create more of my own products in the future. My brand stands for originality, so I would want products that support that.
What advice would you give retailers who are looking to grow their online presence? I wou ld emphasi ze how customer service is as important online as it is with a physical storefront. I would suggest they maintain personal relationships thru
timely manner, taking time to answer questions or solve their issues, or simply to thank them. Make sure your product is a quality one. It is also important to maintain a work/ life balance, especially if you want to be successful over a long period of time. There will be ups and downs, so you must stay healthy and have other hobbies and things to focus on because a small business can be all-consuming if you don’t keep it in perspective and somewhat compartmentalized so that you can leave it for periods of time, both physically and mentally. And remember that it will rarely feel like work if you love what you do and use your passion toward its purpose.
Holistic Healing I June 2020 27
Made with 108 beads and Howlite stone, this mala is associated with inner calm, stress release and calming an over active mind. I Am Patient Mala, Rudraksha by Mala Collective This handmade bracelet features blue agate and lava stones. Agate is a great stone for harmony, strength and stability as the Lava beads acts as a sponge-like carrier to help soaks up essential oils. Diffuser Jewelry by Vitality
A modern and sleek way to carry essential oils anywhere, anytime. Wearable Aromatherapy Pendant by COR
Editor’s Picks
HEALING CRYSTALS & INTUITIVE JEWELRY Discover the power of gemstone, crystals, and intuitive jewelry to help promote serenity, peace, release stress, and active the power of intention.
OMG!!! A stunning headpiece made with powerful blue stones to help with clarity, purity, intuition, and protection. Definitely a unique accessory to make a statement. Vishuddha, Throat Chakra Queen Crystal Crown By Sea Ox
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A handcrafted piece designed with organic and natural elements in mind. White Gold Geode Ring with Pave Champagne Color Diamond By Felix.Z
Inspired by Celtic symbols, this ‘trinity knot’ is a powerful symbol, representing the Divine Feminine. Triquetra, Blessed Be By Deva Designs
Inspired by the ancient prayer wheels of Tibet, the ring can serve as an anchor on meditation practices, helping to increase serenity, purify negative thoughts and relieve chatter of the mind. Wave Spinner Ring by Baizaar
A handcrafted piece designed to providing balance of yin-yang energy and dispels blockages, bring fortune, good luck and manifest new possibilities. Awaken Kyanite & Orange Aventurine Drop Earrings by Aromatherapy Pendant By Anne Vaughan
This beautiful handcrafted bracelet features seven different stones representing the seven Chakras. White Turquoise Healing Crystals Chakra Bracelet by Ring to Perfection
A good Mala for everyone working with the Third Eye Chakra. It helps to stimulate and strengthen and clear this center while allowing growth. Buddha Pendant Mala Bead Necklace, Positive Change by True Nature Jewelry
Features African Opal Jasper which are renowned for combating exhaustion and alleviating stress. The Guru bead is a unique Citrine raw nugget which helps to enhance creativity. Energize Your Soul, Citrine Mala Necklace By True Nature Jewelry
A good piece for an aromatherapy ‘on-the-go’ to help energize your day. Simply apply few drops of essential oils on the felt insert from outside the cage and ‘voila’! Cage Diffuser Beaded Bracelets by AAOTE
Looking for something to bring protection? This delicate bracelet made with genuine black Onyx and Turquoise gemstone beads is the winner! Twist Bracelet for Protection by Culture Spot
Holistic Healing I June 2020 29
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SALES MAGIC WITH HEALING CRYSTALS By Uma Silbey
Crystals and stones are one of the hottest products that can be sold in your stores today. During these difficult times when so many of us are reaching for products that can help us heal and stay healthy, this is especially true. It will also continue to be true in the future. In order to take advantage of this sales opportunity, it is important to know something about crystals and stones that you can share with your customers to help them select the stones and crystals that can truly help them. It is also important to know what to look for in selecting the right stones and crystals for your store so that not only will you have what customers are seeking, but you will also have what will work the best. Finally, it is important to know how to best display your stones and crystals to attract customers and increase sales. Since I have been in the crystal and stone business teaching about and designing crystal and stone jewelry since 1980, I feel it is important to provide education and share what I know will work. First, it is important to be educated about what you are offering so that you can, in turn, help educate your customers. The more your customers learn about stones and crystals the more they will purchase stones that will really work for them. Here is some information that will get you started:
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CRYSTALS AND STONES Crystals are different than other stones. Each crystal is created in a highly ordered atomic structure with a characteristic physical composition. The crystal’s growth moves outward from a tiny seed crystal in a multidimensional pattern to create various shapes, each outward shape, then, a reflection of the crystal’s internal atomic order. Each characteristic shape can be used differently accordingly to its type. All crystals come in one of seven ty pes. The f irst ty pe is a cubic or isometric system based on a square inner structure resembling a six, eight, or twelve-sided box. Examples of these are diamond, f luorite, garnets and spinel. The second type is based on a hexagonal six-sided inner structure. These include four-sided prisms and py ra mids, t welve-sided py ra mids and double pyramids. Crystals in this family include morganite, aquamarine, apatite, emerald, sugilite and beryl. The next is the trigonal or rhombohedral three-sided or six-sided triangular structure. Crystals in this category include agate, calcite, hematite, quartz, rubies, amethyst, carnelian, aventurine and tourmaline. Rose quartz is also included in this system even though it seldom crystalizes. The next is an
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Celebrating 30 Years!
Heart Chakra Mini Meditation Bowl Box
Medicine Buddha Prayer Flags
Tibetan Energy Bracelets
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orthorhombic or rhombic system based on a diamond-shaped or rhombic inner st r ucture t hat may look li ke two pyramids stuck together. Crystals in t his system include a lexandrite, iolite, chrysoberyl, tanzanite, celestite, danburite and topaz. The sixth crystal system, based on a parallelogram inner structure with inclined end faces, is called a monoclinic system. Crystals in this category include azurite, howlite, moonstone, serpentine, chrysocolla, diopside, lazulite, and kunzite. The seventh triclinic system is based on an inner structure usually having paired faces and three inclined angles. This type includes crystals like amazonite, labradorite, rhodonite, kyanite, turquoise and aventurine feldspar. The various forms of crystals directly inf luence and determine their metaphysical properties. Because each shape is a pattern of nature’s energy movement frozen in a particular space, each shape will create differing energetic effects. The seven geometric shapes in t he crystals, for example, mirror the seven elemental harmonics of creation, the seven major hormonal glands in the human body, and the seven cavities of the skull. Each shape also represents a corresponding element and chakra within the subtle body and can be used to work with them accordingly. The cube, for example, represents the earth element and the root chakra. The icosahedron with twenty faces and twelve corners works with the second chakra and the element of water. The tetrahedron, with four faces and corners, works with the solar plexus and the fire element. The octahedron, with eight faces and twelve edges, works with the air element and the heart chakra. The dodecahedron, with three pentagons meeting at each corner and twelve faces, corresponds to the throat chakra and the ether element. The star tetrahedron, containing joined tetrahedrons, (one pointing up and the other down,) work with the third eye and the light element. The more we meditate with and become aware of the energies associated with each shape, the more flexibility we have in our energy
work with the crystals. Cubed crystal, for example, associated with the earth element, can be used for grounding and feeling safe and secure in the physical world. The pyramid shape of a trigonal system can be used to receive and send messages. The uses of these natural crystals are as endless as our ability to discern their energies by listening to the guidance within. When a stone is shaped or tumbled, it is no longer energetically effective in the same way. By changing the shape you alter the natural energetic flow and impede or stop the energy work that it can naturally do. When you change the natural crystalline shape by tumbling or shaping a crystal, the stone should no longer really be referred to as a crystal. That is not to say that tumbled or shaped stones have no effect. We can use their color properties to make energetic changes. A red stone, for example, will help stimulate the first chakra and bring fire to the body. Likewise, a green stone will help stimulate the heart chakra and help bring a sense of nurturing and compassion. A stone may be formed in one of the naturally occurring shapes, perhaps in a pyramid or square, but it will not be as powerful as the naturally occurring shape. Furthermore, if it isn’t formed along the energetic lines of the original crystal shape, it may interfere with or completely stop the energy flow.
CLEAR QUARTZ CRYSTALS Clear quartz crystals are the most important stones to carry in your stores. With the focus on the color stones, much of the information about working with these stones is being lost. They are the “work horses” of the healing stone and crystal world. You can do things with a clear quartz crystal that are largely not possible with other stones. For example, using a clear quartz crystal you can raise energy, lower energy, draw out energy, project and transmit energy. They will naturally amplify and energize anything they are coupled with whether it be our physical body, the environment around us, or the effects of sound, color, intention, visualization, and emotion. There
is not one thing a color stone can do that a clear quartz crystal can’t also do, especially a natural quartz crystal. This is because clear quartz crystals can be energetically programmed with any color and it will not only act as if it is that color, but it will also amplify the color’s effect. Clear quartz crystals can also be energetically programed with sound, thought, feeling, or any other influence and it will act accordingly. If you program a clear quartz crystal with love, for example, it will project that.
STONES AND HEALING The most important thing to know about stones and crystals is that though there may be some rather limited energetic changes on a subtle level when certain stones are placed on or near the body, the stones and crystals do their best work when they are coupled with our focused intention. When we concentrate our
intention on the stone and the work we want it to do, because of the mind/body connection, changes will likely occur. The more powerful our focus, the more powerful our results will be. Anything else borders on magical thinking, generally relying on the placebo effect. This is not to say that the placebo effect lacks power, but its power is also grounded in intention and the mind. When we talk about “healing crystals” then, we must realize that the stones, themselves, don’t do the healing. We are not the ones doing the healing either. Both stones and ourselves are only tools through which healing happens. The Higher Spirit heals in the way that it will…and in the way that is most appropriate for us. It is vitally important to remember this because to the extent we think that we are the ones doing the healing, or that the stone is doing all the healing, is the extent that we will impede or stop healing from
happening. Healing happens in its own way…not necessarily the way we think it should occur. In our crystal and stone healing work then, it is important to realize that we merely set the conditions and step aside and let healing happen.
SELECTING STONES AND CRYSTALS FOR OUR STORES Besides educating ourselves, what does t his mean for our cr ysta l and stone selections for our stores? First, it is important to have a good selection of clear crystal points, both single and double terminated. Display with them one or two crystal books that actually let people know how to actively manipulate the clear crystals to do the healing work. (My latest book, “The Ultimate Guide to Crystals and Stones,” has this information in detail.) Also have a selection of other stones in their natural state coupled with a chart, or books about the
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properties of each crystal shape. Books about the seven chakras, sacred geometry and the seven harmonics underlying creation would be excellent to display near the various crystal shapes, perhaps with signage about their meanings and uses. Then have a rainbow selection of tumbled stones for those who just want to lay them on the body, with some display informat ion about what locat ion to place them. One or two books near them providing this information are good. Once Caveat, though, is that these books often carry contradictory information that can be confusing. One way to solve this is to instruct your customer to hold the stone over his or her heart chakra or third eye and use their intuition to “hear” how the stone is to be used, noting that this suggested use might change each time that they use the stone. (This is why it is important to be able to “hear” or
“listen” to all stones and crystals at the actual time that they are being used, and then to follow that intuitive guidance.) Last but not least, I would recommend t hat some cr ysta l gazing spheres be d isplayed a s wel l. People a re qu ite attracted to and fascinated with them and they will help draw your customer to the other stones. Have at least one sizeable clear crystal ball.
CRYSTAL AND STONE JEWELRY Crystal and stone jewelry is very important to have as both “mainstreamers” and “new agers” are attracted to it and will likely make a purchase. It is important to have them set in metals that help in the energy flow of the stone. Generally, rather than pot metal, or base metals, purchase those set in silver, gold, copper, or gold filled metals because they assist in the energy flow rather than “clogging it.” If
the stone is set with gobs of glue, or drilled through, it will impede the subtle energy flow or actually stop it from working. If the jewelry piece is set with silver or gold plate, be sure that the underlying metal is one that will still assist in good energy flow. (I usually don’t recommend plated metals because the underlying metal is often one that impedes energy flow…. and the plating wears off.) Generally speaking, silver combines the subtle energy of the stone with the gentle, intuitive quality of the moon’s energy, while gold bring the solar or fire quality to the stone. Copper brings both earth and fire. Unless coated, copper will eventually turn brown so become more earth-like. When it is shiny it brings more or the fire quality.
DISPLAY HINTS There are a few more things to consider when displaying crystals, stones and
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jewelry: First, don’t jam the case with too many pieces together. Separate and feature each stone or piece of jewelry. More is not better. If too many are jammed together rather than being individually featured, it will actually slow your sales. Besides being overwhelming, when each piece is featured to look “special, the customer will be able to appreciate their uniqueness and purchase accordingly. (Tumbled stones are the exception for this rule. It is good to have them separated by type in open display compartments so that people can touch and handle them. Having pouches nearby will encourage people to buy multiples.) When featuring crystals and stones, it is very effective to have some large samples to attract attention. Even if they don’t sell as rapidly because of their expense, they will help sell the smaller ones. (Don’t be afraid to have a high price
tag on the larger pieces because that will set the value for the smaller ones.) You might also consider separating stones by color in your displays, each color accompanied by signage informing your customer of the subtle energy represented by that color. For example, have pink stones placed together with the word “love” or a small story of love. Royal blue stones can be placed with word “intuition” or a story about intuition. Last by not least, it is vitally important that you have lots of light shining upon your stones and jewelry. Without enough light your sales will slow. In other words, less light means less sales. You can never have too much light on them. (You can even visualize the light charging the stones with energy.) It is best to have halogen light, or LED lights, rather than incandescent yellow-toned light because the yellow light will distort your colors.
This is especially important with your clear crystals. The white light will bring a dazzling clarity to them. In short, effective and informational displays along with good product selection, is key to good sales of your healing crystals and stones. Above all, be aware…and “listen” to your stones. Uma Silbey was one of the first to pioneer crystals, gemstones, and ‘energy’ information to the world through her jewelr y designs, books, and music. Besides running her jewelry company since the late ‘70s, Uma has authored six books, including her latest The Ultimate Guide to Crystals and Stones, available through New Leaf Distributing Co. She has also recorded 18 albums of meditation music and guided visualization, and twice has been considered for a Grammy nomination, including her latest Altered States. Visit www.umasilbey.com for blogs, articles, music, and newsletters.
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FIND WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS By Lydia Delrossi
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I am waiting for the Murder Hornets to arrive! That can be the only next logical step after what we have seen in America over the last four months. I have never experienced anything like this before and I must say as it keeps evolving the only thing that would possibly make sense next would be the Murder Hornets to just swarm down on everyone. Let’s hope not! Not unlike you I am an also an entrepreneur and have been for quite some time. I used to own a boutique store for many years and believe me I
know exactly how joyful and stressful your routine can be, and how many hats you have to wear to make sure that things are running smoothly. Almost two decades ago I decided to open my own independent health insurance brokerage. I had to start from the ground up again, building up my book of business and developing new customer relationships in order to generate and keep a healthy business. My company grew over time and just recently as I was running my day to work flow that consisted of referrals, service, and closing deals every week…the pandemic hit! Dif ferent than many other major insurance companies my independent business is focused on helping local small
businesses and individuals only that do not qualify for the Affordable Care Act. We offer a large portfolio of different, affordable coverages and I made it a point to focus all efforts towards my small town audience because I knew I could be their personal advocate or “local agency” that any local business or individual could go to if they need assistance with filling claims and educating them on how to become more proactive in their own health. A person who will fight for them when the doctor’s office refuses to file a claim or accept their insurance. It was a great little niche, until the economy started collapsing due to COVID-19. Suddenly, I started having chargebacks, a drastic cut
Holistic Healing I June 2020 37
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in my income and absolutely nothing to do but trying to stay cool and find peace in the midst of global chaos where a majority of us felt like we have been hit from all sides at once. You know the insurance business is not always seen as “warm and fuzzy” it has always been thought of as a necessary evil in the minds of many people, so to pick up the phone and say, “hi how’s your health insurance” won’t fly at all nowadays. In reality, I am always the first one they come to for help and the first one to get beat up when something goes wrong, or when their premiums go up. In something as dire as a pandemic there was no other option but to get creative with finding ways to keep my business alive, so I’ve decided to look at what other people like myself are doing these during times and they are all going to social media. Social Media – What a quandary! It can be your best friend or your worse enemy. It is a slippery slope full of comments and fake assumptions. Nowadays, whatever is on someone’s mind can be posted on social media. Pick any social media platform like Instagram, Facebook or TikTok, for instance it is very tempting to chime in with the opinions posted but as a business person you and I both know it’s always in our best interest to completely separate ourselves from whatever opinion we may have and focus on the task at hand, which is keeping businesses relevant and alive during a time that people can’t come to us. So, here is what I started doing for my business instead. Facebook Videos – I have had a FB page for my business for a while but then I started to get more serious on how I could start interacting with people once again using social media. To get started I pulled out FB marketing tools and I began trying out new things. I had never shot a video of myself, so to make myself approachable and friendly I sat at my desk and ducttaped my cell phone to my bookcase (no judgments, please) angled the camera in it in a way that was somewhat flattering, and I taught myself how to make videos for my business by using simple communication
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tools like “Hi, how are you? this is Lydia Delrossi let’s talk about what’s happening” in easy-approachable short videos like 2-3min long, and then I learned how to “boost” them within a 50 mile radius of my customer base, and I actually began to see responses again.
80% of businesses is how a person feels when they are with you and I want them to feel good like they are in good hands. I then also reacquainted myself with Instagram Business to start sharing some of my posts and videos regularly.
Boost Ads – I also started looking at some of the ads I received from large companies to see what their big budgets were creating and got all kinds of creative ideas. I downloaded free clipart and started creating my own little ads that I would turn around and boost, sometimes in a 20-30 mile radius but always within the MSA area of my client base. They were somewhat light and whimsy, but my initial goal was to keep my company name out there in a very cost-effective manner to boost results.
CASH FLOW
Website – This was also time for me to redo my website. I created my own website using the web host GoDaddy which is not pricy compared to other web hosting companies where I can update my message by making sure the website reflected what was happening at the time and instead of “gloom and doom we are closed and don’t know when we will re-open” I tried to keep it witty and informative because people already get enough bad news from the media on a daily basis. My goal is to give my customers a lot of good sentiments and positivity when they come to me.
Let’s be honest here, this is a big issue. Last year I made the right decision for my type of business to change from a sole proprietorship to an S corporation, it’s still just me but with a Federal tax ID number and filings and then contracted ADP to help with payroll services. I projected what I could generate as an annual income a f lat $30k - $50k for example or whatever you feel most comfortable with and it would calculate how much needed to be set aside each pay period for state and federal taxes so all of my commission income is deposited directly into my new corporate bank account, they would then access that account weekly, deduct the state and federal taxes from “payroll” and put the rest in my personal account. It is the easiest and best move I’ve ever made because I do NOT have an “accounting” mind, it takes that responsibility off my shoulders as a small business owner, and I could then put all my efforts into networking and growing my business. Because I had taken those steps last year (look into it you will be glad you did later) you can change your “income projections” at any time. I was qualified for the PPP loan program which of course had been scarfed up by giant companies both times the government had announced them as available, so I found emergency funding were available not through a bank who focuses on small business like mine and yours but through PAYPAL. What a shock!!! So, I filled out the two-page application and I was granted $6,800 dollars. Not much in the big scheme of things, but enough for me to not panic, keep my payroll going for a minimum of seven weeks at least, and give me a sense of relief in continuing to focus on getting my business presence online now. I can sit back and get creative in my ongoing marketing efforts. This pandemic has been and continues to be a challenge for all of us, but I’ve learned how to use these times of isolation to my advantage and taught myself how to market my business more effectively. I have also organized my agenda to start sending out newsletters to my customer base. It has been a whole new chapter in business development for me. Doors began opening again the phone is ringing once more, and people are mentioning my videos! I just recently had a new customer call who was interested in buying tell me that she felt like she knew me from my videos. If any of these ideas can help your business, do it! I am learning as we go. I hope nothing less than success for each and every single local business in America who desperate needs support. We are in this together and only together we can make each other more successful and stronger. Just keep an eye out for those bees, folks! Lydia Delrossi is the former owner of Equine Devine and the owner of Aiken Health Insurance, in Aiken SC. To know more, visit www.aikenhealthinsurace.com.
40 RetailingInsight
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Uplifting & Inspiring NEW Books on Conscious Living Compiled by the editor
1. Emotional Inflammation: Discover your triggers and reclaim your equilibrium during anxious times Lise Van Susteren & Stacey Colino Published by Sounds True
Publication Date: April 2020 ISBN: 9781683644552 Pages: 296 I Price: $24.99 A rising number of people today are troubled by a phenomenon for which they don’t know there’s a name. This condition is called emotional inflammation—a state not unlike post-traumatic stress disorder, but one that stems from simply living in today’s anxious, overwhelming, and tumultuous world. If you’ve suffered from sleep problems, hyperreactivity, persistent grief, or inescapable worry about the future— especially triggered by the nonstop news cycle—then you’re probably dealing with emotional inflammation. The good news is: there’s something you can do about it. With Emotional Inflammation, general and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Lise Van Susteren joins writer Stacey Colino to present a breakthrough guide to help you become grounded and resilient in these unsettling times. You’ll begin by determining your “reactor type” to better understand how your body and mind respond to stress overload. You can’t always control the crises and catastrophes that are swirling around you. But that does not mean you’re powerless against the status quo—nor do you need to be at the mercy of the physiological, psychological, and spiritual stress responses inside you. With Emotional Inflammation, you now have an invaluable guide to help you cope with the challenges of a turbulent world, calm your body and mind, and reclaim a sense of peace, purpose, and connection to others.
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2. Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki & self-care to heal burnout, anxiety & stress Kelsey J. Patel Published by Penguim Random House
Publication Date: April 2020 ISBN: 9780593136805 Pages: 320 I Price: $25.99 You have a choice. There is a path out of pain, anxiety, burnout, and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed. This book is your invitation to choose that path. When Kelsey Patel was struck by searing back pain in her twenties while working on Capitol Hill, she had no idea that repressed emotions could manifest as debilitating anxiety and physical pain. What healed her was empowering herself to choose how she lived her life. In Burning Bright, her first book, Kelsey shares the self-care techniques that helped get her body, health, and emotions back into alignment: Reiki, emotional freedom technique, meditation, yoga, and more. Now a spiritual coach, Reiki master, and wellness expert, Kelsey has helped thousands struggling with burnout and anxiety. This book is filled with stories, hard-won wisdom, profound empathy, and the secrets to reexamining thoughts and breaking negative patterns. You will learn how to practice Reiki on yourself, without a master; interrupt anxiety cycles with tapping, breathwork, and journaling; perform simple rituals that can bring you peace in any situation; ground yourself and get back into your physical body; release emotional and physical blocks so that your energy can flow freely; establish a solid foundation of self-worth and self-care. As you use these techniques to align with your priorities, you’ll watch your authentic life unfold—a life of harmony, fulfillment, purpose, and joy.
3. The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health: Navigate an unequal system, learn tools for emotional wellness, and get the help your deserve Rheeda Walker, PhD Published by New Harbinger
Publication Date: May 2020 ISBN: 9781684034147 Pages: 232 I Price: $16.95 An unapologetic exploration of the Black mental health crisis—and a comprehensive road map to getting the care you deserve in an unequal system. We can’t deny it any longer: there is a Black mental health crisis in our world today. Black people die at disproportionately high rates due to chronic illness, suffer from poverty, under-education, and the effects of racism. This book is an exploration of Black mental health in today’s world, the forces that have undermined mental health progress for African Americans, and what needs to happen for African Americans to heal psychological distress, find community, and undo years of stigma and marginalization in order to access effective mental health care. In The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health, psychologist and African American mental health expert, Rheeda Walker, offers important information on the mental health crisis in the Black community, how to combat stigma, spot potential mental illness, how to practice emotional wellness, and how to get the best care possible in a system steeped in racial bias. This breakthrough book will help you recognize mental and emotional health problems, understand the myriad ways in which these problems impact overall health and quality of life and relationships, develop psychological tools to neutralize
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Holistic Healing I June 2020 43
ongoing stressors and live more fully, and navigate a mental health care system that is unequal.
4. Conscious Luck: Eight secrets to intentionally change your fortune Gay Hendricks & Carol Kline Published by St. Martin Publishing
Publication Date: May 2020 ISBN: 9781250622945 Pages: 192 I Price: $19.90 What if you could create your own luck? What if living a charmed life—being lucky in love, lucky in money, lucky in your chosen work—was within your control? The good news is that it’s all entirely possible…when you know how! In Conscious Luck, New York Times bestselling authors Gay Hendricks and Carol Kline share eight secrets that will allow you to intentionally change your fortune. Instead of hoping and wishing that luck will come your way, let Conscious Luck show you how to seize control of your destiny and create the dazzling life of your dreams. This powerful step-by-step program, which includes practical techniques, inspiring true stories, and the authors’ personal journeys, will lead you to greater freedom and abundance. The Secrets—four core shifts and four daily practices—teach you how to plant the seeds of luck in your own psyche, remove unlucky programming (including lifting “curses”), move at your Essence Pace, practice Radical Gratitude, and much more. Based on decades of the authors’ trailblazing work, this unique and highly effective toolkit offers a surefire way to transform your life.
5. The Well-Gardened Mind: The restorative power of Nature Sue Stuart-Smith Published by Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: July 2020 ISBN: 9781476794464 Pages: 352 I Price: $28 A distinguished psychiatrist and avid gardener offers an inspiring and consoling work about the healing effects of gardening and its ability to decrease stress and foster
44 RetailingInsight
mental well-being in our everyday lives. The garden is often seen as a refuge, a place to forget worldly cares, removed from the “real” life that lies outside. But when we get our hands in the earth we connect with the cycle of life in nature through which destruction and decay are followed by regrowth and renewal. Gardening is one of the quintessential nurturing activities and yet we understand so little about it. The Well-Gardened Mind provides a new perspective on the power of gardening to change people’s lives. Here, Sue StuartSmith investigates the many ways in which mind and garden can interact and explores how the process of tending a plot can be a way of sustaining an innermost self.
6. Listen to Your Dreams: 101 tales of inner guidance, divine intervention and miraculous insight Amy Newmark Published by Chicken Soup for the Soul
Publication Date: August 2020 ISBN: 9781611590685 Pages: 368 I Price: $14.95 Your dreams can change your life - if you listen to them. They are a window into what you subconsciously know, and they can also provide miraculous insight. It’s not a crazy idea. You can improve your life by listening to your dreams. These 101 enlightening true stories from ordinary people who listened to their dreams, will amaze and inspire you. More importantly, they will encourage you to listen to your own dreams and inner voice to help you navigate your way to a more magical life than you ever thought possible.
PRE-ORDER 7. Think Like a Monk: Train your mind for peace and purpose every day Jay Shetty Published by Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: September 2020 ISBN: 9781982134488 Pages: 352 I Price: $27
Jay Shetty, social media superstar and host of the #1 podcast On Purpose, distills the timeless wisdom he learned as a monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life. Shetty writes, “I grew up in a family where you could become one of three things: a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure. My family was convinced I had chosen option three. Instead of attending my college graduation ceremony, I headed to India to become a monk, to meditate every day for 4–8 hours and devote my life to helping others.” In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk in the Hindu tradition to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Drawing on ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits to access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. The lessons monks learn are profound but often abstract. Shetty transforms them into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, sharpen focus, improve relationships, identify our hidden abilities, increase self-discipline, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can—and should— think like a monk.
8. AFTER THE RAIN: GENTLE REMINDERS FOR HEALING, COURAGE, AND SELF-LOVE Alexandra Elle Published by Chronicle Books LLC
Publication Date: October 2020 ISBN: 9781797200101 Pages: 208 I Price: $19.95 The author delivers 15 lesson on how to overcome obstacles, build confidence, and cultivate abundance. Part memoir and part guide, Elle shares stirring stories from her own remarkable journey from self-doubt to self-love. This soulful collection is filled with illuminating reflections on loss, fear, bravery, healing, love, acceptance, and more.
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Special Coverage on MUSIC LICENSING By David & Steve Gordon, Sequoia Records
Play Background Music in Your Store for Free Retailers know that music is the not-so-secret ingredient that can enhance their store environment, give customers a more positive experience, invite them to explore, and help to show the products in their best most desirable light. There can be a cost to play background music in your store, for licensing fees charged by performing rights organizations like BMI and ASCAP. You may have heard of retailers being contacted by these organizations and pressured to pay the fees. Or maybe that happened to your store! However – if you know the magic formula – you can play music in your store, legally, without paying that annual fee. Retailing Insight asked us to de-mystify this question, since we’ve been making music that’s sold in stores like yours for decades, and we’re happy to help. So here is our overview of how you can safely play music in your store, without risking obligation for license fees. We do need to say that we are not lawyers, and we are not offering legal advice. We are sharing our understanding of how this works, and what’s worked for us and many of our customers over the years. We’re also including a footnote with the text of the law, plus some articles that go into more depth, if you’re interested in learning more about this. To be even more sure, you could ask for a legal advice from your lawyer to confirm your choices.
46 RetailingInsight
Why Are There License Fees for Playing Background Music in Stores and Other Public Locations? Music compositions and recordings are protected by copyright law. This is the key that allows musicians and composers to make a living. When copies of the music are sold, or used in a film or TV show, or performed in public, the owners of the copyrights earn a fee. Often this is a music publisher or record company and not the artists themselves, but those companies in turn must pay a part of those fees to the musicians and composers. This is of course a general high-altitude view. There are countless ways the payments find their way through the complex system to the composers and musicians, and lots of companies and individuals take a piece of the action along the way. The part of the story that applies to playing music in your store is called the Performance Right. When a song is performed in public, or in your store, or on the radio, and all sorts of other places, that’s a performance – a use of the copyright – so it needs to be authorized by the copyright owner (usually a music publisher). Since the many ways performances happen are so complicated, “Performing Rights Organizations” (like ASCAP, BMI and others) formed to manage the collections of these fees. They keep a percentage and pay the rest to the music publishers, and the music publishers pay a share of that to the composers.
This Performance Right is part of a large and complex Federal law, many interconnected pages, US Code Title 17 – Copyrights. Since it’s an exclusive right, the copyright owner can assign to a third party (like those “Performing Rights Organizations”) the job of monitoring the performances and collecting the fees. If a retailer or other business uses the music without permission (depending on the situation), that might be a “copyright infringement” and if it is, the owner of the copyright, or their agent, could use legal action to collect the fees. But – that’s not the whole story!
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What is the Formula to Play Music in Your Store without Paying the Fees? Buried in deep within the huge maze of the Copyright Code is Section 110: Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays.1 And buried in that section is one paragraph that applies to retailers (the Code uses the term “vending establishment”). The basic idea is that if the purpose of playing the music (the performance) is to sell the CD of that same music, then that is not an infringement of the copyright. That means it does not require a license fee. For this to work, you can only play CDs of music that you are actually selling in the store (or a demo copy of a CD that you offer for sale). In other words, if a customer hears the music you are playing, they can buy that music CD from your store. Also, play the music only in the area of the store that has the CDs for sale. That can be a large room, as long as the display of CDs for sale is in that same room. If the store has more than one room where music is playing, make sure that there is a for-sale display of music CDs in each room where the music is playing, or at least signage telling people where the music CDs can be found for purchase. Or you could have a small “playing now” display in each room with a note about where the CDs for sale are displayed. We believe the licensing agencies are not likely to contest this, if it’s generally clear that the music is being played to sell the CDs. But if they do challenge you about it being in a different room, you might have move your CD display, or ask your attorney.
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Can You Play Music in Your Store or Other Business Establishment if You Do Not Sell Music CDs? If you don’t sell music CDs, you could request permission f rom t he music publisher (sometimes but not always that’s also the record company). If they gave you a written authorization, that would be accepted by the Performing Rights Organizations, but you could only play music from the particular companies that gave you their permission. The other way you can play music in your store without selling CDs is to play the radio. But this refers only to broadcast radio, not internet radio or streaming. If you want to play the radio, you should read the actual law, because there are strict limits of the number and placement of speakers that are too complicated to include here. That’s in the same section of the law as the footnote below, but it’s in paragraph (5) of that section.
“ ” Can You Play Music in Your Store from Streaming Services like Pandora or Spotify?
display the CDs for sale in the same room where the music is playing.
For this to work, you can only play CDs of music that you are actually selling in the store.
The simple answer is: no, unless you pay additional fees. Those services are licensed only for personal use. But there are services that are intended for business use, such as Pandora for Business, Soundtrack Your Brand or SiriusXM Music for Business.
Summary
Use the magic formula: only play music from the CDs that you sell in your store, and
Further Reading
Playing Music in Your Store: How to Avoid Paying for It! By Richard Stim, Attorney, Nolo Press
C in a Circle – Exceptions To The Rule: When Unlicensed Uses of a Copyright Are Not Infringements By Gary Roth, BMI
Music Licensing for the Uninitiated By David Grogan, American Booksellers Association
1 7 U.S. Code § 110.Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following are not infringements of copyright: … [ pa ra g raphs (1) t h rou g h (6) om it ted] (7) performance of a nondramatic musical work by a vending establishment open to the public at large without any direct or indirect admission charge, where the sole purpose of the performance is to promote the retail sale of copies or phonorecords of the work, or of the audiovisual or other devices utilized in such performance, and the performance is not transmitted beyond the place where the establishment is located and is within the immediate area where the sale is occurring. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/
1
text/17/110.
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TakeFive
Five Ways to Find Peace and Balance During These Times By Emily A. Francis
In these times of uncertainty where we have all been challenged to stay home, there is a need to come back to center and create something better. I propose five practices that you can apply at home for increased health and vitality. It is time to feed your sensory systems from all angles and bring us into a blend of peace, vitality, awareness, gratitude and balance.
1
Play With the Earth. Go outside or open a window. Pranayama or the breath of life has not left you during this daunting time. It is important that we utilize the gifts of the earth and spirit to strengthen our immunity. If you can go outside, please by all means, do not put on your shoes! If you have to wear shoes in order to get down to the earth, then wear them and then remove them. Practice the art of breathing through your feet into your body. Be barefoot and walk or stand still in the grass or dirt. Breathe in through the soles of your feet and bring the breath all the way up through your entire body and up to your head and face. Exhale and push the breath back down to release through the soles of your feet. Set the intention of balancing your energy to be more rooted, grounded, earthy through your breath and body.
2
Essential Oils Can Be Your Friend. Essential oils are a wonderful tool to that serve to fight against illnesses and some of them are antiviral. I had Naturopath Christopher Vasey, N.D. author of several books including Natural Antibiotics and Antivirals: 18 Infection-Fighting Herbs and Essential Oils (Healing Arts Press, 2018) on my radio show just a week ago discussing essential oils, some of which have antiviral properties. The oils that he mentioned in particular that are helpful during this time is Thyme, Celery, and Oregano (according to Dr. Vasey, these oils can be aggressive on the skin). Consult a Naturopath who knows how to use them to dose correctly. Using a diffuser eliminates the worry for overdose or incorrect usage. The other oil he mentioned that is not aggressive is Ravensara. He said you could put a few drops into a cloth and breathe it in, or put it in a diffuser as well. It is important to
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note that many essentials oils can be dangerous to your pets. Please do proper research and use therapeutic grade oils that are safe for everyone that shares space with you.
3
Get Some Rest. Now is a better time than any to add in some extra rest time and work on your sleeping patterns. So many people are now having to work from home and that eliminates commute time. Use that extra time to rest and to allow your body to stimulate its natural ability to create and maintain its natural order of balance. It is in the rest and sleep time where our bodies get the most opportunity to gain strength and build immunity to dangerous outside elements. There is a CD out now through Domo Records titled Sleep. It is a compilation of various artists such as Kitaro, Dave Egger and more. Put in relaxing music that can guide your body into a deeper state of relaxation or to help you sleep.
4
Eat Good Food. Eating clean, healthy foods does not have to break the bank; especially when you can grow quite a few things yourself. Learning to use the foods that regenerate themselves such as green onions, we can learn a whole new way of growing food easy with little tricks of the trade. There are plenty of books and videos out there showing you how to regrow your own vegetables from the vegetables themselves.
5
Practice Gratitude. This is the one that can create or destroy pretty much everything we’ve got going. Remember, there are times when life feels like a complete destruction that paves the way to something bold. Gratitude can change the structures within our body. Use this time to get clear on the life you want to create and then put it into action. Let each step be mindful and thankful. Like the food that regenerates itself from itself, so too does high energy and big returns. Emily A. Francis is the host of All About Healing on Healthy Life Radio. She is the author of the book The Body Heals Itself and the new release Whole Body Healing, both published by Llewellyn. Find her at: www.emilyafrancisbooks.com
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