RetailingInsight Connecting the Best in Body-Mind-Spirit
MAGAZINE
Vol 32 | Issue 1 |2019 2018 Volume 33/Issue 6/September-October
HOLIDAY Collec tion
PRODUCTS
How visual presentation can help elevate sales
HOLIDAY DE-STRESS PLAN
ONE OF A KIND HOLIDAY GIFTS
MARKETING
Create a usable plan that works for your business & audience Vintage Fabric Reindeer by Creative Co-op
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Holiday Collection
September/October 2019
In Every Issue 4 | EDITOR’S NOTE 12 | BUSINESS & MARKETING Drafting a marketing plan for 2020 54 | FINE PRINT Inspiring and uplifting NEW books on conscious living
58 | PLAY LIST Reviews of great music to sell and enjoy 62 | TAKE FIVE 5 hints to sell CBD products in your shop 64 | ADVERTISER INDEX
COVER IMAGE: Vintage Fabric Reindeer by Creative Co-op (more details on page 52)
14
Features 54
6 | VISUAL PRESENTATION Learn how to elevate sales by engaging your customers senses
14 | TYING YOUR MARKETING TOGETHER Create a usable strategy that works for your business and customer base
22 | 2019 COVR AWARDS Special event coverage 36 | MEET MY STORE: The Crystal Garden store in Boynton Beach FL
58
42 | HOLIDAY DE-STRESS PLAN Breath-in…breath-out! Learn to let-go of stress during the holiday sales
46 | SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE STRETCHES AND EXERCISES TO DO FROM YOUR DESK Get your blood pumping and clear your mind while you're working
Jolly Ideas 38 | ONE-OF-A-KIND Holiday Gifts 52 | EDITORS’ PICKS Holiday Décor 61 | HOLIDAY BUYER’S GUIDE Special Advertisement Section
2 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
L E T Y O U R S P I R I T TA K E F L I G H T
Goddesses from A to Z 978-0-7643-5796-1
Crystal Rhythms 978-0-7643-5794-7
The Healthy Witch 978-0-7643-5790-9
The Three Principles of Oneness 978-0-7643-5813-5
The Witchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oracle 2nd edition 978-0-7643-5783-1
The Charles Dickens Tarot 978-0-7643-5775-6
editor'snote It is so nice to be able to share this Holiday Collection issue with you before the holiday season kicks in. We know during this quarter shop owners are getting ready to purchase their holiday inventory, and what good timing to share with you some holiday gift ideas, including thoughtful gifts that can fit any budget or store type. Don’t let the pressure of the holidays stress you out – learn simple, easy ways to let go of stress and add more than just increased sales to your routine. Nowadays, we’re constantly seeing (and reading about) businesses and brands reinventing ways to do business or changing their marketing strategies in order to achieve greater goals and profitability. But what’s lacking is the insight into how visual presentation can impact your business. Or delving further, how do visual elements, layout, display and even presentation to senses like smell and hearing play into a customer’s final decision? In this issue, we’ve included easy solutions that can help you elevate sales during this holiday season in Visual Presentation. What’s a better way for a shop owner to get business advice on marketing than from another shop owner? Explore and discover how you can (yes, you can) create a usable plan that works for your business in Tying Your Marketing Together. Plus, it’s never too early to start drafting a marketing plan for the year ahead… so start collecting your thoughts now before the calendar flips to 2020.
retailing insight magazine is published exclusively for independent retailers of unique and meaningful products for the body, mind, and spirit. Our purpose is to nurture retail store success by providing excellent business advice, honest product reviews, advertisements from leading wholesale companies, and outstanding coverage of the dynamic body, mind, and spirit market.
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Don’t miss the new batch of questions on ShopTalk, gift ideas for Valentine’s Day, and more in the next issue: Winter Markets!
Stephanie Biddle
contributors
Jackie Adamany Bill Binkelman Emily A. Francis Megy Karydes Royce A. Morales Uma Silbey Jacki Smith Karen Stuth
circulation
Katie Slocombe Karen Johnson
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Cheers to great holiday sales!
Roberta Gazzarolle Editor’s Note – Footnote
Sean Ruck
graphic design
sales
If you’ve missed the 2019 COVR AWARDS event this year, you can view the list of winners in all categories here. And, in case you’re looking for unique titles on conscious living, your search can be optimized. The Fine Print column has been redesigned, so you can now find exclusive new releases, upcoming titles, check which topics are trending now, indie authors… all in one place! Indeed, this issue is filled with helpful topics and graceful products to help stores across the nation celebrate the holiday season.
Joe Mount Roberta Gazzarolle
Roberta Gazzarolle, Editor, Retailing Insight Magazine
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VP
ISUAL RESENTATION
T
he a ll-impor ta nt four t h qua r ter is rapid ly approaching. The holidays may seem months and months away, but we all know time flies and it can fly fast! Now is the time to start thinking about how you can elevate sales through visual presentation. Delivering the ultimate customer experience is vital to the overall success of any small business. With so much competition from fellow brick and mortar shops, to the ease of shopping online, small business owners need to focus on what pulls the consumer into their shop and ultimately keeps them coming back and buying. Today, small business owners are under enormous pressure to provide better shopping experiences while remaining profitable. That has meant evaluating different approaches to the customer experience while providing unique on-trend products. Customers want to feel supported and appreciated and many times it’s how a company makes a customer feel that is more valuable than what they are selling. Any consumer can login from the comfort of their couch and place an order for just about anything. It takes a bit more energy and determination to physically visit a brick and mortar – so why not make it an experience they not only enjoy but share with others? But how do you make the ultimate experience for your customers? Through visual presentation! Maybe you’ve heard the expression, “we eat with our eyes first” or have gotten the advice to choose your interview outfit carefully. There’s logic beyond both statements. Research shows this sensory engagement carries over to shopping - but in retail shopping – we use all our senses. Chain grocery stores have done an enormous amount of research on how people shop. Think about it, in a grocery store setting, marketing is primarily transactional. That means there is little personal communication between the customer and the store’s staff. Location, lighting, display, and packaging take the place of the majority of person-to-person interaction.
By Jackie Adamany
So how do these huge stores entice customers to spend money? According to Small Business Trends, they use psychology and engage all our senses making for a great customer experience. And they are masters at it. “They put the milk in the back of the store forcing the shopper to maneuver his or her way through all manner of enticing goodies before getting to the milk, which is why he or she came to the store in the first place. But that’s just the beginning. The vast majority of people entering any store look left and turn right. Grocery stores put the bakery on the right, somewhere near the front, so it’s one of the first things people visit. Why? It smells good. Smell is purely emotional, not intellectual. Once past the bakery and deli, the shopper comes upon the fresh produce section. This area has mirrors, spritzed water, and bright-colored fruits and vegetables. Special lighting may be used to enhance the vibrant colors. The shopper’s sense of sight is now fully engaged. By this time, the customer is salivating! Right about now, the shopper is ready to go up and down the aisles on a shopping spree. Now, let’s take a look at how a non-grocery store can use these brilliant sensory cues and get shoppers not only engaged, but spending.
Engage the Sense of Smell Did you know there is an entire science to what’s referred to as “scent marketing?” Science has proven there is a fast-track to the system in your brain that controls both emotion and memory – two very prominent factors when making purchasing decisions. According to Air Aroma International, a leader in scent marketing research and product development, “Smell is the most powerful and emotional of all the senses. By using scent, brands are able to connect with consumers on a deeper emotional level, resulting in a more memorable experience. Scent can attract new customers, increase sales, heighten value perception, and expand brand recognition and customer satisfaction.”
Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 7
Ambient scents can positively influence purchasing behavior if the scent seems to “match” the products in the store. Studies show gender designed scents matter, a “feminine” scent in a women’s clothing boutique helps create purchasing intent. The reverse is true if the scent doesn’t seem to match the store products. So, consider your scents carefully. Keep in mind the seasons as well. While Christmas music is playing in the background, add some scents to the shop which remind consumers of the holiday season. The Monell Research Center has done extensive studies on how scent affects us. Our brains process scents subconsciously first, so low-key scents are actually high impact. After you’ve chosen a scent, think of its placement in your retail space as a background element. A subtle scent will reduce customer friction, improve their perception of quality, and align nicely with how human brains process smells. Candles, coffee, perfumes, and colognes are just a few of the items that will alert the sense of smell. Placing items out for customers to pick up and
smell or sample, set a pleasing experience upon entering the store. But please don’t overdo it, overpowering smells can cause a negative effect.
Engage the Sense of Taste Engaging the sense of taste can work pure magic in your shop. Giving your customers the ability to taste and sample products before purchasing can lead to an instant sale. Don’t sell food or drink? No worries! You can offer a free beverage such as a local coffee or tea brand or place a bowl of hard candy on the counter. Go local! Celebrate the food and drink in your area by hosting an event. Local wines, beers, coffee, and tea combined with local bakeries can create a sensory delight for your customers. The sense of taste is intimately combined with the sense of smell. When engaging the sense of taste, combine it with the sense of smell and create the ultimate in-store experience.
Engage the Sense of Sight In a retail setting, there is an endless array
of visual cues to stimulate the sense of sight. Your products alone can stimulate and engage the consumer. Combined with color and lighting you can create symmetry, balance, contrast, and the right focus to direct and control where a customer looks. The sense of sight is one of the most fascinating components of creating the ultimate visual presentation in a retail setting. Color has a powerful psychological impact on customers’ behavior and decisions. Retail consultant Anand Kumar says, “color can often be the sole reason, or one of the major reasons, why someone purchases a product. Different colors tend to evoke different feelings in people, which can affect how they perceive products. For instance, red – when used effectively – can highlight passion and power. Be cognizant of the colors used in your displays, signage and advertising.” According to the Journal of Business Research, “color and light play combined roles in retail environments. For fashion-oriented stores, blue interiors are associated with more
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favorable evaluations, marginally greater excitement, higher store patronage intentions, and higher purchase intentions. However, consumers react differently when stores use softer lighting. For example, an orange interior with soft lighting generally produces the highest level of perceived price fairness.” A bright and open shop layout with pleasing displays is always a must. The layout should feel intuitive and welcoming. Signage should be clear and only used where needed. Signage should work with your products by enhancing them and your store. The height of displays is important as well. Observe and make note of where your customers are looking during their visits to your shop and adjust your displays accordingly.
Engage the Sense of Touch Shopping is becoming increasingly more tactile. With the ease of shopping online from the likes of Amazon and Walmart, consumers take pleasure in the sense of touch when visiting a brick and mortar shop. Appealing
to the sense of touch allows the consumer to interact with the product. According to CSA, the Business of Retail, there are two ways consumers can experience the sense of touch – literally and figuratively. “A person can physically touch different finishes in your retail environment based on surfaces that feel natural, solid, textured, soft, hard, plush, layered or comfortable. And, the way these textures look can even affect your guests’ “sense” of touch. These literal implications set the tone for the way your retail establishment may feel to the customer. A person’s figurative sense of touch may also be impacted by their perception of personal space. For example, if merchandising areas are properly spaced to fit within the store, guests would probably feel cozy and secure. However, if items are positioned cluttered among a lot of different products, consumers will likely feel overwhelmed.” Touch is so vital to consumers that many e-commerce giants are opening f lagship brick and mortar locations. While going from online to offline might seem like a step
backwards, these e-tailers are reinventing the customer experience because they know our sense of touch is so particularly important. “There are many categories where the ‘touch and feel’ of products and sales associates’ assistance is important in the purchase process,” says Barbara Kahn, Wharton marketing professor and director of the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center. “For example, consumers usually like to try on clothing and eyeglasses in stores and examine groceries before buying. When products need further explanation, it is best done in person. For these categories, offline experiences will continue to be valuable.” Kahn notes, “There is plenty of evidence that brick-and-mortar stores are not going away.” When setting up your next display think about how touch can come into play. Offer samples of that silky hand lotion you sell, place silk scarves on a table inviting the customer to pick up, touch and interact.
Engage the Sense of Hearing Sound plays an important part in setting the
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Healing for the Mind, Body, and Soul
perfect presentation in your shop. Soothing music playing softly in the background makes for the perfect relaxing atmosphere. Keep in mind your demographic when selecting your music. Some stores need to create high-energy experiences, while others exude a more relaxed, calming feel and the sounds should reflect that. Always consider volume. A younger demographic is likely drawn in by a loud and lively environment with an older or more reserved demographic preferring a quieter atmosphere.
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Sensory experiences exist almost everywhere in a retail store, whether that is deliberately planned or not. Developing and executing an experience that touches on each sense successfully can be a challenge, but should always be intentional. Take your time, introduce one at a time and work to make them cohesive. You will have a better idea of where you want to go and what you want to accomplish with each.
Group Like with Like When approaching a new or updated visual presentation in your store, look at how your products work with each other. Group like with like, give your shoppers a reason to buy more. Think back to the grocery store example – you will find dips next to the chips, bananas in the cereal aisle and so on. Like with like can be as basic as a color scheme, a medium or a size.
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The rule of three plays a powerful role in your visual presentation. When creating a product, display many merchandisers suggest grouping in sets of three. The rule of three suggest that people are more visually engaged when they see a group of three items. According to eye movement tracking studies, a group of three encourages the eye to move about and take in more detail. This also alludes to the Pyramid Principle where you have one item at the top and all other items are one step down. This grouping forces the eye to look at the focal point and then move downward.
Color Rules We spoke about color when engaging our sense of sight. Color is so vital in establishing your visual presentation it deserves a deeper look. Color can impose various emotions in
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consumers from feeling happy, relaxed to even feeling sad or hungry. That is because human brains transform various colors into human emotions. According to a study by Colorcom, a leader in how color and marketing co-exist, color plays a vital role in making a customer complete a purchase. The study says shoppers make a purchasing decision within 90 seconds of interacting with a product, and over 60 percent of the assessment is based on color alone. Also, it suggests that people are more likely to recall a color over an object or product making it a must-consider aspect in playing with visual merchandising. Color is by far the easiest and most effective manner to develop an emotional response from your customer.
Utilizing Blank Space Empty space can be just as important as all of the tactics we have reviewed. Taking a balanced approach to your overall visual presentation is key to a successful outcome. Merchandisers suggest not using every inch of space and filling it with displays and product. Rather, add some blank areas to allow your customers to take a moment and relax. Consider your decompression zone – the first five to 15 feet of your shop. This is the area the customer can take a broad, sweeping look at the full shop and it helps them transition into your shop. Consider carefully what you place there as research shows these items are often overlooked at first.
In Conclusion When trying to optimize your total square footage for the most sales, taking a scientific approach by determining your demographics and the psychographics of your customer, planning and executing your idea, and then testing for results will put you in a comfortable position. Soon, you will be in a routine of trying out new ideas and sticking with what works. Jacqueline Adamany is a seasoned artist and the author of Going Wholesale, a step-by-step approach for artists and craftspeople. Jacqueline has mentored many artists preparing them for the world of wholesale while readying them for trade shows. She has been a columnist for Smart Retailer and Handmade Business magazines. She is vice president of IndieMe, Inc. an online marketplace and virtual trade show for wholesale artists and buyers to connect.
business&marketing Drafting a Marketing Plan for 2020 by Megy Karydes
It happens every year. We’re busy preparing for our busiest part of the year and by the time it comes, we’re already so exhausted and high on adrenaline that we barely have time to breathe, eat or shower, let alone plan for next year. But hold on – about that planning for next year? The fourth quarter is the best time to develop your marketing plan. Here’s how to harness what you’ve learned this quarter to create your best marketing plan yet.
Plan a Retreat to Plan out Your Plan A retreat needn’t be a whole weekend affair or a whole day. Nor do you need to book a flight to get it done. Set aside one morning and go to a coffee shop with a calendar and a notebook and any records you want to access. We live in a busy and distracted world and even two hours of uninterrupted time might be enough to seriously review your business goals from earlier in the year and see what you need to do to accomplish them by the end of this calendar year. In Deep Work, author Cal Newport argues that the best way to get more meaningful work done is by working deeply, which means we must be in a state of high concentration without distractions to our task at hand. That means no phone calls, no texts, no checking social media – no interruptions at all. Once you’ve determined what needs to happen before year’s end, use your calendar to jot down ways to help you achieve those goals (spoiler alert: by assigning hard dates, you can review after the season whether this was the optimal time for those tactics or if moving them to a different date would’ve been more effective). Finally, this is your time to start thinking big picture and experimenting! Ever wanted to try a loyalty program, or adding a gift with purchase, or a new social media platform? This is the time to try it and see how it works.
Start Building Out 2020’s Marketing Plan Next, we need to start using the increase in traffic to build a stronger platform for next year.
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Create an “IDEAS” file, either physical or digitally, that can collect ideas or things that worked this year. Your file can include folders for emails, events, advertisements, testimonials, assets such as photos or videos, etc. It also needs a 2020 calendar. As each day and week passes this holiday season, note any great ideas you’ve seen other businesses implement that you can incorporate into next year’s plan (such as a killer email subject line or video used for social media). Also, tried anything new this season that really worked well? Add it to next year’s calendar. Ask like-minded colleagues to do the same. More on that later, but the point is, the more people who can participate in this practice, the better. Also, don’t forget to ask customers for their emails as they visit the store (even if they don’t purchase). Offer them an incentive for sharing their email because your email list is gold. Capturing your ideas now will help you plan next year’s plan while the ideas are still fresh in your mind. Just don’t delay, because you won’t remember these great ideas in January. This tactic is so effective and quick to accomplish that you’ll thank yourself next year for having the foresight to do it.
Connect and Brainstorm With Like-Minded Colleagues The last step is to connect and brainstorm ideas with like-minded colleagues. What worked for them and what did they find that they thought was interesting enough to try in 2020? Of the ideas you shared, which ones do they think have legs? Are the ideas limited to the holiday season or can they be used for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day? Fill in the rest of your 2020 marketing plan (and add those emails to your email list!) with other ideas you’ve been collecting in your “IDEAS” file. It’s not necessary to build out your entire 2020 marketing plan at this moment, but these easy steps will help you capture the most important ideas, even during your busiest season of the year. Megy Karydes is a Chicago-based content writer and marketing consultant. Find her at www.MegyKarydes.com
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Y
Tying
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k e r ting a M
By Jacki Smith
14 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
I
n 2018 I took no less than 10 courses in marketing. I went to conferences, took the online courses for branding, Instagram, newsletters and met with marketing professionals to rebuild my website. I was drowning in marketing information and I was more confused than when I started. I realized my business size landed in the gap of marketing. We are too small to hire a professional marketing manager and too large to let marketing stay as something we do when we are on Facebook. We are in the gap where we must cobble together a plan and fit it together like puzzle pieces. If you are in that $250K to $2mil range, you are in the same gap as me. We are most likely our own marketing team from strategist to implementer and marketing easily slips through the cracks and is last on the to-do list. Talking to other small businesses in my downtown community, I see the panic as they try to figure out how to read the latest algorithm from Facebook to leverage their posts and get more feet into their store. Start talking about a newsletter to them and boom, anxiety attack. There are so many parts to marketing this year that it can become a full-time job, and for next year, it’s just going to get more diverse in options, so let me show how we can unravel this marketing maze together.
h er ge t
What Does YOUR Customer Want? The narrower your focus, the more successful your marketing will be. I know that may sound counter intuitive, but it works, believe me. Focus on a narrow band and woo them with your marketing. When you have success there, choose another narrow band to entice into your business with unique messages just for them. My initial challenge with this idea was…What market? Who is my main customer? What inspires them to buy from me? My questions were answered, and the world totally changed when I read Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller. I love the way he tells the story about building your overall customer messaging. He uses the hero’s journey in creating your messaging. This biggest premise of his method is to make the customer the hero, not your product or business. Your customer wants to feel like the hero in their own life, they want you to be the guide, not the competition. You will discover the entire process of creating all your brand messaging. Once you know that, the rest of your efforts will reuse these phrases in every aspect of your marketing, thus creating a consistent message that becomes recognizable. This cuts down on taxing your creative brain on every ad, blog, and social media post. He asks: “Does your marketing pass the grunt test?... Could a caveman look at your website (store or marketing) and immediately grunt what you offer?” There are three qu estions your branding must answer to get any customer engaged in your brand. To get to the grunt. 1. What do you offer? 2. How will it make my life better? 3. What do I need to do to buy it?
[ ] Your goal now is to get more of the top tier customers to help your business grow.
The author helps you to sketch the character of your customer and define what they want. When you know what they want, you can define what external problem prevents them from having what they want. These two definitions are key to communicating the empathy and authority your business has over their issue. When you communicate that with a plan to achieving what your customer wants, you now have a winning brand message and a clear call to action. That call to action shows them how they can be successful with your product and how not having it can lead to failure. This is how every successful branding works.
Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 15
Every marketing book and class I have gone through has you create a description or avatar of your ideal customers. This is standard procedure to create those marketing messages. Go ahead and build this around your favorite group of customers who financially support your business. It’s ok if it does not encompass everyone who shops with you, they will be next on your marketing list. Your goal now is to get more of the top tier customers to help your business grow. In many classes I have taken, there is a group of business owners that didn’t want to lose site of the customers that need them, but are not the money spenders in the business. These owners are dedicated to serve this group and feel that they are the reason why they are in business. They felt that taking
[
end your marketing there leaves out many more options that frankly can have a bigger conversion rate to sales in your business. Find your healthy mix of marketing streams and don’t try and take on all of them at once. When you cast too big of a net at one time, there is no way to see what really worked and should be repeated. When you are starting your marketing journey, ask every customer what inspired them to come in today. Where did they see you and what inspires them? You can be putting out the best videos to YouTube in the world, but they are only valuable if they are being watched. When I was working on my plan for our shop store, I discovered 50 percent of the foot traffic came from people walking back to their car from local restaurants. That
If you get clear on the customers who want to pay for your products or services, target your marketing to them to create revenue and profit growth, then you can better serve those customers you feel protective of.
the focus off these customers was being disloyal. It’s not. If you get clear on the customers who want to pay for your products or services, target your marketing to them to create revenue and profit growth, then you can better serve those customers you feel protective of. You are not leaving them behind and there is no need to feel disloyal.
Finding Your Marketing Streams When you start thinking about where and when to push your brand, everyone talks a lot about social media. It is the least expensive when you do all the posting yourself and feels like an easy win. The conversation must include social media, but to begin and
16 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
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changed my plan from buying ads in the local paper into co-promoting with local restaurants. Think about these standard marketing streams and where your customers may be looking and pleased to find your products:
Social Media – This is its own category and there is a lot of competition for attention. You can find good information about all platforms to help you make your decisions from Pew Research1. Facebook – Do you know that 68% of all adults using social media are on Facebook with 2.8 million active users. That is a galaxy of people and getting their attention is a long game plan!
Instagram2 – Do you know this photo and video-sharing social networking app has 1bn monthly active users where 60 percent of users log in daily? Not to mention the U.S. leads the chart on Instagram with 110m users, followed by Brazil with 66m, and India with 64m. Also, the larger demographic group are males between 18-24 years, and 90 percent of Instagram users are younger than 35 years old. WOW! YouTube – Every minute, 400 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube, making it the second most visited site after Google, and the second most popular social media platform with 1.9 billion users. Twitter – This chronological feed is most popular with people in their 20’s. This stream is more text based with limited text. LinkedIn – A business to business social media platform that is growing in popularity. It is geared toward business owners and professionals who are building custom networking groups. Pinterest –Essentially a visual search engine with over 175 billion items pinned. It is considered a new way to shop for products with 61 percent of pinners, purchasing an item they saw on Pinterest. Snapchat – Popular with the younger users. It has over 186 million active daily users. If this is your demographic, this has become a powerful marketing tool for social media influencers! Google Ads – Google is the largest search engine by far and they have a complex programming for advertising. The targeting is so specific, your conversion rate per click is significantly more effective. That sophistication comes at a price, but these are powerful dollars spent. Email Marketing – This is the cheapest way to build your marketing. Starting with a mailing list created with the customers in your store, you can target sales with almost no cost. Make sure your email is purposeful and specific or you quickly land in the spam or promotions category. TV & Radio Advertising – This is a bigger ticket item that many business skips over, yet there are more options to check out. Podcasts, YouTube videos and shows, pandora, Spotify, and other streaming music apps. Print advertising – Magazines, newspa-
pers, flyers, postcards are all in this stream. The traditional way of advertising could work for some niche markets (if that’s your case), which it works for in a lot of cases, but don’t miss the opportunity to also expose your brand in wider markets. Well-placed and purposeful ads can support all other marketing as well and be the final push a customer needs to finally buy. Pick what excites you and is easier for you to tackle. If you hate social media to the core of your soul, don’t start there, have fun elsewhere.
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Turning it Into a Plan This is the hardest part, turning all that you know into an executable plan. When I was rolling all my ideas into a workable plan, I had a wall of post it notes, color coded and I kept re-organizing them into insanity. Then I grabbed Breakthrough Marketing Plans by Tim Calkins and hit the jackpot for creating a useable plan. The author is a clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and admittedly, this marketing plan book is tailored for creating a corporate marketing presentation. I was able to cherry pick some powerful points, and it brought all of my sticky notes into alignment. I was able to sort through what was a goal/objective, an initiative, and a tactic, then align them to make sense. This framework called GOST it’s simple to follow:
Primary Objective – Strategic Initiative 1 – Tactic Strategic Initiative 2 – Tactic Secondary Objective – Strategic Initiative 3 – Tactic
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base by 100 stores to increase revenue to $1.4million in 2019. Our secondary objective is to retain 90 percent of our current customers in 2019. These are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time specific) goals. The STRATEGIC INITIATIVES are the heart of the goal. They are what you will do to achieve those goals. The author says that a good strategic initiative has several characteristics: • Characteristic 1: It is clear and in plain language •C haracteristic 2: It is action oriented and should start with a verb •C haracteristic 3: It is measurable so you can evaluate it to see if you are making headway against your initiative •C haracteristic 4: It should directly support the objectives and have linkage across the plan. You only need three initiatives, as any organization can only do a few big pushes within a year. Any more than three, something gets dropped. Less than three you may not get the bandwidth of ideas needed to achieve your goals.
Primary Objective Increase our customer base by 100 stores to increase revenue to $1.4million in 2019
Strategic Initiative 1 Rebrand our website to www.coventrywholesale.com
Strategic Initiative 2 Align our Social Media and Newsletters visually and with targeted content Secondary Objective Retain 90% of our current customers in 2019
The TACTICS are your specific actions. These are the programs and ideas that will bring your plan to life. They are what needs to happen. The ad campaigns, social media plans, the blogs, website, product improvements and promotions you plan to do. They must align with a strategic initiative or they will be effort that is not in line with your objectives. In practice, our marketing plan for our wholesale business looks like this:
Strategic Initiative 3 Retention Program
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Tactic Redesign our front page to keystone into retail site Create Matching Catalog
Tactic Astrology blogs and posts Fine tune email lists to types of customers Evergreen articles for re-sharing
Tactic Coventry Welcome Kit Coventry Oracle Training Email campaign for lost customers
We also have a brand plan and a retail direct plan, and everything links together with a master plan.
Pre-planning Your Content Our wholesale marketing plan described above, combined with a yearly promotion calendar enabled us to plan content for a year. Blogs, ads, posts, images, new products launched, etc. We hired graphic designers and social media experts as needed to create a seamless brand. Our box stuffers match the site that match the upcoming catalog, that match the point-of-purchase signs we are designing. Other businesses have hired writers for a year of blogs, ad designers, marketing teams to post and PR pros to do the heavy lifting. When you have a measurable plan, it’s feels like an investment to spend the money. There are tools like Hootsuite and sprout social that you can plan your posts through. Many website blogs have scheduling and sharing tools for when your blogs publish. There are so many options out there for planning, you can set-it and forget-it.
When to Pivot, Punt and Work on the Fly
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it relevant to any current events or changes. Scheduling software can easily be updated as needed, allowing you to make adjustments on the fly instead of creating brand new content from scratch.
Measuring Your Results Marketing isn’t successful until you know it. You could have 100,000 followers, but if they don’t convert into sales, is that a number to be proud of? The last thing you want to do is waste your time. Making the measurement of your marketing results is key to your plan. The easiest marketing to measure is digital. You can track hits on your site and where they came from, how many opens and click throughs on your newsletters and who visits your social media. Print and media ads are harder to measure. Coupons, value added giveaways, contests and events all help measure your marketing efforts. Having a schedule of posts and ads and matching them to your sales is a great start to your measurements and in the end, is the only result that really counts. Marketing’s job is to drive sales. If you are having an uptick in sales, something is working. Timing your marketing initiatives one at a time will be the biggest test on what works and what doesn’t for your business. Start your metrics in the simplest form and as your marketing gets more dynamic, your measurements will grow with them. Your plan does not have to be large and complicated to be successful. In the end, it has to invite people into your business to spend money with your products. Remember, this when crafting your strategy – simple is better, measure your results, have fun, be creative. Stay true to your branding. After this marketing lesson, I hope you tell all those buyers that are looking for a store like yours where to find you! Jacki Smith is the co-owner of Coventry Creations www.coventrycreations.com. Her passion of personal empowerment and small business has been the driving force in her success and her journey of lifelong learning. Jacki is a regular contributor to Retailing Insight and loves sharing her experience, successes, and cautionary tales. 1
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The 2019 COVR Visionary Awards
Bring Acclaim, Awareness, and Sales to Its Winners! By Karen Stuth Photos: Adriana Carlson
22 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
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ach year, Colorado-based trade organization, the Coalition of Visionary Resources, presents COVR Visionary Awards to entries selected from among the best products, books, electronic media, jewelry, and music in the Mind Body Spirit industry. COVR received entries from members and non-members from around the world. This year’s program recognized Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in a total of 49 categories. Some entrants also received a People’s Choice Award or Industry Choice Award in their overall category; the top-winning entry in each of the five major categories received COVR’s top distinction – an “Of the Year” award. The awards were announced at the COVR Visionary Awards Banquet, sponsored by and held at the annual International New Age Trade Show. The presentation, co-emceed by COVR board members Melinda Carver and Debbie Krovitz, took place in Denver, Colorado on June 8, 2019. The theme for this year’s award event was ‘Old Hollywood.’ In a change from previous years, the COVR Visionary Awards were judged by both the members of COVR and also the general public. Votes from COVR’s members
accounted for 60 percent of the total score, representing the Mind Body Spirit industry. Votes from the general public made up the remaining 40 percent. The final scores result from the application of a proprietary algorithm developed by COVR administration. The change in process, instituted by COVR’s board of directors in 2015, has provided more entrants the opportunity to leverage the marketing potential of their entry by conducting a social media or email campaign that draws their audience to vote for their book, product, jewelry, music, or electronic media entry. However, the votes of COVR members are the weightiest part of the voting process and generally determine the outcome. Entrants can become COVR members at no cost, allowing them to take part in the voting. This year’s Visionary Awards program was successfully led by COVR board members Alex Fernandez of Hearthside Candles & Curios in Ralston, Nebraska. Under his direction, COVR prepared and published a comprehensive advance voting guide, using links, descriptions, and photos provided by each entrant. The voting guide, made available to the general public, COVR members, and the entrants two weeks before voting took
place, allowed every voter to explore the entries and to become educated about their choices. The voter’s guide also brought more awareness of each entry to buyers and general public members, and many entrants reported a surge in sales of their entry even prior to voting. “We’re quite pleased with the breadth and excellence of entries in each of our five major categories,” noted COVR president Karen Stuth. “This year’s awards program also included new opportunities for entries in many emerging categories. The entries considered this year well-represent the positive growth and maturing of the mindbody-spirit industry.” Stuth also observed that distributors and retailers should take note of the exceptional selection of entries and winners, with an eye toward including them in their store inventories or catalogs. COVR is the not-for-profit trade association for the Mind Body Spirit industry. It supports the success of members by providing education, mentoring, discounts, industry research, and targeted networking. For 24 years, the COVR Visionary Awards have been given to outstanding individuals, companies, and products in the Mind Body Spirit industry. Entrants need not be a member of
Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 23
COVR to enter. These awards are the only awards of their kind in the MBS industry. Here are the list of winners in all categories these year:
PEOPLE’S CHOICE & INDUSTRY CHOICE 2019 MUSIC AWARD Agape Evolution: The Movement by Paradiso & Rasamayi
MUSIC Frequency & Transformational Music Agape Evolution: The Movement by Paradiso & Rasamayi gold winner
Feel Better Fast and Make It Last by Barry Goldstein & Daniel G. Amen MD silver winner Agape Evolution: The Movement by Paradiso & Rasamayi bronze winner
Meditation Music Healing Music Vol. 2 by Valerie Romanoff gold winner Agape Evolution: The Movement
Iconic Music Ultimate Om by Jonathan Goldman gold winner Shaman Journey by Grayhawk silver winner Tranquil Times by Darlene Koldenhoven bronze winner Visionary Music Chromatones by Darlene Koldenhoven gold winner Pet Waves: The Fusion of Science & Music for Pet and Human Relaxation by Barry Goldstein silver winner A World Away by Pamela, Randy & Sarah Copus bronze winner
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2019 MUSIC OF THE YEAR
Chromatones by Darlene Koldenhoven TimeArt Recordings
World Fusion Music Prayers on the Wind by Dean Evenson & Peter Ali gold winner Healing Music Vol. 2 by Valerie Romanoff silver winner Sound Healing Music Reiki Gold 2 by Llewellyn
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by Paradiso & Rasamayi silver winner Peace, Music and Poems by Cindy Paulos bronze winner
PEOPLE’S CHOICE & INDUSTRY CHOICE 2019 JEWELRY AWARD Solar System Outer Space Cuff Bracelet Yugen Tribe
JEWELRY Iconic Jewelry The Star Tarot Bracelet, SoulTopia LLC gold winner
2019 JEWELRY OF THE YEAR
Jewelry with Stones
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Triquetra Pendant with Moonstone, Celtic Knot Works gold winner Oval Larimar Ring, Tidepool Jewelry silver winner Mermaid Soul, Gogh Jewelry Design bronze winner
Metal Jewelry “I Am Stronger Because” Pendants, Deva Designs gold winner Cannabis Leaf Pendant, Tidepool Jewelry silver winner
Visionary Jewelry Solar System Outer Space Cuff Bracelet, Yugen Tribe gold winner
ELECTRONIC MEDIA Films Seeing the Unseen: The History of Using Clear-Depth Gazing for AfterDeath Communication by David Hinshaw gold winner
26 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
2019 ELETRONIC MEDIA OF THE YEAR Soundings Podcast by Dean & Dudley Evenson Soundings of the Planet
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Podcasts and Radio Soundings Podcast by Dean & Dudley Evenson gold winner Take My Advice, I’m Not Using It: Get Balanced with Dr. Marissa Pei silver winner Being Here Radio by Ariel & Shaya Kane bronze winner
PEOPLE’S CHOICE & INDUSTRY CHOICE 2019 PRODUCT AWARD
Quintangled: A Game of Strategy, Chance & Destiny by Julie Loar, Sue Lion, and Karen Stuth Satiama Publishing
Blogs Soundings of the Planet Healthy Living Dreams by Dudley & Dean Evenson gold winner
2019 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Spirit of the Animals Oracle by Jody Bergsma U.S. Games Systems
Digital-Only Magazines or Subscription-Based Publications The Starlit Path Magazine Judith Troyansky & Robin Patterson gold winner Story Monsters Ink by Linda Radke & Cristy Bertini, Story Monsters LLC silver winner
Aroma Products
Divination Products Spirit of the Animals Oracle by Jody Bergsma, U.S. Games Systems Gold winner The Animal Allies and Gemstone Guardians Cards by Margaret Ann Lembo, Inner Traditions Silver winner Oracle of Mystical Moments by Catrin Welz-Stein, U.S. Games Systems Bronze winner
Intention Enhancer Tuning Fork Kit, Jonathan Goldman’s Healing Sounds Gold winner Angel Power Wisdom Cards by Gaye Guthrie, U.S. Games Systems Silver winner Chakra Magic Candle Healing Heart, Coventry Creations Bronze winner
Tarot Products
PRODUCTS Mary Magdalene Spray, The Crystal Garden Gold winner Archangel Metatron Spray, The Crystal Garden Silver winner SoulTopia Florida Water, SoulTopia Bronze winner
Manifestation Products
Iconic Products Charms of Avalon, Deva Designs Gold winner World Magic Candle Sacred White Sage, Coventry Creations Silver winner SoulTopia Sage Smudge & Protection Spray Mist, SoulTopia Bronze winner
Inspirational & Transformational Products Find Your Light Inspiration Deck by Sara Burrier, U.S. Games Systems Gold winner Inner Strength Charms, Deva Designs Silver winner
28 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
Tarot in Wonderland by Barbara Moore, Llewellyn Worldwide Gold winner Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot by Matt Hughes, U.S. Games Systems Silver winner Tarot of the Moors by Gina G. Thies, Red Feather Mind Body Spirit Silver winner Eight Coins Tattoo Tarot by Lana Zellner, U.S. Games Systems Bronze winner
Visionary Products The Transformational Truth of Tarot Game Changer by Tiffany Crosara Gold winner My Eye Mag – A Magnified Look at Your Ancestral Treasure Map by Amy Gillespie Silver winner Intention Enhancer Tuning Fork Kit, Jonathan Goldman’s Healing Sounds Silver winner Heart Tones Set, Sound Essence Vibrational Remedies by Evelyn Mulders Bronze winner
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PEACE THROUGH MUSIC 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION Dean Evenson and Soundings Ensemble
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Best World Fusion Music – GOLD
2019 COVR VISIONARY AWARDS
Best Health & Healing Book – BRONZE
2019 COVR VISIONARY AWARDS
QUIETING THE MONKEY MIND: HOW TO MEDITATE WITH MUSIC DUDLEY EVENSON & DEAN EVENSON, M.S.
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PEOPLE’S CHOICE & INDUSTRY CHOICE 2019 BOOKS AWARD
Quintangled: A Game of Strategy, Chance & Destiny by Julie Loar, Sue Lion, and Karen Stuth Satiama Publishing Gold winner
Soul Dog: A Journey into the Spiritual Life of Animals by Elena Mannes Inner Traditions/Bear & Co.
Wisdom Products Buddha Wisdom: Shakti Power by Laura Santi, U.S. Games Systems Gold winner Moon & Star Blessings, Deva Designs Silver winner
We are Circle People by Andrew Newman, Conscious Stories LLC Gold winner The Adventures of Energy Annie by Elizabeth Cosmos, AmaDeus Energy Press Silver winner
Guide for Spiritual Living: Science of Mind magazine by Rev. Dr. David Goldberg, publisher Gold winner The Cartomancer Magazine by Arwen Lynch Poe Bronze winner Retailing Insight Magazine by Joe Mount, publisher Silver winner
Contemporary Spirituality Books Heroines of Avalon & Other Tales by Ayn Cates Sullivan Ph.D., Infinite Light Publishing Gold winner Angel Relationships by Annette Bruchu, Red Feather Mind Body Spirit
Home Décor, Clothing & Textiles
2019 BOOK OF THE YEAR
Moon Phases Lunar Tapestry, Sunshine Joy Gold winner
Best Cover Design Alternative Science Books Master Your Inner World: Embrace Your Power with Joy by Tracee Dunblazier, GoTracee Publishing Gold winner Autobiographical / Biographical Books Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story by Stuart R. Kaplan with Mary K. Greer, Elizabeth Foley O’Connor & Melinda Boyd Parsons, U.S. Games Systems Inc. Gold winner The Way of the Simple Soul by Catherine Grace Landry, Satiama Publishing Silver winner Carl Llewellyn Weschcke by Melanie Marquis, Llewellyn Worldwide Bronze winner
Animal Wisdom Word Search: Yoga for the Brain by Cristina Smith & Rick Smith, Post Hill Press Gold Winner The Adventures of Energy Annie Series by Elizabeth Cosmos, AmaDeus Energy Press Silver winner
Children’s Books
Print Magazines
BOOKS
Book Series
Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story by Stuart R. Kaplan with Mary K. Greer, Elizabeth Foley O’Connor & Melinda Boyd Parsons, U.S. Games Systems Inc. Gold winner How to Raise Your Children with Wisdom and Awareness by Lynn Baribault, Lynn Baribault at Clearing Paths Silver winner Quieting the Monkey Mind: How to Meditate with Music by Dudley Evenson & Dean Evenson, M.S., Soundings of the Planet Bronze winner
Best Book Illustration The Girl with Waterfall Eyes by Andrew Newman, Conscious Stories Gold winner
30 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
Kitchen Table Tarot: Pull Up a chair, Shuffle the Cards, and Let’s Talk Tarot by Melissa Cynova Llewellyn Worldwide
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Silver winner Queer Magic: LGBT+ Spirituality from Around the World by Tomás Prower, Llewellyn Worldwide Bronze winner
Divination Books Kitchen Table Tarot by Melissa Cynova, Llewellyn Worldwide Gold winner Pleiadian Earth Energy Astrology: Charting the Spirals of Consciousness by Pia Orleane Ph.D., Cullen Baird Smith with Laarkmaa, Inner Traditions/Bear & Co. Silver winner Your Cosmic Compass: Do-it Yourself Yearly Astrological Planner by Emily Klintworth, Red Feather Mind Body Spirit Bronze winner
Earth Justice & Social Justice Books The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution:100 Ways to Build a FossilFree Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night’s Sleep by Mary DeMocker, New World Library Gold winner
Gold winner Crystals and Dragons: A Journey of Discovery by Linda Thomas, Eternal Ice Healing Center Silver winner Quieting the Monkey Mind by Dudley Evenson & Dean Evenson M.S., Soundings of the Planet Bronze winner
Iconic Book Goddesses for Every Day: Exploring the Wisdom & Power of the Divine Feminine Around the World by Julie Loar, New World Library Gold winner Shortcut to a Miracle: How to Change Your Consciousness and Transform Your Life by Michael C. Rann & Elizabeth Rann Arrott, DeVorss & Company Silver winner My View from Heaven: A Boy’s Story of His Journey to Heaven and the Purpose of Life on Earth by Sarina Baptista, Bridge to Healing Press Bronze winner
Journals Health and Healing Books Unmedicated. The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness by Madisyn Taylor, Beyond Words
The Sacred Wealth Code Journal: Daily Practices to Help You Unlock Your Soul Blueprint for Purpose and Prosperity by Prema Lee Gurreri, Soulutionary Inc. Gold winner
32 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
Mind Body Spirit Fiction Return of the Grail King by Theresa Crater, Blue Start LLC Gold winner
Mind Body Spirit Non-Fiction The Quantum Children: Supporting Your Child On Their Soul’s Path by Michael Orwig, Empowered Whole Being Press Gold winner The (not so) Little Book of Surprises by Deirdre Hade & William Arntz, Waterside Productions Silver winner Beverly Hills Concentration Camp: A Healing Journey and Memoir by Randi Maggid, Flying Squirrel Publishing Bronze winner
Personal Growth & Self-Help Books The Miracle Club: How Thoughts Become Reality by Mitch Horowitz, Inner Traditions Gold winner Mindfulness Matters: A Guide to Mastering Your Life by Pax Tandon, Red Feather Mind Body Spirit Silver winner Make Everyday Your Someday: The Guide to Living with Passion and Purpose by Susan Marek, Angel Works Press
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Silver winner Change Maker: How My Brother’s Death Woke Up My Life by Rebecca AustillClausen, She Write Press Bronze winner
Silver winner Master Your Inner World: Embrace Your Power with Joy by Tracee Dunblazier, GoTracee Publishing Bronze winner
Pets & Animals Books
Teen Books
Soul Dog: A Journey into the Spiritual Life of Animals by Elena Mannes, Inner Traditions/Bear & Co. Gold winner
Crossing the Line by Ellen Wolfson Valladares, WiDo Publishing Gold winner
Reincarnation, Death & Dying Books The Green Burial Guidebook: Everything You Need to Plan an Affordable, Environmentally Friendly Burial by Elizabeth Fournier, New World Library Gold winner Change Maker: How My Brother’s Death Woke Up My Life by Rebecca AustillClausen, She Write Press Silver winner
Shamanism and Wicca Books Sigil Witchery: Witch’s Guide to Crafting Magick Symbols by Laura Tempest Zakroff, Llewellyn Worldwide Gold winner Heroines of Avalon & Other Tales by Ayn Cates Sullivan Ph.D., Infinite Light Publishing
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***
Award-winning author, speaker, and writer Karen Stuth is the president of the Coalition of Visionary Resources and co-founder of Satiama Publishing and Satiama Writers Resource.
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: E R O T S Y M T E E M The Crystal Garden
The Crystal Garden, established in 1988, is the conscious living store of the Palm Beaches in southeast Florida. The store is a woman-run business intended to inspire, uplift, educate, and empower through spiritual awakening, evolutionary aromatherapy, crystals and gemstones, and working with angels. The Crystal Garden brand also inspires others to find empowerment within to be all that they can be while also creating community through Margaret Ann Lemboâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books, oracle decks, and spoken audios. Why did you decide the open a store? I opened my store in August of 1988 as a temporary career after the stock market crash of 1987. I was a mortgage banker in senior management when the market crashed. I opened my dream store, The Crystal Garden, which was originally a temporary measure. Obviously, it evolved into a permanent passion. It was born out of wanting to create a sacred space where people could come to feel
peace, that smells good, and to leave feeling better than when they arrived. The store was named based on the inspiration of the story (book and movie) called The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. How would you describe your customer type? Being open since 1988, customers span approximately three generations. Our customer base used to be predominantly women between 30 and 60 years old. Now, the demographics have changed to all races, ethnicities, genders, ages, educations, professions, occupations, income levels, and marital statuses. It is very exciting to watch how the customer base has expanded so much. As a store owner can you share a little bit of your weekly routine with us? Mondays are for planning. We decide the focus for the upcoming week for social media, email campaigns, possible sales and promo-
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tions, and well as recording YouTube videos and Facebook Live events. Tuesday mornings are dedicated to building the master blends for the aromatherapy line. Wednesdays and Thursdays are my days away from the store, and you can find me most often writing my next book or deck in my home office! Fridays are dedicated to paying invoices and updating the general ledger accounts for bookkeeping. Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays you can find me helping customers in our showrooms or teaching a workshop at the store. Any and all days I buy and receive merchandise. How do you promote your brand and products to grow profit margin? My main products are gemstones and aromatherapy. I have been buying crystals, minerals, and stones for resale for close to 33 years. My sources for purchasing gems are very longstanding and I prefer to buy in person. The aromatherapy line is The Crystal Garden brand, medical grade single
THE CRYSTAL GARDEN www.thecrystalgarden.com 2610 N Federal Highway Boynton Beach, FL 33435 877-444-5099 Owner: Margaret Ann Lembo Year Opened: 1988 Store Size: Approx. 2500’ Hours: 11am – 6pm Monday to Saturday 12pm – 4 pm Sunday Products in Stock Gemstones, jewelry, aromatherapy, incense, sage, candles, books, greeting cards, wind chimes, angel statues and merchandise, Buddhist and Hindu statuary, wall hangings, CDs, Feng Shui supplies, CBD products. Inventory Method/ Software Use Booklog Inventory Turn: 1.86 days Sales by Category Top sales are crystals and gemstones, jewelry, aromatherapy, incenses and accessories, books, oracle and Tarot decks, classes and workshops, wind chimes, candles, angels, Feng Shui, Buddhist, greeting cards, ceramics, Native and Indigenous. Events/ Services Free private book club events, Monday Meditations, and The Gemstone Oracle provided by Margaret Ann Lembo. There are also workshops, some of which are approved for Continuing Education Units for Florida Massage Therapists. Classes are offered for many different types for spiritual and personal development, drumming circles, crystal singing bowl experiences, aura imaging photography (by appointment only), and sessions including amethyst BioMat, private regression, private cord cutting ceremony, and entrepreneurial consultation.
note essential oils and blends as well as aroma-energetic sprays, has been part of my business for approximately 20 years. The Crystal Garden Brand Aromatherapy is now sold by retail partners throughout the world. Do you work with consignment products? No. In the very early days of The Crystal Garden, I was grateful to have consignment items as they helped to grow my store. Over time, the work involved in carrying consignment products has been time and cost prohibitive for success. Do you sell products online on social media?
We use Facebook Marketplace to drive traffic to our webstore. This also allows us to tag products in our Instagram posts. However, we don’t sell directly through any social media sites. It is all set up to drive people to our online store and to our brick and mortar store. Do you work exclusively with local artists and Made in USA products or do you carry in store imported products and Fair Trade as well? We carry all these categories. When choosing new products what is your criteria in terms of selection? For the most part, that the product is going to help a person live their life more consciously and/or bring more joy, love, and ease to life. Do you frequently buy products advertised in our magazine? Over the many years, yes. Any plans to expand your business to attract a broader audience? Yes, though I have found that there are more and more people from all walks of life that want to improve their lives through conscious living. The more I maintain my focus on being a guide and inspiration for the evolution of mass consciousness, the more it seems that new customers find The Crystal Garden. In addition, the number one best-selling product, Smudge in Spray, which I created in around 1998, can be found in bigger stores that reach a mainstream audience. My product, Smudge in Spray, has drawn many people to find The Crystal Garden. What advice would you share with retailers in the conscious living community? Learn how to balance spirituality with practical business sense. It is important to remember to be an entrepreneur and maintain focus on good business practices and, as such, business policies should be intact and adhered to by staff and customers alike. Surround yourself with people who can fill in the areas where you need support. Know your strengths and weaknesses. In addition, it is always good to diversify the avenues of income for your store in products and events. I added a wholesale division to help balance out the revenue for the days when our front showrooms weren’t as busy. It has proven to be financially beneficial.
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[ PRODUCTS REVIEW ] By Royce Amy Morales
â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of A Kindâ&#x20AC;? Holiday Gifts
Cheers to these one-of-a-kind gift ideas perfect for this holiday season, including a selection of Fair Trade products.
Seahorse Seashell Object Mary Jane Stone I www.MaryJayneStone.com These one-of-a-kind coral, shell and assorted crystal decorative pieces are sourced by the artist from vintage shops and scoured from sources all around the world. Inspired by magical visions seen underwater, each beautifully layered piece is a unique work of art. What a stunning accent piece for a coastal shop or for a customer wanting to bring a bit of ocean into their life! Also available are boxes, candles and jewelry all incorporating assorted rocks, crystals, and natural objects. Contact Company for Wholesale Pricing.
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Fair Trade Federation Member*
Handcrafted Cardamom Coaster Set of 4 (US$9.75 Wholesale Price) Sustainable Threads I www.SustainableThreads.com Contemporary looking, but traditionally hand woven, these sets of coasters are made by rural weavers from South India. They’re made from renewable banana plant fiber using the fibrous part of the stem, formerly treated as agricultural waste. Other biodegradable fibers such as jute, river grass and bamboo are added. Artisans earn their livelihood handcrafting these and other eco-friendly items such as placemats and table runners. A green way to serve this holiday season!
“High Heart” Chakra Key Healing Disc (US$52.50 Wholesale Price) Crystal Wings Healing Art I www.CrystalWingsHealingArt.com Artist, author, and intuitive energy healer Barbara Evans is striving to raise the consciousness frequency of humanity with her sacred geometry-based healing art. Her goal is to create personal energetic attunement to inspire and empower, ultimately helping people discover their true potential. Each healing disc represents one of the seven chakras. The designs and colors will “speak” to your customers at a cellular level, create healing vibrations and provide spiritual support. They can be displayed in a room to clear energy, gazed at to empower intention and amplify healing by placing them on the body. They’re made of quartz, printed with a high quality giclee’ image, wrapped in copper and come in a velvet pouch with a descriptive card and display stand.
Fair Trade Federation Member*
Floral Small Dishes (US$5 Wholesale Price)
Jill Mayberg Red Vines Floor Puzzle (US$ 18.95)
Global Goods Partners I www.GlobalGoodsPartners.org
Pomegranate I www.Pomegranate.com
These traditionally-themed stoneware dishes (size 3.5”X3.5”) are perfect for serving olives, nuts, oils or for use as a bedside trinket catcher. Handmade by Tunisian women, the proceeds are reinvested in training and expanding the capacity of these artisans. This company’s primary goal is to provide consistent, viable jobs for women, the key to community development and family wellbeing. What a perfect hostess gift to bring to holiday parties! Available also as rectangle (size 5.5”x9”), and square serving or baking dish (size 11”x11”).
Puzzles delight all ages from novice to expert jigsaw-ers and make great family activities. This bright, amusing image of a partying persimmon-colored pup could be hung on a child’s wall or over a pet’s bed when completed. From a mixed-media painting by artist Jill Mayberg, this intricate, sturdily constructed puzzle could make a unique addition to your inventory – create a fun new section that sells only artsy puzzles this holiday season! Different puzzles available. Pictured is the 48 pieces version (puzzle size: 3ftx2ft).
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Weather Rocks Funky Rock Designs I www.FunkyRockDesigns.com What started out as a family pastime of gathering ocean and river stones has turned into an artistic obsession! Each creation is as unique as the naturally weathered, current-textured rocks they find, and each rock is still found and collected by hand. Customers can show off the beauty of nature with these fun, functional and funky pieces. This company also makes stone-based candle holders, lamps, vases, mobiles, toothpick holders, napkin rings and so much more! Check out their cell phone stands! Of course, they’re fine for outdoor (or indoor) use! Contact Company for Wholesale Pricing.
Pin Cushions (US$16 Wholesale Price) ModHome Ceramics www.ModHomeCeramics.com Who doesn’t need a pin cushion? Your shop can be the only place to find one that’s a handcrafted piece of art too! These adorable mini fabric cushions have various critter characters as their endearing ceramic bases. Each “modern rustic” piece is unique, inspired by nature and the artist’s love for animals. Clay brings a connection to the earth, and the artist’s hope is to bring joy into the world, one piece at a time. She also creates tiny animal plant pots, covered bowls, candle holder luminaries, teapots, platters, butter dishes and has even written a book on pottery!
Tree of Life Wall Décor Royal Crafters I www.RoyalCrafters.com What a unique way for customers to enhance any wall in their home by hanging one solo or scattering several together! This individually-made ceramic piece is painted in glorious detail, fired, glazed, and then fired again. Watch a video on their website to see this painstaking technique. Each comes with a hanging hook on the back, but it can also be used as a trivet. Many designs have Day of the Dead themes, Aztec imagery, as well as nature-fantasy designs, and they will also do custom work. Tiles, plates, relief plates, glassware and fired enamel on metal hanging pieces are available as well. Contact Company for Wholesale Pricing.
NY Stoneware Ceramic Collection Julie Spako I www.SpakoClay.com Made individually in her Austin Texas studio, each charming stoneware piece proudly reveals the hand of the artist with its perfect imperfections. Julie’s ceramics are created in small batches, and her eye for detail definitely makes her pieces one-of-a-kind. Porcelain clay makes them resilient and even dishwasher safe. The blue and white floral designs are reminiscent of vintage dishware, but with a modern-day, fab flair. Since they all work together, customers can mix and match them to fit their every desire and whim to use at their holiday parties. Contact Company for Wholesale Pricing.
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Amulet of Avalon (US$5.98 Wholesale Price) Deva Designs I www.DevaDesignsJoy.com This stay-sparkling pewter pendant celebrates and speaks to the goddess in every woman! The artist designs her work to help people feel inspired, connecting them with their strength as well as their gentleness. This new petite size is the artist’s continual strong-selling design and has a powerful inscription on the back. It hangs on a stainless steel snake chain, included in the wholesale price. Available in other designs, all perfect for ready-to-wear purchases. All her work is lead free and handcrafted in the USA. Black metal racks are available for an eye-catching, compact, countertop display.
“Be Kind” Children’s Book (US$12.95) Workman Publishing I www.Workman.com In a world where people spend more time looking at screens than interacting with each other, sadly, basic human kindness is becoming a lost art. This joyfully illustrated, easy-to-read-book for children offers simple actions that help cultivate kindness (great for adults too!). It’s filled with 125 concrete suggestions such as: Going to bat for someone, showing compassion toward all creatures, giving sincere compliments, the power of sharing, random acts of kindness and expressing gratitude. On every page, this book inspires and empowers kids to make the world a kinder, more peaceful place, one action at a time. The message will stick with them forever. Besides, books are always a good choice as gift alternative. What a good holiday addition to your shop even if you don’t carry children’s books!
“Rejuvenate” CBD Body Massage Candle Magic Fairy Candles I www.MagicFairyCandles.com A magical, elegant experience will fill all your customers’ senses. The company uses high quality, natural ingredients for health-conscious living choices. This hand-poured candle has 500 milligrams of full spectrum CBD in a skin hydrating, soy wax base. The wax warms to only three degrees above body temperature, creating a comfortable, moisturizing body massage oil that never feels sticky or waxy. It’s infused with aromatherapy scents of grapefruit and lemongrass essential oils which help elevate moods and lift spirits. Tangerine is balanced by the warmer notes of bergamot, bridging the emotional and physical aspect of healing. The poetic affirmation on the label adds to the magic of dreaming, visualizing, and surrendering. Available in other fragrances and positive themes, as well as bath bombs, bath salts, oils, and soaps. Contact Company for Wholesale Pricing.
Tourmaline Stone (US$36 Wholesale Price) Esprit Creations I www.EspritCreations.com Owner, designer, and GIA gemologist Elaine Sheth searches out consciously-sourced, naturally extraordinary gemstones from all over the world. She works closely with artisan families in India who meticulously set them in her distinctive, sterling silver, handmade designs. Some of her wearable art pieces are reminiscent of art deco style, have nature and animal themes, use worldwide religious symbols, or have metaphysical meanings such as oms and chakras. This beautiful pendant has authentic tourmaline gemstones selected not only for aesthetics, but to help your customers celebrate the holidays with balanced life energy, perhaps becoming their own muse! The artist creates a wide collection of earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces, and is constantly coming out with new designs.
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HOLIDAY DE-STRESS PLAN By Uma Silbey
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N
ow that it’s early fall, it’s time to make sure that you have a well-thought-out, factbased, business plan. Among other things, this plan should have a realistic projected sales goal, a list of inventory needed, and purchases made that will get the inventory delivered in time to adequately stock up. The sales forecasting shouldn’t be based on emotions, unfounded dreams, or unsupported hunches. Instead, the inventory purchases should be based on historical (past) sales figures for prior holiday times, the state of the economy, (i.e. how much disposable income your store’s demographic will likely have,) as well as current sales growth and product demand. Having everything well-planned and executed in a timely manner will do a lot to reduce the upcoming holiday stress because you have taken care of what was needed. Now that the business plan has been made and is being executed, you are ready for the second part of the upcoming “holiday de-stress plan.” This second part of the de-stress plan is just as important as the more traditional business planning with sales, purchasing, inventory and the like. Basically, the second part of the plan is this: Now that you have done your planning, it’s the time to breathe a sigh of relief and relax. Let go. If your
plan is accurate, it should succeed whether you worry or not or whether you’re tense or relaxed. To relax isn’t merely to stop thinking about your business, but also to let the tension go from your body, breathe more easily, let your heart open, your fears go, and energetically recharge yourself. There is a simple practice for achieving all of this that can be done anywhere without calling attention to yourself. To get ready for it, start by standing or sitting with both feet on the ground or floor. Hold an amethyst crystal point downward, in one or two hands to help strengthen your focus, channel violet calming and healing energy into your body and mind, and to amplify the results, wear a rose quartz stone on your heart chakra. (A 24” inch chain will hold a stone over the heart center unless your neck is large.) If you have smokey quartz anklets, wear them for gentle grounding. If not, put a small smokey quartz (or other opaque earth colored stone,) in a pocket on each side of your body. If you don’t have these stones, the practice will work anyway. The practice is this: While grounded, feel as if your breath is flowing into your pink or green heart center, then flowing down through your soft yellow-lighted belly, and finally exhaled into the soft, velvet-brown earth through the bottoms of your feet and from the tips of your fingers. On the in-breath, feel the breath returning
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from the brown-velvet earth, through your feet, up through your legs and bottom spine, through your soft yellow glowing belly, and into your heart chakra. Fill your heart center with peaceful calm. Then, exhale out from the heart center. Each time that you breathe into your heart chakra and through your body, you charge yourself with love, peace, acceptance and calm. As you exhale into the earth, you release all stressful, painful, and all thoughts, even “good” thoughts, about the business. Any troublesome or painful feelings and thoughts are positively transmuted when they are released from your body and mind into the earth. As you continue to do this practice, relax your belly, the small of your back and the back of your knees. You can do this anywhere, even while standing at the counter in your store or sitting at your office desk. Of course, this doesn’t mean that when you relax you stop paying attention to your business. After all, you are still the heart of your business, so if you remove your heart, your business will begin dying. You still have to watch it. You still have to “mind the store.” Basically, in watching your business, rather than using it as an occasion for worry or concern, you are merely making sure that the parameters of your plan are being met at designated stages or time periods. Did your sales, for example, reach the weekly goal? If not, you need to pay attention, perhaps seeing what the sales figures are for the next week. If the sales figures are not being met, at this point you need to adjust your plan. This is true with every part of your business plan: If key parts of your plan are not being realized, then in order to remain viable and profitable, these parts need changing. Mind you, you don’t want to change the whole plan, but only those prts of it that aren’t working. There is nothing wrong with adjusting a plan. If it is complete and well thought out, it should also include back-up plans that can be used to adjust the main plan one way or another. A business plan isn’t effective if it doesn’t include any way to “tweak” the direction it is going. In the case of slower than expected sales, you may tweak the plan by cutting down your purchases, for example, so you won’t stock as much inventory, or stop hiring so much extra help, or perhaps scouting for an extra infusion of cash. Or the opposite may be true if sales are more than projected: You may have to immediately purchase more
of an item since it is selling like hotcakes, for example, a trend that you see continuing. Likewise, you may need to go ahead and hire two extra people to handle the holiday rush since you noticed that more people are coming to your store. Again, there is nothing wrong with having to adjust a plan. It’s like sailing a boat. In order to sail, you set your sail in the position that is best able to catch the wind. Then the wind can catch into the sail and power the boat. If the wind shifts, however, you have to adjust your sail to a new position in order to catch the wind from the new direction. If you don’t do that, you’re not going to be able to continue sailing. Adjusting a sail, then, is like adjusting your plan in accordance to the way that your business is going. If you don’t do this, or your plan doesn’t have the ability to adjust and remain viable, just like the sailboat won’t be able to move without the sail correctly positioned, your overall plan won’t succeed. The key to being able to make and adjust a plan is to remain relaxed while being able to dispassionately review and accept the facts, and then make a logical, fact-based decision about any necessary adjustment. To accept the new facts, you have to be willing to let go of the old ones, (along with any need to be right.) In order to go in a new direction, whether a small diversion or a major shift, you have to be able to let go of the way things are, or the way you thought things were, and take a close look at the actual facts of the matter. While you do this, notice and let go of any fear, anger, or any other associated feelings that you may have so that they won’t interfere with your business decision. Let go of any expectancy you have and just be mindfully present. This state of mind and being is what will help you make informed planning adjustments. (Besides being practical business advice, this process is also a good meditation.) In short, besides good planning, it helps to work with your mind and stop ruminating in order to remain peaceful during these times leading up to the holidays. Stop constantly thinking about your business. Trust that your plan is good; that you have done everything that you could to “set the stage” for a good holiday. Realize that the results, how something turns out, are really not in your hands, but in the hands of the Spirit. In fact, the more you think that the results
of your planning are in your hands alone, the more pressure you will feel and the more stressed out you’ll be. All you can do is your best planning, account for adjustment, let go and trust. All in all, if you find yourself constantly thinking about your business, second guessing your decisions, worrying about how something is going to turn out, rather than being helpful, it will just drive you nuts and you will certainly not be relaxed. If you can’t let go and bring yourself some relaxation, here is another great practice that will help you: While being centered and grounded, breathe gently and completely and then say to yourself, “I am letting go now. I trust that the Higher Spirit supports my wellbeing in my business as well as in my life.” The practice is simple and can be done anytime and anyplace, day or night. It can be done in your store, at home, while standing in lines, driving the car (don’t close your eyes), or while doing most of your daily activities. You can take even three minutes during your
evening or first thing in the morning and do this as a daily meditation. The key is to remember to say it. You might carry a special stone and put it in your pocket so it will remind you each time you see or feel it. Even quicker, each time that you have a thought or worry about your business, let that thought go, stop paying attention to it, and then say to yourself just this: “Let Thy Will be Done.” With a good business plan, a certain amount of non-attachment and proper perspective, everything’s going to be fine. Don’t worry. Uma Silbey was one of the first to pioneer crystals, gemstones, and ‘energy’ information to the world through her jewelry 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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Simple, Effective Stretches and Exercises to do From Your Desk By Emily A. Francis
W
hen your mind gets too busy, it’s time to move your body. There are several ways that you can get moving while at work that can help the mind to balance and improve your energy in order to become more productive. Stretch breaks, meditation bursts and joint stimulators are key elements to making your work day more effective. When our minds get overcrowded with all the things we have to get done, we tend to overwhelm the nervous system and the lines of creativity and productivity can get clogged. As a former fitness instructor who worked in corporate wellness, I will offer easy stretches, joint openers, meditation bursts, and breathing techniques to help get your blood pumping and your mind clear. I will also tell you my own little secrets of things that I keep at my desk to help my body get better circulation both physically and energetically when I’m sitting for long periods of time. Some will be items that you can get in order to help you be more effective with stretching while others are very simple stretches. As you read these stretches and offerings, you might find yourself thinking “these are so easy I don’t need these”. Ask yourself this question: do you do this daily? The simple things are oftentimes the most missed in daily practices even though we know exactly what to do. Many times we don’t add in simple stretches until we’ve injured ourselves. This offering is for prevention.
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Before we begin let me start with the most basic offering that yields incredibly high rewards: Earthing. Research shows that just fifteen minutes of being barefoot on the earths surface will transform the whole body. In one biomedical research article1, they refer to earthing as a form of “electric nutrition” for the body. This is due to the fact that the electrons offered by the earth itself into the body directly affect in a positive way an aid to inflammation within the body as well as helps to decrease oxidative stress. It is a body and mind balancer. Getting outside for just fifteen minutes of your day and walking around barefoot can turn things around for your basic overall energy. Eating lunch outside and being barefoot while you’re doing it can be a true game changer.
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down, to the right, up and then to the left and finishing down. When you make one full circle, do the same exercise the other way (one each direction counts as 1). Do each full circle three times in each direction. After the eye practices, close your eyes and take just a few breaths before opening your eyes and beginning work at the computer. (As a side note, blue blocker glasses are very helpful for working at a computer and being under fluorescent lights. You can get them without a prescription or add the blue blocker to your current prescription. The blue blocker helps to remove the blue light emanating from the bright light waves overhead and from the computer). REPEAT: every day before you begin working on a computer for best
]
Before we begin let me start with the most basic offering that yields incredibly high rewards: Earthing. Research shows that just fifteen minutes of being barefoot on the earths surface will transform the whole body. In one biomedical research article, they refer to earthing as a form of “electric nutrition” for the body.
Below are simple stretches for the whole body that correlate to an easier time working at your desk. We will begin with the eyes, face, jaws and neck and make our way down the body. I will finish with a whole-body joint opener sequence that gets the blood and energy flowing.
Simple Stretches at Your Desk Eyes – Begin by moving your eyes up and down. Next, move your eyes from side to side. After that look up to the top left of the room and down to the bottom right of the room (repeat 3, 6, 9 times first one direction for the diagonal). Next, look diagonally up to the top right and then the bottom left. Lastly, move your eyes in one full circle looking
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results and follow this same sequence after your lunch break before resuming work. Make every eye movement repeat a total of 3, 6 or 9 times.
Face – The lion pose. This easy and silly stretch can release tension in your jaws, the muscles of fascial expression in the cheeks as well as the temporalis muscle that fans from the temples around the ears to the base of the neck. Begin by taking a breath in and then scrunching your face as tight as it can go. Clench the jaws, close the eyes tight and hold your breath while you clench. On the exhale open your eyes wide, lift the eyebrows up toward the hair line and stick your tongue out as far as it can go. You can
make an audible roar on the exhale or just keep it silent so you don’t draw too much attention to yourself. The benefits are present after just one of these stretches but feel free to repeat as needed. Jaws – The cork stretch. Get a cork and keep it at your desk. You can get them from a wine bottle or from an arts and crafts store. Place the cork vertically between your top and bottom front teeth and bite down to hold it in place. Try to hold this for at least one minute but preferably three minutes for maximum results. This simple jaw stretch can help ease tension headaches, relieves the full jaw muscles and helps to minimize tension at the base of the skull. It is a game changer this simple little stretch. I keep a cork in my purse, at my desk, and in the glove box of my car so if I’m stressed out sitting in traffic I can be doing that stretch instead of clenching my jaws and producing a headache.
Neck – We all know how to stretch our necks from side to side, front to back, circles, etc. The added trick I like to offer is holding your hands behind your back before you stretch. Hold one of your wrists with the hand of the opposite arm. An example would be to hold the left wrist with your right hand. Now bring the right ear down toward the right shoulder while holding your wrist. Before you change sides, keep the hands where they are and stretch the left ear down to the left shoulder. It doesn’t matter which hand holds which wrist – you will ideally stretch both sides trying to bring your ear down to the shoulder directly below. Hold each stretch for a minimum of five breaths before changing sides. Back – The doorway stretch will open your back and chest as well as free your biceps. You can do it in a doorway or single armed against any wall. Standing slightly back from the doorway so you are looking at the
opening, place both hands on each side of the open space. Then walk through until your arms are straight behind you holding on to the doorway. Keep your chin up and breathe deep as the chest and back expand and even themselves out. When we sit at a desk, we tend to shorten the chest and round the shoulders making the upper back have to over stretch to accommodate. This stretch helps to bring the muscles back into a working balance. Forearms – The carpal tunnel stretch. This stretch is performed in clinical settings of body work to test to see if someone may have issues with carpal tunnel syndrome. The stretch is highly effective if practiced several times a day in keeping that dreaded condition at bay. Place the knuckles of your hands against each other and lower the elbows down below the horizontal plane even with the knuckles. If someone can’t get the elbows to drop down below that plane, this is an
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Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 49
indication that we have a true issue with carpal tunnel syndrome. Not just used for testing, we use it to stretch the muscles on the top of the forearms so hold it in place for at least five breaths.
Gift, Garden & Home Fair Trade Home & Garden Mushrooms & Bottle Ornaments
Hips – The figure 4. When sitting in a desk chair, simply move the chair back away from the desk. Place both feet flat to the floor with the knees at a 90 degree angle. Then cross one leg over the other making a figure 4 with that leg. Place your hands behind the knee or underneath the leg that is still on the floor. Bring your head down if you are able add to the dynamics of the figure 4 stretch. Hold for at least five breaths before changing legs and repeating. Knees – Roll those knees. Standing up bring your feet together and bend your knees. Place your hands on your legs just above the knees. Circle the knees in one direction 9 times and then circle the opposite direction.
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Feet – I am a big fan of reflexology mats and I do keep one under my computer desk in case I need to give the energetic system of my body a little jump start into feeling more energized. There are really easy ones to get online that are not expensive and may be worth it. If you are not interested in using a foot mat to open the reflex points of the feet, you can always stretch the feet by taking off your shoes and pulling the toes back placing the flat pads of the foot on the floor for a stretch followed by pointing the toes and holding them down at the top of the feet from a seated position in your chair. Simple ankle rolls also are helpful for circulation.
and forth creating heat in the joint and then switch hands and do the same thing with the other wrist. Next, circle your bent elbow. Go in circles vigorously around the elbow to bring heat to the area and do the same thing to the other elbow. Move up and circle around the shoulder joint at the ball and socket. Circle toward the chest and back around. Bring heat into this are and then change sides. Rub across the back of the neck side to side with one hand and then rub side to side across the same area with the other hand. Bring one leg in front of the other and bend it slightly. Place your two palms over the knee cap and rub vigorously up and down over the knee cap with the outside of the palms covering the full area. Now rub exactly like you did over your knee but up and down the entire leg. Change legs and repeat the other knee and full leg. If you are seated, it still works to rub up and down that knee (just be sure that the knee is soft but not fully bent). Make a fist with your hands and bring your hands behind your back. Rub the knuckles up and down the lower back and keep your knees bent as you bounce slightly during the vigorous rubbing along the lower back. You can also take your fists and rub your knuckles below the ribs at an angle to stimulate your kidneys. Lastly, bring the arms down by your sides and then inhale as you bring both palms of the hands just at the top of your chest. As you breathe out, move your hands down the entire front of your body from chest to hips straight down the center line. Repeat this breathing and movement three times. Notice how energized your body feels and how much clearer the mind becomes from this!
Joint Openers for The Whole Body Stand up away from your desk and chair unless you need to sit down then remain seated for this exercise. Begin by rubbing your palms together and create heat between your hands. The rhythm of this practice is to move fast and repeat the movements several times before moving to the next body part to help increase overall circulation. Move fast enough to create the heat. Begin by rubbing one hand over the wrist of the other hand. Around the wrist back
50 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
Emily A. Francis is the host of the show All About Healing on www.healthylife.net, and author of the upcoming book Whole Body Healing: Create Your Own Path to Physical, Emotional, Energetic and Spiritual Wellness. She is also the author of The Body Heals Itself, and Stretch Therapy where you can find photos of every stretch and sequence from this article. To know more about Francis, visit her website at www. emilyafrancisbooks.com. 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28987038
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52 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
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Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 53
fineprint The book review column has been refreshed, and the books selected are now a preview of what’s NEW and UPCOMING in the conscious living category, starting this month. We want to optimize your search for uplifting and inspiring books that can bring positive message and engage your customer’s spirit this Holidays, and what a better way to start if not by searching for books on PERSONAL GROWTH & HEALING! Here are few of our exclusive selections for September-October:
NEW RELEASES Fierce Woman: Wake Up Your Badass Self Rhoda Shapiro Llewellyn Worldwide I www.llewellyn.com Publication Date: August 2019 ISBN: 9780738760926 Pages: 336 | Price: US$16.99
Rhoda Shapiro guides you through a unique exploration of wild feminine power and the ways in which it can heal, uplift, and energize the planet. This sacred and galvanizing book is a thunderous call to action for you, and for women all over the world, to awaken the goddess within. Through deep wisdom, engaging exercises, and empowering insights and affirmations, Fierce Woman shows you how to make profound shifts in your life. You are powerful and worthy. Now is the time to rise up and live your truth, to reclaim ownership of your voice and body.
My Pocket Chakra Healing: Anytime exercises to unblock, balance, and strengthen your chakras Heidi A. Spear Adams Media www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/ adamsmedia Publication Date: September 2019 ISBN 9781507211199 Pages: 176 | Price: US$14.99
54 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
Uplifting & Inspiring NEW Books on Conscious Living Compiled by the editor
My Pocket Chakra Healing is an essential guide to chakras that explains their vital role and teaches you exercises to unblock and heal your chakras to achieve health, peace, and prosperity. Take your holistic healing on the road with these easy-to-follow exercises, bringing you one step closer to achieving a life filled with ease, clear-headedness, love, health, security, and anything your heart desires. More than 50 exercises and practices to unblock and strengthen your chakras so you can achieve health and prosperity on the go.
The Yoni Egg: Reveal and Release the Sacred Feminine Within Lilou Macé, Foreword by Mantak Chia Destiny Books/Inner Traditions www.innertraditions.com Publication Date: September 2019 ISBN 9781620558652 Pages: 192 | Price: US$19.99
Used for thousands of years throughout Asia, including by the royal concubines of the Chinese emperors, yoni eggs are egg-shaped stones used internally to help tone the pelvic floor and vaginal muscles as well as increase sensitivity, enhance intimate awareness, release emotional traumas, and open access to the sacred feminine within. In this full-color step-by-step guide, Lilou Macé details the techniques and rituals of yoni egg practice, aiming to dispel fears and reservations about its use and reveal its profound benefits for body, mind, and spirit. She explains how the yoni is not merely a body part, but the portal to greater wisdom and self-knowledge – your temple of the sacred feminine. Concluding with rituals for initiating yourself into the power of your yoni and for releasing the sacred feminine within, the author shows how each of us has the power to heal, to be kind to ourselves, and to reveal our own inner beauty and wisdom.
On the Mystery of Being: Contemporary Insights on the Convergence of Science and Spirituality Edited by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo, Foreword by Deepak Chopra, New Harbinger Publications www.newharbinger.com Publication Date: October 2019 ISBN 9781684033959 Pages: 216 | Price: US$16.95
On the Mystery of Being brings together an array of visionary spiritual leaders, psychologists, philosophers, scientists, teachers, authors, and healers to celebrate and explore what it means to be human. This beautifully arranged collection of essays and insights highlight topics on the convergence of spirituality and science, weaving scientific theory and spiritual wisdom from some of the most influential thinkers of our time—including Deepak Chopra, Rupert Spira, Adyashanti, and many more—with pieces that get straight to the heart of the matter. As a powerful antidote to our chaotic and materialist modern world,
this dazzling volume offers timeless wisdom and new insight into humanity’s age-old questions. The book also reveals the cutting-edge explorations at the intersection of science and spirituality today. May it encourage your spirit, challenge your mind, and deepen your understanding of our interconnectedness.
Sacred Smoke: Clear away negative energies and purify body, mind, and spirit Amy Blackthorn Red Wheel Weiser www.redwheelweiser.com Publication Date: October 2019 ISBN 9781578636808 Pages: 192 | Price: US$14.95
This clear and contemporary guide explores the ritual of smoke and scents to cleanse the energies of mind, body, and home. Here, aromatherapist and long-time herbalist Amy Blackthorn offer the essential tools for creating sacred space – a space free of negative energies – by
Retailing Insight 7-2019_Layout 1 7/2/19 4:09 PM Pag
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Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 55
fineprint
Uplifting and Inspiring NEW books on Conscious Living
using herbs, incense, smoke, and other practices. Written in an accessible style and free of jargon, Sacred Smoke has everything you need to know to get started on your practice of purification and cleansing.
The Power Of NOW Journal Eckhart Tolle New World Library www.newworldlibrary.com Publication Date: October 2019 ISBN: 9781608686377 Pages: 144 | Price: US$17
Carefully chosen excerpts from The Power of Now are featured on every spread, and the beautiful color artwork throughout the journal deepens the experience of living in the now. Each page has plenty of space to journal about what each quotation invokes for the reader in that moment. What a gift to be able to share The Power of Now Journal, where everyone can weave in their own thoughts and feelings with Eckhart’s words. This is a wonderful reinforcement and reminder for seasoned fans of The Power of Now, as well as a special way to introduce someone to the teachings of this transformational author.
UPCOMING BOOKS The Mindful Place of Calm: Find Your Way Into The Space Between Thoughts & Actions A.Paul Miller PhD Llewellyn Worldwide www.llewellyn.com Publication Date: November 2019 ISBN: 9780738761848 Pages: 264 | Price: US$16.99
The Mindful Place of Calm shows you how to carry the tranquil centeredness achieved in meditation wherever you go and throughout your day, whether it be the line at the supermarket or the anxiety-inducing freeway. With hands-on exercises, easy-to-learn techniques, and examples from his professional practice, author Paul Miller provides inspiration and helps you cultivate deep inner wisdom that will sustain you long after your meditation session has ended. Learn how to find the gap in your negative emotions and create a place there to successfully practice mindfulness that can be carried effectively into your daily life. This remarkable book helps you change how you react to stressful situations by building a calm mental space to unpack your thoughts and emotions for better awareness and actions for positive change. Once you reach this place of calm, you can transform tension into lasting joy and peace.
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The Wonder of Unicorns: Ascending with the Higher Angelic Realms Diana Cooper Findhorn Press/Inner Traditions www.innertraditions.com Publication Date: November 2019 ISBN: 9781620559833 Pages: 224 | Price: US$13.39
Fully of the angelic realms, unicorns live in the seventh dimension, the seventh heaven. These beautiful creatures are aspects of the divine, in the same way angels are. While angels work through the heart, unicorns work with the soul and help you fulfill your pre-life contracts through their energy. In The Wonder of Unicorns Diana Cooper explains ancient myths and legends of these amazing energetic beings from a higher spiritual perspective. Who are they, these seventh-dimensional creatures of myth and magic? Where do they stand in the angelic hierarchy and what is their role with regard to us humans? How can you meet and engage with them as an individual? With wonderful real life stories and anecdotes from people who have seen and experienced unicorns firsthand, The Wonder of Unicorns is a book to inspire and empower you on your spiritual path.
Put Your Feelings Here: A Creative DBT Journal for Teens with Intense Emotions Lisa M. Schab, LCSW New Harbinger Publications www.newharbinger.com Publication Date: January 2020 ISBN: 9781684034239 Pages: 224 | Price: US$16.95
A fun and creative journal to help you balance your emotions, deal with difficult experiences, and just be yourself. Life is full of reasons to feel angry, sad, scared, overwhelmed, and frustrated—and that’s okay. But, if your emotions feel out of control, or are getting in the way of school, relationships, and all the things you care about, this journal can help! With this journal, you’ll find 100 new ways to release, reduce, and manage intense emotions in the moment so you can feel balanced, calm, and happy again. You’ll learn how to express yourself creatively through writing, art, and more. Let this journal be your special place for writing down your feelings, making your own rules, and expressing yourself.
***
Healing Voices of Tranquility
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Cultivate inner strength, embrace imperfection, and rebuild your life using these ancient principles.
Experience the immortal poetry of the great Persian master paired with beautiful illustrations.
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playlist
Reviews of great music to sell and enjoy by Bill Binkelman
Star Lullaby
Memoirs – Solo Piano Singles
Solace of Mountains and Clouds
Raphael Groten Self-released www.raphaelgroten.com
Michele McLaughlin Self-released www.michelemclaughlin.com
Kathryn Kaye Overland Mountains Music www.kathrynkaye-music.com
Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Groten has released a tour de force two-disc set that displays not just his composing and performing talent, but his imaginative ability to “reconstruct” the songs from solo acoustic guitar (disc one) to ensemble-based, with more fleshed out arrangements of the same songs (disc two). Besides the inclusion of guests performers (e.g. Michael Manring on bass, Eugene Friesen on cello, and Ron Korb on f lute), Groten himself increases his instrumental contribution to include ukulele, percussion, clay whistle, and more. Star Lullaby is a singular achievement from a visionary artist, brimming with artistry in both composing and performing.
The concept of artists releasing singles of their instrumental works has become more prevalent over the last few years, especially as more and more people either stream or download music. However, what about those who still purchase and play CDs? Well, pianist Michele McLaughlin has them covered with this collection of 12 “single” songs which demonstrate why she is among the most successful artists in her genre (solo piano) currently releasing music. McLaughlin effortlessly crisscrosses assorted moods, styles, and tempos always infusing her music with both abundant technical artistry and deep-rooted passion. Personal liner notes are the icing on this delicious musical cake.
Pianist Kathryn Kaye lives in the Rocky Mountains (she refers to them as “majestic yet soul-soothing”) and it’s these surroundings which heavily influenced this, her eighth release. As on her previous albums, Kaye emphasizes a light touch on the piano keys, favoring melodies which are stripped of unnecessary artifice, instead imbuing each of the 10 tracks with a depth of feeling and a rich sense of intimacy. Once more, she recorded the album at Imaginary Road Studios, under the guidance of Will Ackerman and Tom Eaton, so the guest stars who appear should be well-known to fans of other releases from the rural Vermont haven for instrumental music artists.
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Music with Vision
A Journey for Mankind Tom Moore & Sherry Finzer Heart Dance Records www.heartdancerecords.com
DAVID & STEVE GORDON OVER 3/4 MILLION SOLD!
Tom Moore (keyboards/synthesizers, guitar, bass, and percussion) and Sherry Finzer (assorted flutes) have become a force to be reckoned with in instrumental music (this is, I believe, their fourth collaboration). The impetus behind A Journey for Mankind is a sonic celebration of/homage to the Apollo 11 moon landing, 50 years ago. Drawing on influences from the spacemusic, ambient, and New Age genres (and some subtle nods to the Berlin school of electronic music), these two ply their craft across a wide field of moods and styles, from the ethereal to the dramatic and much more. Some songs appropriately evoke a sense of wonder and awe, just as Armstrong and Aldrin must have felt on that historic walk.
Dance of Two Souls Perpetual Motion Swallowtail Music www.perpetual-motion.net
Perpetual Motion (guitarist Tom Carleno and violinist Josie Quick, aided by bassist Blake Eberhard and drummer/ percussionist Christian Teele), take their acoustic instrumental music in a decidedly “south of the border” direction with easily discerned musical influences from Central and South America and the Caribbean. Dance of Two Souls is sultry, passionate, and sensual music played with utmost virtuosity and supercharged with soulfulness, fun, and the sheer joy of making music designed to celebrate life. Besides the 11 fantastic songs penned by the duo (nine by Quick and two by Carleno), check out their takes on the classic “Summertime,” as well the Django Reinhardt/Jacques Larue-penned “Troublant Boléro.”
Natural Light Louis Anthony deLise Bocage Records www.louisanthonydelise.com/natural-light
Louis Anthony deLise describes his music as “Contemporary New Age and Neo-Classical,” but I think this sells his album short. Yes, those elements are present, but there’s so much more as well, e.g. traditional pop, ambient, jazz. The level of imagination, creativity, musicianship, and composition talent impressed me before the end of the first track, “Mosaic.” deLise plays piano, marimba, trap drums, tabla, glockenspiel, percussion, and amazing keyboard samples, including fantastic orchestral string. The album also features Nancy Rumbel (oboe/English horn), Jeff Oster (trumpet), Christine Hansen (flutes), and Marjam Ingolffsson (cello). The overarching mood is somber and melancholic, but the variety of ways that deLise takes you there is astounding and supremely enjoyable.
SACRED EARTH DRUMS The #1 selling Shamanic Drum and Native-American flute album of all time! 3 YEARS IN NEW LEAF'S TOP 10
MEDITATION DRUM
“A new kind of slow and gentle drumming to uplift your spirit.” – Turquoise Eagle, Port Aransas TX
“Our #1 selling label is the Gordons’ Sequoia Records.” – New Leaf Distributing “David & Steve Gordon create the music customers want and their CDs are top sellers at White Swan.” – Selena, Sales Mgr, White Swan
ORDER TODAY! CALL 800-519-9078
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Holiday Collection | retailinginsight.com 59
playlist
Bill Binkelman
Underwater Whisperer
Mystic Messages
Masako Masako Music www.masako-music.com
Brooks & Day Daybrook Records www.brooksandday.com
Masako plays piano with an elegant simplicity that I find captivating and beguiling. Rather than show off via pyrotechnical fireworks, she allows her warm, evocative melodies to unfurl slowly and with an uncomplicated sincerity. I don’t meant to criticize those pianists whose style is more complex. However, as the saying goes, “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” Masako draws these musical lines “direct to the listener’s heart” throughout Underwater Whisperer. Four of the 11 tracks are solo, while others feature guests from the Imaginary Road “stable.” Produced by the ultra-prolific team of Ackerman and Eaton (along with Masako herself), the album sounds fantastic as well (Eaton mixed and mastered it).
Ben Brooks (flutes and keyboards) and Peter Day (guitar and keyboards) make some mighty engaging music on Mystic Messages, an album that may defy easy categorization, but is so darn easy to enjoy. From the opening jauntiness of “Sacred City” with its percolating rhythm, lilting flute and superb use of keyboard accents to the closing “No Regrets” and its plaintive air of contentment via strummed guitar, wafting flute, and orchestral strings, each of the nine songs display not just superb musicianship, but also imagination and style that elevates the music of Mystic Messages to something truly special. I could spend the whole review listing the assorted influence, but you’ll enjoy it more as a surprise I’d imagine!
Cupid Blindfolded
Hushabye
Michael Whalen Real Music www.realmusic.com
Rick Sparks Self-released www.ricksparksmusic.net
Michael Whalen’s versatility seemingly has no bounds whatsoever, so easily he moves from one musical style to another across his many albums. On Cupid Blindfolded, he pares down to the bare necessity of solo piano and the results are pure magic, one of his best releases of the last few years (which is saying a lot). The overall mood here is restrained, with hints of melancholy scattered here and there, as well as romanticism at times, such as the title track. At times minimalist in tempo, and other times featuring delightful refrains, Whalen’s playing is a marvel, aided by Tom Eaton’s masterful mixing and mastering.
On the cover, keyboardist/pianist Sparks’ latest release is subtitled “Sail away to dreamland,” and he’s not kidding. These 11 tracks, centered round serene, minimalist piano melodies, framed by orchestral strings and angelic choirs, will almost certainly guide the most irrepressible and rambunctious young ‘uns to the land of Wynken, Blynken and Nod. Soothing in the extreme, with nary a moment of drama to distract from the flowing sensation of peace and contentment, these melodies could also serve well as massage music for us “old-timers” or as a way to help the parents of the aforementioned children to relax and de-stress after a busy day. Low volume playback is advisable, of course.
Bill Binkelman has been reviewing New Age, ambient, and world music since 1997. Email him at billbink01@gmail.com.
60 September/October 2019 | retailinginsight.com
Special Section
HOLIDAY BUYER’S GUIDE
VALERIE ROMANOFF
FABULOUS ‘FUN PACKS’ Whimsical, tactile and fun hand-painted tile magnets created by EACHANORIGINAL can dress up any metal surface and make motivational communication easy. Wonderful gifts for all ages. Please visit our website for the range of our line.
Healing Music Vol. 2 is heart-centered instrumental music for meditation, relaxation, yoga, positivity, and love. This “peaceful music with a groove” blends Eastern and Western sounds, inviting listeners to connect with stillness, find inner peace and move into Oneness. Available Now at: New Leaf Distributing 800.326.2665 I www.newleafdist.com
Eachanoriginal Design Company 800-490-9445 I info@eachanoriginal.com www.eachanoriginal.com
PERIDOT LAUREL WREATH EARRINGS Laurel Wreath symbolizes joyous life with triumph over obstacles. Visit our website to choose from thousands of exclusively unique designer earrings, rings, pendants, symbols, chakras. Offer your customer meaningful pieces of adaptable wearable art with gleaming genuine gemstones in sterling silver at reasonable prices to easily dress down or up. Receive 10% OFF your first order! Esprit Creations 352-316-6130 I elaine@espritcreations.com www.espritcreations.com
WOOD ENGRAVED CRYSTALS GRIDS & MORE Zen and Meow offers wood engraved crystal grids, engraved stones, magnets, wood cut jewelry, and more. These unique items make great holiday gifts. Wholesale is available, please visit our website. Zen and Meow 717-451-9159 I kelly@zenandmeow.com www.zenandmeow.com
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takefive
5 Hints to Sell CBD Products in Your Shop by Royce Amy Morales
Maybe it’s because of the wide-spread legalization and the ongoing research that’s generating an exponentially exploding market for CBD products, or it’s because CBD really works… either way, according to the Hemp Business Journal1, the CBD industry is predicted to expand to a $1.3 billion market in consumer sales by 2022. With a vast selection of products to choose from, there’s no greater addition to any mindbody-spirit store, no matter what your merchandise focus. If you’re considering selling CBD at your shop, here are some practical answers and valuable technical information to help guide you:
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GET EDUCATED ABOUT THE TOPIC Count on being inundated with questions, which is why brick-andmortar selling is recommended. Direct customer contact lets you offer immediate answers and give personal advice, which will be much appreciated. Have a deep understanding of the product and information gathered from reputable sources. Once you know, educate everyone working for you. Your team should be able to handle questions while never offering claims.
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STANDARD QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO KNOW YES, CBD derived from industrial hemp is legal in all 50 States of the United States, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC. NO, it won’t get your customers high! For this reason, it’s imperative to confirm the levels of THC in any products you’re carrying. What About claims? Although there’s ample research that supports phenomenal benefits, at this point, it’s illegal for suppliers and sellers to make medical promises. Make sure there’s a visible disclaimer notice on whatever you’re carrying. Does CBD have side effects? Research is ongoing, but so far, side effects are negligible if any. When taken in high quantities, some report drowsiness, while others report stomach discomfort. Do I need a special license to sell CBD? No, and retailers can add it to their stock as long as they have a resale number and business license. Does my merchant processor allow CBD sales? Call your credit card processor to confirm they allow selling it on their equipment. If they don’t, consider finding another cc processor that does.
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QUALITY MATTERS Quality offerings build an important tier of customer loyalty. Do ample research to find a reputable distributor since there are oodles available in the marketplace. To ensure quality, look for the following: Sourcing: Since there’s still little regulation, where CBD sources from often predicts quality. Many reputable wholesalers source from the U.S. or Europe, where farmers have years of experience growing hemp. Research farming practices to confirm the use of above-standard, if possible organic, methods. Extraction method: Extracting CBD oil from hemp using CO2 is the safest and cleanest way, rather than harsh chemicals that are difficult to fully remove from the final product.
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Certificate of analysis (COA): This report confirms the levels of THC and other compounds in a CBD product, ensuring that customers are receiving a pure product that contains exactly what’s on the label. You can send for a third-party test to confirm. Price: Be wary of CBD that’s available at an incredibly low price. You get what you pay for.
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CUSTOM SERVICES It’s good to know if a distributor offers additional services to support sales. Some provide private labeling, employee trainings and in-store demonstrations. Request product samples for you, your staff and customers.
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OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND Make no claims: Selling CBD does not give you the authority to make claims that it prevents, treats, diagnoses, or cures a disease. Be overly cautious with your choice of language, never using terminology that could infer CBD is medicine. Information overload: For those busy times, make sure to post informational signage. This allows customers to make an informed purchase and will increase the visibility of the product. Offering info handouts can create return business if a customer isn’t ready to make a purchase. Spotlight inventory: Proudly display in high traffic areas to grab customers’ attention. People are curious, enthused and want to check out this exciting new product, so help them find it fast. Diversity helps: Don’t overdo it at first, but a good selection expands your audience and augments the appearance of expertise. Or, just simply add some lotions into your body products section. You know your target audience, so make them happy. Toot your horn: Like carrying any new product, announce it on social media, including product images. Use location targeting. Add keywords to your website. Host in-store events and classes. Partner with other compatible businesses (i.e. yoga studios). Write blogs and pitch press releases to local publications. Be creative, educational, excited! Go online: Develop an online store to capture an audience outside your shop environment. This will also make it easy for those who didn’t make an in-store purchase but are now ready to do so. Remember: People want to support local businesses. Make it easy for them.
Royce Amy Morales is the founder of Perfect Life Awakening. Morales is also a transpersonal development speaker and author of Know: A spiritual wake-up call. Royce was an independent retailer for two decades in Redondo Beach, CA. To know more about the author, visit her page at www.perfectlifeawakening.com. 1
https://www.hempbizjournal.com/cannabis-beginning-ante-bets-hemp/
2
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/statement-fda-commissioner-scottgottlieb-md-signing-agriculture-improvement-act-and-agencys
NEW
A Seed is a Tiny Miracle ... and So Are You! YOU ARE LIKE A SEED by Michaun Madsen teaches kids to trust their authentic self, knowing that deep inside they already have everything it takes to grow and experience a life of happiness. Children 3+ $14.95 Hardback 24pg 978-087516-902-6
DeVorss Publications
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Essential Oils for the Whole Body $24.99 • Paperback
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The Yoni Egg $19.99 • Paperback
ISBN 978-1-62055-865-2
Available at InnerTraditions.com and Wherever Books are Sold 800-246-8648 •
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Aspiring Artists of the Earth.............................................33 267-337-1817 I www.aaote.com
House Phoenix, The ...........................................................57 +1 250-801-5065 I www.thehousephoenix.com
Soundings of the Planet .................................................29 800-937-3223 I www.soundings.com
Altiplano................................................................................... 9 800-258-4899 I www.altiplano.com
Inner Traditions Int./Bear & Co ....................................63 800-246-8648 I www.innertraditions.com
Sounds True .............................................................1,21,57 888-303-9185 I www.soundstrue.com
Ayn Cates Sullivan ..........................................................57 Ayncatessullivan.com/heroines-of-avalon
Kheops International, Inc. ...................... 18, back cover 800-215-8705 I www.kheopsinternational.com
Starlinks ♥ .........................................................................27 800-867-4344 I www.starlinksgifts.com
Benjamin International.......................................................49 800-488-4699 I www.benjamininternational.com
Linda Lauren..........................................................................51 908-518-9001 I www.lindalauren.com
Sun's Eye Inc. .....................................................................24 800-786-7393 I www.sunseye.com
Beyond Words ..................................................................18 503-531-8700 I www.beyondword.com
Llewellyn Publications ................................................... 44 877-639-97-53 I www.llewellyn.com
Tamara Hensick Designs ................................................. 8 310-463-2310 I www.tamarahensickdesignsusa.com
Celtic Knot Works ...........................................................49 928-225-2488 I www.celticwholesale.com
Mandala Arts ....................................................................16 800-344-8072 I www.mandalaarts.com
Tidepool Enterprises...........................................................27 800-748-5790 I www.tidepoolonline.com
Coventry Creations .........................................................33 800-810-3837 I www.coventrywholesale.com
New Leaf Distributing Co.,................................................13 800-326-2665 I www.newleaf-dist.com
Uma Silbey.............................................................................19 808-268-7704 I www.umasilbey.com
Craftstones ........................................................................31 760-789-1620 I www.craftstones.com
New Life Foundation ......................................................55 800-293-3377 I www.anewlife.org
U.S. Games Systems, Inc..................................................... 5 800-544-2637 I www.usgamesinc.com
Crystal Earth Studio............................................................32 866-345-1910 I www.crystalearthstudio.com
New World Library...............................................................13 800-972-6657 I www.newworldlibrary.com
Valrock Music ...................................................................61 valerieromanoffmusic.com
Deva Designs ....................................................................20 800-799-8308 I www.devadesignsjoy.com
Nirvana Jewelry...................................................................... 8 800-779-7952 I www.nirvanaonline.com
Wei of Chocolate.................................................................... 9 602-753-3216 I www.weiofchocolatewholesale.com
DeVorss Publications..........................................................63 800-843-5743 I www.devorss.com
Ohm Therapeutics Sound Healing..................................21 505-455-7556 I www.soundhealingtools.com
Wellstone ..........................................................................51 800-544-8773 I www.wellstonejewelry.com
Dragon’s Eye Incense..........................................................34 800-774-0301 I www.dragonseyeincense.com
Paul Wagner..........................................................................25 www.paulwagner.com
We’Moon................................................................................19 503-288-3588 I www.wemoon.ws
dZi Handmade ..................................................................50 800-318-5857 I www.dzi.com
Raiders of the Lost Art........................................................33 800-527-4367 I www.raiderocks.com
Windrose Trading ................................................................45 800-229-3731 I www.windrosetrading.com
Eachanoriginal......................................................................61 800-490-9445 I www.eachanoriginal.com
Red Wheel Weiser................................................................10 800-423-7087 I www.redwheelweiser.com
World Buyers ........................................................................51 800-996-7531 I www.worldbuyers.com
Esprit Creations Inc. ................................................. 11,61 352-316-6130 I www.espritcreations.com
Ronin Publishing...................................................................55 866-400-5351 I www.roninpub.com
Xeonix Inc. ............................................................................27 972-296-5999 I www.xeonixinc.com
Eternal Ice..............................................................................55 307-754-4396 I www.eternal-ice.com
Scents of Success .............................................................37 800-580-5579 I www.rhavda.com
Yak and Yeti ..........................................................................31 310-618-1700 I www.yaknyeti.net
Gaia’s World..........................................................................27 866-605-1191 I www.gaiasworld.com
Schiffer Books......................................................................... 3 610-593-1777 I www.redfeathermbs.com
Yolanda’s Spirit Drums ......................................................17 575-635-0545 I www.yolandasdrums.com
Goddess Design Studio......................................................26 570-982-3230 I goddessdesignstudio@yahoo.com
Sequoia Records...................................................................59 800-519-9078 I www.sequoiarecords.com
Zen and Meow ...............................................................31,61 717-451-9159 I www.zenandmeow.com
Hapi Drum.............................................................................48 559-642-6248 I www.hapidrum.com
Shaman's Dawn....................................................................33 855-229-7928 I www.shamansdawn.com/wholesale
Zeppo Mechandisers .....................................................51 800-326-4367 I www.zeppomerch.com
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