As I was preparing an Instagram post about gratitude journaling last week, I was inspired to review our own journey building a new business. The questions in My Gratitude Journal by The Mind, Body, and Soul Collective are great prompts, so after some reflection, here is our own gratitude journal entry. (Note: the original questions have been slightly modified to allow me to cover a larger period of time.)
I am grateful for...
There is so much to be grateful for! Even though we are not yet profitable, we love the brand that we are building, and it turns out that there are other things that really count for us. Thinking about the top things that we are most grateful for, they include meeting other entrepreneurs who are so willing to share ideas and provide help, friends and family who have been supportive in various ways, and customers who give positive feedback on our products.
My three proudest moments…
Many things happen that gives us a sense of pride. Every time a book is produced and it turns out exactly as we wished, or every time we attend a market as a vendor and get to share our story, we are beaming from ear to ear. But if I had to choose our top three, they would be these:
- Acquiring one of our first stockists, Halliday House & Co. – This awesome store in Cookstown is the type of establishment that makes me jealous. Or the other sentiment I have is that if I were a millionaire, I would buy everything in that shop. So, when they agreed to stock some of our planners, journals and notebooks, I couldn’t be more thrilled. Jenn, the owner, is so fun to work with. We’ve done a giveaway together, she creates great content with Do Good Paper Co. products, and she has subsequently reordered. So yes, this is one of our proudest achievements.
- Speaking at a Green Connections networking event – This networking group meets monthly in York Region, and I was excited to accept an invitation to speak at one of their meetings about Do Good Paper Co. I focused the presentation on how our business has built philanthropy into our business model and how we infuse cause marketing into our marketing plans. The receptive reaction from the audience gave me total reassurance that we are doing the right thing. I went in there as a stranger and left feeling like a new member of their community.
- Selling out of our Winter 2019 edition subscription box – Themed around getting cozy at home, we filled it with a bunch of beautiful stationery products, plus other items to enhance the hygge experience for the customer. Although we knew that it would make an incredible gift, how were we going to get the word out during a time of intense competition when other retailers are vying for our customer’s attention and preference? We were almost in disbelief when the last of our available boxes was sold! That brought us enough joy to last the whole holiday season. And I’m still talking about it now.
My intention for the upcoming month…
Being a new and small Canadian brand, it’s tough to be visible in the gigantic world. My intention for the upcoming month is to make more connections with other like-minded businesses, and shine more light on the upside of philanthropy. One of my favourite quotes is “No one has ever become poor by giving” by Anne Frank. By giving back and making contributions to charitable organizations, we run a business that we can be proud of and one that our customers can be happy to buy from. There are so many other amazing Canadian small businesses that do this, so I want to learn from them and share in that loving energy.
I am ready to let go of…
As a marketer by trade, I’ve always believed in the power of marketing, and never understood why so many entrepreneurs were reluctant to spend money on advertising… until now. It’s like the chicken and egg conundrum… I can’t spend money that I don’t have to build brand awareness, but I can’t create brand awareness if I don’t advertise. From this moment on, I choose to let go of the fear. I am going to start putting a small budget aside for advertising so that our amazing little brand can become visible. You can help us by spreading the word.
Thank you to everyone who has touched our brand in the last seven months. We are truly grateful and will work hard to continue doing good.