Challenge

Schools out for summer,  Jacks at camp everyday, Maggie spends the day at the Beach with Kelsey and Gus rolls around the house counting minutes between feedings.  It is great watching these kids grow in different stages and a challenge to meet there needs.  

eco kids is growing as well and it is a challenge to meet the needs of the company.  We have 6 weeks till the New York International Gift Fair and a full plate of deadlines to meet.  We are debuting 7 new products to market!  With this comes organizing ourselves, coordinating with our office team, working with our illustrator, graphic designer, web designer, packaging staff, shipping team, and getting all of this to the printers in time for New York... ...what else would I do today?

I sometimes think how nice it would be to be one of the kids. We are stretched thin but know what the outcome in NY can be. Bringing our new products to our existing retailers, and knowing that the major accounts will be in to talk to us...that is exciting.  We'll grow larger, employ more people, build a presence in the market place, give our staff livelihood and be able to do more with our families.  To know that we conceptualized something from an idea to the market shelf is pretty cool.  Isn't that what this challenge is about, being able to do more, experience more and travel the world.  We have exiting things to come in the near future.  We are looking ahead but keeping our eye on the daily tasks to get there. Stay tuned my fellow readers, the challenge continues...

Thanks!

A little teaser of things to come...

PS.  No one at llBeans has contacted us yet.

Full Circle

Never boring and never predetermined life does take you on a journey.  Some travel hard and fast and burn out quick, others meander along winding trails full of forks and turns.  And many of us find that life is full of circles.  Even though I have traveled the world, I am occasionally stopped in my tracks and realize how small the world is. 

No matter where I have been, when I think of home, I think of New England.  Where I spent my youth, and where most of my life realization took place.  You always gravitate home, either mentally or physically.  As I start to pack for Market Square Day in Portsmouth, New Hampshire...I think about my childhood where I grew up and graduated from high school.  I think about my old bedroom, in my old house, the posters on the walls, the friends of my adolescence, the snow falling on the mill pond.

Now I return, as an adult with a family of my own, and a growing business.  I look forward to returning to Portsmouth, to Market Square Day.  I also look forward to possibly running into old friends and actually saying "Has it really been 10 years?", and meeting there children who are about to circle and navigate the world.

 

Market Square Day

Portsmouth, NH

June 9th, 2012

9:00-4:00

It has been an odd week at eco-kids.  There have been a lot of special requests coming from all directions. Some good, some frustrating.  We are looking forward to working with a non profit group - supplying eco-kids products to children in over 25 hospitals around the country.  More to come on that as it develops!  When you own a small family business it's always hard to please everyone. There are distributors, rep groups, retailers, your wife, and most importantly your kids.

Jack doesn't understand why I can't stop my day the second he gets off the bus and play Star Wars, with used action figures bought off eBay that were made during 1978 to 1982.  Back when the toys were made in Hong Kong with quality, and have the names of kids from generations past written on the bottom of there feet. (Sorry had to throw that in there, and by the way, they are more affordable, last longer, and have a great sense of nostalgia when you are playing with them).

OK, so back to all these requests.  You can't please everyone as your company grows.  As you grow, you work on bringing your cost of goods down while trying to meet demand.  As you make changes to survive, there will be those who can't change with you, but if those changes build your business while holding on to your convictions of running a sustainable environmentally conscious business...others will come.  It might be hard to see that while in the thick of it, but if you believe in who you are so will they.  You may lose an account, but you'll gain three in return, all the while trying not to let negative energy consume you and wish those party's well. After that, stop what your doing, pick up your X wing fighter, forget that your almost 40, and run around the yard with your son protecting the rebel alliance from the Republic and FLY!