My dog ate my week

It’s just like getting off the ferris wheel, feeling a little dizzy and disoriented, but realizing its 3 days later after when you got on. Where did my week go? Since my last posting, I’ve been literally spinning with sales calls and doing media outreach! All with success! A few new stores lined up to buy the collection and a some others want more information! Fantastic! I’ve begun compiling an awesome media list and outreaching to area reporters. So far so great! The response has been great. This is what small business has to do in the climate. We have to keep trekking and trying a variety of things to promote business.

Today was a milestone also on the personal level. I dragged my butt to my long-awaited, and long rescheduled physical. Three vials of blood later, I was squeamish after seeing my blood be removed. For some odd reason, I can’t take the sight of blood leaving my body. Call me nutty, but I like my fluids in my body.

On a related note, my little brother (the apple of my eye and a soon-to-be doc) is recovering after a serious ear infection. He anxiously awaits my arrival in NYC Sunday. Next Monday I have a factory visit scheduled to scope out the possibility of producing in the Big Apple as opposed to California (see previous post).

Hubby treated me to dinner tonight. That was great! We went to Pollo Ranchero on route 1, a longtime fave spot of ours. We caught up on the week over Peruvian chicken, ceviche, and chips and salsa (delish). We discussed the possibility of a vacation either in May or August. Since I’m lining up sales through May, August may be the most realistic approach. Towards the end of the date, I had to apologize because I was talking incoherently, due to the syndrome of toomuchonminditis. I swear I had no drinks. I remember telling him “You’re going to have to learn what I mean because I don’t always know what I’m saying.” He looked bewildered. He’ll be okay! Sometimes 20 things are going to on in my head at the same time full-speed ahead. Tomorrow nite will be super cool since his company offered him box seats to the Wizards vs Pistons. Whoohooo-a nice relaxing evenings with hubby! Can I ask for anything else?

Actually yes—a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow will consist of errands, work, work, work, packing for NYC and anticipation for the game! Go Wizards!

Miraculous Monday

So it's a miracle I am posting today given the fact that for the past 30 minutes i was trying every password know to man to log into my blog. This is just part of my life as a small biz owner, failing to write things down because I swear i'll remember, then forgetting because I have too much on my mind! Sometimes, post-its just don't cut it.

Today was wildly productive as I did tons of sales and media outreach. As a former journalist, I am hoping that my attempts to save journos times sifting though a long press release (lord knows i hated reading uneventful press releases to get to the point in the last paragraph) and instead providing the nuts and bolts of my label in a brief friendly email, gets me and K&P in their favor! Go nuts and bolts! I also managed to cook 3 healthy meals today and line up a factory visit next week in New York to see if production can work in the Big Apple! I hope so since I am a native New Yorker and if something goes wrong on their end, I am much more apt to just jump in the car and scream at whoever is to blame. That seems much more productive and time efficient than having to fed-ex my emotional breakdown to a galaxy far, far away. At least it sounds better in my head!

I did hear back from a major plus-size woman's magazine today which is considering profiling some of my clothes. A toast to that (am raising my hot cocoa mug in the air). And that was my day. Between cleaning my files and shredding paper that was taking over my coffetable, sales and media emails and walking poor Oni (i say poor because since I've been home doing the biz full time she has reverted to her puppy days of sappy, needy faces-a sad sight for a 7 year old, 70lb lab), I get to go to go to sleep knowing that I continue on my way, with a bigger foot in a magazine's door and footsteps in stores nationwide. That calls for a smile!

Sunny Sunday

Today was harsh…Although it was a beautiful day outside, I went nowhere because I had tons to do indoors. It’s okay. When my empire is built and I have enough money to hire all the staff in the world, it’ll be worth the carpal tunnel and the flawed vision caused by unending hours on the computer in the name of my biz. I hear St. Martin’s doesn’t mind visitors with achy wrists and glasses who lounge all day and sip on drinks with umbrellas in them ;-)
OK so today wasn’t that horribly harsh. I did ID 40 new stores that could carry my line (they’ll all be getting a nice postcard from moi this week in the mail) and I did ID some stores to visit outside the DC area next week for some sales calls. I baked 6 plantains today and I’m trying to convince myself that is normal- (6 plantains for 2 people=a lot of damn plantains). And let’s not forget I rid the kitchen table of store listings, postcards, coupons, and biz files so hubby and I can have dinner (yes plantains were included). I would definitely count that as an accomplishment.
This week is going to be jam-packed with biz plan finalizing, sales calls, media outreach, resuming designing the Spring line, and doing another mailing. But Tis the life of a biz owner and I wouldn’t have it any other way. At least this time I am licking stamps for my mailing, and no one else’s.