i still have my hands full
 
five years ago our little store opened on the 1200 block of locust street. we carried eight different hair and body care lines, four name products of our own, a fistful of good intentions and an infinite amount of hope. for me it began a dream that continues to grows into a brand all our own. there have been a few days where i have missed the quaint little store front with our living space behind but like most of life, things have progressed and looking back doesn’t make the soap. with the expansion came many more duties and responsibilities. a whole lot more of a whole lot more. though i sometimes wonder if i can keep up, i feel certain about our direction. easily bored (as i am prone to be) i am always looking for fresh, exciting additions to our brand. though it usually takes form in something i can physically make, i already know what “flavors” we will be creating in the coming year as shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and moisturizer. the new labels are already on eps file, it is simply a matter of getting the holiday season behind me. after five years with the store, rarely do i struggle with anything other than james’ budget restrictions. i do however find the wholesale thing a bit cumbersome. it’s a learning curve. that’s not to say i don’t get to enjoy some of this experience. there are some great shops that blow me away. last summer when james and i were in provincetown, we wandered into an amazing new specialty store called south stream design on commercial street. i was enchanted by the merchandise and most proud to see that my big, colorful bars had been selling there quite well. green depot in new york city is pretty awesome for us too. they know who they are and how they wish to partner with us. they get it in a big way. in the beginning i wondered if we couldn’t wholesale to philadelphia area stores with the intention of offering people a corner of our store in their store but most folks just want to do it their way. i can’t say that i blame them but i don’t have the time or inclination for hand holding. it’s not easy trying to please people who won’t order off the menu, especially when the emerging economy cries out for rational retailing. so damn much hype and rarely any substance. i guess we’ll just have to open more duross & langel stores... to say i am grateful for these five years would be grossly understating the obvious. you can feel the love in every bar i make. intention is a powerful thing that permeates our lives. though not always recognized, i believe intention lives within all our actions and has a direct effect on the outcome. james does this because he loves me. i do it because i love doing it. greatness shows up in the final product, in the kindness of the people who shop with us and certainly in the wonderful people who work with us. i still have my hands full and hope to for many years to come. http://www.greendepot.com/greendepot/shapeimage_2_link_0
Sunday, November 1, 2009