Hey, get that gravy boat out of your nose!

Being a business owner, sometimes you may feel that you aren't allowed to get sick or take time off work if you've got the sniffles. False. First off, no one wants to be around you while you hack up a lung. Second, resting and taking time to get well, when you feel run-down is a smart business move since being out of commission while that nagging cough turns into full-blown pnumonia will only cost you more dough in the long term.

So for all you self-employed bosses out there, get plenty of rest, eat right and meet my secret weapon...the neti pot. Yogis of yore have been irrigating their nasal passages for a long time. Here's why it works:

• removes bacteria filled musus from your nasal passages, including the dirt and grime that accumulates from environmental toxins
• lubricates the sinus cavities which can become dry and raw from dry indoor air. This can leave us vulnerable to infections
• helps to eliminate or alleviate allergy symptoms (the neti pot helps to drain the sinus cavities)
• helps to flush the tear ducts – clarity of vision = clarity of mind

Mia describes it best when she shares her experience with the neti pot: She likens it to going swimming in a crisp salt-water ocean...coming out and feeling absolutely refreshed.

Here's an instructional video I found.

Go forth neti-potters!

BTW...ceramic Neti Pots are now back in stock at GL!

Step into my office...baby

First off, I'm was so happy to read Mia's last blog. It was nice to tread down memory lane again, and remember the seedlings of our dreams.

I might add, had she not been a complete weasel, using inclement weather as an excuse to not go to work ("uhm...are YOU going to the office today? It's pretty bad out right? We should stay home right???") , who knows what could have happened? But let's not dwell on the past or ponder the future, let's stay present. Fast forward to a couple years later, this is now the office we bike, TTC and drive to, even on the worst of snow days.

(the northwest corner of our eco-store)

After I read her blog, I got to thinking about occupations in general. I've had several jobs, and two bonafide career paths, excluding the one I am now on.

They (jobs and careers) always start of with such a bang don't they? Such excitement and such potential on the upstart. But once the initial buzz wore off, and the new suits and outfits I've purchased for said jobs start fading and pilling from wash, I found myself wishing for a new start.

Someone once said to me..."You're not supposed to like your job". My thoughts on the statement: I'm torn. The idealist in me is completely abject to that statement (picture mouth agape). Yet, the realist side knows the validity in it. Most people HAVE to work (thanks capt. obvious). Not speaking for anyone else, but I always ended up being lukewarm about every single post I held...to me, that's worse than hating it.

I wanted to have passion and zeal for my 9-5. I wanted to love it THIS much (my baby cat Linxie loving her eco-friendly scratch pad).

Man, she loves that thing. She makes out with it, several times a day.

It is one thing to be a dreamer, and it's another to be a dreamer that's homeless and broke. Yes the decision to START GL was done shot-gun style, but the execution was not the least bit impulsive.

Mia and I were very very practical and pragmatic when planning Green Lavender, and the concept of the store and studio was ever-evolving and ever changing. In fact, the yoga studio idea came much, much later in the planning process. We met almost weekly to brainstorm and plan (thank you Williams coffee pub). We tried a crap-load of eco-products, did surveys, went to seminars, looked at spaces, talked to small business experts and small business owners...and the list goes on.

So, with our full time jobs, my yoga teaching gigs, planning GL and trying to have social lives on top of that, our plates, well...they runneth over. Not to be a martyr, but ya sacrifices were made. To quote small business expert Andrew Patricio "It takes a lot of effort to build a successful business. If you're not prepared to put in the effort, don't get into your own business". Hear hear Andrew...

If there is one thing that is still a constant, it's the hard work, and I don't harbour any delusions that it wont be, for a long, long time.

We've probably never worked harder in our lives (hey Mia, remember renovations??? Actually, I should say, hey Kostas...remember renovations???). But the payoff is priceless...see exibit A&B

This is my office and desk...

And this is my daily attire (I do not miss my starched button up, collar blouses)....

What I learned: Dream big, then put your back into it.

We're curious...do you love your job? What is your dream job?

Its the little things in life....pay it forward

You know the little unexpected things that happen that put a smile on your face for the rest of the day, aren't those the best???? Its like finding a $10 bill in the back pocket of the jeans you haven't worn in months......or running into a friend you haven't talked to in years. I love those! Sometimes it seems as if these moments are far and few in between. But just last week I got an e-mail from Joanna saying (and I quote) 'Uhm...where did this review come from????? ehhhh?'. I click on the link she sent me

to find a cute little blurb about our shop on Daily Vitamin. Usually we know when someone is here to write about us, but neither of us knew about this. Hence the analogy about the unexpected surprises. Its small and simple but it made our day. So in the spirit of paying it forward I would like to let everyone know about a small business coach who's insight we go back to time and again. His name is Andrew Patricio from Biz Launch . He has a real passion for helping out entrepreneurs, and this passion shines through from the moment you meet him. So for anyone thinking of opening up a business, or in the early stages of one, definitely go to one of Andrew's seminars (bonus they are FREE). His knowledge and honesty are like a breath of fresh air in what could be a very confusing time for small start-up owners. What I learned: If you receive an act of kindness don't hold on to it, pass it on-thats where the true happiness is. “Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” Goethe

Riddle me this...(musings on why questions are good)

When choosing a business partner, it's best to choose someone who compliments you. Not in that Jerry McGuire, you complete me, dire sort of way, but yeah...kind of like that. You'll need a business partner that can round out your strengths and smooth our your weaknesses. This may seem like common sense, but it really does come in handy when you're ready to sign your life away on some dotted line...like when you're ready to find a space for a brick and mortar location for instance.

This is when I discovered that Mia is very very good at one thing (among other things), and that is, she's not afraid to ask a bajillion questions.

Settling on a lease is not something to be rushed or to be taken lightly. It's serious business, and you have to research the heck out of the place and ask lots and lots and lots of questions. Right now, we're not talking about reading the fine print on a lease agreement (that's for later). We're talking about, making the intelligent decision on WHERE to settle your establishment.
We looked at a dozen or more places in different neighborhoods in Toronto before settling on good ol 2842. I, normally impulsive by nature, pretty much fell in love with all the places we looked at. Whereas Mia, insisted we roam the streets and ask around...

We talked to other business owners, miscellaneous people on the street, and got their candid opinions and feedback. Did they think our business would work in this neighborhood? What do you think of our services? How is their business going on this stretch of the street? Would you buy our product if we were here? Some of the feedback we got was very candid indeed. In fact, some of it was priceless, as we could have, in retrospect totally ended up in no man's land and a failed business.

Now remember, opinions, like french fries, should be taken with a grain of salt, and of course, just because someone has an opinion doesn't mean it's right. But when a fellow shop-keep tells you, "This street has no foot traffic", and opon further observation you notice, uhm...yeah, no one is walking by this street front, you should take heed.


What's that you say? You can get all that demographic information through Statistics Canada?? Well yeah...sure you can, and all of that is also useful information. But there's nothing like reaching out to people, read: potential or non-potential customers on a street level. So, get out there. Talk to people, ask them questions. Get feedback and ideas along the way. Why not take an impromptu street survey - you'll be surprised at how willing and open most people are help you out.

Also, check to see if the area you are looking for has a local B.I.A. (Business Improvement Areas) . The B.I.A. offices can provide you with a wealth of information about upcoming developments and initiatives in their business area, as well as info on the neighborhood itself.

What I learned: "Sometimes questions are more important than answers" - Nancy Willard (American poet and writer).

For some reason, talking about Mia and the B.I.A. made me think about this song...enjoy!