Vending

Yesterday was my second vendor event. 

In preparation for the event I neglected the online shop by focusing all my attention on having enough Cash and Carry product ready. 

I always have this grand notion that there wont be enough sets.  I'll sell out and have to direct people to buy online.  Oh the horror! 

Those pre-vendor thoughts couldn't be further from what actually happens. 

The event yesterday was very similar to the first.  I talked to A LOT of people.  From each person I spoke with, I heard, "This is so clever!  You came up with this?  How cute!  I love it!".  Every.  Person. 

I know it's not lip service either.  I have a pretty good bull crap meter.  There is genuine enthusiasm when people tell me they like the product. 

So.  Lots of nice comments.  No sales. 

Well, I did sell 3 sets in the last half hour but it was to one of the volunteers working the event.  And if I recall from when I volunteered at this same event 5 years ago, a designated volunteer was given monies to spend on some vendors to encourage them to come back.  Not saying that's what happened, but it could have been.   

At the first event I spoke with more people and gave out way more business cards, but had no sales.  Towards the end of that vendor event, my business peer, Cherry, had to talk me off the entrepreneur ledge.  I was discouraged to the max. 

She said the clientele at the event didn't match up with my ideal customer.  She also said I needed visuals. 

She was right.

Cherry wasn't my only cheerleader that night.  I also cheered myself up.  I convinced myself as I was packing up my car that dark evening after a long and anxious day, that this is exactly how every good start up story begins. 

That one day in the distant future when my company is a Fortune 500, I will be interviewed by a magazine (INC or Entrepreneur, obvi) and the interviewer will ask, "Marcia, what advice can you offer to entrepreneurs who are trying to introduce a brand new product in the market?". 

And I will say,

"My first ever vendor event, I didn't sell anything.  Nothing!  But instead of bringing home cash, I brought home knowledge.  That experience ended up being way more valuable than any amount of money.  I was shown the importance of figuring out my market, and how to market my product.  The same goes for the second vendor event, when I sold to just one person." and then I will drag on and on and on like I do in real life.  hahah...anywho :o/      

That night I also returned home to Ryan who, instead of being pissed that he cancelled guaranteed cash money lessons to come home early and watch the kids so I could attend something I lost money on, said, "Don't be discouraged.  We just need to figure it out.  Learn from this experience.  Give product away.  You got this." 

The first vendor event was August 1.  3 weeks after launching. 

At yesterday's event, 11 weeks after launching, people understood the product because of the new banner.  I snuck up (not really, I was returning from the bathroom) on a mom explaining to her young son what the MagnifiCuffs were just by looking at the banner.  Holler! 

So, from the second vendor event I learned the true importance of just how valuable my time is.  And to stop wasting it. 

I'm so hungry, though!  I want to sell, I want to hear what people have to say, I want to see their expressions when they see the poster, or demonstrate the product on them. 

But, it's not time effective.  The 2 events I vended at, weren't my target group.  I don't regret doing the vendor events because I learned a lot, but I think mama's done learning for now. 

After talking to one of Ryan and my close friends this morning, we are headed in a new direction.  One I kind of new from the start, but wasn't sure how to tap.  Now that Ryan and my initial thoughts have resurfaced through one of our brightest business minded friends, we are revamping our marketing strategy and focus.  Again.  Ha!

I'm going to do the damn thing. 

Wish us luck! 

Love,
The exhausted but extremely optimistic Marcian

Perspective

Stuck in our families issues, on edge, then I see other peoples trials.  Then I wonder about the people who aren't sharing what they are going through.  It's a reminder to be kind to everyone. 

When it rains in our household, it pours.  What a freaking week.  We are going through some health crap right now with both the boys. 

I know at least 3 other families that are going through health crap with their kids. 

It doesn't seem fair.  For the little ones to suffer. 

Anyone who knows me hears me say all the time, "without our health, we don't have anything".  Isn't that the God's honest truth. 

Doesn't matter the amount of money you have in your account, if you are sick, or worse, your child is, you'd trade it all right? 

Of course it sucks to struggle financially, and that can also make us sick, but in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter?  

September is our tightest month of the year because of car taxes, school fees, annual cord blood storage fees, and missing a week of work in August. 

But trying to keep things in perspective. 

Thank God for insurance, for modern medicine, for the ability for my husband to make his own schedule so he can be with us.  Thank God for the friends who say it's ok to freak out because I've never been in a situation like this.  That fear of the unknown is ok.  To not compare the severity of our struggle with others.  To not dismiss what we are going through because other people are going through worse trials. 

Thank God for the friends who will help with anything, we just have to ask.  For the family members who drop it all and fight over who gets to take the healthy kid. 

The husband has missed a lot of work this week to be with us.  October will be a struggle, but who cares, we are used to it now. 

My heart is with everyone that is struggling right now.  I hope people are kind, gentle and understanding with you.  And that, more importantly, you are with yourself. 

We can't control our emotions or fears, we just have to accept them and hope to receive lessons in the meantime.  I learned one while writing this.  Love to you all.

Pitch

I got two angel investors last week!  I had no idea what they were until my girl's husband, who is an entrepreneur, asked for a description of the investment and then told me I had a couple angels supporting the LLC.  So exciting!  I do lose sleep over it... but the boys have prepped me for this for the past 4 years. 

While I tried to decide best how to spend their money, it's a lot harder than one would think, I came up with a new tv show idea. 

You all know that I'm obsessed with Shark Tank.  I love it and I want to be on it. But, it also scares the bajoobs out of me.  Standing there on that fancy rug with the faded lights, powerful music, and 8 man eyes and 2 woman eyes glaring at me is absolutely terrifying.  TARE UHHH FIE YING!  And then I gotta speak.  Huaaaack! 

I'll do it though.  It will stretch me.  It will take us where we need to go, or get the recognition that needs to be had to make the relationships necessary.  It's going to happen. 

Anywho, I told you in one of my previous posts, about the Shark Tank, that I've pictured myself on both sides.  Shark, and bait.  Now that I believe it's actually a possibility, I no longer want to be a Shark.  I want to be an Angel. 

The new show pitch, also known as Shark Tanks arch nemesis:

Angel's Cloud

Hopeful entrepreneurs looking for their break will present their company's mission and history to 5 self made millionaires.  The cast will be me, 3 other women, and one man who can rotate out with another man millionaire. 

Instead of the dramatic music we will have Bach's "Air on the G String" play (or maybe something less sad, but that's like my all time faves orchestra song). 

The colors of the room will be decorated in soft creams, baby blues, and platinum crystal accents. 

We will sit at a round table with the hopeful.  Or, they can choose to demonstrate their company and we will sit in a line of white satin tufted wing backed chairs.   

Although I feel the most intimidating part of the Shark Tank must be walking into the room, I do like that for Angel's Cloud.  I've always been big on body language. 

We would all shake hands and introduce ourselves.  It's only 5 people the hopeful is meeting with...it can be edited out.  Or maybe viewers would want to see the handshake, to pick up on any similar responses we have to certain hopefuls.

That's all I got so far. 

What do you think?  If anyone wants to pitch this to a network I'm cool with it, as long as I can get in on it and get some more investors so I can grow my biz and then be at the round table.  HOLLER! 

Cancer

Attempting to not offend anyone as I speak on a subject I don't know firsthand about.  Pediatric cancer. 

All I know is what I've seen through my friends words.  Actually, that's not all I know, I also know that I am a parent and once we join the parent club, we fight for all children.  We treat each child as if they are our own. 
     
I can't imagine the suffering these parents go through.  The amount of anxiety I feel over just a simple stomach bug.  

My 4 year old just threw up three times for the second time this week.  He was sick on Tuesday also.  I know some kids puke.  Sometimes they cry so hard they vomit.  Sometimes they eat too much and barf.  Sometimes they are overstimulated and it makes them sick. 

My boy doesn't get sick.  Except when he had the stomach flu once.  And the 3 separate times between a year that he had peanuts, before we got him diagnosed with having a peanut allergy.  But other than those times, he's got a gut of steel.

Every time he or the baby gets sick, or injured, I think about my friends whose son was diagnosed with osteosarcoma last summer at age 11.  Mathias Giordano has been fighting the good fight for over a year now.  He had his leg amputated and has had multiple surgeries.

It is unfathomable to me what his family has gone through.  And they do it with such positivity.  Mathias's mom keeps his faithful friends and followers up to date through Facebook and a Caring Bridge website.  She is always so thankful and so encouraging.  She asks us to pray for her son and to send him positive thoughts.  That's all she asks for, but they get more. 

The Giordano's have people that want and need to do kind acts for them.  They have neighbors that mow their yard, drop off care packages, raise money, and create awareness items for them.  They have built a community.  Every life that hears their story is moved to action. 

Why? 

Because we imagine "what if" that were to happen to our son, nephew, grandkid, brother, cousin, neighbor, kids classmate, etc.  We do it because we have to have faith in community, humanity, and goodness.  If this travesty were to happen directly to us, we would have others to carry us for a bit.  Give us something to cling to. 

As I hope everyone knows now, September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month.  Through the Giordano's page I've seen multiple parents of kids with cancer, or kids that passed from cancer, rally to get more attention for the cause. 

These families that are in it and that have lost loved little ones to cancer, they aren't doing it for themselves.  You realize that, right? 

They are doing it for us.  The families with kids that don't have cancer. 

They don't want us to suffer the way they have and will for the rest of their lives.  It feels right to them to fight for awareness.  To make large corporations see just how important our children are to all of us.  More attention equals more money. 

I can't provide you with stats.  How much federal funding goes towards pediatric cancer research, how much money pharmaceutical companies provide, how many corporations "Go Gold" compared to how many that support other cancers awareness. I don't have these numbers.  I was too discouraged when looking for them. 

This month, do something.  Anything regarding bringing more awareness to pediatric cancer.  Even if it's just to search for these statistics online.  We know the NSA, amongst many other sources of corporate and government big brothers, are watching.  Let's keep talking about it.  Maybe we will get pediatric cancer trending, and bring some awareness, followed with funding. 

How about we speak up for the little ones that are too weak and tired to speak for themselves.  We, with the non cancer kids, momentarily carry the torch for the moms and dads that just need a F@#$ING 10 minute break.  How about we support them with our voices, our dollars, and our prayers so they don't lose faith.