remember this post from a few weeks ago?  well, the most wonderful thing happened this week- i was given the opportunity to attend an eye-opening, inspiring and energizing conference by count me in -make mine a million $ business program. the day long event was in seattle and when i read that simon sinek of inspireaction was a guest speaker, i knew i had to try to go. i put it out into the universe. within a few days, signs were pouring in that i should, could and would indeed, attend.

just that quick, free tickets arrived, a place to stay was offered and the perfect companion said yes, yes i'll go with you.

the event brought together women entrepreneurs from the pacific northwest (a very impressive group!) and experts in business. from financing to marketing to networking -it was a deeply inspiring and affirming event, yet focused on the nuts and bolts of turning an idea into a million dollar business. i came away from the experience with a vision for my own business path that is both broader and deeper. it's clear to me now that what i need to do is find other people that believe what i believe, that are invested in my why, and form a team. 

i met simon sinek after the program and thanked him. at the end of our brief conversation, he pressed this metal object into my palm. it was a lucky charm of sorts, a truly charming version of the golden circle idea, held in my hand. he calls it a token of inspiration. this object asks the question: why do you do what you do? it's good to stay focused on that why. my why drives me to take action against doubt and fear, to build the life i envision. to grow a small business into a big business and help change the world for the better. simon also writes a blog called re:focus, worth reading for anyone running their own business or wondering how to find their purpose in this world.

i'm going to try something new at found object. to write about my business, honey & milk, once a week on fridays. so for those of you who are curious and following the story of how i grow my ideas into a successful company -it should be an interesting ride. for others that might be thinking about starting their own business and need a little inspiration, i hope you will find that here as well. and for yet other readers, who just want the beautiful pictures and features on art -well you know which day to cruise right by found object. i do hope you'll all hang around, of course. and tell your friends. 

 

the primary reason it's been difficult in the past to share my larger vision for my life and business is that i don't have it all figured out. it's not a perfectly polished plan, even in my brain. there's the liability of the perfectionist, we want to get it all just so, before it's open for judgement. yet putting this out there, opening to the possibility of great feedback and support, to the potential of collaboration - that's what is driving me now. i can't afford to hold on to this, if it's going to fly, i need to be fearless and ask for help.

and if i didn't have fear, i certainly wouldn't be human. i just don't want fear to be my boss anymore.

what i have had figured out is what simon sinek calls my "why". he's got a brilliant interview on video here and i highly recommend it -very inspiring and empowering. he talks about the "golden circle", a visual that looks like a target with three rings. the image above is from my sketchbook, as i took notes on the video. as you can see, the outer ring is your "what", and one that is easy for most people and companies to figure out. for me, it's making beautiful objects and teaching. and the very center of the circle is your "why", that too, is pretty easy for me to articulate. i've been writing indepth about my "why" the past few days here. then the middle ring is your "how". quite simply, it's how does your "what" support your "why"? how does it all come together?

that is the connection piece, the piece i need help with. i've been stuck on the "how".

funding, logistics, all of the nuts and bolts that will bring this big vision for honey & milk into being - that's what i have been struggling to figure out. i turn to you, my dear readers in hopes that you will get excited about honey & milk, really excited. and that excitement will produce conversations and exchange of ideas. the blogging world (at least the corner of it i travel most frequently in) is a beautiful place, bursting with kind people, creative energy and amazing connections. i am setting down here my positive intention to do this thing.

i believe that even the act of writing it down and publishing it here is important, possibly vital. 

so, how do i start on my "how"? i am well aware it takes more than a grand vision. as my track record shows, i am willing to work very hard to bring a project to fruition. when i look at the logistics of the whole big thing, it's as overwhelming as it is exciting. here is a preliminary list of what honey & milk needs to get from vision to reality:

1) research and development. i need connections with people in the know, in the field. i need to travel to scout locations and find communities that would fit the project. i need language skills and translators.

2) financial and legal advising. everything has to be set up correctly for growth. import and export regulations and costs need to be nailed down. proposals and contracts will need to be created to secure funding. 

3) investors and funding. i need people and companies with the need to invest in social good. deep pockets and kind hearts. companies that see the value in saving the world, one community at a time.

4) marketing and hitting the tipping point. i need hot pr, great press and loads of sales savvy to get into those high-end markets. i need to get the fashion world's attention. honey & milk wares need to be worn and loved by celebrities. 

5) my personal logistics. when would i leave my part time job as a rental property manager? i live at that job, so leaving means moving. during the research/scouting phase, how will i fund travel and living expenses and if i leave that job, where will i return to? what about my little dog? what is the best way to make the transition from my independent life here in portland and my studio to working in a salaried position for my own company?

i know making this dream into a profitable business will be challenging, hard work and at times humbling. without a doubt, there will be many, many things to learn and overcome. i'll need to be adaptable and figure it out as i go. i know for certain i am up to meeting those challenges. i want to be part of the generation of entrepreneurs that really changes the world for the better, that truly lifts people out of poverty . i absolutely believe that you can center your business around valuing people first and the profits will follow suit.

the majority of jewelry and objects you see in high-end boutiques and department stores are produced in the developing world, but not in fair-trade workshops. i've personally never accepted that people have to be exploited for a company to make it. that business model need to be retired. in this life, the only person i'm comfortable exploiting just a bit is myself. me and my endless stream of ideas and designs need to be exploited, need to be put to good use, to their highest use.

it's time. 

i want to thank-you all for reading these four parts of this long essay on honey & milk. it's very exciting to be finally putting this idea out into the public! i also want to thank the women in the portland chapter of ladies who launch that encouraged me. please, don't hold back with your comments and suggestions. a lack of comments is way more scary than any constructive criticism you might have. i am certain all the feedback will only help me and this project to grow. if you can only do one small thing to help me get started, please do forward these posts to anyone you can think of that might be interested in the project.

the quote from albert einstein printed on the page of my journal above says: "if an idea is not first thought to be absurd, then there is no hope for it."

today i'm going to fill in a bit of the back-story of how i came to this exact moment, this moment of pushing honey & milk out into the world. a few years ago i had a series of bright epiphanies. in 2001, i was teaching middle school and high school art and had just survived my first go 'round with breast cancer, that story is here. i spent the bulk of the following summer at two amazing buddhist centers, in a personal mediation retreat at gampo abby in nova scotia and then weeks as part of the scupture crew finishing the great stupa of dharmakaya at the mountain shambhala center. i got very, very quiet that summer. my heart cracked wide open. then by fall, the whole world was reeling from the trauma of september 11.

during this extraordinary time the seed that grew into this idea for honey & milk floated into my brain and took hold.

looking back now, especially with the overlay of the past seven years we've been at war, i remember that i wanted to do something that would show the world the best that we americans can be. i didn't want to stay in this country, i wanted to distance myself from the war-machine and connect with healing between peoples. i didn't have a name for it then, what i wanted to do. but change was clearly called for in my life and the need out in the world was growing. also, as much as i adored teaching, life in a small, ultra-conservative michigan town was squashing some of my essential parts.

so, inspired by the idea of "saving the world", i envisioned a life where i could bring together my life-long love of travel and adventure, my artistic talents, my deep desire to live outside the united states for part of each year and my natural gifts as a teacher and communicator. i figured that a life made from these things would be one that a) i'd have to create myself, and b) would be sustaining on many levels. having a business of my own had been a long time dream and i come from quirky self-starting entrepreneur stock on my mom's side. i actually launched my first successful line of handmade products at age eleven - several collections of holiday tree ornaments!

i do believe this direction for honey & milk is my spiritual path. i still have so much to learn! i've been so blessed and i want to give back. even though i grew up in some very difficult circumstances and my adult life has had major challenges as well, i am so blessed to even be here, alive and able to dream, plan, create. and even as i struggle daily with making a living as a full time artist (ok, one who is just barely on the other side of cancer treatment ~my friends remind me to cut myself some slack here) even with all of that, i know i am wealthy. wealthy in comfort and resources compared to people living in poverty in many places. wealthy in emotional support and sustaining friendships. my life is blessed with connection, love, inspiration. my improving health is a great gift. i don't ever what to take that for granted. 

tomorrow i will post on more specifics of the project, where i can see it going in 5-10 years and what my needs are to bring the first honey & milk fair-trade workshop into being. i also want to write about the challenges i see on this path and i hope you all will chime in with ideas and feedback. if you don't feel comfortable posting a public comment, please do send me an email. the link is on my about page. i really look forward to what i hope will be a growing dialogue around honey & milk. 

and don't worry, found object is not going to be all about this, all the time. i'll be returning to posting inspiring images soon. if you haven't subscribed yet to this blog, please do. the RSS feed link is down in my side bar and it's a great way to be alerted when i do update so you don't miss a single bit of the story!

the image above is of gambo abby, one of the most beautiful places on earth. 

my ultimate vision for honey & milk (formerly twirl, for those of you just tuning in) has been percolating for a long time. i've been thinking about it as something i would do "someday", after i made my mark and was making a really good living with my jewelry business. i was thinking about it as an eventual project that i would have to fund myself. which, as you can imagine, has put the idea on the back burner for quite some time. yet standing here now, after five years of working towards doing creative work full time and my recent experience with breast cancer, i know in my very bones the time is ripe to take action. i hope life is long, but know that there are no guarantees. i've always tried to do everything myself, but cancer has taught me that isn't the best way to tackle huge projects. historically, i have been quite private about my big ideas and dreams, not talking about them outside of my intimate circle, until things were farther along...closer to my imagined "perfection". however, i see that those independent habits have not served me so well in business and i want to step out of my comfort zone. and just look at all of you, sitting here, reading found object! your ideas, connections, feedback and enthusiastic support are an incredible resource. a resource and rich blessing i intend to fully embrace.

starting now.

call it my grand experiment. it's time to get out of my own way and leave those doubts at my door.

and isn't all of life an experiment anyhow? 

this is what i envision: a wonderful coming together of elements. my limitless wealth of ideas, a rural community in the developing world struggling in poverty and my gifts as a teacher. a honey & milk project coming to fruition in a place culturally rich in craft traditions and interesting, sustainable materials. where? i've got some ideas...ecuador, morocco, mongolia. one at a time, i plan to found fair-trade workshops and work together with a group of (probably women) to produce collections of beautiful objects (probably jewelry) designed for and marketed to, high-end western markets. i'm not taking about producing traditional crafts that are easily identified as from the developing world. there are plenty of workshops and non-profits doing that valuable work already. i see honey & milk as a company that will produce designs that are new and exciting, following an innovative model for social business.

as my plans have come together, i've been heavily influenced and inspired by mahammad yunus, the noble peace prize winner who founded the garmeen bank in bangladesh. his recent book, creating a world without poverty- social business and the future of capitalism, has been really powerful and good in helping me form my ideas into solid plans. he talks at length about this new business model, one in which profits are measured not in financial terms, but in terms of social gains. this expanding vision for honey & milk is exactly that. a business that will provide living wages to everyone involved: including me and the people living in extreme poverty. it's a business model that demands we be respectful stewards of the earth. and the most radical part? profits made will go back not to the investors, but to the communities of workers! the profits will be used to build and support those communities - schools, health clinics, whatever the needs are. investors, be they private individuals or major companies, reap social capitol. call it warm fuzzies or a smart way for companies to show their customers how they give back - the bottom line is the good accomplished.

when i read about that, i got really excited and hopeful. i started to believe that i will be able to find investors. i started to think that this bigger vision for my life's work will happen sooner rather than later.

i've also been inspired by another landmark book, out of poverty - what works when traditional approaches fail, by paul polak. paul describes talking with people living on a dollar a day and asking them this simple question "why are you poor and what would help you not be poor?" the answer he heard in response might be surprising because it is equally simple. "i am poor because i haven't found a way to earn more money."

well, i am not an expert in farming like paul or an engineer who can design irrigation systems. yet like many people, i look out into our world and see incredible need. that need inspires me to figure out how to change things for the better, to look at my gifts, abilities and talents as a resource. and i do know, from a lifetime of experience, how to make something beautiful out of nearly any material. my work as a sculptor has always been inspired by materials.

this i know for sure: i can design using anything and i feel very comfortable moving between different mediums to create gorgeous jewelry and objects. i know through honey & milk, we can find ways for poor people to earn more money and in the process, build healthy, sustainable communities.

tomorrow i'll expand on this post and be writing about some of my background and how i came to this place. i really cannot wait to hear your comments! again, please forgive me for the long gap between posts. i was away visiting family for a whole week and am embarrassed to say i forgot both my login and password for this blog. so although i spent my four hour plane ride writing about honey & milk in my journal, i couldn't post until i got home to my own dear laptop, where all the passwords pop right up. 

note: the ring pictured above sold a while back, but the centerpiece is an example of hand carved, dyed tagua nut. it's a sustainable material with wonderful design potential that grows in ecuador. often referred to as "vegetable ivory", tagua nut has many of the same lush qualities as animal ivory, but grows on an indigenous species tree and is an annual crop.

it's a banner day here at found object. i'm finally ready to unveil my big project of late. the name twirl is no more and my business has been re-branded to honey & milk. i am so excited about the change! and i've been working steadily and long, behind the scenes, to pull this together. i was lucky enough to work on this with michele of luminous brands.

why honey & milk, you ask? 

honey & milk speaks to my vision for the business on many levels, it also reflects the direction i want to grow. i'm not a person who likes "made up" words for my brand, i prefer words that we all know, that translate faithfully in any language. at the most basic level, honey and milk has a poetic quality and conjures up beautiful things. even the color story that goes with those words is lovely. (my sister jen, at b.delicious pointed out that as a fair-skinned redhead, it's also my personal color story. just an added bonus). visually, it's golden, flowing into cream. i love the ancient and timeless association with both substances, honey and milk. i also love that essentially, they are both products of female labor.

the most compelling piece of meaning for me as a person and as a business owner is the notion of thriving. i have spent much of my life merely trying to survive. i believe in the symbolic power of words and names. for over a year, i've felt a disconnect with twirl as my business name. it's come to symbolize turning in place, not moving forward. and i simply don't feel twirl tells the story properly. honey & milk references a promised land of abundance, a business that provides more than surviving to everyone involved, first and foremost, it's owner and it's employees. changing the name is part of a larger project to put my business on the path to changing the world.

i'm going to be writing more in-depth about this during the week, so really, do stay tuned. i have a global vision for my business and the good work it will do in the world and i'm so excited to share it with all of you!

the website re-design is in phase one. i'm taking in the sound advice of "perfect is good, done is better", as i tend to drag projects out reaching for perfection. check it out right here and please do change your links and bookmarks. i'm going to be writing often at found object about dreams and ideas i have for honey & milk. based on my experiences in recent months over at turnip, i've come to trust that you, my readers, are an integral part of my success. your comments feed me, your connection and support is vital to my growth. thank-you!

i am excited and very nervous to share more specifics with you about my journey as a small business, yet i feel sure you all will find it a story worth reading.