Blog of the Fae

Recently I received a phone call from one of them thar places that support local, support small business, support this and that and etc.

They contacted me a few years ago and asked that I be a part of their new alliance. I was pretty open about my business model, but they really wanted me to be on board. So I applied, was accepted etc. My business was a part of their new organization. woohoo

Recently I was contacted as it was time to reapply. My business model has not changed. I reapplied and I received a call: times they are a changin’. They now have committees and this and that and they need to really review my application and see if my little micro biz can be a part of their game.

Now, this irritates me a bit. Faerie Made has not changed. In fact, we’re the poster children of this organization if you really think about it (and don’t ask me who I’m talking about, just let me ramble …)

But this alliance, which WAS grass roots has shifted models to be more corporate, more formal.

Ugh.

It is what it is. But I left that mentality when I crashed and burned in the land of social work when I thought my mission in life was to save the world. The main reason was not the work itself. I loved what I did. It was the fact that I started working in a grassroots agency and it went corporate.

Don’t get me wrong, I was okay with jumping through the hoops for grants and funders in that fashion, we did that when we were grassrootsy … but it was the inner workings of the agency that was soul sucking.

As it changed, I tried really hard to focus on the mission, the individuals themselves, but it was too much for me. I left.

When I started Faerie Made, my goal was to make amazing soaps and body care and good smelling yumminess and share it with anyone who loved it. My other goal was to live my life and not let my soul get lost in the shuffle.

And I have. I’ve researched, I’ve made sure that I was offering a clean, safe product. I worked on making sure I had gone through all the proper channels with labeling, licensure, and things of that nature.

So, I don’t have a problem with that. Additionally, I’ve done the paperwork and gone through the hoops and got my line approved for a corporate account. I absolutely appreciate the opportunity to have my products available for my customers in that realm.

I also never forgot my indie stores. My mom and pops, my small retail boutiques, natural food stores, spas etc, that have stood by me and haven’t changed rules in mid stream.

I have made sure to be really consistent with my local markets and shows. I have made sure to stay in touch with my retail customers in some way … newsletters, blogging, Facebook … and answering emails and telephone calls.

I am not going to forget why I started Faerie Made. I did it to make amazing soap, body care, perfumes, and offer it to those who wanted it AND find new people to love it AND to also live an amazing life.

In this same stream of thought … I really don’t care if I’m a part of an alliance that needs to change the rules to adhere to corporate mentality. I left that world for a reason … and if they feel my company is too grassroots in our business model to be a part … well so be it. I told them so.

I’ll be just fine.