Page 3: Felled By Fauna
Page 5: Kim Anderson
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APRIL PUZZLE EvENT
Page 13: Upcoming Client & Marove Events
FELLED BY FAUNA
There aren’t many forces in this world that can bring down this business bish these days. Prospective business rejections? That’s showbiz, baby. Denials from my health insurer to apply a $2500 pre-authorized test to my deductible? Oh, I’ll sit on hold allll day. Getting ghosted by listless men? thank u, next.
But… Seasonal allergies?? I submit, O Mighty Pollination Overlord, whoever you may be, and humbly beg thee for mercy!
This past week, and for the second time this year, I succumbed to the sneezy and watery equivalent of anaphylactic shock. (The first time happened on my allegedly serene trip to the Caribbean, which, if you’ll recall from the January issue, I bragged heartily about having auto-scheduled it to send while I laid on a beach sipping a tropical smoothie; instead, I was laid up in my hotel room with a wet cloth over my eyes.) Pictured: my sneezy attempt to enjoy the sun.
What’s a girl to do? OkyesIwillvisitanallergist. But while I await Thee Prior Authorization and a 4month waitlist, how can a one-woman show keep things going when all she wants to do is curl up in a ball in a dark, clinically filtrated room?
Moments like this illuminate the paradox of life as a solopreneur: You are your work, so when you stop working, your work stops, too.
This used to be my Achilles heel; my natural state was a straight-laced perfectionist, which definitely doesn’t bode well in a universe where things are out of your control more often than not. I’ve had to undo the circuitry that told me to push through pain, to produce only the highest of quality (especially for paying customers), and to win the race to the finish line.
by Madelyn Veith, Founder
Taking the ups and downs in stride did not come naturally to me WHATSOEVER. I’ve had to do a lot of therapy around this topic, and I’m pleased to report that I’m far more chill these days. With much trial and error, I’ve been able to change my default settings to prioritize my health & well-being, to be at peace with ‘good enough’, and to embrace collaboration rather than competition.
So while the seasonal allergies may have won the battle, they will not win the war. Lower my expectations for the amount of work that will get done this week? Already on the floor. Alert clients that I am slow-going for the foreseeable future? Sent yesterday. Take three steps back from my normal routine? One, two, three, four!
So go forth, my business bishes, and breathe this pollinated air with the confidence that you are an adaptable queen, and that the cycle of entrepreneurship is yours to conquer
And, as promised, please enjoy these photos of me at my first women-owned nth!
KIM ANDERSON
ThE FOUNDER FILES
Kim Anderson is the fearless founder of Peace & Love Care Packages, a brand new online store where customers can send themed packages to their favorite people to show them some love
Kim is no stranger to the role that compassion plays in our connections with others; she was a mental health RN for more than 10 years before becoming a business owner, and she draws on her 25+ years of gift-giving as a mom to three kids and grandmother to two grandsons.
These days, she unapologetically embraces her love for bright colors, sparkles, and glitter in the name of spreading peace & love through meaningful gifts filled with locally-made items. You can shop for gifts here, and all packages will ship from Canby, OR where Kim is based.
What inspired your idea for Peace & Love Care Packages?
It was quite a combination of things and I didn’t really know where to begin - this was not something that I had been dreaming about for years. I had been working an intense nursing job and wanted to transition to something less stressful that would also bring happiness to people. I think there’s a real need these days to get more of those basic feelings of connection between people, and I see care packages as a way for people to express how they feel about the people in their lives. You can just never have too much love and peace, especially in this time we live in!
It also really came from taking stock after I quit my nursing job, and my therapist recommended a book to me called What Color is Your Parachute? That really helped me figure out what I’m drawn to and where my passions lie. I wasn’t sure if launching a business was the right step, but my therapist said something to me along the lines of, “Not trying it would be a mistake”
What were the first few steps you took to set your business up?
My therapist recommended SCORE (a free resource that includes business advising), and I got connected with a mentor named Vijay. He forwarded me an event for women in business (where I met Maddy!) and helped me figure out how to register my business. I started working on the website on my own but quickly realized I would definitely need some help to get it off the ground.
Your business model includes a lot of inventory set-up. What’s your process for making these early phase decisions?
I’ve always loved shopping local and exploring gift shops, so figuring out the themes of the packages and the items to put in them came naturally to me. I go to different stores and see what items and gifts catch my eye, then I’ll go home and do some research on the companies to make sure it is a product I’d want to use. Once I have items, I spend time structuring and naming the package, then stocking up the inventory for the items.
What are some of the challenges you’ve experienced so far with getting your business started? How have you approached them?
The self-doubt has been a challenge, and I struggle with the thought of “I’m not sure this is a good idea.” But then I think, Ok, I keep coming back to this for a reason and if I had never tried it, I think it would be a bummer to always be saying, “I wish I had tried it.” But I definitely have those what am I doing?? moments. I’ve learned to roll with it and remember that this is something that I actually get excited about.
You’re using Squarespace for your digital store. What influenced that choice?
My mentor recommended it, and I trust his opinions. I didn’t really do a bunch of research, but it was a good fit and pricewise it was feasible. Plus, I liked the ease of use - it’s not too tricky to learn.
At what point did you decide to outsource your website design?
I started out doing it on my own, but I got really discouraged because it’s such a big undertaking. You don’t know what you don’t know, and asking for help turned out to be a huge step forward.
How do you see digital marketing impacting your business moving forward?
It’s gonna be one of those things that I have to do. I’m pretty private so this will be a big step out of my world. I’m fortunate to live in a small town in Oregon, so there’s a lot of word of mouth, but I know that to get the word out more I’ll need to figure out how to create my presence online (and will probably need help with that!).
What’s your vision for Peace & Love Care Packages?
I hope that in supporting other small businesses that people can have meaningful connections with each other. I haven’t always had that, but now I have a growing network of support and I just hope that people can show how they feel about each other without having to have the perfect words for it.
I also hope that people see that I’m not just doing this for the heck of it We’re so inundated with ‘stuff’ all the time to buy, and I don’t want to be lumped in with that. There’s purpose behind this, both in my own personal fulfillment and in giving back to causes that are important to me.
MONTHLY PUZZLE
AND THE ANSWER IS...
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Embrace the elevator pitch mindset - keep everything simple and to the point. Use copy that packs a punch to get your information across quickly.
PUT THE MOST ESSENTIAL INFORMATION AT THE TOP.
Don’t make your users scroll far in order to see essential information. Prioritize the order of your information - it’s all important, but the more it helps your customer understand your business, the closer it should go to the top.
MAKE ACTION ITEMS A SINGLE CLICK.
Use buttons for action items - don’t make users work to find the next step on their journey, or question whether or not something is hyperlinked.
MATCH YOUR DESIGN ELEMENTS TO YOUR LOGO.
Use design features that match your logo/branding (colors/fonts/etc.). Consistency with all of this creates congruency, which is what keeps visitors engaged. If you aren’t consistent to the nth degree, you’ll interrupt your first impression.
Viewable work is linked via the icons.
WEBSITE DESIGN
I designed and built the full website for Kim, the fearless founder of Peace & Love Care Packages. She’s officially open for business!
Features:
Brand design + design elements
Digital shop
Automated checkout process
Home page + About page
SOCIAL MEDIA
LIVE NOW!
I curate social media content for Monika, the fearless founder of True Move Yoga Studio, on an ongoing basis.
Features:
Full posts (graphics + copy)
Reels
Yoga retreats advertisements
MARKETING STRATEGY
I’m helping Andrea strategize a marketing plan as she launches her new AI resume writing platform.
Features: Strategy
UX Optimization
ONGOING
MARKETING & OPERATIONS
I oversee the digital operations and marketing initiatives with the fearless team at Oregon Sports Angels on a monthly basis.
Features: Website design/updates Social media
ONGOING
SOCIAL MEDIA
I’m helping The 401(k) Girls get their social media game plan off the ground for a few months.
Features: Monthly Challenges
Fact or Fiction Polls Reels MARCHJUNE
Hyperlinked events are open for attendance/registration.
A p r i l
M a y
True Move Yoga Studio Weekly Classes
True Move Yoga Studio
2-4 Spring Retreat
True Move Yoga Studio Weekly Classes
True Move Yoga Studio Weekly Classes J u n e
7 Quarterly Pitch Day Oregon Sports Angels
CALENDAR
17
Masterclass Resume Scripter