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It's been snowing all day here in NY, what a peaceful, quiet end to a tumultuous year! It's nice to stop and take the time to look out and take in the lazily drifting snow. Let's all remember to stop every once and a while, appreciate what we have, the beauty that surrounds us, and the rich diversity from person to person. Focusing on the negative and what's not right is a waste of time and energy. Instead let's focus on what is good and what we can do to improve the things within our control. Enjoy the photos I snapped while the snow was falling and happy new year!
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All I can say is that for the past few days here at Beehive Co-op Mt. Kisco we have been really, really busy. My fingers are tired from wrapping so many gifts and tying countless bows. From what I hear Beehive Atlanta and Cincinnati have also been hopping! So here's to happy designers, happy customers, happy gift recipients and ending the year on a high note!
Designers....you have a few days off...rest, relax, recuperate but then...back to work! We have bare shelves to fill and a whole exciting new year around the corner. Yes, I said exciting. Because it is. It’s been a tough year, there is no doubt, but it’s during these tough times that our ingenuity, our resolve, and our passion gets tested and strengthened. And yes, 2009 will also be tough, maybe not as rocky but certainly very challenging.
But my hope is that what started out as the “get crafty” trend will turn into a full scale way of life. That people will continue to feel the pleasure of making things or giving things that have meaning and support a sustainable way of life. I hope this gets internalized and passed down to the next generation. The feeling that Beehive alumus Christy Petterson expressed in the NY Times recently will hopefully be internalized for years and years to come. She said, “I just like the fact that I’m supporting someone who’s trying to make their way in the world by using their talents, and my money is going directly to a person instead of a chain of middlemen. For the same amount of money, the specialness factor is way higher. It’s more heartfelt than if you bought something from a big-box store.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/business/23craft.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=craft%20sales&st=cse
This “back to basics” notion is something that I actually love and really believe in. These values are things that I think have been lost during the me, me, me consumer frenzy of the past decade (or more). It’s an interesting cultural shift that is happening and I am so proud to be a part of it. Every day, no matter how overwhelming it is, I am always so excited about the people I work with, talk to and interact with and it keeps me motivated to work harder and keep on going.
So although I know I’m preaching to the choir, here’s to ending on a high note and celebrating all the good things and accomplishments that happened in 2008!
Happiest of holidays to all! And to all a goodnight!
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According to Wikipedia “A business is sustainable if it has adapted its practices for the use of renewable resources and holds itself accountable for the environmental and human rights impacts of its activities. This includes businesses that operate in a socially responsible manner and protect the environment.”
When I look at how this applies to Beehive initially of course I look at how we respect the materials that we use daily – paper, ink cartridges, cans, boxes, rubber bands - and encourage everyone who is a part of Beehive to do their utmost to recycle and conserve by providing a ways and means to do so. We have very little waste as compared with traditional retail establishments. Our goods are not shipped from overseas factories in thousands of plastic bags and tons of boxes, with the majority of our products being made locally and brought to the store as needed by the designer we eliminate a lot of waste.
But for me, it’s the larger perspective that provides me with the most interesting and hopeful aspect of sustainability when applied to the Beehive concept. It’s the connections between individual and community and region that makes our business truly sustainable and exciting. It’s what makes me get up each morning and keep fighting to establish beehive into a thriving business (despite the odds). The connection between designer-producer, customer, and community in our business model is about as sustainable as it gets. It fosters development of small businesses within a locality, it fosters community pride, participation and interaction, it cuts down on waste and energy consumption, and at the same time it brings beautiful, unique and very competitive products to the market. How amazing to bring this sustainable concept to cities, towns, and communities all across America. For Beehive this kind of growth not only is sustainable but I believe is actually is a benefit to citizens. That's very exciting and dare I say revolutionary.
My hope for our culture is that this model is applied to more than just the retail industry. I think that as we become more and more global, which in my opinion isn’t in itself a bad thing, we should also redevelop the local roots that made this country so interesting. Right now I feel we are out of balance (in more ways than one), we’ve tipped too far to the global. Our shops, restaurants, culture are scarily homogenous – the same everywhere. It is my hope that over the next decade we see a shift back to basics, towards thoughtful consumption, towards thriving unique and individual communities. We haven't completely lost it yet...but to achieve this we will need government both locally and nationally to support and foster small, community based business AND consumers who realize that their purchasing power CAN and DOES shape the world they live in!
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Eco Fabulous
By Petra Geiger
10/28/2008 9:47:00 PM
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In my heart I really want to be ecofabulous. I'm so glad being ecologically minded is hip and trendy and fabulous because for once a trend can do some good for this planet. In my ideal world we would all be driving little bitty gas sipping cars and walking more and spending less of our lives in a time starved crunch. We'd have the luxury to be much more thoughtful about what we consume and enjoy fresh, seasonal tasty organic meals with our loved ones each and everyday.
I'm afraid however that this is not my reality. My reality is that I'm in a race with the clock at least 6 days out of the week and I don't have the luxury of being eco fabulous - nor in many cases do I have the budget. But by no means do I think this is a good excuse and I've come to terms with the realization that much of it amounts to changing bad habits and rethinking my consumption in ways that are sustainable and long-term for me and my family.
So here's what I have decided. I'm not going to bite off more than I can chew and I'm going to take the long road to eco fabulosity. I'd rather make serious long-term changes than get frustrated with feeling like I have to do it all at once and fail miserably.
Now, I'm pretty average in the eco department, I wasn't horrible to begin with. We've always recycled, we drive cars that are reasonably fuel efficient and cook using fresh ingredients 80% of the time. But there is a ton of room for improvement and I think in about 2 years time I might just be really proud of myself. So for what it's worth here's my roadmap, keep in mind I really just started and old habits are hard to break!
1. I stopped using plastic grocery bags cold turkey. It only took 4 months but now every time I go to the grocery store I actually remember my cloth bags. After a few times of having to tell the checkout clerk that I have to run to my car for my bags but I PROMISE I'll be back, I learned.
2. Next I weaned myself off of disposable plastic water bottles. Dang those things are addictive...I still falter once and a while but don't buy the cases I used to - what was I thinking!
3. Now I am working on the ziplock bags and school lunch bags. That's another hard habit to break. If we do use them we wash them out and reuse them several times over. Just like my grandmother and mother do - back to basics. I must say I loath the site of those things drying all over the counter but I'll get over it. I found a cool lunch box that I'm going to order for the kids for Christmas called laptop lunches which I really think will help.
4. My next big thing to tackle in the new year is replacing our cleaning products with the earth friendly variety. Flushing lysol toilet bowl cleaner down the toilet just hasn't felt so great lately. Luckily, there are many on the market, Mrs Meyers being one of my favorites, but I also found a local company here in NY Sound Earth who we now carry at Beehive. It's the perfect incentive to make a fresh start!
5. And in the spring we plan to join a CSA Community Supported Agriculture program in our area and really work the whole year on shopping locally for our staples. Realistically, I think this will take a while mostly for the convenience and time crunch issue. Here's a good resource for finding local producers.
So, for now that's how I'm going to tackle it, day by day, month by month, issue by issue, and I'm going to feel good about my baby steps. Many of you are probably already well ahead of me and I applaud you but I hope in some small way this helps to validate the small efforts the rest of us are making to change our ways - or to give those of you who haven't made a committment to give it a try. One day I too will be eco faboulous but for now I guess I will just have to read the blog!
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All day long, I've had a nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something. Nevermind that I have my three TO DO lists and countless e-mails in my inbox to keep me on track, but I knew there was something, something that I was supposed to do. Darn, what is it!
Well, I just remembered what IT is...it's my turn to blog. (Hey, fellow bee bloggers, can you remind me when it's my turn!)
So, it's 10pm and technically still Monday the 13th so I guess I'm golden. Except that I'm burnt out, have 3 loads of laundry to fold, and I have no topic.
I thought I would talk about the importance of photographing your work properly...but that would require giving some technical and practical advice which in the state I'm in may cause me to do more harm than good. Then there's always how bad the economy stinks and how you just have to keep on going.... But that topic has been beaten to death and we are all supremely bedraggled by it. Really, I want to complain about how my kids have been out of school at least one day for each of the past 4 weeks and they're off next Wednesday too. I mean really. BUT alas that's too personal a woe to get into here.
So, I thought I think I'll stick to the positive and stay away from the tired, sarcastic rambling. I'm just going to blog about how thrilled I am to announce that Beehive Co-op Cincinnati will officially be opening this year...mid-November to be exact! I'd like to welcome Kate to the Beehive family and personally say that I think Cincinnati will be such a fantastic location for Beehive. So, watch out Cincinnati you're going to be amazed at what a robust collection of local designers you have in your midst!
I'll leave it at that for tonight, I for one feel more positive and excited for what's to come. Good night and hopefully I'm not forgetting something else!
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Late last night, after spending 12 hours at my new Beehive frantically trying to get it set up for today's opening, I wondered deliriously what I might write about in today's blog. Needless to say I slept on it and low and behold, feeling a tad fresher, I now feel I can give it a go.
As I get ready to open the second Beehive and with a third one in Cincinnati to follow shortly, I have been thinking about what's going to set us apart in the market as we grow. Of course it's primarily the fantastic products made with love and care by emerging designers that is truly our hallmark but I think it's also more than that. I think it's also our hospitality and fundamental desire to engage people. Beehive fosters connections between people. It's a place where designers want to come and hang out, it's a place where customers can feel comfortable browsing, asking questions, trying things on. It's a sense of shared community.
I'm reading a book called "Setting the Table" by the restauranteur Danny Meyer which was recommended to me by Kate, our soon to be owner of Beehive Cincinnati. Now I know why she highly recommended this book. Not only is it an interesting read that chronicles the rise of a successful entrepreneur (he owns such NYC restaurants/eateries as Union Square Cafe, Tabla, Blue Smoke, Gramercy Tavern) but his vision for his business and his definition of hospitality really coincide with what I would like Beehive to be known for.
In the book, he defines hospitality as occurring when something "happens for you", it exists when you as host include your guests in the process, allowing them to share in the experience and listen to and anticipate their needs. For me, as a Beehive owner, this extends to both our customers and my participating designers. It is an active process, it requires listening, engaging, responding and fulfilling needs. It isn't the easy path but I think it is truly rewarding and helps to build a solid foundation. He also talks about accessibility which is also a component I believe in. Providing these services in an environment that is open to a wide variety of people, for us this mostly comes down to price point.
I think that this philosophy can be applied to any business and I can already see it in the designers that truly are passionate about what they do and consistently go the extra mile to engage and respond to their customers. From a professional identity to a willingness to take a custom order and following up with a thank you, it is present in every single transaction.You can't go into entrepreneurship "knowing it all", it is a lifelong learning process and you have to be willing to learn from everyone, especially your customers.
So, as Beehive grows up it is my desire to see this "spirit" fostered in every location. I know in my heart that if we can maintain this connection with people and community that we will always stand out from the competition!
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Welcome to our fabulous new website and the new home of the beeblog. It's been a long haul and I want to thank all the peeps at ShopVisible for their effort, it turned out great! I'm so excited for this blog. Were going to keep it fresh and updated every few days. And the best part is you (and I) won't have to read me blathering on all the time. We have a whole new format and great talent who are going to contribute regularily.
First off, on Mondays we're going to talk...Entrepreneurship. On Wednesdays.... Sustainable living. And on Fridays....Peer to peer interviews, profiles and support. You'll get perspectives and insight from successful designers and a whole host of colorful characters.
Our regular contributors include... (you can read their profiles by clicking the contributor profile link!)
Petra Geiger, President and Founder of Beehive
Viviana Campbell, Owner of Beehive Co-op Atlanta
Malene Davis, Owner of Iram-Inal Designs
Kristina Hjelsand, Owner of Kitchen Communications
Erica Jong, Owner of Sweet T Baby
Amy McClure, Owner of Olaria Studio
Karen Meyers, Owner of Karen Meyers Handbags
Heather Swanepoel, Owner of Rinse Handmade Soap Co.
I think these guys will have alot to offer, they are passionate, informed and have been through alot of the highs & lows that we all know to be the entrepreneurial path! But they will strive to bring you interviews and perspectives from other professionals around the country as well. That being said...we also love guest bloggers so send me your idea and we'll go from there.
Happy reading and let me know what I can do to facilitate a dynamic and interesting forum that serves as a support network and connection for all of us to persevere along the road to a | | |
