Build it and they will come. But what kind of experience will they have when they get here?

There are days when I think about everything that I have tried and I see it as "look at how many things that didn't work".  Then there are days when I see it as "look at how many things I have learned from trying". They say that you haven't failed until you stop trying!

No matter what the outcome of the efforts have been one thing is for sure, building these ideas is an invaluable experience!

Yesterday's post asks the question Chicken or Egg?

The challenge for Northville Square is that you have to get people in the door in order to show them what a great place it is!

As soon as I made the tough decision to close HOI, I put another hat on.

I needed a way to liquidate my inventory and the building owner needed a way to empty the rest of the spaces so that they can be leased.

Let's have a sale!

While Repurpose was here, their lease restricted anyone else from having vintage merchandise. I knew that there was a draw for it because I sat in my store for a year and a half and watched gobs of people walk through her doors. The problem was that they walked in the front door and out the front door. Many never came in the mall! The people who did come in the mall were somewhat disenchanted
because the store was not what they thought it would be.

The comments were similar most of the time. It was ok but the prices were high and the staff is not helpful. But don't blame Cari. She is sweet and very talented. From what I could see, she had too many people around her pulling her in the wrong direction. On her own, without all of the hoopla she would have had a great thing here in Northville.

Boy, do I have visions of all of the fun things that she could have done here that Northville would love.
I did share some of those ideas, but what did I know? My idea wasn't working, but I didn't have a TV show that drove customers from all over Michigan and other states too!

So on with the Sale! Since there was a mixture of merchandise, it was hard to come up with a name for marketing. I got out my handy dandy thesaurus and looked up words for antiques, collectibles and vintage. I came up with "Rummage and Relics" There are some rummage sale items, but there are lots of relics too!

Then I decided to solicit other vintage collectors and dealers to see if we can make this more interesting.

We currently have 6 vendors and are now getting inquiries daily!

This is where my past work comes in handy!

The "Rummage and Relics" sale will take place December 7-9th as an event at LimeLight Emporium!

Friday 9:30 am - 8:00 pm
Saturday 9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

For more information visit the facebook page for LimeLight Emporium at:

http://www.facebook.com/LimeLightEmporium

You can also preview the merchandise starting this weekend while the dealers are here setting up!

Saturday - 11-5 and Sunday 12-4

Next: Make the most of what God gave you!

The Chicken or the Egg?

There is a good reason that I have not posted a blog in a few days.  I have been writing, just not editing enough to let the public see. I write when I have thoughts and then go back and fix it!

Most of my readers know that while closing the store, I have been working on organizing events in the mall. This has given me something positive to focus on.

Somewhere along the way I have made it my personal and professional mission to figure out how to drive traffic to Northville Square. At first it was for my own business but once I saw the handwriting on the wall about my concept I started thinking bigger!


I set up and started working on the facebook pages and email groups for the tenants to send me information on their businesses. It's like pulling teeth to get tenants to participate. Why do you think that is?

I sent out emails, scheduled tenant meetings, encouraged tenants to set up tables/booths during high traffic events with very little effectiveness. I have asked myself over and over, if it's my delivery or are they too busy? I even extended the offer to businesses outside of the building in town to participate in events and NOT ONE had any interest?

What I find is that even in this small town everyone has their own agenda on the purpose of their business. Most do not care to get involved!

It drives me CRAZY!

My naive innocence is determined, so I came up with "Children's Marketplace"Michigan's 1st market dedicated to goods and services with children in mind.

I thought that Moms with young children would like a place to stop for a couple of hours and find resources for their families! I scheduled FREE presentations, entertainment and activities for the children. I worked with Bricks to offer kid friendly items. Spent hours in the middle of the night soliciting vendors on the internet and talking to Northville businesses by email and in person.

The Northville Record wrote a story, Patch wrote a story, I sent it to all of the news stations and the Detroit News, Posted it on websites under events with newspapers and Metro Parent. I even joined Mom groups to let them know about it!  By the way, The "Northville Working Moms" group declined my request to become a member. My children were too old and they didn't need help finding things to do! Shame on them.

I peddled flyers at childcare centers, churches, schools, libraries as well as all of the businesses downtown Northville and Novi.

God Bless the people who came aboard!  There are about 20 people who saw the vision on the idea! They dragged their wares and staff in here for 8 weeks.

Nobody came! Sadly, the Moms who did come thought it had great potential. But how can I expect vendors to pay to be here if we can't get people to come?

The worst part for me, was that two tenants complained about the noise or the clientele not being "Their customer"!

As you can see, even good intentions don't work for me...

But I won't give up. Why? Because there are more people who do see the value in the effort who have stepped forward to let me know that they appreciate it and are inspired...

This keeps me going!

Next: Build it and they will come. But what kind of experience will they have when they get here?

Be my Guest!

The Cosmopolitan Collection - Jenna David 

It really is comical when I look back at all of the things that I tried to drive traffic to Hearts of Inspiration. Because resources and funds were slim I had to be creative about getting new merchandise to replace the little merchandise I did sell. It was a big place to keep stocked up!

I learned from other merchants in town that they had some success with guest vendors during events. So I thought I would post an invitation on facebook and see what happens. It was an opportunity for people to sell merchandise or services with no obligation except for mentioning it on facebook, emails or whatever method they use for marketing. I thought that it would be a great way of networking. Seemed like a win-win!

Here is a list of the vendors that I hosted over the course of a year.

Jenna David - I think Bonnie did ok that night but, her contacts helped me have my best night ever!

Pop Up Knitting - It gave Terri some ideas and it turned into tea on Tuesdays for us. We are now really good friends.

Lizzy Designs - She came one night and left her hair accessories on consignment. I called her to pick them up when I moved in June and she never came or called.

My Little Dreams - Hair accessories. I still see her around with her beautiful girls. She is now a photographer!

Cake Pop Couture - Nothing, never heard from her again though I have invited her. She was very kind and provided cake pops for the "Free" Tea Party. If you ever need cake pops, look her up on facebook.
They are beautiful and delicious!

Stuffettes - Wedding and decor pillows, Wine Jackets and Hair Accessories. Lee came a few times but I never heard from her again.

Westpointe Designs - I loved this girl she was tall and beautiful and very humble. She did repurpose and upcycled really cool earrings. They were only $10 but couldn't sell one pair in Northville.

My friends Maria and Angie who sell bracelets imported from Greece. They had a beautiful display and sold a few pieces but not nearly what they sell at home parties???  They were very gracious and gave me a scarf and bracelet as a thank you!

My Jenny Lou - Women and children's apparel and tote bags.

Your Botanicals - Homegrown, organic skincare. Lauren came a few times and left her items at the store to promote the line. About 3 months later, she called me on the phone and said that she was on her way to Texas, permanently and I could do whatever I saw fit with her samples!

One of my favorites, Designs by Flo. A sweet lady who has been cutting her own wood and making christmas ornaments and holiday decor for 25 years. Flo and her husband came up from retirement in Florida to be with their son and grandchildren. They had all of their inventory left and didn't want to
be in the business anymore so they set it up a couple of times sold a few pieces then left some with me on consignment. Some was a little outdated but people loved the story and the prices. We both did pretty good on it. Nice people!

Mary Kay, Shaklee, Stella and Dot and Thirty One Gifts were here too!

Last year on Girl's Night I thought I would try a DJ! The idea was that he would draw the ladies down to party with us at Hearts of Inspiration. When he started playing music I asked him when he was going
to start taking requests or talking and he says: "What do you mean, You want me to talk? I didn't rehearse anything!"  Biggest waste of $300 I have ever spent! There went my sales for the night.

Overall, nobody did much business during the events. I have to say though, it was like a party and they were my guests. It made me happy just to have them around!

Next: It's all about the kids!



                             

Cookies and Milk

                                              
Carol's personality and appearance does not represent a musician at all. (don't judge Tracey) but when she plays the guitar I get goosebumps and tears! After hearing her play I couldn't understand why she wasn't busy with bookings. So much talent! I thought I would help her do some marketing and get her some gigs.

I encouraged her to come up with a price sheet and some business cards, only she didn't have access to 

a computer and printer. So, I did it for her. Then I helped her formulate a marketing plan to go out and get some business.

In the interim I decided to create an event at Hearts called "Cookies and Milk". Moms and toddlers would come and pay $6.00 for an hour of music, story time and of course cookies and milk. $3.00 of the price would be donated to Beaumont Hospital for the "Heart Screening" program for youth heart screening to detect heart defects. (More on that later).

I posted it on facebook, made flyers and handed them out to the merchants, posted them anywhere they would allow, uploaded the flyer on Patch, Metro Parent and sent it in to the Northville Record for the calendar. You'll see that this was the normal course of action for promoting events at Hearts of Inspiration.

The first two were a bust, but I didn't give up. The third one was great, we had about six or seven children. It was a blast! The little ones really enjoyed the songs Carol played with cute little finger plays.

The event was never a break even with food and paying the Music Lady. I considered it another
form of advertising and hoped that would eventually result in a party or class. We averaged five or six kids for a while and in the process I made new friends with some great families who live in downtown Northville. We continued the event for  a while but when it was time for school, schedules changed and the event fell apart.

In total, we raised $84 for Beaumont. I was embarrassed but decided to have another fundraiser later by selling used books. I did the same promoting as always, plus set up a display inside and outside the store. Well, let's just say that I ended up donating the books to the library.

Very discouraged, I didn't understand how it was possible to be ineffective at this even when it's for the greater good! 

Carol was great! she would come every week before the event to warm up and practice. She would spend time before each show putting together activities that she thought the kids would enjoy. She was adamant that there was some educational value.

Carol was not exactly full of excitement in fact, at times I would have to act goofy for the kids because she would lose their attention from time to time. I didn't mind though. I like to get into the act and really admire people who entertain.

At the end of each event when I would pay her it brought her to tears. She was so thankful to be given the opportunity to play her guitar that she would often bring me gifts! I made it a point to reciprocate which would often fluster her. You see, she had nobody to do nice things for her. She and her mother live in tiny apartment where they have lived since Carol's Dad passed away. He was a writer for a prominent economic publication. I understand that he was brilliant but had been very vocal about China and the effect on the US economy. He was eventually blacklisted and terminated from his job, a career that he was very dedicated to. Soon after, he took his own life. Carol took her father's death very hard which caused emotional and social problems for her.  She is kind and very loyal but lacks skills that make her employable.

Carol's moments of happiness with me have made me realize there was some success after all!

Next: Be my guest

Practice what you preach!

I know I spend a lot of time pointing out disappointments. In my personal world I try not to waste precious time on negativity. However, recounting these things is a learning opportunity for all of us.

Does it make me bitter? Oh, I am angry, but as with other negativity in my life I try to figure out what makes people behave a certain way. Most of the time I can analyze it down to a point where I actually can empathize with people when they're shallow, selfish or self absorbed. More often it is the latter.

What I hope happens is that people see the message that we need to be aware of how our actions affect others and inspire them to be helpful and kind by doing the right thing consciously everyday. Not just when asked to.

Wouldn't it be great to live in a world where people realize that they're not the only one living in it?

Being helpful and kind doesn't always require writing a check or even going out of your way. Sometimes it just means thinking before you act.

Helping others shouldn't be calculated by what's in it for me. Helping others doesn't need to be written in the paper to let everyone know.

I won't attempt to make you think that I am martyr or Jesus Christ. But it is how I live my life. It does seem that a lot of the time the nice guy finishes last. There are many things that I attempt to be helpful and I look for opportunities, just trying to get some LOVE!

But I do practice what I preach, not always with great results but still...

When the coffee shop was about to close I got visits from two ladies who worked there. One a palm reader and the other a music lady. Both were unemployed looking to make a little money. I felt compelled to help them out.

Vijaya, (yes, that is her name) the palm reader, also makes jewelry. Having her here was a bit like having a child around but I did my best. Not only did she ask me to give her a table, tablecloth and chair, she wanted me to move it around for her, precisely where she liked it. She asked me to put her hand written brochures and cards on my window and I did. When she asked about her jewelry. I told her I would give her an area in the window. But she needed display racks and price tags so, I helped her with that and put together a nice little display. She would come by weekly and ask if I had any money for her! After a few months it wasn't worth her driving from Ann Arbor so I packed up her things and I never saw her again. She never thanked me for the opportunity!

The Music Lady was altogether different!

You'll get to meet her coming up next in: Cookies and Milk

  
                                 

If not them, WHO?

The questions the "website guy" asks are important.  How will you know when your business is successful? I never had a vision of getting rich and opening 10 stores! I saw the concept as good for the
community.  My vision was for Hearts to be a place where kids would want to come on a regular basis where they could be creative and learn about things that would build confidence and a sense of self- awareness.

I believe that when you focus on learning how to get a long in this world  you're less likely to be bullied or to be a bully!

Speaking of education, two of the biggest let downs during my time here have come from events related to education that were hosted right outside of the doors of Hearts of Inspiration.

In case you don't know, You can rent out space in Northville Square for events. Fundraisers, Parties, Showers etc...

The first one was when a school board member was leaving and they organized a "Going Away" party for her. It was a big deal. Anyone who was involved in the school district would be there. I thought the exposure would be invaluable. Surely educators would see the value and pass along the message. Teachers have alway been big fans of the idea!

The area outside the store was set up like a hall. While they were setting up I figured some of them would wander in and since it was a Friday, I didn't mind staying open just in case. I know that their focus was the event, but when they put the crowd control rope up that stopped people from coming to the end of the mall while I was still open for the day, that is when I got the message. Well, I would leave my brochures on "Manners" out so they could read about it. But then one of the organizers suggested that I turn the lights off because they were trying to create ambience for the party...

The other event happened to be organized by some people that I know personally. Even better I thought. They would be sensitive and supportive! They started setting up around 3:00 in the afternoon.
I thought there might be some value in staying open.

Then they set the display tables for auction items literally in front of my store windows and again made
the area unaccessible to the public, I was done! The best part was when one of the organizers asked me
where they could tap into a phone line for their credit card machine? Do you think we can run a phone
cord to your phone line to process credit cards? Of course.  Glad I can help...

As a thank you, he offered two tickets to the fundraising event two hours later.

I read that the event was very successful in raising a lot of money for the new turf for the football field!

Next: Practice what you preach!

             

Thanksgiving or Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it brings people together to share a meal.

I love the fact that it's not about gifts. The only gifts that are exchanged are the gifts of friendship, love and gratitude!

I always share a poem or prayer with our family and friends on Thanksgiving.

They think I'm hokey because I like to sit at the table and share the things that I am most thankful for in my life and ask everyone to do the same! Then we take turns sharing our blessings which brings on the laughter and the tears. 

Whatever your tradition is, I hope it includes a prayer that gives thanks for the blessings in your life Big and Small.

This year why not start a new tradition and ask your family and guests if they would like to share something that they are thankful for in the form of a prayer, a poem or a personal story about "Thanksgiving or Giving Thanks"?

Here's a prayer that I love!

Dear God,

I give thanks for all the amazing gifts you have blessed me with in this life. Thank you for the clouds in the sky and the grass beneath my feet. Thank you for the roof over my head that shelters me from the cold and the food in my stomach that nourishes my body. Thank you for the clothes on my back and the knowledge in my head. Most of all God thank you for your everlasting love, guidance, and understanding. Thank you dear God, thank you.

~Unknown~

I hope that your Thanksgiving is blessed with love and gratitude and it is shared with others.

Happy "Giving Thanks" Day!!