It's been a dog's life since I wrote anything in. Well, the most recent development deserves note: Mother's Markets, a high-end Orange County Health Food chain is going to give Smarter Cookies a try. It's been a process getting all of the paperwork done, mostly due to insurance BS, or at least underwriters that don't find Smarter Cookies' forward progress particularly interesting or urgent. It's a good thing that I have a questioning nature or I could have waited another week or a month or indefinitely for someone to actually finish the job. As a person who is passionate about being good at service, it amazes me how some businesses don't seem pay attention to the needs of their customers, it's up to us to keep them on task. I suppose the message is "Remain Proactive".
And then there are the unexpected stars. We ate at a burger joint tonight, and there was this guy, probably about 20, who was a marvel to watch at the griddle and anywhere else he was in that place. Amazingly competent, friendly and caring. He was a superstar in a burger joint. He enjoyed what he did, and did it artfully well. His pay is probably 1/4 of what the senior underwriter I started with last week makes, the one who went on vacation without doing anything about writing my policy, passing it along to a co-worker or even leaving an away message on her email. The burger boy did not miss the smallest detail.
What else...
We have new Labels! All of the feedback so far has been very positive. Especially encouraging, today was when Charlie Feder, a true Old Pro, the owner of a sizable bakery in Long Beach, looked at the Label and Presentation of Smarter Cookies and said, "Congratulations, this looks great! These are going to move." I mean, he was really enthusiastic.
The day ended on this positive note. It's a good thing because I found out first thing in the morning that two of my cafe's in Long Beach were likely going to drop Smarter Cookies. That's always disappointing, but definitely part of the real world. I plugged on through the day, preparing 5 marketing bags that I will deliver to hopefully more appropriate customers tomorrow. And then we'll see what happens. This is a time of great possibilities, and plenty of nagging stressors.
The thing that has sustained me all through my healing and through our building of this deal from scratch, and with very little money, is focusing on what we want, even if that means sometimes dragging through psychic mud to prepare what we need to make necessary steps in the the right direction.
Loaded With Goodness
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