My soon-to-be sister-in-law and one of my very best friends, Taylor, gifted my Mom and Dad a family photo session with Michael Newman Photography (Michael just so happens to be a wonderful family friend and MTH alum!) on his in-laws’ farm: Green Cedar Farms!
We had such a wonderful time on the farm and Brady got to sit on his first tractor! It was such a blast and these are photos we’ll treasure forever.
This has been a hard past few days. I love working through my inbox of inquiries, sweet notes from friends, order confirmations and forward momentum notes on lots of different projects.
But the past few weeks, my inbox hasn’t been such a happy place. And rightfully so. I debated writing this post because I didn’t want to admit the problems we’ve been facing and the hurdles that unfortunately most small businesses are faced with.
No, I want you all to think that my workflow, my products and my brand is perfect. Graceful AND perfect.
Unfortunately this time around it hasn’t been perfect. The response to the Simplified Planner was astronomical. Amazing, really. And well, too amazing I suppose. The production of the first batch of Simplified Planners before the holidays was seamless, but as New Years rolled around and interest in planning for 2012 picked up, so did the orders. The custom nature of each planner, paired with the sheer volume of the second batch matched with a complex production process for each part of the planner has made for multiple delays.
I’ve had such a heavy heart because so many sweet customers have graciously emailed me to check the status of their order so many times. And these puzzle pieces, outside of my control, have left many disappointed that their planners are yet to be received (soon, very soon).
But facing this situation (and really in the middle of it right now) I froze. I’ve never had disappointed customers before. And here I was facing lots and lots of them. I’ve also never sold that many orders in that amount of time.
I wanted to fix the problem, to make it right somehow. But I couldn’t. I don’t put the planners together myself and get them out the door. And the company who does was doing everything in their power to orchestrate many, many moving parts and also deliver a wonderful customer experience.
But sometimes things happen. And this was one of those times.
As I tried to dream up fancy ways to rectify the situation and make everyone happy again, it suddenly dawned on me that all I could do… was be my best, authentic, genuine self and respond to these customers the way the “Emily Ley” brand would… with genuine sincerity and personal attention. So yesterday I sat down with my best stationery, my favorite gold seals and specially-made gourmet lollipops to address each client with my most wholehearted thanks and apology… in hopes that this little treat might make the wait just a little “sweeter.”
Now as I cross my fingers and toes and wait for the next batch to arrive on doorsteps across the nation, I have to reflect on what I’ve learned through this hard experience. I’ll need to do some prior planning to prepare for production of next year’s (wonderfully, but complicatedly) high volume of planner orders. I’ve also learned, from the responses I’ve gotten from these sweet clients that a little note of personal thanks goes a long way. And I’m even further convinced that client experience is everything.
I’ll be honest, this post was no fun to write. I’d much rather write and tell you how amazing the planners are (oh they are!) and about the number we sold (my goodness, just look at the number of sweet notes here) and the rave reviews that have poured in. That would be much more fun. But I learned more from falling on my face a bit than I did from watching the orders fill my inbox. And I decided that in the end, grace won over perfection, even when I really, really, really wanted it to be perfect. Grace still wins.
For everyone who is reading this who is on my ginormous list of buyers within the second batch, thank you so very much for bearing with me. Your beautiful planner will be on your doorstep definitely before next Thursday but likely before Monday. If you have any questions about your order, please email me personally at emily@emilyley.com. Thank you for your patience, for checking in and for being so excited about a product I’m so proud of.
xo
Emily
Happy Tuesday, friends! After much deliberation, I’ve decided to open a very limited number of sponsorship spaces on the right sidebar of the blog! Readership is growing exponentially – and I’m having entirely too much fun sharing my journey as a wife, mama, designer, entrepreneur, blueberry smasher, family organizer and tightrope walker (sure seems like all of those some days!)
When I began writing in this little blog in 2008, I never intended to open it to sponsors, but after multiple requests and the realization that I’d love to hand-pick extra special businesses and shops to help my readers balance their multiple job titles… well, it just seemed to fit. Please visit the sponsorship page for more information and to request the full media kit.
Special note: Each sponsor will be hand selected as an appropriate fit for the “Emily Ley” brand. In keeping with my love to for design, each sponsor will receive complimentary ad design (with one round of revisions). Enjoy!
Many of you have heard me talk about my amazing friend, Natalie Norton. I’m not sure amazing describes her with the magnitude it should. I met Natalie in Maui in late 2010 when she attended Making Things Happen. Gina and Lara told me she would be there and I stopped in my footsteps (seven and a half months pregnant) and my eyes welled up with tears. Unknowingly I walked into the room and sat down next to a happy, happy girl with gorgeous long brown hair who immediately smiled and started asking me about my soon-to-be-born little boy. Then she told me her name was Natalie.
I’d been following Natalie’s blog since just before her sweet, sweet baby Gavin left us for heaven after being diagnosed with Pertussis.
Despite being one of the strongest, most encouraging, most positive and purely faithful women I know, Natalie is also one of the most eloquent. When she speaks, her words are full of so much power. And as an extraordinary photographer as well as an amazing mother to her boys Raleigh, Lincoln and Cardon, well, she’s just an inspiration and an incredible example of a woman doing it all with grace, not perfection.
Natalie is once again hosting BREATHE: a business and lifestyle rework for moms who also happen to be entrepreneurs on February 18 in Las Vegas (same week as WPPI!). I encourage you to ATTEND and experience Natalie. I love what she says in this video… that “the time that we need an intensive like this is often when we are struggling and overwhelmed the most.” Amen.
Read more about BREATHE here and more of Natalie’s story here on her blog.
Early last year, Bryan and I adopted a new philosophy regarding our family finances. Both of our careers were doing very well, but we were welcoming Brady into our family and wanted to be sure that we were making decisions (while we’re still youngish) that will benefit us down the road.
We started Part One in January, 2011 and Part Two in January, 2012. We didn’t hear about or read Dave Ramsey’s book until just a few months ago. Little did we know, we were following his theories almost to the tee! I’d recommend Total Money Makeover to anyone considering revamping their family finances. The one section that really stood out to me included Dave’s explanation on how rich people live. Rich people have no DEBT. They buy cars and homes with cash. A rich person might drive a luxury car, but you can almost guarantee if they’re truly wealthy, they don’t have a car payment and they probably didn’t buy it BRAND new.
Dave Ramsey also has a running footer throughout his book. It reads “Live like no one else to live like no one else.”
Think about that for a minute. Make sacrifices today to live the way you’d like tomorrow.
Is this process easy? HA! Is it worth it. Of course. Above are the things that keep me organized and keep this entire process simple day to day.
Here are the steps we took (and are taking) to put the key pieces into place to really secure our future as best as we can.
1. PART ONE: Pay off ALL debt starting with the smallest debts first. As you pay off one, move to the next. Soon your dollars will begin to snowball and free themselves up. Sacrifice to do this. Last year, Bryan and I paid off our cars and my graduate school loan. We did this by sacrificing in other places, though. It wasn’t easy, but goodness… sending those last payoffs in felt good!
2. PART TWO: At the same time, commit yourself to a cash only budget. This is is something I did religiously when I was a new college graduate. I was making beans for salary and had to be very careful where I spent my money. It was less of a strategic move and more of a make-it-to-the-next-paycheck-without-having-to-ask-mom-and-dad-for-money move. Back then I withdrew a certain amount every week and made myself learn to respect money by using cash. While the circumstances are different now, this is where Bryan and I are – teaching ourselves to respect our money so that we can make long term plans.We’ve paid off our debts (with the exception of our mortgage) and are working on our day-to-day spending. Together, we created a budget for our family. (Bryan is sitting here telling me I MUST say “Pay yourself first.” That’s the cardinal rule to making big family finance strides after your debts are paid.) We allocated certain amounts for our bills, savings and day-to-day spending.
The day-to-day spending is cash we withdraw every Sunday morning. We have three pots: Emily, Bryan and Family.
Now… there are exceptions. We do use our American Express (that we pay off every month) for three things:
At the end of the week, if you have money left over… GREAT! That’s yours to keep! We still take out the same amount on Sunday. This is how we accrue a small “for whatever we want” savings.
So far, all of this is working. Granted, we’ve hit our bumps in the road (like me griping at Bryan because I often pay for “FAMILY” overages with my EMILY money since I carry both pots) but we’re learning and adjusting each pot’s amount as we go.
It’s kind of amazing how you view spending $15 cash versus a $15 charge on your credit card. Not only is this philosophy (no debt + cash) really helping us make long term plans and establish a better relationship with money, we’re finding that it just makes us focus on material things less. It also makes me find ways to be resourceful. For instance, I’ve made a LOT of the pieces of Brady’s first birthday party myself, rather than ordering them or buying them at a store. More on this to come : )
Also, it’s allowing us to start to set aside money for the THIRD place we’d like to see it go [1) Savings, 2) Spending]….. 3) Giving. Philanthropy is so important to me. (See Bman’s lemonade stand!) My career background is in philanthropy, but more than that, my heart is in it.
That being said, I am excited teach Brady about money when he’s old enough. Thank goodness I married Mr. Finance, because my creative brain tends to say “spend spend spend”. Bryan is so forward-thinking and diligent. And… I’m finding my creative juices put to good use on the resourceful side. Tonight, I noticed that Dave Ramsey has a “Kid Bank” perfect for teaching 3+ year olds about money. Its a little bank that has three sections: 1) GIVING, 2) SPENDING, 3) SAVING. I love this!
I will never forget when I was in the third grade and my Mom (who was a teacher at my school) told me about a custodian (who was always so nice) who would not be having a Thanksgiving dinner with her children. She couldn’t afford a turkey this year. I immediately told my mom I wanted to buy her one with my own money. I saved my allowance and counted all the coins in my piggy bank and accompanied my Mom to the deli at Winn Dixie. I purchased a turkey and hand delivered it to this sweet woman at school on Monday privately in my Mom’s classroom.
She cried.
I think I cried too. My mom definitely cried. And that left such an impression on my heart. I want Brady to know that no matter how much he has or doesn’t have, he always has room to give – of his time or his money. I have big plans for him to have a doggie party one day and collect dog food instead of birthday gifts (his daddy and I will get him a birthday gift of course : ) and then deliver the food to a local animal shelter.
Whew – so all of this is a lot to think about! Bryan and I are still figuring out this cash thing. It’s not easy, but its worth it. Just like Dave Ramsey says… Live like no one else to live like no one else.
xo
Emily
PS: Leave me a note here and let me know your questions or tips for balancing family finances. On Friday I’ll give away a copy of Dave Ramsey’s amazing book: Total Money Makeover! The winner will be chosen at random.
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PPS: I debated whether or not to write this post for a while. Money used to be the root of 90% of the arguments that took place in our house. (Sound familiar?) And while those have tapered off as we’ve established a “team philosophy” regarding our finances, making peace with your bank account is not what brings peace into a home. Faith, empathy and a good old fashioned sense of humor trump that any day of the week. BUT, I still couldn’t shake the peace we felt (and the pride we take in what we’ll be teaching our son one day) when we started doing this. That being said, WE ARE NOT PERFECT. Goodness knows we screw this up almost daily. But we start over and keep going, changing our habits and making adjustments as we do. It’s a journey, not a destination. As with anything, what works for us may not work for every family, but we’re happy to share what we’ve learned! : )
One hundred percent of what Lara and I do with Making Brands Happen is rooted in our love for true, authentic transformation, for witnessing real heartfelt change in our clients. I hate to even use the word “clients” because they truly become and remain our friends. I just had a great call with Lara (who is on maternity leave loving on her sweet baby Grace) to catch up and we talked about our big dreams for this year: the people we are going to be working with, the fine-tuned processes we are laying out to help each really be changed from the inside out and the personal goals we have for making 2012 amazing. We are so blessed to be able to connect with the right clients with Making Brands Happen. In our work with each client we help them define their ideal clients thereby defining their ideal relationships for not just their businesses but their lives. In thinking about this today, it made me think about the connection between ideal CLIENTS and ideal RELATIONSHIPS – this exercise is so valuable professionally AND personally.
Who are those people you spend the most amount of time with? Are they ideal. Do they enrich your life?
I opened my Stationery Academy textbook to the definition of MY ideal “client” or friend, really… this woman buys my stationery and products. She reads this blog. She identifies with the look and feel of what I design. “She” doesn’t exist as a REAL person, rather the description of her describes who I want as part of my life – professionally or personally. It made me smile to read my description of her. After writing this, I shaped my brand, my communications, my collateral and all of my interactions to attract and connect with THIS woman…
My ideal client is in her thirties and is busy as a bee. She was raised in the South and loves being a mother more than anything in the world. Every now and then she wants to put on her brown peep toe pumps for a night on the town with her husband. She’s a wine lover but will surprise her friends by ordering a Belvedere slightly dirty martini with extra olives when she has a wild hair. She loves to dress up (fake doe-eyed lashes are her weakness) but prefers jeans and a fitted tee any day of the week. She shops at JCREW and Ann Taylor LOFT, reads Real Simple Magazine and makes a Target run twice a week but splurges on a Dooney and Bourke handbag once a year. Her clothes fall into a neutral palette as does her home – decorated form Home Goods, Pottery Barn and a good sale at Restoration Hardware. She loves entertaining, throwing parties and showers. She has a penchant for boxes, bins, tins, cubbies, jars, notepads and stationery. Her label marker is always within arms reach. She is slightly (admittedly) OCD and turns the shampoo bottle labels out before stepping out of the shower. She lines up her boxes, bins, jars and tins neatly and feels empowered and calm in a clean home. That being said, she’s authentic, comfortable with slight disarray and prefers a lived in look to perfection. She’s flawed and okay with that. She’s also a little silly and laughs at herself daily. When her home is a mess she remembers it is because a family lives there. Being type A she is driven beyond belief and works feverishly. But her family is her heart and is served by her passion. She loves God and her faith run through every fiber of her being. She wants to be inspired, encouraged, connected and she wants to make an impact on others. She values being put together in appearance and image but more than anything she values tradition, family and authentic grace.
Who is your ideal friend/client? Often they’re one in the same. Get to know him or her and you’ll be surprised how much you learn about yourself.
Image credit: Some random guy at the Houston Airport during Making Things Happen 2010. Natalie, I wish you were in this photo. : ) This is Gina, myself (and Brady in my belly!) and Lara. I’m so grateful for these girls. They define “ideal” for me.
View/download a large PDF of this graphic here.
I’ve had a lot of friends lately ask me about how I ended up as a work-at-home-mama. It’s funny, that’s precisely the reason I started my own business, so I could be this one day. Pair that deep-set need with a desire to run full force with my own creative passions and here we are.
I was cleaning out my hard drive today and happened upon hundreds of file folders containing five files… two JPEGs, two PNGs and one Illustrator file. I had to smile. I made $10 on each one of those files. Truth be told, I probably made -$25 on each one if you value my time at what I value it at now.
But that’s how I got started on Day One. I was working at the University of South Florida managing the development efforts of the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program. And I wanted so badly to do something creative and still make a difference. I was newly married and knew becoming a mother was in my near future. I also knew I wanted so badly to be home with my child(ren) to have something different than the 8-5 grind as a mother.
On that same note, I also knew that I wanted my own outlet. I wanted to be in charge of my own success, income and time. So Emily Ley Paper was born.
If I wasn’t deeply embarrassed of them, I’d show you my first logos : ) Let’s just say they involved flowers, thick script font and multiple colors (yech!) I’d designed my own wedding paper pieces around a wedding logo and loved the idea of branding an event, a love story and a pairing of personalities. So, my first Etsy shop was born. I sold my custom designed wedding logos for $10 each. I’ll never forget the first time one was featured on the Etsy homepage. I was over the MOON!
But it wasn’t the income that made that first Etsy shop and those first designs worth it, it was the honing in on my own personal style, the wonderful relationships I developed with those first brides and the confidence I started to gain in my own self-taught abilities that made the difference.
I took those designs, fine tuned them and developed the Emily Ley Paper Wedding Collection that was featured on my first website. I didn’t sell one wedding directly from that site. But I received HUNDREDS of inquiries and worked with TONS of brides on custom designed wedding suites because of their visibility and my polished presentation. I kept my Etsy shop open and continued to receive orders that way.
Fast forward almost four years and my path has changed even more. Emily Ley Paper is now an English Paper Company brand (fully represented and managed by their amazing staff). I’ve stopped accepting custom stationery and wedding orders. And I now devote 95% of my working hours to Making Brands Happen. With just a little moxy and a lot of faith + bravery, you can create your own destiny. I work four days a week at a job I truly love. I work my tail off. But I love every minute of it.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4. I used to have this taped to my computer screen. The only way I balance all of this is by constantly reconnecting to my core. I’m blessed with amazing girlfriends who encourage this every single day.
So as this post nears becoming the longest post ever… have you ever thought of becoming a WAHM? There are a million ways to do this. And you can go one of two routes — bring in a full income (which I do) or add to your family by bringing in a part time income. Either can be achieved, but it takes hard work and a lot of faith to climb the staircase before you even see the next step.
Have you identified your talent and the paths that might lie ahead for you? Many of you reading this are MTH’ers (Making Things Happen) and know my story that started in Watercolor, Florida. I encourage anyone with a big dream to attend MTH. It changed my life. And my path.
So take a look at a little flowchart I designed. Pick your passion and get started.
Its 3pm and I’ve yet to change out of my pajamas. My hair’s on top of my head and I have no make up on. Brady’s asleep and my kitchen is a disaster.
But I made freshly juiced apple-carrot-spinach juice to go with Brady’s whole grain waffle this morning. I am finally caught up on all pop up shop Etsy orders (out the door!). The ELP Simplified Planners are all shipping on Monday (thanks, English Paper Company!) One gorgeous pricing guide was designed for ever fabulous MBH client, Mrs Courtney Dox. One cute little boy’s first birthday party prep is almost complete. And tonight I have grown-up dinner plans with three long-lost friends I haven’t seen in DECADES (or weeks, but I miss them!) where you order your dinner on iPads! Yes, please!
Grace not perfection, friends! : ) The kitchen can wait but for now, this girl needs a shower!
image by Michael Newman Photography
I’m trying to cook more often. One of my goals for 2012 was to finally find my footing in the kitchen. I love to create but have never felt comfortable in that arena. Now that I’ve taken a vested interest in the foods we’re feeding ourselves (especially little Brady), I’m finding it more fun to discover fun recipes, plan meals for the week, grocery shop and finally learn the techniques I’ve put off forever (and by techniques, I mean really fancy things like how to cut/peel garlic… yes, I looked it up today online).
We are really cutting back on processed foods here. And in doing that, I decided I should try and make a few of our favorite “ready-made” foods myself. Tortilla chips and salsa are my absolute favorite food on the planet. I will give up chocolate, caffeine and red wine before I ever give up chips and salsa. So, yesterday, after scouring Pinterest for “the world’s greatest salsa recipe” I stumbled upon this. Aptly named, “The Best Salsa Ever” or “Roasted Red Pepper Salsa” I decided it HAD to be delicious. I saw that it required roasting 16 tomatoes and immediately knew this recipe was entirely too much for our little family. I cut the recipe in half and will, next time, cut it down to a quarter. It makes a TON of salsa. It was delicious, but VERY spicy. Normally I’m a fiend for spicy things, but the Serrano peppers (which, by the way, can be purchased at your grocery store or local farmer’s market — I’d never heard of them before and was worried about this) make it extra hot.
I also tried a yummy recipe that a friend posted on her blog (a must read) White Hot Inspiration. Cassie and I went to middle school together and she’s a pro in the kitchen – always whipping up delicious, beautiful dishes. Tonight we had her Chicken and Black Bean-Stuffed Burritos - (DELICIOUS – even Bryan loved them) and we’ll be having her Sesame Noodles tomorrow night. Even Brady loved those burritos!
In shopping for all of these yummy meals, I decided to try shopping for all of our produce (since we’re going through a TON with the juicer) at our local farmer’s market rather than at Publix. I was BLOWN. AWAY. by the difference. Our farmer’s market had SO much to choose from and everything looked delicious. I left with a grocery cart FULL of produce (seriously… including 22 apples and 12 tomatoes) for only $29.
Bryan and I are testing out a cash-only philosophy this year (I could write a novel about this philosophy and a few others we put to the test beginning LAST year) and its really working wonders. It felt so good to hand over just $29 for all those yummy fruits, veggies and fresh herbs. The market even carries fresh baked cuban bread from Ybor City. Oh my goodness it is good.
My husband challenged me to do something I’ve wanted to do, but never had the guts to commit to, on Thursday night. He said to me… “You’re almost thirty years old. You have a faith as big as this room. Why have you never read the entire Bible.” (He has.) Well one things for sure, if you give me a challenge… well, lets just say it was overnighted and arrived on Saturday.
I’ve always had a wholehearted faith, but have never read all the books of the Bible. I’m actually really looking forward to doing this. I wasn’t raised in church every Sunday but grew up in a home that loved God and thanked him daily. My Grandmother taught me God. She taught me the roots of Christianity and grew, in me, a deep-set childlike faith. As I grew older, I grew more interested in the facts of the Bible (especially when the Da Vinci Code was written). I think God allows those seeds of doubt and question so that we will dive more into his Word. I bought book after book about religion and really began to piece together my Christian belief myself. Oddly enough, at the very basis of things, it was my Grandmother and The Da Vinci Code that led me to be baptized when I was in college (I’d been baptized as an infant, but decided I wanted to rededicate myself in 2004). Still, to this day, I’ve never learned the Bible. I’ve never read an entire book of the Bible. I’m really nervous about this for some reason – I suppose because I want to soak up every ounce I read… but I’m really excited to do this. Tomorrow’s agenda… off to the zoo with little B and our friends for the holiday!
Cheers to growth this year!
xo
Em
