Big Congrats from The Beehive

A few months back, I listened to a podcast of Christine Kane on "upleveling your business."

What does this mean? She asked, and then she proceeded to lay out the steps. While I enjoyed the lecture, I didn't feel the need to pursue listening to her any further. However, the term "uplevel" was one of those terms that stuck with me.

Today, I can report that I've seen it in action through my work with The Beehive -- one of my clients, Floradora, has expanded her business beyond Etsy to a fully live, beautiful and interactive ecommerce site! I am so proud to work with this home decor company. 

Sarah Reed of Dodeline Design hit this one "out of the park," translating the Floradora aesthetic in an easy-to-navigate site, and then trained Floradora on how to customize and in general keep her items, and site, up to date. 

Custom-designed table linens is a Floradora specialty

Throughout the process, Floradora owner Courtney Scott really put in the work as well, creating wholesale pricing for retailers, organizing her stock by style collections, and in general thinking about her business and how she wants it to grow. 

Congratulations to Floradora on her big debut, and The Beehive wishes her all the best!

The kindness of (not so) strangers

Selflessness. It's rare and it's hardly an American attribute, we a people full of our get-rich-quick, narcissistic and often insular pursuits. But the flip side is that there are generous people out there mixed in with all the shady dealers and mirror-obsessed ones.

I had an editor suggest recently that I contact another highly regarded editor and mention his name. He said that he needed to pay back some karma and do something good for a freelance writer. I was happy to be that person and subsequently, that editor's suggestion, no matter the outcome, was a gesture that went above and beyond mere assignment. 

Then there was my conversation this week with one of my most trusted historical sources. I've gone to him many times over the years for help and reference, and he's always been kind and quick to respond. Yes, he loves history, but he is generous with that knowledge and heck, he's even taken photos for me in a pinch. He is a sincerely genteel man, and this time, he responded by sending some extra research my way -- a big time saver since a deadline is looming. 

But I have been blessed by a generosity that surpasses these by far, and that is with a beautifully constructed website that I could not afford at the moment. A dear artist/poet friend constructed it in his "spare" time (this is a busy man) and now I have a face to show to the world.

Generosity personified. Thank you Marcus. And please check out his handiwork at www.stephanieburtwilliams.com.