Storytime about me trying to stomp with the BIG DOGS.
So I got up early one morning, few weeks ago, did a full crystal healing on myself and was feeling amazing. I had my coffee and was picking out what I wanted to wear to Vitamins Plus First Tuesday Event. In the middle of me jamming out and dancing to some Jodeci, I get an email. It was from my distributor that sends products to the Whole Foods stores.
The subject was a denial of shipment which I had never gotten before. When I opened and read the first line, I just went blank. Like BLANK. I just stared at the screen for so long reading the first line over and over. This is an official denial of shipment for PO 121528 due to arriving frozen and upon thawing out all of it is leaking and deemed UNSALEABLE. I literally clutched my invisible pearls. Cause WTF.
When I was able to exit out of the email, I had another one from my forager. I just KNEW it was an email saying I will miss the reset and try again next year. I had already waited a year for this to happen. I was hurt. But instead it was an email asking for my approval of this image. A shelf talker that will be placed in all 80 stores during promo week. I thought that's when the tears would flow, cause this is the product that is now considered all trash. But they didn't.
Turns out the driver that picked up my pallet on Monday, was supposed to deliver it that Friday did not deliver it til that following Wednesday. Which means it sat in Wisconsin's below zero FREEZING cold temperatures unattended. And because I did not know it was freezing like that there and did not opt for the freeze coverage, (honestly, did not know they had that kind of coverage) it froze. All of it popping so hard even the labels peeled off.
Defeated is the only way I could describe the initial emotion. But then like literal magic, my mind said, just make it over. See what you have to get overnighted in inventory and put them two people you live with to work. That's exactly what I did. Thankfully, it's a simple recipe and we were able to get all of them made and shipped back out in time to make the reset. The biggest problem I had was how was I going to get it there NOT FROZEN. Even with protection, I still need them to arrive NOT frozen. So I did some research and then essentially gave it a full insulated blanket. I wrote reiki symbols all over the shipment.
Getting my claims denied by my own insurance and the trucking company I felt was responsible for it shipping plus the 4 days it was gonna take to get there did nothing for my nerves as my blood pressure shot up to 168/118. Waiting for that email on whether it made it undamaged or not was wearing on me. All of this landed me in urgent care and another BP med added to my regimen cause the shit wouldn't come down to normal. Even when I got the email that it had made it in perfect condition is when the tears I was holding in finally poured. I couldn't seem to let myself cry about it at first. I think I would have just checked out if the second round ended up like the first.
I am so glad I did that healing on myself. I think if I hadn't of, I would have literally given up. So much time and money lost. Did the thought cross my mind, HELL YEAH. I even asked myself was it worth it. But y'all know I'm not a quitter. Seeing that beautiful image of my baby product just gave me more motivation. Even though this wiped out my current inventory, I lost $4500 in sales, my pressure got out of control, I still could not just walk away.
The song Fortunate was chosen well before all of this happened. It was to celebrate these new products in Whole Foods but this event just made it even more fortunate. Fortunate I had the resources to remake it all, especially with the help from Julian and Jia. Fortunate I was in well enough health to get it done, even though I didn't start truly stressing til speaking with trucking company after trucking company about how to guarantee unfrozen delivery as their weather wasn't changing anytime soon. Fortunate I found a way to counter the cold without having to sell a kidney. Fortunate all I did worked because they made it there.
Jia's Caribbean Dream and Butterfly Pea Tea Hydration Mists are arriving in Whole Foods currently and all stores should be stocked by mid March. I am so proud of this product. It's currently my bestseller and your go to hydration spray for your locs and curls. If you see this sign in store, please know that I have worked my ass off for this sign to be in that store. And I am so happy to provide this product to you.
I'm determined to stay in my softness despite ANY setback I have. My pressure is back to normal after extensive rest and recalibration and this month I am taking insane care of myself. My BP getting that high scared me. And I want to stay on top of it the best way I can with all the resources I have available to me.
I hope you celebrate your wins over the setbacks with this beautiful scent. I hope you add it to your self care regimen and it becomes your favorite part of the day. I have more planned for you guys this month. Fortunate opens juicy and bright. Lychee with a tart rhubarb twist. Then it melts into peony and rose, dewy and fresh, like petals still holding morning air. Muguet keeps it light. White musk makes it skin-close and addictive. Soft, delicate but bold a little bit. It will be available in March 1 at 2 pm CST.
In the meantime, if you don't have Track 2, My Funny Valentine, or the Strawberry Collection or you want to stock up before they are gone, a few of them are left. Get them before the end of the month. SHOP MY FUNNY VALENTINE.
Thank you for being here. I wanna say a special thank you to those who got that video email from me telling you I would be late sending your products out. Thank you for your patience, kind words, and encouragement.
xo-Ashley
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