I love the discovery of  under-the-radar, independent, indie brands whose products fulfill a seemingly intangible promise:  All-natural, truly effective product that genuinely reflects the purpose driven values of the founders.  Little Barn Apothecary, Oxalis Apothecary, and Poppy Austin are the brand that rose to the top of my list for the toners I was looking for, along with the appeal of the rest of the assortment. These niche brands tell a story and create a sense of community through their philosophy, unique voices, and ingredients. 

Authenticity and transparency when capitalizing on the appeal of what is natural, pure, and pretty. What began as a simple exercise of sorting through the clutter of the recent surge in rosewater toners transformed into a project entwined with aspects of chemistry and shadowy nomenclature nuances. And although it should not come as a surprise- price is no guarantee for a product that fulfills its brand promise of “pure and natural”, or even quality. It is no wonder that in this context, micro/indie newcomers with the ability to create strong product-to-customer connections and provide a stronger sense transparency may be changing the rules the of the marketing game. And as an added benefit- crafting products with love light, and bliss. 

Many of us create absurd justifications for overworking. At best, I justified it as a necessary means to success, but most of the time I was just compulsively acting on my own personal drive to deliver above expectations, and a fixation with an element perfectionism- setting up an abstract idea in my mind of what I should be able to do, that had no relationship with what I actually needed to do. With the ever increasing demands of corporations in the face of shrinking resources, the excess results in counter productivity and potential loss of valuable employees.  One of the worst element of demotivation is being in a situation in which no matter what is delivered and accomplished- it is never enough.