I’ve lately been feeling like Words and Watercolors is gaining traction…and it is a GOOD THING!! Sarm and Nostovski is repping my cards in the Midwest!! They have a showroom at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago and rep coverage in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minn, Wisconsin and Eastern Mich. WooHOO!! In addition to the Midwest, I have new coverage in the Northwest. Susie Gildea + Group has a showroom in the Design Center in Seattle and rep coverage in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Suzie even wrote an order for me at a Hospital in Wenatchee before we were able to talk and confirm things. I had sent her my catalog and a few sample cards and from that I got a nice size order!!
Besides new rep coverage, I’ve also been talking to wordpress and this week will be getting my website converted to a wordpress platform so my site will load faster, the blog will be posted on the site and I’m changing a few pages. Then with the help of Warren at the SF Small Business Development Center, I’m working on all sorts of marketing initiatives (and trying not to be overwhelmed with his to do list!).
My birthday is the end of September (the 28th) and I posted on facebook September 1st that I was going to accept the same Birthday Challenge this year as I did last…Going to paint and/or draw each day for the month of September. I don’t know when I came up with the idea to do something each day of my birthday month but it was a number of years ago. I often used to walk every day in the month of September. Last year I found that with the discipline derived from painting/drawing, I was lucky enough to have some good new images that became cards in January. I’m hoping for new cards again as I’ve dutifully been pulling out my sketch book, pencils, markers, watercolors, each day to capture daily delights of life!
Now off to create a sheet that explains my “rack program” for the new reps. I promised Blanche Nostovski that I’d have it to her today. The Chicago Showroom is part of a mini show which begins tomorrow at the Mart. I’ve shipped my card racks, catalogs and cards there hoping for my first orders!!