Years ago, I was a working actor living in New York City. Born and raised in Nebraska, here I was in New York City full of hope and ambition. Yet, after almost a decade there I became disenchanted and not satisfied with where things were headed; moving in a direction that I didn’t know how to change.
A friend suggested that I meditate on the things that mattered to me, made me happy, made me feel peaceful and content, and got me excited. She said,
“Keep it simple. Just jot down a word or phrase to represent each of the images that come up. Don’t over think this. It doesn’t have to make sense.”
The random images and thoughts looked like a mishmash to me. She told me to look at what I’d jotted down and listen to what all those random words and phrases were telling me. I thought of what was on that piece of paper for weeks yet nothing… but eventually a picture took shape. As much as I loved (and still love) New York City, it was time to leave. I headed to graduate school in Massachusetts. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
One of those phrases I jotted down was “the smell of a vegetable garden warmed by the sun.” That phrase evoked the smells of soil, of tomatoes and dill, and the buzzing of bees. So, among other things that were manifested from that mishmash of words and phrases, I evolved into a crazy, seed saving, organic (of course) gardener. Seeing a milkweed seed float on the fall wind over the fence and (hopefully) find a good place to grow fills me with joy. A little volunteer tomato plant growing in the compost inspires me (you go little guy!) Plants are amazing. You put seeds in soil, give them water, warmth, some sun and plenty of love and those little guys know exactly what to do! They are wise and powerful. They heal us, nourish us, give us air to breathe, and make the world beautiful. Who else can say that?!!
Jump ahead a few years. My husband (another great decision) and I were looking for the next step in our life. We wanted to find a way to make a living on our terms. And guess what we did? Ding, ding, ding! You are correct! We jotted down the things that mattered to us, made us happy, made us feel peaceful and content, and got us excited. Here are some of the things we jotted down:
We spent months looking at a very (VERY) broad spectrum of business ideas. And one day, there it was; a small, certified organic vegan skincare and oral care line looking for growth and fresh ideas. It was cruelty-free, non-GMO, raw, vegan, AND it was in GLASS CONTAINERS! It was a no-brainer. Made Simple Skin Care was obviously our next step! It happened fast but when you feel in your core that it’s right, time doesn’t matter. Initially the culture of the company is what got us excited about Made Simple, but it was the actual products that has made us passionate about it. I fell in love with the products and in a very short period of time could actually feel their impact on my body.
Since taking the reins at Made Simple, we have been committed to providing a USDA certified organic vegan skincare and oral care products that respects and harnesses the power, wisdom, and beauty of plants. We believe that honesty and customer service builds community. We feel that leaving the planet in better shape than we found it isn’t just a good idea, it is our responsibility as human beings. Not to mention, we’re having a blast getting to know our customers and coming up with ways to improve what we do and how we do it.
And I realize that all those years ago my friend was right. “Keep it SIMPLE.” (see what I did there?)
And at the risk of being corny, I’ll close with something to meditate on. Thank you for reading this and being a part of our wonderful journey.
JulieAnn
