So much of running a creative business boils down to words on a page. What you write in your outreach to stores, social media captions, wholesale marketplace listings, “about” page, and other materials are where the rubber meets the road. These are the places where your vision and dream and work touch the people who can support that work.

A few afternoons per week, I sit with a phone and a cup of tea and do coaching calls with folks across the country. And with each new person that comes on the line, there is a dramatically different experience. Some of the people I talk to are struggling financially, emotionally, and spiritually. Other makers are bright with their excitement and can’t believe how much they are thriving right now. The contrast is striking.

If you’re anything like me, you want to get a very clear picture of what something is before you sign up for it. So today we want to share exactly what it’s like to be a part of One Mill School so that you can decide whether it’s the right fit for you.

When I was a kid, I went to a really unusual school.

It was called The Susquehanna School and I loved it so much that sometimes I would get up early, get dressed, and then lie back down in my bed, waiting for my Dad to be ready to drive me to school.

There were no desks. No grades. No textbooks. Our days were spent pursuing projects we were deeply passionate about, with a vibrant community supporting us, and wise teachers guiding us. For instance, if you loved knitting, teachers would guide you to explore the history of wool production, how to knit a sweater, and the math required to mix dyes.

Whatever you are facing right now, you likely feel a large amount of stress and a lack of clarity. You feel pressure to reinvent what you are doing in your business but don’t have the support to make that happen. I believe that for most business owners, COVID-19 has created an unfamiliar and disorienting economy and landscape. It’s not a time when you can simply do what you’ve always done. But I also believe -- based on what I am seeing from the business owners we serve -- that this landscape is one you can succeed in with the right tools.

People are people. So whether you’re selling to a mom in Idaho, a 20-year-old in New York City, or a store owner in San Diego, they will buy from you because both of these conditions are met:

1. Their head is sold. It is crystal-clear (with no effort on their part) what you are selling, for how much money, and under what terms; and those facts work for them.

2. Their heart is sold. Your story, journey, or line makes them feel inspired, moved, or excited.

It’s kind of a hard time to be a human being right now… and it’s definitely a hard time to run a business. As we wrote about last week, many of our makers have seen 60-90% of their income disappear, almost overnight. Some well-respected stores have closed and others are struggling on a day-to-day basis. Even if you’re seeing sales, you’re likely struggling to plan, or source materials, or run your business in a time of uncertainty.

As a team and as a company, we say again (and will keep saying): Black lives matter. Black makers matter. Black store owners matter. Black communities matter. Black stories matter. ⁠ ⁠

The issues, dynamics, and histories being spotlighted right now are of deep importance to each of us on the Wholesale In a Box team. Structural violence and racism touch every person and institution in our country -- and so it is appropriate that recent weeks have been marked by deep emotion and turmoil. It’s also Pride Month -- a time that is both a celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community and also demands greater reflection and engagement and energy from all of us.

In the first few weeks of COVID self-isolation, I couldn’t concentrate on reading even the fluffiest of novels. That worked fine because our library was closed, I’m not into reading books on a device, and I couldn’t bring myself to spend money ordering books from Amazon that wouldn’t arrive for several weeks.

We’re big podcast fans over here — they are such a beautiful medium to connect to others in a personal, deep way. And so, at a moment when we all might need a little more inspiration and a little more company, we’re bringing you our new podcast! It's called Making Do and it’s creative inspiration for makers growing businesses in lean times.

First, I hope that you are staying healthy — mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially. Many of you are facing closed markets, drops in wholesale orders, revenue hits, and overall uncertainty in your businesses. Others have increased or maintained sales, but are facing supply, shipping, or production issues. Still others are just starting your business journey and feeling unsure how to proceed. Whatever the specifics of what you are facing, it is true that there is both a crisis and an opportunity in all of this — but the stress and sadness are very real.