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Tag: awesome customers

We’re on the News!

https://www.cbs8.com/video/money/business/small-business/shop-local-surrounded-by-penguins/509-e2dc8a6f-a5ec-4729-b489-76633d801316

We were featured on the local news for LGBTQIA+ Pride month!

I kinda wish I said different things but I still think I did really well considering. Plus CBS8 did really good by us. Thanks CBS8! Especially Mario Escovado. Aly and Cheryl at SBDC too. I had the big sick at the time this was recorded. I’m proud that I pulled it together to do the interview. The night before I practiced a script, none of that is in the short clip but the whole process took all of me still. I tapped up exactly where the furniture, laptop, myself had to be placed for the shoot. After, I knew I over did it.

https://www.cbs8.com/video/money/business/small-business/shop-local-surrounded-by-penguins/509-e2dc8a6f-a5ec-4729-b489-76633d801316

What I really love about penguins is that they’re unique. They’ve been around for around 60 million years and are designed like no other birds. They are an anomaly that doesn’t make sense yet they’ve been around thriving for a very long time. They’re easy to connect to in an emotional way because we can relate to them.

What I love is that they also mentioned the Birch Aquarium Little Blue Penguins too!

I love a lot about penguins, sure what I mentioned in the clip is true but especially fit LGBTQIA+ month I wish I pointed out that penguins definitely are the queer birds that keep things simple without much fluff. They definitely may be odd but they got all the right stuff.

#lgbtbusiness #lgbtqi #lgbt #lgbtq #penguins #penguin #pride #lgbtproducts #smallbusinessowner #pridepenguins #happypride #ecoconscious #ecoconsciousproducts #penguinfan #cutepenguin #cutepenguins #penguinproducts #penguinstickers #pridestickers  #gratitude #thankyoueveryone
#surroundedbypenguins
#shoptherapy #newproducts #penguingifts #penguinproducts #penguinfans #cutepenguins #giftsforpenguinlovers #giftideas #giftideasforpenguinlovers
#surroundedbypenguins

https://www.cbs8.com/video/money/business/small-business/shop-local-surrounded-by-penguins/509-e2dc8a6f-a5ec-4729-b489-76633d801316

The Penguin or the Egg?

Honestly, at times I just cry after attempting and failing to do the business online must do’s. The very things that every video seems to make look so easy, but for reasons unknown do not happen as easy for me. I feel like I’ve had to trouble shoot every single thing. At times I let the frustration get the best of me as I wonder, “What was I thinking? I’m not cut out for all this. I’m not equipped to handle all this….” etc. Worse thoughts, fears, and worries that don’t serve me beyond practicing how to console myself.

Like a penguin, at some point, often times faster than I think, I do get up, and I waddle on. I think about penguin parents and their feet not equipped to walk and hold an egg. I think about the pressure and anxiety over knowing that just a few seconds on the ice could mean death. How do they keep standing, balanced, and huddled while starving?

I know that sometimes it takes everything to make something beautiful, like a beautiful penguin chick…. Ohhh kay, so I’m being overly dramatic. This shop is not a living baby. But through it I hope I am making something beautiful. I hope to give, not just take from this world. So far it’s been frustrating, anxiety creating, and debt drowning, but it’s also not without some rewards.

I created a Surrounded By Penguins Instagram account when I decided to embark on this venture. I met some really awesome people, some I’ve chatted on Instagram. Some time ago, Diana, the creator of the Pico_Space_Adventures Instagram and I started messaging, shortly after we begun messaging she wrote that she would support my business once I got it all going. I actually didn’t think she meant by buying something from the website as soon as possible. But incredibly, that is what she did. So far her purchase has been my only sale. I am delayed with posting about it. Ecuador was approaching at the time and I had to pull product off the site due to a bank change that would happen while I was in the Galapagos. But believe me, I treasure that she bought this tank. Especially since she purchased it before the shop was on any social media, so it wasn’t just a simple click to the shop. She had to have a lot of intention and commitment to buy.

Because she did, we learned that emails were not being sent upon ordering. I hope that is all fixed now. Fingers crossed. It better be as now we are finally integrated with Facebook and Instagram! I think I finally managed to upload and connect products from this website to the SBP Instagram and Facebook. Well pending approval of the “It’s okay to be a Little Blue” collection.

Completing this task pushed my emotions, but we managed, thank goodness. Now, back to reviewing pictures and designing! Can you believe I need to work on Holiday designs already? Since it takes so long to get the products and it takes me a while to design products, I need to start right away. Wish me luck!