We now have almost 50 sales reps selling our inspirational cards, journals and notepads to stores around the country. That may sound like a lot but we have a long way to go. From what we can see, small business people are still struggling as much as they were last year. It seems like whatever improvements in the economy we hear about on the news haven’t really hit Main Street yet. Thankfully, our products are reasonably priced and carry positive messages of hope and encouragement so we’re off to a good start. (People need encouragement more than ever these days.) We get requests from many of you for stores in your home town that carry our products but as we said, we still have a long way to go. One step at a time. If you know any stores that would like to carry our line, please let us know. (And if they place an order, we’ll send you an assortment of free products as a thank-you gift.) One step at a time – with the help of our friends.

Blanchards Restaurant is thriving, despite the economy. The number of tourists visiting the island is still way down from past years but we’re doing well. Our staff is as energetic as ever and truly love what they do. Last week we had a private party and it was a blast. We set up a bar on the beach and everyone watched the sunset over Meads Bay while sipping rum punch and nibbling crispy grilled shrimp drizzled with a soy-sesame sauce. It was one of those perfect nigts we’ll all remember forever.

Lots of hard work and plenty of patience pays off in the end. If there’s something you’d like to do, the first step is to believe in yourself. You really can do it! We never thought we’d be able to have two businesses at the same time but here we are, figuring things out as we go along. Take one step at a time and don’t expect everything to go smoothly. Just face each obstacle head on and make the choices that take you where you want to go.

Good luck and keep in touch!

For those of you who have asked for more information about the boxes themselves, that’s easy. We have 21 designs in a variety of sizes and colors. They’re all made in the U.S.A. using recycled paper. But the best part, as many of you have pointed out in your e-mails, is that each box has a secret Live What You Love message inside. So once you’ve filled your boxes with whatever gift you’re giving – cookies, soaps, exotic teas, holiday ornaments, candy or whatever suits your fancy – not only is there no wasteful, disposable packaging, but there’s an extra hidden gift that remains true long after the box has been emptied.

Again, thanks to all of you who have fallen in love with our Little Boxes. We truly appreciate your enthusiasm!

As we get more settled in our new Florida home, we’re reminded of how every person in your life contributes to your happiness. It’s not just about your family, coworkers and close friends. It’s about how you interact with everyone in your community. For instance, the phone rang yesterday and a cheery voice on the other end said, “Hi! It’s Charlie the painter. Remember me? I was just thinking about you guys and wondered how things were going for you.” Charlie had indeed done some painting for us when we first moved in a couple of months ago. Never in a million years, however, would we have expected such a freindly call that had nothing to do with business or painting. He was truly just checking in. And a few days ago, we were driving to the warehouse (actually just a self-storage unit) and Dale, a local contractor that did some work for us, waved as we passed each other on the road. We’re used to waving at everyone in Vermont and Anguilla, but in a big city in Florida? That was a surprise. Then there’s Wendy, the wonderful real estate broker who found our house and sent us a personal e-mail the other day just to say hello. Nothing to do with money or business.

The point, of course, is that when we talk in our books about surrounding yourself with people whose company you genuinely enjoy, we want you to know that we mean all of the people in your life – not just the most obvious. We chose to do business with Charlie, Dale and Wendy not just because they’re good at what they do, but because we liked them. We really, truly enjoyed spending time with them.

Although we all have our own definition of what it means to live what you love, relationships are the common denominator for all of us. Everyone we meet contributes to how we feel and how we look at the world. Try sharing some personal thoughts with a store clerk or a taxi driver. Get to know some little piece of who they are. You’ll be amazed at how a new friend – even one who passes through your life for just a few moments – can put a smile on your face and make your day that much more rewarding.

The struggling economy hit us hard in Anguilla this year and although our restaurant is holding its own, we’ve all suffered a bit financially. There simply were not as many visitors to the island as usual and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it. We also had the misfortune of getting tangled up with a resort project on the island that had to close its doors due to a lack of available financing. We were stuck in the middle of a difficult situation and lost what we thought was reliable income there as well.

Following our own Live What You Love advice, we knew we had to make some changes. As drastic as it sounds, we sold our house in Vermont. We’d built that house with our own hands and loved it dearly. But in the end, a house is just a house. We bought a smaller, more manageable home in Florida just a few weeks ago and are thrilled to be here. Travelling back and forth to Anguilla will be much easier now, taking less time and costing less money. Phew!

But our even bigger news is that in the middle of relocating, we’ve also started another business. Truthfully, we didn’t know what else to do. Once you’ve been an entrepreneur, it’s almost impossible to get a job. (Yes, we tried.) Unless we wanted to lay off our top staff at the restaurant and take their place, we needed to find another source of income. For those of you who know us well, it’s no surprsie that we would rather stick our necks out with a new venture than disrupt our staff. They are our family.

So here we are with business #9 (or maybe #10?) Our ultimate goal is to use all of our life experience – both the ups and downs – to inspire and encourage as many people as possible to live what they love. Our passion is offering encouragement and helping other people to realize their own dreams. We’ve designed (actually we had a lot of help – stay tuned for more about that later) a beautiful line of greeting cards, gift boxes, gift enclosures, magnets, and notepads. Every product has an encouraging LWYL message and reminds you to spend time doing something you love. Something meaningful.

And if you think we had loads of money to start any kind of business we want, think again. Our credit cards are maxed out and we’re out on a limb as far as we can go. We have friends helping us all along the way and thankfully, we had a great response to our products at the recent New York Gift Show. As we say on one of our cards, “You’ve got to take chances for the things you care about.”

Here we go again… If we can start over again, so can you.

As children, we both tried to color between the lines. That’s what was expected and we always wanted to do what was right. When we were in college, working for ourselves was the last thing on our minds. It never even occurred to us that having our own business was something we should consider. But somewhere along the way, we wondered who actually wrote all of these rules? Who passed the law about coloring within the lines? And who decided that we should follow a traditional career path?

We stopped playing by the rules – or at least what we thought were the rules – when we finally realized that our life belongs to us and us alone. When other people advised us to follow a traditional career path rather than start our own business, we listened but moved on, trusting our instincts and taking a series of calculated risks. Advice is generally well intentioned but not always useful. One piece of advice we were given was that we were too young to get married. Thirty-five years later, we’re still happy with our life together and more than a few of our early advisors have been separated or divorced more than once. So much for living life the way other people think it should be lived.

We think the toffee is perfect as a snack right from the jar and the crumbles are simply the best topping for a bowl of ice cream. For us, living what we love means making sure our restaurant guests come away with unforgettable memories. Let us know how you like it!

Now we’re all trying to comprehend the huge story of a global economic meltdown. How are we to deal with such overwhelming events? Well, this would be a time to share our own stories of courage, to help and support each other as much as we can. We invite you to share your own true story of positive change, or the story of someone you know. Someone who is living what they love. Just click on “Tell Us Your Story” at the top of this page or, if you prefer, simply post it here in the blog. Either way, you have the power to offer strength and encouragement to someone in need. You never know the good those words can do!

- Interactive tools to help you track your personal D.R.E.A.M. progress online
- An easy way to connect with others who are committed to following the 5 D.R.E.A.M. steps
- An online Changing Your Course Mentorship Program
- D.R.E.A.M. workbook
- Private Coaching Program
- Quizzes and tests to help you determine which part of your life you’d like to improve
- Strategies for dealing with difficult situations
- Advice and information from other people who live what they love
- Format for creating your own personalized goals

Please tell us if you have any other thoughts or ideas about how we could help.

Send us your questions, requests and suggestions!

Just let us know your thoughts by sending a comment to this blog entry. If you are new to blogging and don’t know how to post a comment, please drop us a line at blanchards@lwyl.com and we’ll help guide you along. It’s really easy!

LWYL,
Bob and Mel

Julie’s frustration is so clear to us that we wonder how she can afford not to make a change in her life. But her question about how to pay for this is the one we hear most when we talk about the importance of living what you love. That sounds great, people say, but the reality is that I have bills to pay!

Well, we’ve never been rich and we’ve often enough been broke, so we know those realities intimately. But we’ve also known that the one thing we could never sacrifice was living a life of passion and enthusiasm. We’d rather do without stuff than live without joy.

Fine, you might say, but how do I actually make choices? Our book Changing Your Course is a great guide to answering this question, with a step-by-step plan for getting the life you want, but the short answer is Do Your Homework. People so often tell us that they can’t afford to live their dream but then they draw a blank when we ask them, “How much, exactly, do you need?”

Until you’ve done all the research and figured out all the costs (and benefits!) of making a change, you simply aren’t qualified to say it’s impossible. You may need to modify your plans. Part of your homework is to research alternative ways of achieving your dream. You probably will have to make some sacrifices. But remember that it’s your life that’s at stake. How much is that worth to you?

Remember:

• List all the costs associated with each one of your goals.
• Don’t worry about what you think you can afford until you’ve done all your research.
• Find the right balance between money and passion.
• Don’t listen to people who say you can’t afford to do something.
• Don’t allow fear to distract you.

It all began a few months after we graduated from college. That’s when we left the conventional work world and opened a small housewares store in Vermont. Now we’re embarking on a brand-new retail adventure—an online store here at our website to sell some of the products we love.

We truly believe that the quality of our lives is affected by the things in our lives. So starting the week of May 5^th, we’ll be offering you a collection of some of our favorite products from around the world.

Each item, whether it’s our favorite beach bag or Vermont cheese or handmade serving platter is remarkable for its beauty, its utility or its sheer deliciousness. There’s no doubt that our selection process has been personal, idiosyncratic, even quirky. It reflects the parts of the world we know well—the beach, the garden, the kitchen, the home. We’ve held or used or savored every item that we’ll be offering for sale, and we believe in its quality and value.

We hope you’ll come back during the week of May 5^th to take a look at some of the stuff we love. And then please, send us a note about the things you love.