Business cards

It is very interesting to notice how much of a bodywork practice is business, publicity, and self-promotion. 

So much of me just wants people to call, find a time that works on both our calendars, come over and lie down on the mat.  Then we could do bodywork and delight in that.

But there are so many little aspects in preparation.  I am very lucky to have this wonderful apartment with light, high ceilings, and space in the living room to do Breema.  There are some logistical pieces that still need to be worked out -- primarily among them where does Traci go if I have booked a session and she is "home".  We have not yet had this problem.  Probably the apartment will still work well.  There is generous space in the bedroom area to leave us enough privacy to work.  But these are the kinds of details which need to be worked out  and then lived into to create a nurturing environment for the work.

Certainly this blog is a significant first step in reaching out.  I am very happy with the number of people who are visiting.  Keeping the traffic to the blog will be even another step.

The excitement of this week is that I decided -- pretty much at the last minute, while harvesting vegetables at the Weavers Way farm -- to participate in their Farm Fest Northwest community day Saturday, 10/09/10.  A number of times back in California I had been part of a group of Santa Cruz  Breema practitioners who set up some pads on the lawn for Earth Day and other similar events, offering free short sessions in order to let people know about and experience a taste of Breema.  (New post coming to say more about that wonderful experience.)

I pretty much had what I needed, except for something I could hand out about me, my practice, and information about how to contact me.

I thought about doing a flyer but decided that a piece of paper would likely get folded up, stuffed somewhere, and recycled (or just thrown away) -- if it even got home.

So the idea of developing a business card popped up.  It was actually a fun project.  Because I already had the basic design of the blog worked out, I had some basic elements of the branding in place -- a photo, a tag line, a look.  I was able to find simple instructions on the web.

When I was done at the farm it was 4:30, I had directions to Office Max to buy the business card stock, but the directions were from the apartment.  Not wanting to back track and up for an adventure, I set out to follow my nose to see if I could find my way to Roosevelt Blvd.

I thought I knew where I was going, but Washington Lane did not run into Roosevelt where I hoped it would, so I turned right (the correct direction, I thought).  Of course I ran right into Friday afternoon rush hour traffic.  I began to think this was a pretty bad idea and would be lucky to find my way home.  I actually felt lost and questioned my sense of direction.

So I turned around.

But, having already invested fossil fuels in this endeavor, I pulled into a small strip mall with a copy center, hoping they either had business card stock or could direct me to a local store that might carry them.  The copy shop was closed.

I went into the phone store next door.  The guy there did not know of a specific office supply store, but he thought that there might be something at Roosevelt Mall on Cottman Ave., just another 6 - 8 blocks down the road.  I pulled out my instructions to discover that the Office Max I was looking for was at Roosevelt and Cottman!

Well it was not in the mall exactly.  You know how commercial sprawl is these days, businesses stuck around the corner and down an alley, not visible from the main parking lot.  If I had approached from another direction, I might never have found it.  But there it was!

Next problem -- too many choices.  Not just one kind to choose from and none of the choices having the same reference number I had.  But I chose white card stock, ten to a page, 250 total, for an ink-jet printer, $14.99. Took a deep breath, remembered I had a body and that none of this was of particular significance, and walked up to the cash register.

The bonus!  I got to drive home down Roosevelt Blvd from the north and east which I had never done before.  The better to give directions for visitors coming from that direction.

Driving home, I felt profoundly grateful for the support of the universe.

So now I have business cards.  I like them a lot, though I am sure I will continue to tweek them a bit ( have already printed three slightly different versions.  Luckily I only have to print them 10 at a time.