We have an exciting announcement: Mike, the unsung hero behind Silk Road Pearls, has accepted a position located just south of LAX. Even though I'm from the Midwest and grew up with snow days and lake effect weather, the long Boston winters have taken a toll. It probably doesn't help that neither one of us are big skiers.
Mike will be heading out there in September and I'll be joining him once I finish my fall classes, just in time for Christmas.
It's a little crazy and hasn't quite sunken in yet. It'll be hard to leave Boston, especially with all the Lehigh young alumni who have been so great to have around. Lehigh will still be a 6 hour trip - we'll just be taking a plane instead of a car to get there.
One of the piers off the strand
This decision wasn't just made to have the beach as a backyard (although that didn't hurt). We both have family and close friends near LA, and are looking forward to this new adventure. Neither one of us did birthday gifts this year in hopes that this would work out the way it did. Instead we'll each be getting bikes to ride on The Strand once we get settled out there (and Mr. Stalder will be helping Mike choose a surf board). I can't wait to have real Mexican food again!
There's something to be said for eating fresh produce that's been picked earlier that day. Having spent a lot of time on a farm growing up, the feeling was always fleeting after moving out to the East Coast. The only other time I felt like I was eating fruit and veggies at their peak was in Italy with Lehigh's Art & Architecture study abroad program. But that's the way Italians shop - they go to the market every day and get what they need for tonight's meal.
It'll be hard to be so far away from home, but we're lucky to live during a time when technology can help bring us closer (Skype is so key).
This graphic eloquently sums up my earlier statements about last winter in Boston:
Spending a few extra days in New Orleans before Julie and Shaun's wedding has turned out great - lots of great food (the grilled oysters at Acme Oyster were phenomenal):
Baby pecan pies
Lots of great drinks down on Bourbon Street - the Lazy Magnolia Pecan Beer was particularly tasty:
All the girls with Hurricanes
They even do Girl Scout shots in NOLA
And impromptu jazz bands play Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance' topped it off.
Having seen 'Gone with the Wind' enough times to wear the tapes out, I couldn't help but fall in love with the old plantation houses.
The Columns Hotel
Overgrown balcony
And all the old decadent chandeliers everywhere:
That's a lot of crystal
And we even got a few minutes to site see:
Jackson Square
But more to come on the wedding preparation later this week!
Be sure to check back tomorrow for a big (personal) Silk Road Pearls announcement. And Monday we'll be kicking off a giveaway with Vineyard Loveknots!
Yesterday I traveled from Boston down to New Orleans, and normally I'd be midway through my fourth or fifth trashy tabloid magazine. But in an effort to save a little cash on this trip, I decided to use my Audible.com monthly subscription to keep me entertained well beyond my layover in Atlanta. Yes, it's kind of cheating when you listen to someone read a book to you, but think of the benefits: no chance of motion sickness, a lower chance of nodding off, saving space (these end up being mp4's on your iPhone or iPod), and it's just plain easier.
Here are some of the audio books I've truly enjoyed:
1. I mentioned Tony Hseih's 'Delivering Happiness' earlier this week, but it's worth a second promotion. This book changed the way I looked at how companies run their business. Plus Tony's story of making it twice makes for an entertaining 'read.'
2. I can't wait to listen to Herb Cohen's famous book 'You Can Negotiate Anything' - I had some practice negotiating in the Chinese Silk Markets last year (and will never bring another knock off home - more about that later) but stories about how two parties find creative win-win solutions are always great.
3. Neil Strauss's 'The Game' was particularly entertaining and helpful: I now know every scam a pickup artist can use.
5. How does Israel turn out so many entrepreneurs? And why did Intel choose Israel as one of its main R&D centers? 'Start Up Nation' explains it all and more.
6. You think your childhood was rough? Try reading 'Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother,' then you'll know crazy (obsessive). But the author's oldest is going to Harvard this fall - maybe it's worth it.
7. Understanding the financial crisis is difficult, but 'The Big Short' breaks it down step by step. The end is even more stunning - it explains the shortcomings of the clean up, and how things aren't truly fixed yet.
8. 'Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap....and Others Don't' shows the difference between just a good company and one that made it big. Bethlehem Steel was used as an example of a 'good' company run down by an obsession with corporate hierarchy. The reason the old Martin building (once home to Corporate HQ of Bethlehem Steel) on the North Side of Bethlehem is cross shaped: to have as many corner offices as possible.
9. 'Born to Run' will make you question if your Nike's are helping or hurting you once you learn about tribes in North America and Africa that run barefoot marathons every day without injury.
As an MBA student, I have found a lot of ways to distract myself from school work. Frequently checking my Google Reader for breaking news is always a reliable way to take a break from studying up on negotiation strategies.
I've been pretty excited about her new Paper Crown fashion line coming this fall, so I scoped out her multi-subject blog. Lauren's blog is personal without being overly self promoting. I fell in love with the clean look, but one thing stuck with me: those Polaroids. And thus the new look for Silk Road Pearls was formed.
From LaurenConrad.com
I've been taking pictures for more than 10 years, and come from a long line of photogs on my Dad's side (Suenami was notorious for taking literally thousands of shots at Dave Clark's Bryant Football games). So I feel honored to share the pictures I've collected from my travels. Most of my photos are now taken with the instagr.am app on my iPhone. It's so easy to use, and the filters the app provides instantly enhances any picture.
At the Great Wall of China last year
Right now I'm down in New Orleans (can't escape the heat I guess) for Julie and Shaun's wedding. I'll be posting about all the wonderful flavors of NOLA in the coming days.
Yesterday I mentioned a few start ups that I really enjoyed learning about. But I realized that so many more people I went to school with are trying their hands at small business, so here are a few more noteworthy Kenston and Lehigh alumni:
The groom's half of the bridal party forming the signature 'O-H-I-O' along the walkway.
The flowers at Holden were absolutely stunning!
I've used several of her photos in the Silk Road Pearls upgrade (Heather's wedding is the subject of 'Pink Themed Weddings') and I can't wait to see the rest of Jessica Love's pictures. Jessica is another Kenston High School alumnus, just like Chris Clark of Sunflower Solutions (mentioned yesterday in 'Wish I Had Thought of That').
2. Another Kenston grad, Amanda Hrabak, is the founder of New Direction Photography, LLC - the company that produced most of the product photos on the Silk Road Pearls website. Amanda has recently moved to a larger studio space and has been working non-stop since she started. She'll be photographing another Kenston grad later this summer in a Maine wedding. The bride has chosen from Silk Road Pearls' wedding collection - we won't give away the surprise!
3. Another fellow alumni entrepreneur, this time from Lehigh: Katie Wedinger's start up - Creative Couture Designs, LLC - may still be in its infancy, but I have a feeling her business will start expanding soon. She's made some beautiful handmade pieces using Swarovski crystals. I can't wait for my chance to hire Katie!
5. Marshall Kurtz, Lehigh '03, is living the dream at the start up DropBox in San Fran. The company makes sharing files between friends (or locations) infinitely easier. My Gmail inbox is almost tapped out, making me an instant convert.
6. Is there something in the water at Lehigh that turns out entrepreneurs? Will Mayo started AUDIOis while finishing his masters at our alma mater. Will is tearing down boundaries for musicians, who previously had been creatively limited in sharing infectious melodies. Sharing made easy (have you and Marshall talked?).
7. Lindsay Keller's blog, Vineyard Loveknots, puts sorority bulletin boards to shame. Lindsay's style is clean and classic, making it appealing to a wide audience. The products she finds are always impressive with a personal touch. Check out the leading lady in Silk Road Pearls:
The pearls Lindsay is wearing in this photo are all sold out, but these blue pearls arriving Aug 15th are sure to have the same stunning affect. Be sure to reserve yours today - a limited quantity has been ordered.
8. You may not know Zebra Apparel, but your inner athlete should. Started by Lehigh grad Mike Tabb when he was in high school, the company has infiltrated college sports teams like Johns Hopkins in the Maryland area. But with designs like this, you don't have to play lax to love them!
Yesterday I wrote about buying products from my favorite company, Zappos. Tony Hsieh authored a book titled 'Delivering Happiness' (get it here on Audible.com and read books the easy way). The book not only gives an in depth look at Tony's road to Zappos, but it also helps you get to the root of what drives you - what makes you happy. Zappos isn't actually a shoe company: it's a customer service company specializing in selling great products.
On his book tour I had the opportunity to ask Tony what I should do to prepare to take my company as my full time job. Tony told me to be like MacGyver - learn everything. This blog is not only meant to chronicle my company growth, but also to share all the noteworthy info I come across in my pursuit to become a better small business owner.
I read this book last year before I took the leap to go to China and formally start Silk Road Pearls. The concepts Tony talked about helped me focus on what was important to me in creating a company: great customer service. That's become the foundation of Silk Road Pearls to deliver quality customer service whether we're creating a more user friendly website, custom made bridesmaids gifts, or helping someone pick out the perfect gift for someone special.
Here are some other amazing start ups:
1. The entrepreneurship bug has bitten my family hard: my cousin Libby (a former middle school biology teacher) and her husband Santi (a tour guide in the Galapagos) are first time farmers on Santa Cruz Island in Ecuador. Among the things they grow on Finca Pachamama: coffee, citrus, and Lib has this great little garden with veggies.
Lib's freshly built garden beds
Lib showing us the baby coffee plants
Their farm is frequented by a roaming Giant Tortoise they've named Ophelia. And yes, that's me in my Silk Road Pearls and farm boots.
2. Lib's brother, Dave, is also trying his hand at a start up of a different kind: bike sharing in Boulder, CO. The company, Boulder B-cycle, already has a great start!
Congrats Dave!
When Mike and I visited Portugal two years ago, many towns offered free bike rental to tourists. It's a great idea and would do well in Boston and NYC, where space is very limited (not to mention those great old Boston stairways - too narrow to fit a queen sized box spring).
4. Rent the Runway - This high end dress rental company was great during last year's wedding season. I loved this Herve Leger dress I wore to Julia and Matt's wedding in Oregon wine country.
5. A Denver based company that sells everything Rubber Ducks. A great quote I found from the owner: "How do you turn a $2 duck into a million-dollar business? It's because you grab a hold of something people know and remember, and you leverage that."
6. Do you remember getting Dip n Dots when you were little? They're now making espresso dots to eat alone or to make instant coffee. It's all about the liquid nitrogen - always a favorite on Top Chef.
7. IdeaPaint makes dry erase wallpaper. How cool would it be to have this as your workspace?
8. Have you heard of Airbnb? The San Fransisco based company that helps facilitate short term apartment or room rentals. Airbnb shows out of towners where they could cheaply crash in empty beds of those who have a spare room in their homes or aparments. Airbnb places 10,000 people per night - simply amazing!
9. This story is amazing if you have the time to take a look: the once night club manager turned entrepreneur/philanthropist started charity: water to help bring clean water to small towns in Africa. If you're short on time, check out the 3 min YouTube below on the company.
This has to be the best bathing suit I've ever purchased, thanks Zappos! It's very flattering, and was made for surfers so it dries very fast! I've also been using L'Oreal Sublime Tanning lotion with SPF 15. An oxymoron I know, but it gives you a little color and protects you from the sun at the same time.
I also found this NYTimes article on great chilled summer soup - I can't wait to try it!
Hope things have cooled off for you!
And good luck to Nadine - she'll be taking the bar exam Tuesday and Wednesday.
On the top menu, view pearls based on occasion: weddings and gifts. For weddings you can see pearls for brides or bridal parties, and gifts are separated into classic and unique strands.
Did you notice our great new front page? We're so honored to be a part of so many weddings - more to come still this year!
And a special thanks to Suzanne for providing her wedding photos as well. Those blue necklaces the bridesmaids wore will be available for purchase in our new order arriving August 15th. Be sure to make Silk Road Pearls a fan on Facebook to keep in the loop of their arrival!
And a few more noteworthy updates to make the site more user friendly: On the same top menu, products can be viewed by color. This means that you won't have to select a color to add to the basket - all colors are now individual products. You can still search all bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
And of course, lower prices!! We've lowered all Classic jewelry prices (like this silver necklace, now only $30!) because pearls aren't just for special occasions, and shouldn't be priced as such. Look and feel classy every day with Silk Road Pearls!
And a special thanks to the guy who helped make all this happen!
Let us know how you like the updates, we're always happy to hear from fans. :)
Thanks!
Sara Meade
President of Silk Road Pearls, LLC
