We know we aren't the first to say 2020 was not the year we were predicting. We also know we are incredibly grateful for our customers and The Healing Hippy's growth in 2020. Now that the year is coming to an end, it is time for some reflection. Though the year didn't look like we expected, there is still so much we are excited to look back on. Here is our year in review.
Start of the Newsletter
The newsletter has been on our list for years. The pandemic honestly put it into play. We developed the newsletter so we could communicate with our community at the beginning of the craziness. It became a place for us to share our thoughts and feelings. We didn't go into it with a specific goal. We just knew there were words we wanted to say, and the newsletter was a good place to do that. Some weeks we share our thoughts, some weeks, we share our lifestyle, and some weeks we share our products. The weekly newsletter has become a highlight of our week. It's great to communicate with our customers more personally.
Launch of Bath Products
The bath products had been in the works for over a year before we launched! We wanted to be sure we had the recipes just right. There was a ton of trial and error. The first oil we used in the bath bomb recipe was too heavy and made the bathwater feel thick, and it was so slippery. The first natural colorant in the bath salts left a hard-to-clean line of color on the tub. Our new labels came out more pink than expected once printed. As we said, a ton of trial and error. We finally got it all ready to go. We were on the brink of launch when the first shelter-in-place order was put in place back in March. We knew it wasn't the time to launch, so we waited. Unexpected, but definitely worth the wait. The launch was a huge success, and we are glad our customers love our new bath products!
In-person Events
Naturally, this one didn't go as expected. We had our first in-person event here in Minnesota back in 2019, and it was a blast. We were slotted for more this past summer before they all got canceled. We fully stand behind the decisions of those organizing the events, but it would be dishonest to say we weren't a little bummed out about it. We were fortunate to be part of a one-day outdoor market in the fall. Haley grabbed her flower mask and got to selling. A giant wind storm forced our display to look a little different; though the canopy tried to fly, the customers were great. Regardless of the weather, the event was a huge success. We did a soft launch of our bath products and received a lot of positive feedback from our local community. We enjoy doing the in-person shows because it allows meeting with customers and talking with them face-to-face. We are primarily an e-commerce business, so it isn't often we get the opportunity to speak with everybody.
Looking back, the year was different than we expected, but definitely, one to remember. We have a fabulous community of customers who make us feel loved. We have goals for the new year. We are coming into year three of running The Healing Hippy as a mother-daughter team. We can't wait to share with you what's in the works. We don’t know what 2021 holds, but we are ready for it.