A New Adventure

Over the course of the last 6-8 months (most recently in this post), I have mentioned several times that I felt God leading me in a new direction in my professional life. I have tired of the day-to-day of corporate America and I so desire more flexibility to be with my children. On the other hand, there are things about working that I enjoy immensely and I have always had a dream of owning my own business.

Last spring the Lord dropped an idea into my husband's lap. At first, I was skeptical. However, when my husband gets an idea he doesn't just let it fall by the wayside. He jumps right in... and not slowly. He immediately saw it as an opportunity for me and began his "campaign" to show me what a great idea it was. Once I was convinced, he has done nothing over the last few months but do his best to help me make it happen.

Here's what it is.... handmade jewelry. But, with a twist. Handmade jewelry made from magnetic beads and clasps. Are you like I was and saying, "HUH?" All the beads are little mini-magnets as well as the clasps. (I could tell you some funny stories here, too.... like how my mother-in-law was wearing one of our bracelets while at a Clinique counter one day. She reached across the countertop and her bracelet picked up three little sample bottles of perfume along the way.) There have been studies in recent years showing that magnets can provide pain relief from such ailments as arthritis, migraines, and fibromyalgia.

I have been wearing an anklet and a bracelet since spring to see how it would help with my arthritis (I wasn't going to sell anything that I hadn't tried myself). While it doesn't make the pain completely go away 100% of the time, it does ease the pain. For my husband, he has been able to greatly decrease his arthritis medication. I do want to stress that it certainly is not a cure for any ailment and does not work for everyone. However, for those it does help, it can be great. So many (including myself) are looking for ways to help us deal with our aches and pains without having to turn to so much medication. And, if it really does help, how great that we can help people with this product?

And, that helping part is one of my favorites. We have already seen people with great pain issues being able to get some relief. One man we sold a necklace to had been shot in the neck when his home had been robbed 10-15 years ago. He has lived in a great deal of pain ever since and, due to that pain, walked around with his shoulders hunched up much of the time. Within a few days of beginning to wear this necklace, the pain began to slowly subside. As one of his co-workers told me, "We can now see his neck!" as his shoulders are no longer hunched up in pain. I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to create and sell a product that has that kind of potential.

While we have been selling by word of mouth since about July, our intent has always been to make this primarily an on-line business. We have FINALLY been able to get our website up and runnning and are starting to place on-line ads (although, I will say, I still have several things I would like to change on the site... it is a work in progress). Oh, my... making this happen was so much bigger than either one of us thought it would be. But, at the same time it has been fun (I've had a blast designing the jewelry) and, most definitely, a learning experience (who knew it could take so long to work with the postal service to set up shipping). If you would like to visit the site, you can find us at http://www.beadsnstyle.com/. Please, please, please, do not feel obligated.

Also, as my Blogoversary is coming up soon I thought I would do a kind of double celebration on that day with a bloggy giveaway! You know, celebrate my blogoversary along with a celebration of getting this business up and running. You'll have to come back for more details later this month, but I will tell you that it will include a giveaway of my very favorite bracelet on the site. When the time comes I'll explain why it is my favorite... I think you will quickly understand why.

The long-term goal here is that this business would be successful enough to allow me to resign from my current full-time job. I would run the business from home and be able to work my schedule around my kids with much more flexibility and availability to them. I'm just going to follow God's leadership on this one... whatever really does happen, I know He already knows and is guiding and directing our steps.

I know as I have shared in such vagueness about this over the last few months, so many of you have offered your prayers and support. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love you all!