With a Grateful Heart….Namaste

I have so much to do – it is crazy! But I was reminded yesterday in a yoga class that the number one thing I need to do in the midst of all this fabulous craziness at Zebra Patterns is be grateful. So this posting is dedicated to all the people and events that have made the past few months (a time when I have worked harder than ever before in my life) truly amazing.

Hang on followers the is going to get a little “woo woo” for you. Feel free to skip this part if it is too weird! LOL –  I have to thank the universe. Yes, the universe! Some may think of the universe as God, Jesus,  or what ever you may refer to as that awe that has created everything. I have consciously been focusing on getting out of my own way and letting go and letting God (universe). I have surrendered to all the negativity and doubt that may have held me back or slowed me down. I have accepted the gift of infinite possibilities! It is amazing. It is the way things are supposed to be. I am so incredibly thankful! OK -woo woo part is over – regular gratitude from here on out. LOL

I have to thank the quilt shops across America and in Canada for their support and understanding. It is really the age old 80-20 rule! We hear at Zebra have done an incredible job of handling the FabricPlate™ craze that has been happening the last 90 days within the Row by Row program. 80 percent of the orders have gone through smoothly and without problems. BUT we are all imperfect! About 20% have had delays, minor glitches, slow turn around and just plain old stupid screw ups! We pride ourselves on calling customers asap and saying – OMG – we totally screwed up! Noone could have predicted the fever created by Row by Row and the FabricPlates™. Noone! We started two years ago with 40 or so orders for about half the NY Participating shops in Row by Row (RxR). Last year it was NY and PA at 100+ shops. This year RxR is over 1250 shops ; 34 states and Canada. We have processed hundreds of orders. Mind you these are all individual and all CUSTOM! CRAZY! So for the patience and business we say thank you very much.

I have to say thank you to those shops who have written or taken time to call to tell us a snippet of their story. I have literally had shop owners call in tears of joy and have said that this program has helped to save their businesses! WHAT? Yes! This RxR experience has impacted their shops with a level of business they have NEVER seen before – especially the small struggling and new shops!

I have to thank Janet Lutz – my partner in RxR and dear friend. Janet is an EXTRAORDINARY person! Janet is the founder of RxR and owns a shop in Syracuse NY called Calico Gals. Janet is one of the smartest, self made, kindest, loyal, thoughtful, creative people you will ever know. It has to be over 5 years ago that Janet and I met in a Schoolhouse I was presenting in Houston. I was speaking about Zebra Patterns “partnering” with our customers to make great things happen. Janet LITERALLY stood up from her seat in the back and raised her hand and said I WANT TO BE YOUR PARTNER! It still gives me chills to think about it! I have to say we started that day with one of our Block of the Month programs and never looked back!  Thanks Janet!

(One more little woo woo – Sorry) I have to thank the Universe again for opening the path so that Janet and I could bring something new and simple to the market that would give the quilting industry a little shot in the arm across the continent. It is SO COOL that two female small business owners have made a unified impact on the quilting industry! WHAT??? The intention was clearly set to offer a program to quilt shops that was FUN in concept and extra fabric plates™ + SIMPLE in hooking rows together + had a FREE give-away pattern + AFFORDABLE and INCLUSIVE! We are just two regular small business owners! We are well on our way to creating a unified shop owner group that can continue the FUN + SIMPLE + FREE+ AFFORDABLE  + INCLUSIVE model! Thank you so much!

I have to thank Patti Rusk – my sidekick at Zebra. Patti is the one who basically tells me to hush up and go design and get out of the studio when it is production time! It is great and she is amazing! Patti is organized and even tempered and highly productive. She is smart and practical as well as a good sounding board and friend. We have been together for 4 years and as soon as Patti gets her last child off to college will be a full time force at Zebra. Patti has organized half the high school and college population to get your fabric plates to you all over the country! Thanks Patti.

I have to thank my husband Gary. Gary has been instrumental in guiding Zebra to grow successfully and efficiently. He takes care of all the finical affairs. He has 25+ years of business and production knowledge. He is VP of Marketing/Sales at a wonderful company named TULSACK in Tulsa OK. It is a paper handled shopping bag business. We were owners of Tulsack up until about 8-10 years ago but Gary has stayed with the new owners.  All of his business knowledge and production knowledge make Zebra a Unique Pattern company. Gary is smart, compassionate and none works harder that he does. Thanks Gary.

I have to thank the geniuses at Apple Computer and Adobe for their brilliant products! It amazes me every single day the power and plethora of possibilities that are available to us today in our own homes! CRAZY! I can talk to shops all over the world from my Lazy Boy! I can design patterns in hours that might have taken weeks just 10 years ago! I don’t even need to know how to spell anymore! (Thank goodness!!) I love technology!

Thank you. I am just overwhelmed with gratitude. It feels so right to all be working together in such a way that everyone wins! Our businesses our growing by helping your business to grow. Your business is growing by bringing your customers FUN + SIMPLE + AFFORDABLE Products! But best of all we are all working together!

 

(one last little woo-woo)  Keep up the great work and know that it is not an accident that you are reading this blog right now! 

Thank you from the deepest source of my being.

Namaste! (The light in me salutes the light in you!) – together we are brighter.