Hi ,
Up here in the Green Mountains, a common site this time of year are those big round bundles of hay sitting out in the fields, sometimes wrapped up in blinding white plastic for safe-keeping. When I was a kid I called them "giant marshmallows" (anyone else?)
Whenever I pass them by, that old-timey adage pops into my head: "make hay when the sun shines."
The idea being, of course, that you want to cut and bundle the hay while it's dry so that your hay bales don't grow mold. In other words, take advantage of the situation that is favorable to you while you have the chance.
And like most old-timey adages and plant metaphors, this doesn't just apply to farming.
Some of you have been following me since my days as CannaBotanicals, a hemp product business I started in 2018.
More specifically, a hemp product business I started in March of 2018, that allowed me to quit my wage jobs within 7 months.
Let me be clear, most businesses don't take off like that. Not that quickly. So what was different about mine?
Aside from my mad business skills (yes, I'm tooting my own horn), I credit my early success largely to timing.
Hemp CBD was still relatively new, and was enjoying high popularity in Vermont (pun intended), even while there were relatively few product makers at the time. And high-THC cannabis had just been legalized for folks 21 and over, shining an even bigger spotlight on the plant.
People were curious about cannabis, but couldn't yet buy it on the retail market (finally coming this October!) so CBD was the thing a lot of folks were eager to buy and try out.
So I made hay when the sun was shining. I started a small-time CBD biz with a tiny-ass startup budget, and tapped into a favorable moment that allowed my emerging business to thrive.
Now I want to draw a clear distinction. For me, this wasn't about jumping on a bandwagon and trying to make bank on the latest craze. There are folks who did this, and who still do this, and that's not what I'm talking about here.
I'm talking about noticing when the iron is hot, and leveraging those moments so that you can do the work your heart is already calling you to do and get PAID for it. It's about noticing when your passions and skills line up perfectly with what is needed and wanted in the world, and acting with intention and purpose.
I think of it like the "synching to the heart" that Daniel H. Pink talks about in his book When. In his study of the art and science of timing, he explores the synchronization that occurs in group activities like choral singing. When we can align ourselves with the rhythms of those around us, a certain kind of magic happens.
That's why in our businesses, we need to keep our spidey senses up noticing what it is folks are excited about, what's trending, and what's coming around the bend. Not to try and "take advantage" of it in a sleazy, money grubbing way, but so we can get the most mileage out of the things that we're excited about while the sun shines on them.
Right now, for example, there's another wave of cannabis enthusiasm about to hit, as states around the country look to legalize retail sales and expand medical programs, and growing acceptance is encouraging even more people to get curious about it.
There's a lot of energy and excitement around drinks for the "sober-curious" (I'm looking at you, mocktail makers!)
"Cottage Core" is still trending among Gen Z Tik-Tokers (did I use those words, right? I'm probably showing my age here), revealing a desire among the younger generation to embrace a land-based aesthetic and lifestyle (just wait until they discover herbalism! Or at the very least your cute dried herb wall hangings on etsy).
I could go on, but you get the point. Try to put yourself in the right place at the right time.
When you can frame and deliver the work you're passionate about in a package that resonates with the zeitgeist of the day, you won't have to try so damn hard to gain traction and your odds of succeeding jump WAY up.
I'm curious, -- do you have a sense of what's trending and are you thinking about how your business can ride that wave? Write back and let me know what this is bringing up for you, and if you need any help figuring out how your work can sync with the trends. I'll reply with my two cents.
With the plants (and the giant marshmallows), Stephanie
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