On March 1st, a woman named Cara wrote to Kurly Klips via our website contact box. “Hi,” she said, “I just saw the buzzfeed video about your extensions and just wanted to say how impressed I was with the results for the girls who got to try them. Really awesome.”
BuzzFeed video?!?! I didn’t even know it had come out! I wrote Cara back immediately, thanking her for her sweet note and asking if she had a link since Google wasn’t feeding any results. Sure enough, Cara replied moments later, linking to one of my biggest blessings in life.
BuzzFeed posted the video on February 28th, and by the time I saw it the next day, it had gotten 60,000 views. Three hours later, views jumped to 90,000. No wonder I was seeing a spike in new customers. And while I was elated for this sudden exposure, that feeling paled in my awe at God. You see, I didn’t go looking for BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed came looking for me.
The email came in January. BuzzFeed wanted to do a video on women with natural hair wearing clip-ins and asked me to participate. I agreed and sent them what they needed.
Days later, news broke that BuzzFeed planned to layoff many of its employees, and I had a sinking feeling it might impact the people working on the project. Soon after, my point of contact confirmed that while she had gotten laid off, they managed to shoot the video within days of it happening.
Since it wasn’t a sponsored video and it hadn’t been edited, I didn’t know if it would ever come out. I had sent them $2,000 worth of product (hair for four girls) and a small part of me feared I had lost the investment. Yet, I rested on the fact that everything works out for my good and prayed for the best possible outcome for everyone impacted by the layoffs. I then put it out of my mind, determined not to worry about any perceived loss.
So when I received Cara’s note and watched the video, it felt awe inspiring to say the least. I took the following lessons away from the experience.
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Lesson 1 - Don’t Chase, Align
Time and again, life has shown that my biggest blessings find me when I’m in alignment. What does this mean? In business, we’re often taught to chase, to hustle, and to grow - but in my life, that hasn’t led to happiness. Instead, I’m learning it’s far more important to care, to love, and to know.
✢ To care about my business and tend to it operationally.
✢ To love my clients and ensure they feel seen.
✢ To know myself and operate in integrity.
There is so much to be gained by surrendering expectations. When you do so, it allows you to place your focus on providing quality experiences, rather than achieving egoic goals. This internal focus leads to external blessings - the kind that come to you, inviting you to accept them.
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Lesson 2 - Surrender Perfectionism
As many of you know, my packaging manufacturer made a mistake and we’ve been making due in the meantime. Yet, if the packaging difficulties have taught me one thing, it’s this: perfection isn’t required for love. You know I enjoy delighting you with pretty packaging. However, I realized I started attaching my businesses’ worth to the packaging, selling-out the well-being of my company for a limited idea of perfection.
And of course, this didn’t come from nowhere. Several people complained about the little black cosmetic bags (seen in the BuzzFeed video), and because very few people said otherwise, I made the assumption they must be widly unliked. So instead of restocking them, I got them redesigned, and before they were delivered, the manufacturer noticed a grievous error and then went on vacation for a month. This is why we’ve been using our current iteration of packaging for several weeks now. But it’s not lost on me that despite this, sales have continued to grow, and I’ve come to realize my destiny isn’t rooted in form, but in the spirit of the work and the quality of the hair.
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Lesson 3 - We are the Angels
Angels are real. They are you and they are me when we choose to let Love move through us. This month, I’ve learned the more I focus on the angels, the more I see them in my life. Whether they email me (like Cara did) or ask to collaborate (as my BuzzFeed contact did), they are always there if I would just care to notice and appreciate them.
As those with retail experience know, customer service isn’t always easy. People can behave abusively, harassingly, and deceitfully towards those in service roles. This month, however, I decided not to dwell on these behaviors anymore. Why? Because thinking about people is like hanging out with them, and I was tired of mentally living amongst a den of thieves. I belong with the angels. We all do! And returning to their loving company is as easy as focusing your thoughts on them.
I hang with the angels in many of the books and podcasts I consume, and their love fills me up and keeps me on track. I also hang with the angels when I interact with YOU! Whether you’re kindly asking for help, sharing your pictures with me, or leaving little notes of encouragement, I can feel your angelic presence with me, even when we’re oceans away. And ladies, it is with this energy we can transform the world into a more loving and joyful place - one interaction at a time.
I am so grateful for the BuzzFeed experience. I have learned so much about alignment, surrender, and angel watching. It is my hope, you’ll always take note of the love all around you, even when it comes disguised as a simple message in your inbox.
xoxo,
Lana