When I decided to check my blogroll this evening, it came after an entire day of not being “hooked up” to the internet. I have had a computer crash today (which I was able to fix, thank the Lord) and a wireless adapter go out. In all, my day has really been the pits! So I finally am “back up” and I click on one of my favorite blogs, “The Pink Clutch.” I admit, I have been inspired by the preppy’ness of her blog… all the pink & green, the adorable monogrammed stuff… love it all! I have been tempted to order so much stuff but I have resisted… I have no clue how I found her but since I did, I have loved following her business. She, too has a special needs boy & IS NOT AFRAID TO SHARE her experiences with the world.
All of you who know me know of my recent struggles with a former-retail partner of mine. Some of you may not so I will share. I have been ripped off, to put it nicely. All of the hard work that I have put in to this business has been copied from top to bottom. This person was a semi-friend who owned two boutiques in New Orleans. She closed her businesses due to the flailing economy but was very enthused to sell my goods when she was in business. I learned of her starting her own business through the grapevine (imagine that) and since then, I haven’t quite been the same. There are days when I feel like I want to call the police :) I feel like someone has taken part of me… it sounds crazy but entirely true! Literally, when I launch a new product, there they are… launching the EXACT SAME PRODUCT marketed in the EXACT SAME WAY. It’s just pathetic, really. I understand that none of what I do is rocket-science nor am I some master inventor of personalization, but really? Do you not have one original bone in your body?? Come on…
So when I saw this post today, I just had to repost it for all of you to see. Now I want to be clear when I say that I know I don’t have the “corner on the market” as she so eloquently told me when I confronted her about her new venture, but I do believe that hard work should be respected. Perhaps this post from The Pink Clutch will shed some light on what I have been going through. Please do read & share your thoughts!
http://thepinkclutch.blogspot.com/2011/02/thou-shall-not-steal.html