The way you make someone feel, who is parting with cold, hard-earned cash, shouldn’t be an after-thought or an assumption.

You need to take care of the details until they have proverbially or literally put their coat on and are out the door. And dare I say, even after that.

Remember gym class as a kid? Apart from the super sporty crew (surprisingly not a group I was ever a part of) who relished in the Wednesday afternoons, most of us begrudgingly donned the required uniform and attempted to not turn into a beetroot or make too much of a fool of ourselves.

Well that feeling rarely leaves us as an adult, and your wellness studio or gym is now the equivalent.

It’s the time of year that we’ll soon be seeing shelves bereft of tinsel and fairy lights and seeing garish activewear and exercise equipment in its place. Emblazoned adverts telling us that because it’s the new year, there is a chance at a new you.

And we buy into it. I buy into it. Because it’s a lovely idea. I’d love to think that by a clock chiming midnight all the horrors and errors and over indulgence from the last year has been miraculously swept away and now on the precipice of a brand new 365 day stretch I get to decide who this person is going to be.

The only problem is that we come at it with the best of intentions but a nervous mind. The desire is strong, but the will is easily swayed by left-over Quality Street and the thought that there is ‘always tomorrow’ to start your new life as the new you.

As intrepid as we feel, dressed up in brand new, hi-tech gear that has cost the equivalent of a house deposit, we are also reminded of being that awkward teenager with terrible hand-eye coordination.

We need to be guided into being and your establishment, in our eyes, is the back drop for this transformation to take place. We may willingly or wincingly hand over our credit cards to sign up for ‘Barry’s Boot camp,’ envisaging tough love and drills of Private Benjamin fame, or possibly a gentler approach that lulls us into believing that three sessions of Yin yoga really does count as exercise.

Once we’re through the door, and have done the ‘uncomfortable newbie’ bit, we’ve been shown the ropes and shepherded to signing up for a membership, we need you to keep holding that space until we’re steady on our feet.

Ticking the boxes or processes on ‘how to sign new members up’ and the protocols you’ve been shown in staff training are just the beginning.

Beyond that, customer experience is ALWAYS based on the interactions they have with you and your brand, whether in person or online.

If something stumbles at the first hurdle, which happens because…life, it’s not the fact that something negative happened, it’s the fact that something unexpected happened and now all eyes are on you to see how you’re going to show up and fix it.

And it is up to you. The person coming to your establishment assumes that you are the expert and are going to impart your wisdom on how to do ‘X, Y, Z’ but also that you and your staff are the experts on what to do when we are in your space. If something hasn’t gone according to plan, an email has been missed, a communication hasn’t landed, or someone simply forgot something, on either party, it is YOUR job to fix it.

The amount of times I’ve talked with friends about simply not returning to a place because one tiny thing went wrong and was dealt with poorly is scary. It’s a competitive market out there, one that is full of deals and bells and whistles. Fully stocked bathrooms, free child minding, bring a friend for free passes, which can feel intimidating and may leave you questioning ‘how can I compete with that?’.

Truth is, you maybe can’t. But you can up the ante on the human services side of things. You can connect with people and see them as not just a consumer or customer of your business but a new member to your community that has asked to be a part of it, have a seat at the table and expects to be treated as so.

Nine times out of ten it comes back to these things, no matter what the issue is:

Have they been acknowledged?

Have you stuck by ‘protocol’ and words on a page rather than being a person?

Have they been treated with compassion, spaciousness, generosity and respect?

Have you gone out of your way to rectify the issue that feels like a win-win for both parties?

And it won’t matter that you don’t have black grouted bevelled white tiles in your bathrooms, it won’t matter if you don’t even have a shower, because it’ll be based on seeing them, the person, fully, the quality of the experience, how welcome they feel in your presence and in your space, is what people will keep coming back. If you leave people feeling good about themselves and being with you, they won’t think twice about coming back, or telling their friends.

Maintain a cookie cutter approach and sure you’ll attract a certain type of clientele who are more interested in looking than feeling, but can you honestly say that’s why you opened your space? Because the world needs more people who can be congratulated on their abs, rather than people who have been shown compassion and held through a deeply personally experience of transforming the comfort of the familiar for the deep desire of reconnecting to the only homes they will ever have?

This post was originally written for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

There is no hiding from the conversation on climate change and thanks to a recent study, the single biggest way to reduce our carbon footprint is in our hands, or should we say, on our plates.

An article, published in Science journal, revealed that reducing your meat and dairy intake was the single biggest way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Often it can feel overwhelming when thinking about ways to limit our consumption or be better care-takers of planet earth, and if you’ve been thinking about going plant-based, what we put on our plate can make a real difference.

What is the difference between being vegan and plant-based?

Traditionally veganism is a lifestyle. It prescribes to not consuming or using products that animals have been directly affected by. So, as well as not eating meat, or dairy, it also includes not consuming eggs, honey, gelatine, wearing leather, fur, or buying products that test on animals, or use feathers (like pillows or doonas.

Plant-based, is a wider term that can be applied to those who mainly eat plants and generally refers to a way of eating.

We’ve made our top 5 list of ways to make plant-based super simple:

1. Try doing meat free Mondays or substituting your regular options with plant-based or veggie alternatives, like veggie sausages or using a nut mylk instead of dairy. We made our creamiest creation in late 2018, a cashew mylk chocolate to rival any conventional dairy milk chocolate. The best part is that it’s still made using only three, wholefood ingredients: unroasted Ashaninka cacao, creamy cashews, and coconut sugar. Meaning you won’t crash after eating it thanks to the healthy fats in the cashews and low GI sweetness from the coconut sugar.

2. Accessibility is key when making the switch and finding foods that taste good and fill you up are the most important in keeping you on track. If you’re eating bland foods and feel hungry all the time, you’re less likely to stick to it. Make sure that you have well stocked cupboards and fridges, as well as on-the-go snacks to keep you from reaching for other options that aren’t as aligned with your intentions.

3. Grow your own! Ever thought about starting a veggie patch? It’s a great time of year to get into the garden and plant up some seeds so that a trip to your back garden is as easy as picking up the phone to order in. It also means you know exactly where your food comes from and has zero food miles! Start off simple and don’t forget that all those veggie scraps can make a great base for a compost for it all to come full circle. Need some inspiration? Check out our blog on DIY composting.

4. Get creative in the kitchen. Find recipes of some of your old favourite meals and re-create them with a plant-based spin. We have a whole host of veggie and vegan friendly recipes here.

5. Make it fun and social. Look up local communities that have gardens or vegan meet ups. Finding likeminded people means you have a wider pool of resources to share ideas and inspiration with, and how great is a pot luck dinner when you know you can eat everything there?!

Whether you are looking to change up your food choices or have been a life-long vegetarian or vegan, every step toward reducing your carbon foot print is a positive one. Here’s to the power of plants!

 

After the worst flight in my history of flying ever, we finally made it to the Air BnB; tired, over it and not in the most open frame of mind. I was on a mission though to get out there and to meet Zoe to get the plan back on track again. Jumping in an Uber, I headed the twenty minutes out to The Wythe Hotel. Perched up at the bar, ordered my first coffee and took a moment to let go of the last piece of ‘pissed-off-ness’ I was holding on to.

Zoe arrived, and we spent the next two hours and two coffees catching up on what had been happening so far. Amazing things can happen in a second in New York. Getting to meet Thaddeus, the awesome guy behind the bar, who instantly injected the vibe that you truly were on a movie set, we left, finally in search of…something. Wandering around Williamsburg we happened upon music, make up at Space NK (MECCA) , and a much needed brunch at The Butcher’s Daughter. A taste of my first ever CBD infused cold brew coffee and some veggie avo Eggs Benedict, we were smoothly cruising into Saturday afternoon. A quick pit stop back at Zoe’s, we were back out to cross the bridge and hit Manhattan – hilariously on the hunt for some boob tape, after both of us decided we’d dress for the entire day/evening/night.

The Colour Factory was incredible. A place where we got to act like big kids, eating my first ever Moshi ice cream, and have a colour experience that I don’t think I’d even had as a child. We entered rooms and took photos as we were given sweet treats, told to draw pictures, embarked on a choose-your-own-adventure colour experience, a dance move contest, a balloon room filled with balloons covered in children’s wishes, and culminating in a massive adult ball pool filled with ice blue balls. It was like therapy jumping around for what felt like hours. Taking photos and being silly, was just what the Dr ordered.

After reluctantly leaving, we walked across the road to The Dominick hotel for a pool side glass of bubbles (me) and an earl grey tea (Zoe) filled with more girl talk about men, sex, love and silliness. After discovering Zoe had lost an earring in the ball pool we headed back over to the factory. And in a long line of serendipitous experiences it had already been found.

We spent the next couple of hours wondering up from downtown to Greenwich Village which was spilling out with people. We strolled through Washington Square Gardens, which reminded me of Leicester Square in London. We happened upon an incredible installation called The Strangers Project, a simple concept where you anonymously share a story or your story. A mixture of funny, inspiring, heartfelt and some downright tear inducing stories were shared, and I walked away ridiculously touched by a city that I’d only just landed in and had begun hating on in a major way, but was now conspiring to bring me to my knees in awe/love/wonder at every turn. As we continued to walk around the park, two young boys playing the saxophone and guitar were busking, playing ‘Just the two of us’ as a crowd gathered and it was such a pure jam of humanness. I turned away and said aloud ‘I think I just died 5,000 times’ and a woman next to me said ‘Welcome to New York honey.’ And that was it. I was in love.

Ever since, Lady Luck, fate, coincidence, serendipity has been following me around this city.

We stumbled across an amazing Mexican restaurant, Atla, before heading to an 80’s night which finished at 3am but that was only the beginning.

The next day, a lie in and slow start meant I was back at The Wythe for a herb egged crepe and coffee before a Club SÖDA event on psychedelics and sobriety; a panel discussion on micro-dosing and mental health, mindfulness, meditation, healing trauma and doing The Work. A kundalini breath work session, and an intense bout of eye gazing had moved so much stagnant energy that would have taken over had I let myself fully give in to the hangover. The irony wasn’t lost on me that I was hungover at a sober curious event, but maybe, that hungover vulnerability was what was needed. I felt so unfulfilled in what I’m doing. So bound to what I should be doing, handing it over to other people who drain me of confidence and energy. I know that is also a reflection of myself, that I have let flimsy boundaries disappear into nothing, if they were there at all. I’ve stopped listening to my inner voice that has something to say. I’ve let the left brain be so in control that I’ve totally shouted down my right.

Gazing into someone’s eyes, with an inkling that this wasn’t something that they’d experienced before, was, as always, incredibly powerful. Someone totally neutral and new to hold space for and to hold space for me. The connection when you drop in past the nervous giggles and the awkward eye contact, is deeply emotional. We teared up at exactly the same time, overcome with emotions. Feelings of grief, of love, of understanding and seeing that we are more alike than we are different. I kept repeating the phrases ‘You are so loved. You are forgiven. You are held.’ As much to myself as to the woman in front of me.

Holding closely the thoughts of…

RELEASE. Let it go, stop bracing and holding, allow the resistance to drop and fall away, to melt into soft fluidness that can’t be contained but can be so deeply witnessed.

BREATHE. Keep breathing. Keep breathing. Keep breathing. In and out. Inhale and exhale. Move it through, anchor it in, move it through again. It will pass, but it is here. Holding the breath is still a form of holding.

I realise with spotlight clarity I am sweating the small stuff – so worried about what others think that I’ve forgone my freedom. I have caged myself into believing that there is only one way. That there is only one way to live. To please others, or to do the sensible thing. I don’t think I’ve done the sensible thing in a few areas of my life, but maybe that’s the way that the universe is showing up in that and nudging me further into a mad, ridiculous life full of triumph and disaster.

My parents love me so what does it matter? They love me. I am loved. Whether I’m married or not, whether I have a visa for another country or not. Pieces of paper do not make up the human.

And then the one and only truth. The one I always come back to …

LOVE

There is only one part that is separating us and 99 parts that are connecting us. Connect, love, hold, it’s safe to be a part of something. Trust that. Trust you.

This post was originally written for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

What a month it’s been!

We’ve been on the road in ‘Merica for most of September and loving It! By planes, trains ubers and rental cars we’ve been hanging out in New York, Texas & LA, talking to people & eating loads of chocolate.

We launched Loving Earth into US stores at the beginning of this year, with distributors and retailers jumping on board from New York, LA, Portland and Texas. It’s been a bit surreal and so exciting to see ourselves on the US shelves, especially in Whole Foods Market in Texas.

One city that stole all our hearts a little bit was Austin, Texas.

Check out our top Austin tips below…

It’s a great mixture of heart and hustle and the best taco’s we’ve ever had! Check out our top places and picks to check out if you’re in the area – stay weird!

Eat Curcuma
A trip out to East Austin has to include a stop at this Ayurvedic, 100% plant-based food truck stop. We had the kitchari and a immunity tonic shot. Exactly what we needed after a long flight.

Take Heart Shop
We fell in love with this beautiful boutique full of Japanese ceramics, hand rolled incense and beautiful jewellery. It was hard not to buy the shop…and it’s next door to a great vintage store.

Black Swan Yoga
In desperate need of a stretch? We floated out of Black Swan on a cloud. The team are charming and encouraging and the space is a low lit haven that was perfect for a before-bed flow.

Outdoor Voices
We’d been fans of Ty Haney’s active wear brand before we even visited Austin. Sustainably sourced and a great range of styles and designs, moving never felt so good, or stylish.

Nadamoo
If you’re on the hunt for something sweet, then it’d be rude not to stop by Nadamoo for a scoop of coconut ice cream. The chocolate peanut butter won it for us… 

This post was originally written for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

This interview was originally conducted for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

We sat down with our friend Fred from Sullivans Cove for a bit of a yarn. He likes talking and thinking about whisky almost as much as he likes drinking it!

1. What was it like winning that first award? Where were you when you heard? 

I wasn’t working with Sullivans Cove when we won our first major award back in 2014, but I remember how huge it was for the Australian industry as a whole. All of a sudden, everyone wanted to drink local whisky. 

Getting our second major global award was incredible. It’s one thing for a tiny craft distillery like ours to do it once, but twice is mental. It just goes to show it wasn’t a fluke. We were all really happy this time our personal favourite style was the winner, too. When I heard I was just standing in my apartment talking to our Managing Director on the phone. It was a good thing I was at home because I could scream and shout a bit without freaking anyone out. 

2. How did it change life at Sullivans Cove HQ?  

It hasn’t changed that much to be fair, but think it’s really a vindication of everything we do and the approach we take to making whisky. If anything, it’s galvanised our resolve to keep doing things the slow, hand-made way.

3. What’s the magic whisky formula? 

Make what you want to drink. If you like it, chances are someone else will, too. And if not, you’ve got lots of whisky to drink. 

Bourbon and whisky are kind of the same, right? Sort of, yeah. Bourbon is a type of whisk(e)y. Whisk(e)y is a really broad category that has lots of different styles, regulations and processes depending on where you are, so you can have Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, Bourbon whiskey, Australian whisky…

4. How do I know if I’m drinking a good whisky or a rubbish one? 

How much you enjoy it, plain and simple. One person’s rubbish is another one’s gold. Lucky for us there’s heaps to try. Personally, I look for texture, complexity and integration of flavours. I love floral, waxy, creamy whiskies. 

5. Which Aussie craftspeople are lighting up for you at the moment?

So many! Pennyweight winery, Peter Bignell at Belgrove Distillery, Never Never Distillery, Willie Smith’s Cider, Two Metre Tall Brewery, Franklin Restaurant, Dan Gregory at Ettie’s Piano Bar, everyone is doing such amazing work and really pushing flavour into unexplored realms. 

6. Best weird cocktail flavour combination?

Smoked honey & fig leaf

7. What was your mum’s favourite advice? 

Be nice. Question everything. 

8. You love a good adventure. What 3 things are always in your adventure travel bag? 

My camera, my all-purpose scarf/towel/blanket/sarong, and plenty of hardy cloth bandaids for blisters. 

9. You’re a mix of Aussie and American. What’s your most Aussie trait and when does the American shine through? 

My favourite breakfast is two pieces of toast; one with Vegemite, one with peanut butter. 

10. What’s the best way to have whisky and chocolate? 

With good company, even if that’s just yourself. 

This post was originally written for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the ways we human beings have burdened this beautiful planet of ours. Sometimes you wonder if all your recycling, composting, and riding is making much of a dent in the face of all the bad news.

Well, we know the feeling, fellow loving earthlings, but it’s all the little actions that will turn the tide. Being part of the solution is about making it super simple and remembering the power of one.

We bet you can take our challenge of making these five no-brainer changes TODAY.

The all-purpose eco cleaner

Dr Bronners started life in 1858 and five generations of Bronners have been making their infamous castile soap since. All multi-purpose soaps are certified organic and cruelty free, using olive oil, hemp and natural essential oils. It may be a bit odd to think that the soap you use in the shower can also do your dishes, but the results are squeaky clean.

The reusable cup

The brain child of Abigail Forsyth, KeepCup was born from the other side of the coffee machine. After opening a café in 1998 with her brother, they were very aware of the volume of packaging waste that the business and its customers produced. Since 2009 over eight million KeepCups have been sold diverting billions of disposable cups from landfill.

The refillable bottle

Childhood friends, keen surfers, and co-founders, Jesse Leeworthy and Jonathan Byrt, grew up seeing the effects single use plastic bottles had on the ocean and environment. Inspired to make a water bottle that would fit in your bag alongside books and laptops, they have created a social movement proving that beautiful design and eco living go hand in hand…or bottle in bag! Introducing the Memo Bottle.

The forever straw 

Plastic straws made the ‘top ten’ items picked up on beach clean ups and are made from plastic that never breaks down – thanks BPA! In the US alone, 500 million straws are used every single day with an average timeline of twenty minutes before being tossed away. Ever Eco saw a small change could make a big difference to our oceans and launched their stainless steel straws in 2013.

The recycled shopping and produce bags

Banning plastic bags has been making headlines with the big super markets the world over declaring they’d phase them out within a matter of months. We’ve been fans of recycled shoppers for a while so challenged ourselves to go even further and look at produce bags for fruit and veg too.

This is list is by no means the be all and end all, but a couple of simple swaps to get you started on a cleaner, greener future because the world always needs more love and less waste.

This interview was originally conducted for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

1. Were you sporty as a kid?

You could pretty much call me sporty spice!! I was always active, playing outdoors and coming home with dirt all over myself. I loved dancing, gymnastics, running, swimming and athletics!

 2. What was your proudest possession when you were a kid?

My very first pair of pointe shoes! I started ballet when I was 3, so I don’t necessarily remember my first pair of ballet shoes, however, trying on and purchasing my very first pair of pointe shoes was one of the best moments of my life. My ballet teacher sent me a hand written letter to announce that my feet and body were ready for pointe shoes. I cried… of happiness…. literally.

3. What’s your party trick? And what was your party trick as a kid?
(knowing all the words to a rap/reciting the alphabet backward really quickly/super good at maths?!)

How much food I can eat on the party table. It’s pretty impressive.  Oh, and I’m pretty incredible at limbo.

4. Now you live with Kurt, what do you miss most about living at home?

My mum doing my laundry!! Oh my gosh! Laundry and washing is honestly the bain of my existence! #aintnobodygottimefordat

5. What’s the one thing your mum always told you?

My mum is seriously the princess of positivity! Everyone who comes in contact with her says she is just a ray of sunshine who warms their heart. She’s actually the best human ever!! She has SO MANY incredible one liners! I actually use loads of them on my YouTube channel. One thing I love that she says is “don’t say those words over yourself Sare”. She always taught my sisters and I to love ourselves and be grateful for out bodies and minds. If we were struggling with school work she would make us sit there and physically speak out load saying “I am smart, I have powerful brain, I’m going to understand this”. The power of positive talk life changing!

6. When you were a school teacher, what did you used to eat for lunch?

Pretty much what you see on my “What I eat in a day’ Youtube videos now to be honest. I love HUGE salads filled with quinoa, sweet potato, greens and avocado. I also love to snack on fruit, raw veggies, seeds and of course fruit and nut mix (if it’s a nut friendly school).

7. What’s been your biggest ‘Aha’ moment?

When I realised the (traffic relative) saying ‘bumbadabumba’ was actually… ‘bumper to bumper’. POOF mind explosion. The world makes sense now.

8. You’re a new addition to the Pantone Colour Chart, what would you be called?

First of all – what a fabulous question! I’m excited even thinking about it! Ok, well of course I’d have to be some kind of pink tone, but I think I would label myself ‘positive pink’… is that lame? #actconfidentandnoonewillquestionyou

9. You are always on the go, top tips for travelling near and far?

Always bring healthy snacks!! I always think how disappointed a burglar would be if they stole my bag on the street. All they would find is some dirty coin at the bottom of my bag, suit and nut mix, an apple and a water bottle.

10. If you could go back and indulge in a former junk food favourite, what would it be?

I’m going to be so boring here and say NOTHING! If I ever have a craving, I can satisfy it! Honestly, I’m pretty proud of the fact that I can make essentially any food healthy! I’m always making Kurt and I healthy ‘fried chicken’, burgers, banana nice cream and of course Loving Earth chocolate!

11. Where does your mind go when you’re working out at the gym?

Wow…. I actually don’t know! If I’m having a great session, I’m literally so in the zone, that the only thing I’m thinking about is the exercise at hand. If I’m a little distracted, or not feeling my session, I’m usually thinking about what I’ll be eating afterwards haha.

12. You’re on a desert island and can have only one luxury – what do you take with you?

Probably a facial serum. I LOVE facial serums and ain’t nobody got time for dry, scaly, desert skin!

13. What’s one thing  you do every day without fail? (not counting brushing your teeth!)

GO OUTSIDE!! Sunshine and nature is seriously the best medicine in my opinion! This was also an unspoken rule in my household growing up. If we were grumpy, mum would send us outside to sit in the sun. Sick – sun. Tired – sun. Sad – sun. I LOVE the outdoors and use a walk along the beach as my reward for smashing out emails or getting a lot of work done!

This post was originally written for, and appears on, the Loving Earth blog.

The Great Forest National Park or GFNP is a campaign is to get the forests and parks that stretch from Kinglake through to the Baw Baws and up to Eildon declared as a National Park.

GFNP has its own logo and lots of supporters, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that the National Park already exists, but it doesn’t yet!

By declaring the forests as a National Park, it will create a vibrant tourist destination for anyone who visits the area. It will also protect it from logging which is heavily impacting the ecosystems that we rely on for our main source of water.

Did you know that 90% of Melbourne’s fresh water comes from the Mountain Ash forests a little over an hour away from the CBD?

The aim is to help preserve these forests that already exist so the native wildlife can thrive and the trees don’t end up as paper for your printer.

These forests grow all along the Great Divide because of the rich rainfall patterns and has meant that they are some of the most carbon dense forests on the earth – something that we DEFINITELY need more of to help mother nature bounce back.

The Park, stretching from Kinglake through to the Baw Baws and north-east up to Eildon.

At Loving Earth we’re pretty passionate about this project, firstly because it’s where we make our chocolate (yum) and also because this is our chance to give back to the land.

We work with indigenous communities around the world to source the ingredients for our chocolate, to preserve and protect their way of living with and on the land. Their guardianship is what will guide us into how we can begin to regenerate the planet and supporting the GFNP is our way of contributing to this planetary healing, right on doorstep.

These forests are also home to the tallest flowering trees on the planet (140metres – way bigger than the American redwoods) and home to some pretty cool animals, like the Boobook Owl, who you may recognise from our first ever Easter eggs…told you they were rad.

Getting out in nature is one of our favourite things to do and the area is perfect for exploring and trying out a whole heap of other adventures including bike riding, bushwalking, fishing, bird watching, four-wheel driving, motor biking, camping, zipline tours and much more – FUN!

If that all sounds a bit too active, then check out our top five things to do on a long weekend (like Easter!).

If you’re feeling inspired and want to get involved – here are out top five ways to make a difference:

1. Follow, love and share the Great Forest National Park on Instagram @greatforestnp

2. Learn more about the Great Forest National Park plan

3. Help us to make a GFNP film – donate today

4. Visit the Great Forest National Park – download a Self-Drive Tour Guide today

5. Be sure you’re not using paper sourced from forests that should be protected in the GFNP –choose an Ethical Paper

To find out more, head over to www.greatforestnationalpark.com.au