SENSORY JOURNAL 017: Value

Last week, one of my regular customers, who is also an old co-worker turned friend, stopped by to visit and make a purchase. I was checking her loyalty points balance and realized this purchase had put her over $10,000 all time spend at Burke, making her my top customer. When I took a minute to really let that sink in, I got really emotional realizing the immense value she has had on my business by having loyally shown up consistently for over 8 years. I sent her a heartfelt thank you, a gift card, and added 1,000 loyalty bonus points to her account (something I'm now dedicated to give any other customers that reach this investor-status milestone), which honestly didn't feel like enough of a thank you. Breaking that down, approximately $10K over 8.5 years is about $1175 per year, which further breaks down to about $98 a month. This customer actually comes in about once a quarter, not monthly, and invests a few hundred dollars in one new item for her wardrobe. It's quite normal for us to think about monthly giving for the non-profit organizations we believe in. $98 a month is a beautiful commitment to an organization you believe in, for a non-profit OR for a small business you love! All my customers who show up regularly have a HUGE impact on my business, whether that's $10 a month or $98. The value here is in the consistency. And having the opportunity to experience that loyalty, reward that and share my gratitude, feels really really special! 

A lot of my experience this Summer has had me thinking about value. Not just the value of money, but the value of time, of choice, of relationships, of community, of loyalty, of commitment, of reliability. This Summer, my life partner joined me in becoming fully self employed. The first couple of months during this change, our daily schedules were more aligned than they had been in 9+ years together. We were able to complete home projects that had been on the "to do list" for years, were able to go on some more dates, and spend a lot of extra quality time together. I felt a happiness and fulfillment during this time that I haven't felt in years, realizing just how much I value that quality time. Then two months into this happiness bubble (a slow time for both of our businesses) we realized we were both short on rent. A first. He tapped into his savings to make it work, but I realized this valuable time together may soon be gone for us once again as we both needed to look for more work, and that made me quite sad. 

I know we are lucky and privileged in many ways. I know many people never get that chance to slow down from trying to make enough money to live, long enough to experience enough valuable time with their loved ones, enough time to be creative. What behavior of my own could I change to help gift that to someone else? When wealth feels out of reach, I reach for everything else that is high in value to me. As part of a generation that hasn't been able to see many promises in life come to fruition that past generations have, I feel like reaching for value in other ways may be what defines our generation. 

This Summer as we worked on home projects, I also decided to dedicate some time sorting through my wardrobe. I finally took a bin of clothes that needed fixing, mending, or altering to a local tailor. I took sweaters and jackets to the dry cleaner to prep for Fall/Winter. I sent a handful of pieces I wasn't wearing but still loved to SUAY's Community Dye Bath to give them a new life as a color that works better for my wardrobe. I took a few pairs of my favorite shoes to get re-soled. These are now the pieces I've been wearing consistently lately, because it honestly felt just like buying new things (but was much cheaper!). It also reminded me of the value of caring for the things I already own in a way that extends their life. It felt like an act of showing up for myself and my investments, but also for the environment. It also made me realize the value in the amount I spent on these items, that still have a whole new life after some minor cleaning and repair. The value of quality over quantity, and for the care of quality things to make them last. 

At a time when living and surviving is SO expensive for all of us, it has me thinking about the value of really living my values. Of spending my money and supporting places that are part of the world and future I want to live in. Of practicing what I preach, of paying it forward when I can. Of showing up loyally and consistently for others that I believe in, the way my customer has for me. Money feels like it has the greatest stronghold on our existence, but SO many other acts and practices have the greatest stronghold on our true joy, health, happiness, and fulfillment. Let's make time, let's pay attention, let's show up in the ways we can but especially in real life, let's shop small, let's support local and divest when we can from corporations and billionaires, let's be people who care and surround ourselves with people who care, elect people who care about others, the community, the world. Let's choose human connection and creativity over AI, let's volunteer and participate in mutual aid, let's not gatekeep, let's bring back a trade economy and share skills, let's go back to creating villages and living in simple joys. Because the VALUE in all of that is exponential. 

As a small business owner, I feel money poor about 80% of the time, but it's somehow given me a more neutral, less stressful relationship with money. And the value of everything else that this entrepreneurial life I've chosen has given me makes me feel RICH in so many ways! What's making you feel rich these days? Where are you finding value in life? How do you balance all the things that have value to you? 

WATCH: 
My partner shared this video in his family group chat, and it offered a thoughtful perspective of the value of money and time over time. Maybe it will be of value to you, too!