Turning Unhappy Customers into Elated Ones

This trick of the trade is a very essential trait that any small business owner should have, and that I apply to my big-girl-job as well in dealing with clients.

A client sends you an email, extremely dissatisfied and making you feel sad. What do you do?!

In fact, your next steps are pretty important and indicative of your client-relations skills. When working in a small business, it's important to be creative in turning your bad experience into positive ones.


a) Set the tone - don't argue back, and apologize, but not profusely. People make mistakes, these things can happen.

b) Distance yourself, take a breath - it's easy to take these complaints personal. It can feel that a customer is directly insulting you when they insult your product or service. So take a minute and step away from the email or phone call: this will help you cool down, and come up with great ideas for the next part.

c) Ask what can be done to make it right: or, make a generous offer on how you can make it right. I guarantee that not only will your customer be delighted with your response, but will rave about you to all of their friends = positive PR!

d) Proof your response, and listen to it/read it as if you were a client. If you were in their position, is this what you would want to hear? Is there any way it could be misinterpreted? Do you feel good after reading it?

e) Check in again after they have responded and some time has passed. Customers appreciate a follow up, and they will feel like a priority if you follow-through.

Take this advice and go, young grasshopper.

In Loving Memory: PurpleHeart

I wanted to create a line in memory of my grandfather, Raymond J. Wysocki, an Iwo Jima survivor and Purple Heart participant. He passed away while I was abroad, in September, and he continues to be on my mind and in my heart.



In light of his service and passion for his country, I create the purple heart line. This is going to be marketed and distributed as the Positivity: OneWord and Tide Shirts have been, but my vision is on a much larger scale. I want to enact a financial plan that will allow me to donate a portion of all sales to wounded veterans and their families, ideally through Soldier's Angels - the great organization I rejoined last month after a year break.



After the first marketing research phase as "PurpleHart", which was a graphic design decision, I decided to go with the correct spelling. (That, and I was sick of doo-dahs saying, "You know 'heart' is spelled wrong, right?" ((insert snooty remark here))

The design is embroidered on 100% organic tshirts, bags, and military caps. I decided the writing portion was too much on the tshirts and hats, so it's completely on the bags, which are funky designs and in coordinating color schemes of tan, brown, and green. I've got a great-quality messanger bag that I'm completely in love with and use all the time, and there's also a chocolate brown bucket bag, and a green tote.



The hats are tan, gray, and camo, all sporting the simple Purple Heart graphic, as do the t-shirts. We've also got a great hoodie that we're eyeing and threw some skulls on at the moment because the sizing was a bit too big.

I'll keep you posted as the Purple Heart line continues to develop. Please check back in and see how you can help and when the different products are available for purchase at my etsy site. Thank you!

The Importance of Leadership

Entrepreneurial Leadership? Bring it.

Class 2 during my crazy spring semester this year was all about leadership, and how important it is to understand what "leadership" really means. It's about accountability, honesty, responsibility, and my favorite quote, "take blame, give credit". It is not about power, or telling people what to do. You have to inspire your employees, work with them and understand how to negotiate.

Our first project was to create a company based around a toy. As the artist in the group, I was stoked. My team members and CEO made it clear that they wanted something really simple; a stuffed animal. But that's boring, so I spent hours trying to conceptualize something with more of a twist. I came up with what ended up being called the "Cudlee", in which I combined a stuffed animal, pillow, and carrying case into one item. The billowy arm of the bear reaches across to reveal a pouch that's kept closed with velcro. (I'm also very sorry to say that yes, there was one teddy bear harmed in this process. But he was only $1 at the dollar store, and I made him into something even better!) I used a soft soft fleece and the bear was also soft to the touch.

It was a hit with its unisex and poppy colors. (I also embroidered a little tag, and sewed it on the lower right of the pillow, of our "company's" logo!) The little Tufts people lost their damn minds, and it was fantastic. ("How did you DO that?" - umm, a sewing machine? With 10+ years experience?) It was one of the moments I had where I felt that I did belong there, that even though I wasn't an engineer, I had skills that were valuable. My experience gave me a bit of a real-world edge over my highly intelligent tufts counterparts. Ha.

Then I was selected as CEO for the next team. I had to lead one girl and three guys in a project. Not to be sexist, but the guys were sooo much work - they had to be constantly reminded to meet deadlines, and I had to nag them when they did not. I set deadlines, kept us organized, and REFUSED to pull a last-minute all nighter, which they resented at the time but all said how it paid off in the end not being stressed out (gee, what a novel concept?) We made it through the project successfully, and I was very proud of all of them.

It's one of the issues I think is so difficult to reconcile; being a woman of power in a male situation, like giving orders without being "naggy", or for lack of a better word, "bitchy". When I found myself having to speak to them, I tried not to make it about "me" wanting it done, and made it about doing it for the "team".

I'm writing about this experience now because my professor was such a great teacher to me, and I ran into him at work the other day. He continues to offer his help in my job search, and even asked my opinion on some mock up logos he had hired out for (don't even get me started on those - NOT GOOD).

So, this may be an item that I will offer in the future - I'm looking into patents, as I've already gotten a lot of interest in it :) Stay tuned -