I’m a little late in posting our June 2017 newsletter files, but the wait will be well worth it!

This month’s edition is packed full of fun and useful information:

Pg. 1: The Next Big Thing
Pg. 2: Local Biz Spotlight: Wildflower Vintage
Pg. 3: Serena Tells Us All About Essential Oils (also recipe and funny memes)
Pg. 4: 2 New Ways to Enjoy Yoga: Goats & Beer!

The downloadable link for the digital version of the newsletter is below:

– June 2017 Newsletter Digital Version

And if you’d rather read all the newsletter content on this page, all 4 of the articles are posted below. Enjoy 🙂

“The Next Big Thing”

The title of this article sounds really exciting, right? You may have found yourself thinking “Oh good, Luke’s going to tell me about the next big thing, and I could use something big right now!” Actually, quite the opposite is true…instead, I’m going to tell you all about why you shouldn’t care about the “next big thing” and why you should stop looking for it.

But first, let’s start with a story. When it comes to running a business (Gordon PT), I’m like a lot of other small business owners. I’m constantly looking for new ideas to bring in more customers and grow the business. And let me tell you, there’s no shortage of people online telling me exactly how I can shortcut my success with the latest and greatest marketing tactics. All I have to do is scroll through my Facebook newsfeed for about 5 minutes, and at least 10 people will be offering to show me how to double the business overnight, which will of course allow me to buy a really expensive car and start searching for a vacation home in Paris!

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Have you noticed similar types of messages promising you fast results with very minimal effort? My example is mostly about business growth, but you can find the same messages for just about everything, from weight loss to personal happiness.

And guess what, 99% of these messages are complete B.S. Instead of being helpful, they leave you with your hopes dashed. Even worse, they start to give you the impression that what you want should be easy to achieve, when in reality you probably need to work really hard to achieve your goals. So here’s my advice for you this month. First step: stop looking for the “next big thing” or the easy solution that will help you shortcut your way to success. Second step: look at the habits and activities that have made you successful in the past, and simply “rinse and repeat”. For example, if you had more energy and felt good about yourself during a period where you stopped eating junk food and worked out for 30 minutes/day, consider doing it again. It’s no shortcut to instant results, but it worked for you. In my situation with the business, we have consistent, steady growth when we focus on ways to improve our customer experience. So guess what, we’re going to focus on more and more ways to make our clients happy, because we know it works! (It’s a win-win J)

So as you start to enjoy the summer and are looking for a few ways to improve your life, I invite you to look no further than your past. I wish you the best of luck, and please share any success stories along the way!

Local Biz Spotlight: Wildflower Vintage

On June 1^st, a brand new business opened up right in my backyard! Located on the corner of Argonne and Euclid, “Wildflowers Vintage” occupies that space that used to host the Company Ballet (they moved to a larger studio). I had a chance to interview two of the owners (John and Brittnie), who also happen to be my neighbors. Check out what they had to say!

Q: When did you first have the idea to open this kind of shop?

A: The background of Wildflowers is a short one. We always considered opening a fun and classy shop, but we didn’t think we would do it until later in life. The shop just came out of nowhere when the location we are in became available, and we believe that Millwood is the perfect location for such a shop.

Q: Any particular reason you wanted to open a shop in Millwood?

A: Opening a shop in Millwood was a no brainer because of the history and tight-knit community that we have. We wanted to model the other communities in Spokane such as Garland, Perry, Monroe and Hillyard that have some fun shops and restaurants that people can walk to and stop in and see our community.

Q: So far, what are some of the most popular items at your store?

A: Our store is a mix of old and new. We have mostly vintage and antique items, but we have sprinkled some fun new things in with essential oils, jewelry, clothing and other home goods.

Q: How do you go about finding all the items for the store?

A: That’s a trade secret! LOL J

Q: I know it’s a bit early, but so far has it been fun getting the shop up and running? Any highs and lows you want to share?

A: The shop has been a crazy adventure. Literally 1 month ago we just decided to open Wildflowers with our partner Joy. Before that it was a possible retirement plan. So we just took the jump into business and it has been amazing so far. But it’s also been a little stressful too. We have never run a business before so we are learning every day!

John, Brittnie and Joy are constantly adding new and fun items to the store, so make sure you stop in to check out everything they have to offer. They also post a lot of pictures on their Facebook and Instagram pages, and if you’re like me it’s fun to check out the pictures and “window shop” from your phone!

Serena Tells Us All About Essential Oils

Most of you have probably heard about “essential oils” by now, and maybe you’ve even been experimenting with a few. If you’re like me, you have a ton of questions about what they are and all the potential benefits. So earlier this week, I asked our in-house essential oil expert (Serena) a few questions. Here’s what I learned:

Essential oils have become more popular recently as many people are looking for more natural ways to improve their health. The oils are typically used in 3 different ways: topically, internally and diffused into the air.

The most commonly used oils include peppermint, lemon, lavender (Serena’s favorite), frankincense and eucalyptus, although there are a number of other options.  For topical use, carrier oils are often used, especially when the essential oil is considered “hot” (irritating to the skin). Common carrier oils include coconut, jojoba, avocado, almond and olive oil.

While there are a variety of uses for essential oils, here are a few of Serena’s current favorites:

1. Peppermint, tea tree and melaleuca oil mixed with water in a spray bottle works well for bug repellant
2. Anti-anxiety roller: marjoram, sage, grapefruit, orange and frankincense
3. Headache relief roller: peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus and rosemary (this is my favorite!)

So whether you’re just looking to use essential oils in a diffuser to make your house smell good, or you’re more interested in the medicinal qualities, there are a lot of good options to get you started. As with most products, there tends to be a range in terms of the quality of the oils, so make sure you do a little research before you start buying any. And if you have specific questions, Serena would be happy to answer them!

2 New Ways to Enjoy Yoga: Goats & Beer!

Yoga has been around for centuries, if not thousands of years, and the people who practice it love the relaxation and stress-reducing qualities. Most yoga studios feature a very quiet, serene environment which allows people to focus on breathing and meditation.

Recently, people around the globe have been changing all that! In New Hampshire, a local farm now offers “Yoga with baby goats”. If you look up the video online, you’ll see about 10 people on their yoga mats with a bunch of cute little baby goats running around and climbing all over them. And while it doesn’t look at all relaxing or meditative, the yoga participants all say the same thing: with a bunch of baby goats running around and climbing on you, you just can help laughing and feeling great by the time you leave!

Now let’s travel to Europe… what started off in Germany has now gained widespread popularity throughout countries like England and China. “Beer Yoga” combines the typical relaxing and controlled qualities of yoga with one additional stress-relieving element: ice cold beer! Participants still perform the traditional yoga poses and movements, but taking sips from a bottle of beer is also incorporated. I’m pretty sure they limit people to one beer per session, but I could be wrong J

On a more serious note, practicing yoga does have several positive health benefits, both for your physical and mental/emotional well-being. And while many yoga practitioners are probably frowning at the idea of incorporating baby goats and beer into their routines, it seems to me that if you leave feeling happier and more relaxed, that’s something to feel good about!  Who knows, maybe we’ll offer one or both at the clinic soon…you’ll have to stay tuned!