Researchers Say Eating Chocolate Every Day Can Have Serious Health Benefits

Wait, what? You had us at dark chocolate, but we'll take the good news! See this article for more information. Meanwhile, we're so glad that we carry AlterEco Chocolates from up north in San Francisco! Not only are the products made from fine quality, fair trade, dark chocolate, they're also made with coconut oil, not palm. That's important to us, since the use of palm oil seriously impacts the world's rainforests and robs habitat from many creatures that live there, specifically orangutans. Make a conscious choice this Easter - AlterEco, always no soy, no GMOs, no emulsifiers, no artificial flavors, and gluten free!

Much Ado About Service

Let's face facts, shall we? Retail is a service business, where all our best efforts all boil down to how we are seen by the people we do business with. The most fabulous offerings won't get you very far if your customer service, in the opinion of your customers, is lacking.

However repugnant it is, lousy customer service has been a part of the landscape ever since there have been transactions between merchants and the public. Nothing proves this better than this recent article we stumbled upon (hat tip to Andy Sernovitz) - Poor Service Has Existed Forever: Tablet Inscribed With 3,765 Year Old Customer Service Complaint. Pretty awesome example of an ancient merchant fail, isn't it?

What you won't find here at Hoopla Emporium is lousy customer service. With whatever service you come to us for - UPS shipping, private mailboxes, or just to browse our mostly local offerings in the store, you can expect to be treated as a valuable part of our enterprise (because you are!). We can promise you that, because Scott and I are the ones that deliver that service daily! Just as a reminder, if you have an exceptional experience, you can find us on Yelp here.

Speaking of service, we just wrapped up our 4th semi-annual Open Studios Alta/Pasa/Dena Tour, and it was a blast! We loved hosting the kids from Room 13 USA, and look forward to sending them 20% of the proceeds of the weekend. We're looking forward to doing more with them in the future. Now, it's on to helping plan Altadena's Best Fest! This festival, celebrating what's great about living, working, and doing business in Altadena, is going to be huge. We're planning on closing Mariposa Ave. down between El Molino and Santa Anita, to host art vendors, local food makers, and a car show or two. As a town, we've needed a replacement for the long-gone Old Fashioned Days festival and all of us on the Best Fest committee hope this will be it!

Here are a couple of pictures of the adorable things the kids at Room 13 make, and a picture of Scott and I in front of the store during Open Studios:

Candles from crayons, Room 13 John Muir High

Needle felt creations and art from Room 13 John Muir High

Polymer clay pastry decorations from Room 13 Eliot Middle School

String doll, Room 13 Eliot Middle School

Thanks for stopping by our blog, and we'll see you again soon!

Springtime Hoopla

From time immemorial, spring has been the harbinger of change. Whether speaking of seasons, or the weather, or of something more personal, springtime is the most popular time to make a change. You'd think that New Years would have that designation, but no, it's spring that people change, or transition.

Changing up some accessories in your home is one way to make change for spring. Adding new pillows, window treatments, even picture frames, can liven up your environment and help make it feel fresh. Same thing in your garden! Adding new decorative elements in your garden can also make it look more festive, particularly in water-wise gardens. Hoopla Emporium has brought in some very fun outdoor décor that we think you'll love! Spring gnomes, solar powered fairy houses, wind chimes, plant stakes, and fairy garden components are fun and colorful, and will help accentuate focal points, or even become a focal point, in your garden spaces!

We also have some beautiful spring jewelry for you here at Hoopla - vibrantly colored sea glass bracelets from former Altadena native Shayla Diamond and her company, Lotus Moon Arts, are perfect for brightening up an outfit; as are her lovely turquoise and red coral bracelets and earrings! Long, vintage look watch necklaces are a huge trend now, and we've got some that would make fabulous Mother's Day gifts; and Lotus Moon's adorably chic key chains are always in fashion.

Spring is wonderful time for art, as well. There's new art on the walls here at Hoopla, coordinating with our gnomes and fairies. Here's a picture of Janell Mithani's beautiful painting of a fairy on tree bark:

Speaking of art, the Alta-Pasa Open Studios Tour is scheduled for June 6 and 7 this year, and Hoopla! Emporium will once again be a stop on the map. We will be hosting young artists involved in Room 13 studios in public schools in the area, and we're looking forward to it! Here's a poster that gives greater detail about the upcoming tour:

We know this will be the best Open Studios Tour yet - stay tuned for more information!

Independent Retailers Making A Comeback? Survey Says.....

 

 

 

 

 

A recent survey done by the Institute Of Local Self Reliance says that sales at independently owned retail shops were up by 8.1% in 2014. Holiday sales were up by an average of 4.2% (5.7% for those communities with a vested Buy Local program), beating the performance of many national chains and coming in well ahead of the 0.9% decline in December retail sales reported by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

 

 

 

 This bodes well for the future of independent retail, and, as one of our fellow retailers put it "people are getting sick of crappy service and cheap quality products in chain stores." While we won't go so far as pointing fingers, I think you'll find that locally owned, independent businesses are naturally more friendly than your average big box store. 

 

This is much food for thought, especially as we steer our communities toward the future. Let us know - when/where was the last place you received quality service and product? Was it a big box store, a multi-national corporate store or restaurant? Or was it in a small, locally-owned business or eatery? Why was the service different, and would you prefer to see more of this kind of interaction? We'll revisit this subject when replies have been tallied, and we thank you for your participation!

 



New Years Cleanse? Try Tea, Instead!

Although this title could mean many things, such as cleaning up the store after a busy holiday season, it's meant as a reference to internal body cleansing.  We get asked a lot if we carry any "cleansing" products - i.e., teas or other tisanes that might help a person's body purge any "toxins".

It's a great thought, isn't it, that you can spend the holidays eating and drinking whatever you want, and wait until the new year for a "cleanse". I sure wish that were true, and many other people do, too, it seems.  Unfortunately, the use of the words "cleanse" and "toxins" are marketing-speak to promote products that claim to rid your body of unwanted, and possibly dangerous, compounds that you (might have) ingested. Your body's liver and kidneys already rid your body of anything toxic. A "cleanse" isn't really needed if your organs are already doing their job.  You may unintentionally create an environment in your body that fosters bacteria if you do.  There have been many studies done recently that point to this same conclusion.  One of the best overviews I've read is here, and this is why we don't choose to sell cleanses here at Hoopla! Emporium.

We do, however, sell tea. Tea, whether they be true teas (Camellia sinensis), or herbal, all have beneficial ingredients that can, and do, help you stay healthy.  Black, white, or green teas all contain varying amounts of caffeine, but also contain polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) and phytochemicals, which are beneficial.  Find out what different teas can help with here.

At Hoopla! Emporium, we carry Rishi Tea, a high-quality, fair trade line with many organic choices.  We also carry World Flavorz, and Tea Drops, both local companies.  The following is a short list of the different, healthy, choices we have on our shelves:

 Mint Teas:  From Rishi Tea comes Green Mint Tea, Peppermint Rooibos, and Pacific Peppermint.  Peppermint is a fragrant herb that makes for a soothing drink. Peppermint helps you digest foods better and also reduces flatulence and digestive issues. Peppermint is prescribed to people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and gallstones in capsules. A cup of peppermint tea will ease nausea and vomiting, especially if you suffer motion sickness. If you have heartburn, don’t drink peppermint tea as this might aggravate your condition. Peppermint tea brings down the severity of herpes outbreaks. The natural mint flavor of the herb helps to freshen your breath. Other health benefits of this tea are control of muscle aches and chronic pain, clearing of congestion and mild coughs, mild asthma and reduction of stress.

Fruit Teas: Also from Rishi Tea, Blueberry Hibiscus, Blueberry Rooibos, and Cinnamon Plum are tasty choices for a healthy sip.  Hibiscus tea is known to lower blood pressure, reduce high cholesterol and strengthen the immune system (it’s rich in Vitamin C). Hibiscus flower infusions have known to reduce hypertension as well, in people prone to this condition. A recent study reveals that hibiscus tea is rich in antioxidants, which protect the body against cell-damaging free radicals.  Blueberries, as well as certain stone fruits, are rich in antioxidants as well.

 

Green Teas:  We carry choices of green tea from Rishi Tea, and from Tea Drops.  Green Tea comes with such a host of health benefits, that it’s called the ‘wonder herb’ by tea drinkers and medical practitioners alike.
Drinking green tea lowers cancer risk and also inhibits carcinogenic in cigarettes and other compounds when imbibed. Green Tea contains potent antioxidants called polyphenols, which help suppress free radicals. Green tea also stops certain tumors from forming. Green tea lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels and thereby promotes heart health.  Green tea also lowers blood pressure, prevents and fights tooth decay and dental issues, and inhibits different viruses from causing illnesses. We suggest trying Rishi Tea's Matcha Green, now in teabags!

 

Spice Teas:  From all three of our vendors, spice teas are very popular during the holiday season.  Black tea (or green, or Rooibos) teas are mixed with certain spices, like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and newcomers like turmeric and ginger.  These teas are festive and soothing, and we've all heard the buzz about the four spices mentioned.  Turmeric has been found to be an anti-inflammatory; cinnamon and cardamom are high in antioxidants; and ginger has a myriad of benefits, from soothing an upset stomach to fighting morning and altitude sickness. We also have Rishi Tea's Serene Dream, which contains Valerian root, lemon balm, lavender and chamomile, and can help with insomnia.

Black Teas:  Despite the fact that black tea has caffeine, drinking it hydrates your body. We have many different choices here at Hoopla! Emporium, including Rishi Tea's wonderful chai teas. Tea Drops' Rose Earl Grey is fragrant and delicious!

White Teas: More delicate in flavor than a black tea, white tea still offers quite a healthful punch.  We suggest trying Tea Drops' Vanilla White for a lovely cuppa.

We're expanding our selection of fine teas, so you'll see more here in the store soon.  Please drop by, email, or visit us on our Facebook page if you have any questions at all regarding tea, and certainly come by if you need any tea accutrements - we carry loose leaf tea bags, strainers, and tea pots! We don't claim to be health professionals, but we do know our stuff when it comes to what we carry in the store.  Ask us, and we'll tell you all about it!

Hahamongna Hoopla

Photo Attributed To SaveHahamongna.com

As most of you reading this are aware, the situation at Hahamongna Watershed Park has grown critical.  The County Of Los Angeles, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that this quiet piece of heaven near our foothills needs to be disrupted by huge, smoke-belching trucks hauling out debris from behind Devils Gate Dam, 400 of them a day, five days a week, for the next five years.

We can't say much more than what's already been said.  Please read (and listen to*) our friends Petrea Burchard and Karin Bugge have to say about this at this link for Petrea's post, and this link for Karin's post.  In both, you'll find a link to the Indiegogo campaign to help offset costs for the lawsuit against the County filed by the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon Society. We urge you to donate - there are some great perks you can get if you do!  Hoopla! Emporium is delighted to be able to help out with a hyper-local and Fair Trade basket of goodies for the $150.00 donation tier, and we're beyond proud that it's been snapped up already!  Here's a picture of what's inside it:

 

 

This basket includes some wonderful Fair Trade items (the bracelets, the wood sculpture, the note cards and the perfume oil) and locally made products like the Pasadena-centric notecards from Julie Hill, exquisite jam from LA Farm Girl, wonderful olive oil from Beyond The Olive, and an Altadena-centric candle block made by Cheltenham Road.  Also included is some fabulous, organic body lotion from Southern California company, Glow*Ology (although their products are distributed by Demdaco, they are made in Carson, CA). We sincerely hope that the esteemed $150.00 donator enjoys all these great products, but more than that, we're just flat-out thrilled that someone donated that amount to the cause, and that we were asked to contribute!

Please do what you can to support the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon Society in their efforts to fight what the County Of Los Angeles has planned for beautiful Hahamongna Watershed Park.  We can all get involved, however we're comfortable doing it - it doesn't need to be monetary, although that's certainly appreciated.  Word of mouth helps, too.  Tell your neighbors and your friends, because you never know where that will lead.  Here's a huge thank you from Hoopla! Emporium!
*Petrea has voiced a video explaining what's going on at Hahamongna, which you'll find on her post.

Holiday Love - Hoopla! Emporium's Picks For Gifting

 

Being the owner of a gift store is a lot of work, particularly around the holidays. We've read several industry articles lately in regard to the stress the holidays can bring, and how we storeowners can deal with it all. It's great information, but in all honesty, I don't find this time of year too stressful, I find it invigorating and joyful.  What fun it is to pull out all the holiday decorations, trim the tree, and anticipate all the new merchandise coming into the store!

It's all very exciting, but the thing we like most of all is discovering fabulous products for you that are made locally or regionally.  The talent that we have here astounds us!  From artists and authors, to food producers and gift or card makers, this is our partial list of our absolute favorites (which can change without notice, and often does!) -

• Jus D'Amour The Essence of Love Perfume Oil by Perfumes Mercedes - hands down, our favorite new scent, created by singer, songwriter and performer Mercedes Ganon.  Included in this line are the original Jus D' Amour, its companion scent Sassy, and Legend Cologne for men.  Jus D'Amore is a timeless, romantic blend of fresh coco palm and aqualeaf accord, gentle violet, night blooming jasmine, Tahitian vanilla and deep sandalwood.  Formulated to coordinate with Sassy, a fresh and sexy blend of juicy sweet orange mandarin and vibrant grapefruit, exotic jasmine, bergamot and cassis, the two scents together are bliss!  Legend for men is an evocation of nature's combination of fruits, woods, and florals to capture that very distinct masculine flavor.  Notes include melon, black currant, citrus, green leaf, ozone, bergamot, jasmine, violet, wood musk, oakmoss, and sandalwood.  We highly recommend this as a personal gift to yourself this year! 

 

• LA Farm Girl jams and jellies - this local specialty food product line is so delicious, we can't describe it well enough in words.  Because no matter how hard you try, you just can't smell or taste words, can you?  Rest assured that we've done the tasting for you, and can tell you how much we love them!  Not just for breakfast, either, these jams, most infused with wine or spirits, are so versatile in the kitchen.  From your holiday baking (Linzer cookies, anyone?) to a glaze for roast meats, we invite you to transport your taste buds this season! Currently in stock are Habanero Honey, Peppered Pineapple, Strawberry Sangria, Bourbon & Vanilla Berry, Fig & Sweet Marsala, and Sherry & Cinnamon Persimmon.  Caramel Tangerine, Cognac & Vanilla Cherry, and Blood Orange & Rosemary Mimosa are on their way in about a week or so.

• The Safety Godmothers by Ellen Snortland and Lisa Gaeta - this book is a must-have for all young people, particularly females, and gives sound advice about personal safety without the preachy-ness. We love Ellen and Lisa's humorous tone in this book, as they interview young people who have been attacked, and survived, by using the tactics the authors recommend.  If you have a young daughter or son, or are a grandparent to either, this is our pick for you! It's not a sexy, beautiful, or delicious present, but don't let that deter you.  This is something that will resonate for years with your young ones and, help save a life if, God forbid, they are ever stalked or attacked.

We'll be back again soon with some more suggestions for you.  Until then, be well and enjoy the season!

Small Business Saturday Hoopla

 

 

Back in 2010, American Express created Small Business Saturday, to bring attention to the nation's independent mom & pop stores, and was inspired by The 3/50 Project.  Fast forward to 2014, and we find that Small Business Saturday has become a thing, an event that was grown maybe not so organically (American Express, a huge financial corporation, is behind this, after all) but it has given us small business owners a chance to be recognized.  For that, we are eternally grateful.  And although we like getting customers in the door on this day, we wouldn't be who we are unless we dedicated the day to another group that does great things in our community.

Take both Room 13s in our area, first at John Muir High School and then at Elliot Middle School. Overseen in North America by Pasadena's Light Bringer Project, these are complete art studios run by the students, who not only learn about art, but about the business of art, as well.  They are responsible for hiring their own Artist In Residence, who guides the students in their endeavors, and they make and sell products to keep the studios running. Tom Coston, who heads Light Bringer, has been named to Room 13 International's Board Of Trustees.  You might recognize the name - it's Tom and Light Bringer who bring us the fabulous Doodah Parade, and the Pasadena Chalk Festival, among other wonderful community oriented events.

If you know anything about Hoopla Emporium (and Webster's Fine Stationers prior to our move), you know that we love supporting our local artists and entrepreneurs.  Here we have an opportunity to support our budding artists, and entrepreneurs, so we'll be dedicating this day and 15% of our proceeds from it, to Light Bringer and both Room 13s.  Come see us on Saturday, November 29, shop around, meet some of the kids our donation will be supporting, and if you make a purchase, you'll get a little surprise they've made just for you! 

Scott and I wish you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving! Hoopla will be open Saturday the 29th at 10:00 am - we'll see you then!

It's Looking A Lot Like Holiday Time!

 

 

Welcome to the holiday season at Hoopla! An Emporium Of Good Things!  Of all the seasons, we love the winter holidays, for the warmth it brings, the camaraderie, and of course, all the hustle and bustle.  We are stocked and ready for you with the beautiful, the meaningful, and the tasty!

If you don't know it yet, Hoopla Emporium carries some great local and regional food products, from fair trade tea from Rishi, to shaped tea morsels from Tea Drops; to salted caramels from Le Bon Garcon, to fabulous jams, salsas, sauces, and spice rubs!  Some of our local vendors include Jabberwocky Smooth Jerk Sauces; Earl's Gone Wild pepper jellies and barbeque sauces; coconut sugar from Coconut World; mole sauces from San Angel Mole; full spectrum of sauces & salsas from Sierra Madre Grocery Company; shaped sugar cubes from Fantasy Sugar; lovely jams from LA Farm Girl; raw honey from Massey Honey Company; small-batch nut butters from Rock Rose Provisions; oils and balsamic vinegars from Beyond The Olive; and salad dressings/marinades/dipping sauces from David's Unforgettables.  We are adding to our selection of local and regional food products, and we think you'll be pleased with our healthy selection!

We have several new books from local authors as well.  We welcome to our bookcase new titles from Steven Gibson, Desiree Zamarano, Ellen Snortland, Anne Louise Bannon, and Randy Juarado Ertll. You are always welcome to come browse our book section, there are some wonderful books here!  We are hosting a meet & greet with author Anne Bannon, whose new book "Fascinating Rhythm" has just hit our shelves, on Friday, Nov. 21 at 6:30 pm!  We'll also be sampling some Beaujolais Nouveau, since Anne and her husband, Mike Holland, also author OddBallGrape.com.

 Hoopla Emporium welcomed several new vendors to the store this season.  There are great products from Wowwee, a Southern California company, along with offerings from Mixt Studio in Manhattan Beach, and greeting cards from Offensive + Delightful, a company in Los Angeles.  We also now carry Papyrus/Recycled Paper Greetings, too, as well as our local card makers, so you'll never leave without a card you love!  You'll find Ty Beanie Babies here, small stuffed animals from Douglas, kids' toys from Green Toys, Inc., and very popular lunch boxes and purses from the Tin Box Company.  Dog lovers will rejoice with a coffee cup from Demdaco, sporting their favorite breed, and magnets will delight, as well! 

Our favorite fair trade scarf patterns are in from Julian Imports in CA, and beautifully warm Pashmina's will keep the chill off. 

 

 

As always, we have a great selection of Willow Tree figurines and angels -

Scott and I wish you the very best this season, and we'll be waiting for you at Hoopla Emporium on beautiful Fair Oaks Ave.!

Perception

Hello, friends, another Monday has come and so it's time for a blog post.  Last week we discussed Sally Hogshead's new book, How The World Sees You.  In it, we posted a link and a password to take the perception test at no charge.  Did you try it?  We'd love to know what you thought - leave us a message and let us know your two defining traits and your archetype!  To have a little fun with this, here's what your archetype would be if they were named after super heroes:

Speaking of perception, we'd like to share someone else's blog post with you today, with a hat tip to our good friend Rose Eliff, who brought it to our attention.  The blog is called Momastary and the post, here, is called "Give Me Gratitude Or Give Me Debt".  It's a very uplifting post, and we hope you enjoy it!

Why would a retail store want you to read a post about someone who is consciously avoiding keeping up with the Joneses?  Isn't that what retail's all about, trying to get everyone in your store to buy the latest geegaw and gadget?  Most of them do, yes indeed they do.  We're a little different here at Hoopla.  We are An Emporium Of Good Things, and as such, carry products that are mostly sourced locally.  We have the largest collection of books written by people that live in and around Altadena.  We carry products like soap, tea, sauces, and caramels all made by local or regional folks.  Real people with real names, that you may bump into while shopping.  Greeting cards, art, music, wall decor, even pens made locally.  We carry fair trade gift wrap, bags, shoppers, scarves, jewelry, and journals.  Of the imports that we do carry, we carefully vet the companies to ensure that manufacturing laws and workers are not being abused.  No children were harmed in the production of our merchandise.  It's always a nice bonus when we find these type of companies locally, as well.  You see, we're a feel-good store, and we figure you can never get enough of a good thing, right?  You'll come in, there's no need for us to shout about how much better we are than your other choices, but cheering sections are always welcomed! 

So what does this have to do with perception?  It says we care - deeply and truly care about what you bring into your home.  We know you could buy products anywhere, so we specialize in finding products that not everyone has.  We know you could patronize any business, and we're very thankful you choose ours.  This is why we're so choosy - because you are!

With that said, we've got some great new garden items coming in from Regal Art And Gifts, a California company located in Concord.  There will be some great solar yard stakes and wind chimes that are just perfect for your late summer garden!  We can't wait until the fall yard decorations come in because they're so cool!  Here's a little peek of what's coming:

Dragonfly Bell

Solar Bubble Light Butterfly Stake

Solar Lantern

Hummingbird Bell

Coming soon - Halloween Yard Stakes

 

Remember, we also have beautiful Leoj Wishing Balls.  These are extremely well made (in the U.S.!) glass objects that soak up the sun's rays during the day, and glow softly at night.  Almost as wonderful as fireflies, these shapes will fascinate you!

Leoj Wishing Balls, Large & Small Spheres

 



That's it for this week, friends.  Have a great week, and we'll talk next Monday!

Lori and Scott

What Makes You Fascinating?

This isn't about us.  It's about YOU.

It starts with YOU.  It ends with YOU.

Intrigued yet?

Branding expert and leading authority on the science of fascination, Sally Hogshead, is launching her new book How The World Sees You on July 1.

To celebrate all of the new insights she's learned over the past decade of research, she has started Project Fascination, with a goal to show 100,000 people how their personalities add value.

To do this, she's given me a special code, BL-lorinscott, to give the first 100 people who use it her Fascination Advantage (tm) assessment for free!  This has never been done before, and will only last until they reach 100,000 more assessment takers!

And the best part is - they want this to be a chain reaction.  So when you take the assessment using BL-lorinscott, you'll receive 100 assessments to share with your circle for free, too!  That's $3700 of free market research at your fingertips!

So how do you take the assessment?  Simple.

Go to http://www.HowTheWorldSeesYou.com/You amd use code BL-lorinscott.  Once you've taken the assessment, Sally's team will load 100 assessments into your new account.  Rinse and repeat.  That's it.  Now you're ready to discover how your personality is custom built for certain situations, and which situations you should learn to avoid.  And it only takes 5 minutes (you can eve do it on your phone).

28 questions.  5 minutes.  A whole new way to communicate.

Remember, the best way to empower someone is to show them their own highest value.  Our goal together is to show people the very best of themselves - the qualities that makes them more successful, more authentic, and more fascinating. 

Remember that your code will expire once they reach 100,000 more assessment takers.  Don't this this $3700 value go to waste.  Take the assessment today and encourage your friends and followers to do the same!

Your Fascination Advantage Report is the first big step into knowing how your personality can be heard and remembered in an overcrowded market.  And sharing the assessment will help others do the same.  Find everything you need to put this knowledge into practice with your co-workers, close friends and significant other in Sally's new book, How The World Sees You.

Here's the first page of my assessment, where I discovered my two greatest advantages and my Archetype.  I'm Passion + Innovation, which equals The Catalyst.  Scott is Mystique + Innovation, which equals The Secret Weapon.  We'd love to know what you are!

Back In The Saddle Again, Redoux

Hi, there, friends, we're finally back to keeping this blog up, after moving and getting things set up in our new store!  In case you haven't heard, we found a sweet little storefront on Fair Oaks Avenue that we just love.  We've also taken advantage of the move to re-brand the store, so we're now called "Hoopla! An Emporium Of Good Things".  Although our name has changed, our core mission has not, and this move has only intensified our endeavors to highlight the many local artists, makers, and entrepreneurs our area has to offer!

That said, as I was perusing Facebook a bit earlier, I ran across this post from our friend, Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, and felt it was something important enough for me to copy whole and post here.  This is a subject that I'm pretty sure you know is very intregal to our core mission, and I couldn't be happier that someone else thinks the same way!  I love that Bob says to commit to step it up (instead of leaning in), I love that he stresses communication, and I just adore that he asks that we build a better world.  We can do that, you know.