Dear Lady,

We met at the Los Angeles Women’s Expo. An event that we were invited to be a part of; an event that we spent countless hours making plans and arrangements for you and all of the women attending to have an enjoyable and inspirational experience at the knot too shabby workshops and pop up shop.

Six generous people gave up hours of their precious weekend to be a part of this event and to help my team and me provide an experience that ran smoothly and efficiently. Friends, family and customers; these sweet souls who volunteered their time for me; because I asked and who had thoughts of receiving nothing in return.

Weeks of preparation was involved. Hours of meetings. Thousands of dollars spent. Every inch of space in the pop up shop was meticulously planned. Every item for sale hand-picked. Even the displays and backdrop, sketched, measured and mapped out to be hand-built by my very busy and very generous dad. Brainstorming between team members and customers took place weeks before the event to determine just the right project that would both enlighten you to the wonders of Annie Sloan Paint but also provide you with a functional and fun takeaway. Hand-painted mason jars! I mean, how much more fun is to take home a mason jar that you painted rather than a piece of wood? Something useful. Something decorative. Something for you to enjoy day after day.

Was it perfect? Of course not. It never is. We were short tables and chairs. Unable to accommodate as many people as desired to participate. Working around microphone feedback. Competing with show announcements, fashion shows and loud music.  There is always room for improvement and learning. Ways to enhance the experience for the next time. Inadequacies become opportunities. Challenges provide room for improvement. I know this going into any show or public expo. I have my handy note pad or cell phone at the ready for the sole purpose of taking note of things that worked well and things that need to be modified.

I know this to be true. Time is precious. Weekends are a blissful opportunity to do nothing or to do everything. To have given up an entire weekend to work with me; to share their own glorious experiences with CHALK PAINT with you; to have given up seeing their daughter’s soccer game; to catch up on sleep; to clean their house; to spend time with their husband; my dedicated friend and volunteer offered a gift of love and time not just to me but because she believes in a product and a lifestyle that has the potential to be life changing. A product and a process that she is enthusiastic to share with you in a way that is more genuine than anything I can say because she has no financial interest in how many cans of paint sell.

So, dear lady when you told my friend and volunteer, “I curse you and your business and hope that you fail,” I was rendered speechless. I mean, we’ve never been cursed before. I am sorry that you didn’t get the color you were hoping for and I’m so sorry that it was impossible to accommodate that request. You see, allowing nearly 30 people to select their color at every single workshop would have inhibited our ability to offer the workshops as frequently. On the eight tables set up in our pavilion were 20 of the most popular and most beautiful shades of CHALK PAINT. I promise you, I gave serious thought to offering the most frequently sought colors, knowing that I couldn’t please everyone.

I forgive you for the hurtful words that you spoke, knowing that in the height of the moment you likely didn’t mean them. We won’t fail. Not because of what we sell or because of how many public appearances we do. We won’t fail because we are supported by MANY! We are backed by a community of faithful customers, dedicated volunteers, precious friends and passionate family! We have a vision and a mission to make our community stronger and more beautiful. Be it through the work of conversation or through the act of painting.

We hope that you find your something beautiful and we will welcome you back with open arms and a paint brush in hand!

Sincerest regards,

Michele
Owner, friend, daughter, mother, wife, believer…
knot too shabby