A Major Overhaul

Screenshot from "The Valentine Room" eCard

In line with my "Treasure Is Everywhere" post below is what's been happening with me the last few days.  About two weeks ago I made some major decisions about my business and finally made the business and my products public for the first time.  As I mentioned before, that was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life, a journey that I sabotaged repeatedly.  As I got closer to the day of my "grand opening," I got more and more nervous, until a little "voice" in my head told me that by opening my business, I would get my next set of instructions and ideas about what to do next.  At the time I was drawing a blank about my next steps.  Even though I had stretched myself very thin financially to get to this point (I quit my job over a year ago to dedicate myself to the development of my business), I knew that I had to go ahead with this.  So I did.

I waited a few days for the "promised" ideas and resources to flow to me, but I was too busy tweaking my Website, interactives, marketing, etc..  I was too busy to even celebrate this milestone in my life.  Then about three days ago,  a series of little ideas came to me that yesterday congealed into one big idea, and it involved doing a major overhaul on my Website.  Until then I was somewhat vague about the theme for the Website and my business in general, mostly because I have so many interests, and the products I have so far (self-help materials and an interactive game) don't seem related to each other. It turned out that my "Treasure Is Everywhere" post had been telegraphing the theme to me all the while.  I knocked myself in the forehead and said, "Duh!"  Well, I did that in my imagination, anyway.

I'm going to be candid about my business mistakes here, and open up about my new business direction.  It seems to me that most people would hold these cards close to their chest, for fear of giving away "trade secrets," or whatever they might be:

The theme I decided upon is finding treasure, hunting for treasure, in puzzles and games, in ourselves, in others, in life, in the real world.  When that came to me, I also saw the Website itself turning into a kind of treasure-hunting online "amusement park."  As it now sits in cyberspace, the seemingly themeless Website greets people with my products on the first page.  Having been a salesperson and director in an art gallery for nine years, I recognized that as being similar to walking into a store and having a salesperson jump out at you and say, "Here!  Buy this thing!"  My reaction and the reaction of most people would be to turn around and walk out.

I realized that what I really want is for people to feel at home in my Website, to relax there and have fun.  Then I can spring my products on them, ha ha!  (Because, of course, I have to eat.)  From the point of that realization on, I saw exactly where to take the Website.  How I'm going to do that is something I will keep secret, until my second Grand Opening, which I'll announce in this blog and elsewhere.  

In other words, there's going to be a front end and a back end to the store.  The front end is going to be a fun, interesting place to be, while the back end is where people can purchase more fun, interesting and informative things to take home with them.  When you go to the store now, you'll still see the old store.  I started the construction of the new store yesterday, and it should be up soon!

So anyway, it seems that once again my "Treasure Is Everywhere" slogan  and blog post are correct:  You really will find treasure anywhere, especially along the path of following your dreams.  You just have to go out (or go within) and look for it.  Of course, I don't know if what I've discovered about my business in the past few days really is treasure, but it sure feels like it for now.  I'll keep you posted on how it all turns out.  Until I post again, take care!

Ken Vandre

The Enchanted Kiosk