Hope you all have an excellent week! Just a heads up!
Hey all! We cruised through September and October with the recovery from the big curve on our backs but we still here! I have been furiously creating and organizing fun things for the store front and my brand. What a whirlwind eh?
I’ve released some new things on my etsy so check meow’t and message me for any orders from the store front if you are far from us in NJ. We ship global and can send videos and photos of all of our amazing stock! Holidays will be here before you know it, LET US HELP!
I wanted to update you on some events going down in the next few and I will try to keep this part updated!
It was over before it began, but the journey has been worth it.
We got to the festival grounds in Watkin’s Glen NY and made a beautiful camp. We began setting up. Everyone was so on the ball – our store took a full day and then some to pop but it was beautiful. The first two nights were so peaceful and beautiful being there with just production crew and fields of empty campgrounds with stunning scenery.
Moments after our booth was in full swing on Thursday am at Phish’s music festival CURVEBALL, we got the horrifying news. (see previous post for background)
The event was cancelled. At first it came off like a prank, as online pranksters like to do. We thought it was just another troll having a time, but after confirming with our vending contacts and phish’s site – the sad news was true. We had one night and were told to leave by noon and there would be no phish.
It had been raining heavily in the area in the days leading to the festival which overwhelmed the surrounding counties water filtration system. The water was dangerous to consume and the permits for the festival which was already underway with 12 k fans onsite were pulled. Really , Freaking, Crazy.
Time kind of stopped for a little bit for me personally. We boosted this event stock on my FAMILY’S credit cards and checking account. It’s a sick feeling to be honest. We knew we’d make it back, but we did NOT factor this in. Insurance does NOT cover product we sit on and the companies aren’t being generous about returns. (ONE is and I am grateful for that) Also my NEW PHONE was stolen as we were leaving town from the wawa coffee counter. Police report and everything…. OK maybe luck had turned at that moment.
The general feeling of the entire grounds was sullen and shocked. No one believed it, no one. There were still hopes of just one set or a secret set at night, but there was none. Just a bunch of sad festival goers looking to cram 4 nights of fun into 1.
Our team fared so well. Their attitudes were stellar and everyone planned and worked SO HARD to make this work. The devastating part is knowing that we won’t be able to share the store we curated with you. ALSO, we are stuck with THOUSANDS of dollars in product purchased in anticipation for 60K concert goers. Additionally we have to eat the rental costs and more. Thankfully Phish’s production team assured us that booth rentals at least will be refunded soon. I have to make a plan for the rest of this product and my plan is this, sell it online!
Jay and Baxter Setting Up Behind the Curtain
In the ashes of what I would call one of the biggest disasters of my indie career, I will emerge bolder and better than ever. This isn’t without INTENSE emotional lows. I am fearful but we have such support its crazy. So it’s hard to stay down long even when I get down.
Thank you so much to everyone who supported us getting to the festival. The experience was worth it as were the lessons and connections. I also appreciate all of your good words of encouragement and hope. We are so blessed to be loved by you all. Thank you so much to those who have shared and supported us POST festival too. An aborted mission it was, but a mission still none the less. It will take some time to recover from. How can you help? Share Beth’s Etsy page, Instagram or the Cove Page if you are NJ local! It helps – all those links are in the contact tabs of the site here.
We signed on to do the Asbury Park Bizarre this Fall. We love that market so much and hope to rebound some more from that hype. Here is the poster:
Thanks for your support and love, we will press on!
Beth
UPDATES:
8/9/18 11:03am – WHAT A WEEK. We are scrambling here. Breaking down new orders, organizing product, calculating the debt (AH!) and trying to make that time hack for this fest! We have had a bunch of new donors so peep the updated list and THANK YOU SO MUCH for supporting me and my team. I hope to make you all proud!
8/6/18 5:37pm – It is the mad dash to the finish line here. The next few nights a team of friends and cove staff will be giving their all to the production line. WHY? I don’t know I swear I’m an awful human. I’ve even gotten hate mail from this campaign. My skin is thick now, that’s why I am READY TO TAKE THIS ON! I have updated the meter and added the latest donors. Shake these people’s hand for me next time you see them next.
8/4/18 10:46am – UPDATED the progress we are making! AHHHHH Thank you guys so much for your donations and shares! I placed 3 HUGE orders last night and I fear its still not enough! More updates later late to open the store!
8/3/18 10:20am – Woke up to more support, therefore woke up crying lol! Thank you guys, I’ve updated the meter and updated donor names – if you do not wish to be listed , please let me know! I know people like to remain anonymous sometimes. So this morning Danielle (amazing) is watching the store front so I can mail out the payment and place orders and ALSO register for a NY state tax Id. Isn’t this fun? 😉 We had an amazing pod of people in the store last night taking the products from my hands after I made it and packaging it up in bulk for me. It was FIERCE. I came home with buckets of product. All of that has to get designs for labels done , printed, cut and affixed. We work in a sweat shop with good music.
8/2/18 11:39pm – Finished working with an amazing team of volunteers executing designs for hours. This journey will be incredible! We have a few more donations and for 1 day of fundraising we end tonight at $605. THANK YOU. We will keep going until we kill this. So grateful!
8/2/18 5:09pm – Contract is in, Insurance is Updated, Staff Booked and in 5 hours of putting the word out , many incredible people have stepped out to vocalize support, to share our posts, to pledge some dollars! I am really incredibly moved and down to Phish’s KIND staff and their sensitivity to someone as scattered as me has been just amazing. I will keep you ALL posted about this saga as we go and thank you all for any inch of encouragement you’ve given me! I am putting some SERIOUS burns on my credit cards! It’s smoking!
Here is where we are at since first posting this blog! THIS MORNING! It’s amazing:
Powered By:
JustFundraising.com
Update Thermometer
THANK YOU PLEDGES:
*If you wish to be removed from this list, please let me know!
Original Post 8/2/18 10:58am
From the beginning of my business career , phish was there. I started selling jewelry in the parking lots at what fans call “shakedown”. Shakedown is a cosm of commerce , illegal commerce but none the less a pop up street bizarre, one or two parking lot lanes long and it’s where you can buy sell or trade anything from jewelry to crystals to grilled cheese and well… beyond. I sold my wares to get to the next show, and so on and so on until I started making some sick cash actually. I decided from there I wanted to peruse design school while working and then passion after passion. 
Since having my son I’ve done whatever I can to stay at his side if he needs me. I still do me, but I’m here. He can be at my store and by MY side and watch the community that is unfolding at the store come to life. The people we meet and reach , it’s incredible . Support begets more support and its incredible.
Ferris Wheel at Festival 8
My husband and I have been to countless phish shows. It’s something we do to let go of all stressors and enjoy some playful music and amazing phans. The festival scene can be really special. Phish fests do not disappoint and are filled with unique camping areas, art installations and vendors- all usually pretty indie and unique. With that , I have applied every year to vend a phish fest and have been denied each year including this one. There was a drop out and phish’s team actually called me to see if I would fill in. I have agreed! It’s not even two weeks away y’all and I do not have the fees , gear or enough product.
Our Coed Bach Party In Atlantic City Phish 6/16/12
WE DO however have support, I’ve cried so many times today and kissed the ground because of that support.
After getting the call it’s been a scramble to put the parts into place to make it happen.The store front will be manned by a group of loyal friends and more loyal friends will be helping me in the days coming and at the festival.
The encouragement has been insane. I couldn’t say no, I’d regret it forever y’all. This is a dream come true and I don’t mean to bust out the violins here but y’all KNOW , this road hasn’t been cake. I am STILL recovering from a major operation, I opened a store front with heavy construction and permit costs and delays, and I do live with a chronic illness I don’t even talk about. I feel so much better than ever and my friends and team are incredible. I believe in US!
What will we sell? Our booth would be located by the General Store and Showers! THIS IS PERFECT. We will sell sundries and it will be the best smelling Phish fest EVER.
Products:
-Soap! SO MANY! WOO HOO!
-Essential Oils & Roll Ons
-Bug Sprays
-Sunscreen
-BethKaya Goodies
-Lotions
-Scrubs
AND MEOWR!
Will you support this?
I need support with gear, tickets, van rental, securing product FAST and the vendor / insurance fees. I hate to ask but I am asking. This means everything and the exposure alone for the business could help us break through and the experience could help us attack some of the major store investments.
Any amount helps!!
WE BELIEVE nourishing ones self with self care rituals is an essential way to cope with well…life! It’s important to fill ourselves up as much as possible.
By contributing you will help us get exposure to OVER 30K fans. We will make a LIFETIME’S worth of connections in the industry and have a memory sealed in forever. I will be able to connect with PHANS I’ve been attending shows with or sharing online with for the last 17+ years. My husband and I could have gone to Ivy League Colleges lol, instead we went to Phish. We traveled everywhere, hung with great friends and enjoyed freedom inside of our favorite band. It’s changed and shaped our lives! Our team deserves this and so do I! We are doing it either way, but with your help – I won’t sink the whole ship trying to! Thank you so much!
We will reach out to EVERY donor if we can (if this goes viral, bets are off there – ain’t gonna lie!). If you cannot throw anything to this today, PLEASE do not feel bad! A share helps or consider buying something special from my etsy someday! Thank you so much for reading!
(Fees alone for the fest are 2250!)
This season has taken me a bit by storm and it’s hitting me that I am over whelmed a bit. In an effort to stay in the magic I will be scaling back on some of the projects I had originally hoped to work on. This will include the Small Business Circle previously advertised. We will resume in the fall when our busier season dies down at the store front.
I am creating summer products and listing them as they pop in the Etsy store for you. Etsy is raising their prices from 3% to 5% and includes shipping taxes. Also listing fees. This will impact every etsy seller and prompts everyone on the platform to consider changes. Prices will have to reflect the changing of the times on this end and with the store front hoping to stand tall on its own as I evolve into the next area of my work.
I hope you are all enjoying summer and take a look at my events tab for details on the other events we are hoping to still pop off!
Take a peak at our EVENTS tab to see all of the updates we’ve made to the lineup!
ALSO – a little freebie notice in my www.bethkaya.etsy.com shop!
It’s your chance to grab your bars ! We are making room for Summer!
Also check out our events page for updates!
It’s been a great 2 months that we’ve been open. The etsy store is still in full swing and all the new product that BethKaya rolls out with will get split between the store front and the etsy store. So if you are local you can come check out the latest in the line as well as all the new stuff for all the other brands the cove carries and if you are far you can shop etsy! I will also keep adding special intentional sets to etsy that are just exclusively for etsy.
So as we get an idea of what customers are enjoying both online and in the storefront, I am learning about the needs of each person. The single lady, the gym rat fella and the at home mama or papa. These dynamics are important to understanding whats happening and how I can help with the mission I am on. The mission is to connect people with products that are better for you and assist in your overall well being. I seek this for myself and my family.
Good morning from @selfcarecove
Eventually we will roll out a membership co-operative. I’d like to give wholesale access and some other incentives to those interested in joining the self care cove-op! (Cute isn’t it?) If you’d like a little more info on this subject email me at BETHKAYA AT GMAIL.com Subject: BETA CO OP and we can open up a dialogue.
Also we will have some faces other than Beth behind the counter. I’ll be sharing more info about our friends and team soon!
This season is in full swing with the latest scents at BethKaya and the Cove. Right now I am feeling notes like : Bergamot, Lemon, Guava, Cherry & Tobacco, Mint, Mandarin, Tangerine, Frankincense, Cedar, Coffee, Madagascar Vanilla, Arborvitae and Vetiver. Crystals I am feeling right now: Apatite, Rutilated Quartz, Peridot, Amethyst, Citrine. What are you feeling this season? Comment Below!
Also we have rolled out some pop up services and events at the store – for all of the latest info check out the cove facebook page // events will be listed there and we also have a monthly small business support group that meets monthly where we discuss ideas and projects that are coming to fruition or are in full swing. No project or idea is too small!
Shop the latest BethKaya gear on etsy and stay tuned for more info. We are updating the entire site to include more information about our projects, staff and direction with this fast moving train! Thank you for all the support and love through out the journey!
