Blog Subscriber Update
From John’s Desk –
Blog Delivery Logistics
If you are reading this it means that at some point in the past you “opted in” to an email subscription to our Primal Woods blog. I want you to know that yesterday I transitioned e-mail delivery of the blog posts from Feedburner to Zoho. There are a couple of reasons for that; one, Feedburner is an old google product, and is no longer supported, and two, Zoho offers some additional capabilities. If everything goes according to plan, Zoho should have sent you this post at 6 a.m. Eastern Time on 2018 December 15. And, since I don’t want to be an unwelcome “spammer,” you are reminded that you can “opt-out” at any time; you will find an “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email. I thank all of you for having subscribed in the first place, and next I will introduce you to some of my thoughts on where we might go from here with respect to my communication with you. I need your help.
What’s Next?
Well, that depends on you and the feedback you provide to me. I’ll continue with the blog, though I certainly tend to post there less frequently than on Instagram and Facebook. I use the blog to provide in depth information, and writing and publishing the posts is a time consuming process. Still, that sort of documentation comes naturally to me, so it will continue, and probably no less frequently than now. I’m looking for something that will allow me more depth than Instagram or Facebook, but with less investment of time than the blog or video (given my current capabilities).
A Newsletter Perhaps?
One of the things that Zoho offers, is the capability for sending you email on a variety of subjects. A lot crosses my mind and my desk that I think might be of interest to you, but frankly the work required to put these bits in a blog post is off-puttting. Conversely, I could put interesting and informative content in a quick “Newsletter” email far more easily; it would I think fit right between Facebook and the Blog on the Spectrum. These newsletters would touch on all areas of the Primal Woods business, including Sawyers, Sugarers, Soapers, and soon, Primal Health Coaching. Zoho also offers the capability of managing various “interest group” lists, so if you only wanted to read about soap, or sugars, or sawyers, or health coaching, or any combination of those, you could manage your subscription accordingly. What do you think about the newsletter idea; I would be very appreciative of hearing your thoughts? Since this is a blog post you can provide feedback on the blog, or simply reply to john@primalwoods.com via the email delivered by Zoho, I hope!
Video and/or Audio?
It’s also perfectly clear that a lot, probably the vast majority of people, now consume information either via live or recorded audio or video. These are routes I have experimented some with, and the YouTube channel garners new subscribers almost daily; frankly, that surprises me. Having said that, producing audio and video is even more timeconsuming (currently) than the blog, and so it has not happened as frequently as it should. Some of that is due to my own limitations. I will find a way to make audio and or video more manageable if that’s what you want to see.
Along that line of thought, again I would appreciate your feedback. Would you be more engaged with audio and/or video than with the blog, Facebook, and Instagram? If so, audio or video? And on what platform; YouTube, Vimeo a podcast, Facebook or IG Live videos? The possibilities are seemingly endless, and your feedback will certainly inform the decision. It’s hard for me to believe you’d want to see my mug more often, but if so I’ll buckle-up and make it so!
Thank You!
I want to thank you for all of the love and support as we come to the end of year three in Primal Woods. To say that it has been an adventure is a gross understatement. Our customers, you, are in a class all by themselves. I’m continuously amazed by what you are up to, in business and in life. It’s my fervent prayer that we can be of service to you.
All the best, happy holidays, and Merry Christmas,
John
2017 Year in Review – 2018 Goals
2017 Year in Review | Lessons Learned in Primal Woods and on the Homestead
Sawyers chalked up some impressive numbers year-on-year, and maple syruping went well in general. Also, work on ensuring that folks searching on-line for the products and services we offer could actually find us, was greatly enhanced by doing a significant amount of search engine optimization (SEO) work on the website. And we learned at a rapid pace. On the Homestead, we continued to improve the infrastructure, specifically in and under the house, and did a much better job of sourcing our food locally. So what could possibly have gone wrong? Plenty as it turns out, and that is really where the opportunities lie. Let’s have a look.
What went well, what did not go well; 2017
2016 Year in Review
What a year. It seemed so long, and at the same time it was over just as it was getting started. I suppose that is the nature of making big moves, physically, as we moved to Michigan full-time, and in business, as we started up the Primal Woods trio of businesses. We also undertook some much needed home renovation and improvement projects. And I’m only scratching the surface. Some things went better than others; most failed to meet my decidedly optimistic hopes. Still, we are standing going into 2017, and I would say better in every regard for the experiences of 2016.
Life’s Work
It seems like it has been forever since I posted, or was it yesterday? To say that we have been caught up in something of a whirlwind is probably an understatement. Just 4 days after my last post, on 24 September 2015, my now former employer made a public release, “BUILDING FOR A STRONGER FUTURE, CATERPILLAR ANNOUNCES RESTRUCTURING AND COST REDUCTION PLANS.” Some of us have felt that tightening in the gut that follows showing up at the job only to find out that your badge does not work! Typically the cause has nothing to do with an end to employment, rather it is a system malfunction of some sort, or you kept your badge to close to your cell phone, or another of the innumerable and perfectly innocuous possible causes. Am I a part of the “stronger future,” or am I a part of “cost reduction?” Warranted or no, the guts tighten up a bit until the matter is resolved, or at least understood. So it was on the morning of 24 September. Read more
Spring 2013: In the beginning…
…it took a long time and a lot of discussion for a sufficiently complete picture of a desired future for my wife and me to form in my head. No doubt each of us comes to a decision to hit life’s big red “reset button” in our own way and time, and does not come to the decision lightly; I have hit the button before, and it is not always a pleasant experience. In April of 2013 I wrote in my journal, “It seems that in the past two to four weeks, I am heading in a direction that suits me, in the direction that perhaps I should have been heading for a long time. For months Geri and I have been talking about moving out of the area, having a second home, or both. It feels like I have been walking around in the dark, groping for who I am, what I should be doing, and where I should be doing it.” Read more