David's AW News: An Important Announcement

Greetings from Bali

Hope life is treating you well.. and business is booming.

Last week I was telling you a little secret from AW history.. if you missed it you can catch up here.

In Bali it's the wet season, plenty of rain.. I have spent half the week seemingly driving up or down roads that have turned into rivers..

But every now and then the skies clear and the air is fresh and clean and you catch beautiful views.. 

The other morning Mount Agung appeared like magic across the bay in Sanur.

Snakes Alive!!

So yes there has been big rain in Bali again.. disrupting things. And it seems like various animals are moving indoors. The other day we found a huge lizard hiding in the curtains in the office, and then minutes later found two big snakes exploring our meeting room. Arya (one of our developers) and Bondhan bravely captured him and took him somewhere far away.  The other one escaped and is still at large..

Long time suppliers..

The other day Bondhan and I went to the Sukawati art market, where we have a few suppliers. All lady bosses.. I don't know why but many of our best suppliers it's the wife who is the boss.

This is Wayan who makes these kinds of products.. She was telling me that it's been 10 years we have been doing business and I checked if it's true.. How time flies.. the fact is there are many people, staff, suppliers and customers who have been with Ancient Wisdom literally for decades. Wayan since she has known us has had two children, grown her business substantially.. moved into a nice house. Recently invested in two substantial laser engraving machines, (imported from China) and doing good business engraving for other artisans. I'll upload a video about the artisans of Bali soon.

30 Years Anniversary

Yes it was almost 30 years that I founded AW on a street market in Sheffield. If you didn't read the story.. it's here.. Story of Ancient Wisdom.

It starts like this.. and on that first day I almost gave up..

The Very First Day - 16th November 1995

As I recalled it...  

It was a wet cold Thursday morning a long time before Google and Facebook, and as I laid out my market stall on a Sheffield street I was more than apprehensive about what people would think. But I was ready by eight, my humble offering laid out on that simple stall.. and stomping from foot to foot I awaited my first customer.

A few months earlier, I'd been reading a book called "Ancient Wisdom" - now out of print. The book highlighted many things that seem out of place in history - the pyramids, Stonehenge etc. At the same time I'd been researching aromatherapy. It struck me that essential oils had been used for thousands of years and ancient people must have known more about them - (healing and enchanting) than perhaps we did. So I put the two together and devised the brand of "Ancient Wisdom" slowly (very slowly, no Internet remember) I found supplies of oils. I found a potter down in Stoke who made me my own design of oil burner, and invested in a pallet load of candles.

The truth was I was stone broke, every penny and more I put into my unusual retail business. In those days no-one had any idea what aromatherapy was, oil burners were a new fangled thing and this was Yorkshire!

The first person to approach was a well built lady of colour with a broad Yorkshire accent. Picking up a bottle of Lavender oil she asked me bruskly "what's it good for lad?" Oh I said recalling my Julia Lawless quotes.. "it's good for relaxing, will help you sleep and if you burn yourself, it's an amazing healing oil".

Well I can remember it clear as day.. she looked at me, took me in with big brown eyes, and in a low voice said; "You are completely bloody bonkers". And wandered off to the fruit and veg.

You can imagine how I felt. That first day I sold one lavender oil and gave some tea tree away to a spotty teenage girl. I went home and almost packed it in.

But I didn't give up.. and here we are 30 years later.

As I type this, all of AW are having a low key party..

The actual day is on Sunday. 

On Sunday, we are planning to make an important announcement.

Please check your email inbox so you don't miss out.

It's almost the middle of November.. getting so busy.

Soon it will be Christmas.. (again) - the years go past so quickly..

Wishing you an absolutely lovely weekend.

David