Letter to my Customers

I reached out to you back in July, stating that I would be mailing my next newsletter instead of sending it digitally this month. Here I am. It's the morning of August 28, and yeah, getting off the ‘pot’ and here I am. 😀

I have to admit that this business, even though it’s my baby, has always taken the back seat to my day-to-day life, and I think in a way, I'm okay with that.

I struggle with the expectations of running a business that you have to keep grinding, and if there's anything about what's at the core of myLife Planners, it’s everything that's not that!

I had all these grandiose ideas, and I started creating this beautifully designed template for a customized trifold newsletter.

I was going to make, literally print, and manually die-cut envelopes to fit this perfect newsletter. It would've been hours of production. It could still happen at some point. The time I have invested so far in creating the template design will not be wasted. I might actually do it, but… life.

Life is so annoying, as it constantly distracts me from my latest creative idea. Learning to prioritize my own needs first so I can meet the needs of those I love and care about seems to reduce the time I invest in this business. And I'm okay with that at this point in time. As a customer, you know where to find me if you need a planner, and even if you forget, you can always come back. I’m not going anywhere.

Full disclosure, I'm fortunate when this business at least pays for itself.

I’m covering the operational expenses at this point in time, and I‘m okay with that. I know that myLife tools are valuable, and those who use them experience their value in their own unique way. And that's ultimately more important than what happens in my bank account. I want to walk the talk of people over profits, and that's where we are. That's where I am. I'd like more people to be like this.

I want you to put yourself first. So, instead of the fancy, perfectly designed letter, this is where we are.

Creating value is always at the top of my mind. If I'm going to share something, it needs to have value. It needs to be useful. It needs to inspire. It needs to break through the noise without adding to it. Talk about a tall order!

It’s this vision, an ideal that holds me back, 'cause I just don't have all the answers. I'm in the weeds, you could say, as my body transitions through this chapter of life. The ‘PAUSE’ is affecting my biological ability to process thoughts. And on top of that, it's physically distracting from being able to think. While dreaming in the early morning hours, I’m frequently hit with a massive ball of aching pain in my frontal lobe. While dreaming! So I eventually give up hoping that sleep will alleviate my headache and roll out of bed.

I can't be productive or think through all this pain and angst. And yes, there are moments in life that require us to work through emergencies, but not when it comes to creating content.

There are some things that don't need me to dig deep creatively, and this letter in your hands doesn't need that.

I'm not gonna kill myself, and I don't think anyone wants to participate or be a part of something that is the outcome of someone flagellating and pushing themselves until they burn out. I know, because that was me this last year, burnt out and depleted mentally and emotionally. I took June and July off to reset and recoup.

I admit that I wanted to emerge from the other side glowing with so much inspirational energy and magical insights that I could share, but that's not how my world seems to work. That's not how my body works. Not at this stage of life.

So, instead of a fancy newsletter, what you have in front of you is a basic form letter, designed to be as fun and friendly as possible, and easy to read. As a designer, that's always my biggest concern.

I do want you to come out with a couple of things. I mean, this is a business, and if you'd like to purchase a planner, please do!

As a customer, you're the only one getting this letter, and with that, here’s your special promo code, should you want to purchase something.

Which brings me to all of my beautiful customers living in the United States right now. I'm not entirely sure what the future holds, but at this point, it’s guaranteed that if I ship anything, the recent elimination of the $800 deminimus by the US Government means you'll be paying more. If that's still a value to you and you still want to purchase one, amazing, but I can't eat that cost.

As I mentioned, I'm breaking even at this point in the business. I'm not making any profit, but I am spreading goodwill. If you would like to make a purchase, please don't hesitate to reach out. As I wrote in my last email, I want to return to communicating like it’s 1995. Call me (403-708-8093) and let's chat. I can always do a big bulk order, and we can figure out how to get you a bunch, so you're kind of set up for a substantial amount of time and then you don't have to worry about it for a while and you still have your favourite myLife tools to keep you sane or help be your assistant, the opposite of AI.

myLife tools are your own version of I'm, like, in silence here because I honestly, my brain isn’t fucking working!

Holy shit.

Um.

Okay, so the tools are the opposite of AI. Yes, that's what I'm trying to say, because guess what? You have intelligence inside your brain. You don't need the artificial kind. Artificial intelligence design is based on human brains and human intelligence. You already have it. It's just a matter of exercising it. Your brain wants to be used, not dismissed, and, you know, put in pause mode. Use it.

Use the pages in myLife tools. Mess them up or make them look pretty. Recently, I've been using stickers to decorate my planners. Sometimes my writing is legible, sometimes it actually looks good, and 80% of the time, it's just chaos —a reflection of what our brains are: intelligent chaos. It's a fun ride if you embrace it.

So, yeah, this is my newsletter to you. As I sit here thinking, I'm currently using the Apple Notes app’s recording function, which also creates a transcript for editing. Allowing me to talk out my thoughts saves me from typing, so I can edit the shit out of it, which I’ve been doing. If you’d like to listen to the original recording, you can listen via the link/QR code. Guaranteed that the recording of this letter is different than what you're actually reading on these pages.

I don't want to take up too much time, but I want you to know that you matter to me, and I don't think you'll ever fully appreciate what it means to me when I sit at my desk or when I receive a notification that you've purchased a planner. The fact that you decided, "Yeah, I'm gonna give this a try,” you gave me your hard-earned income, and I appreciate that. Because of you, I've been able to continue doing this and connect more people to their own authentic intelligence, which lies within their brains.

We're going to need more people, utilizing their own intelligence as we navigate this capitalistic process. I went down into the weeds further in the audio.

I hope you appreciated this retro version of communication and have a glorious day. I’m always here. You can always reach out, and I'd love to hear your stories.

Yeah, you matter, and I need you to know that you matter the most in your own life.

Crystal