Avoiding Burnout

I've been so headlong into 18 hour days this past three weeks that I'm fast approaching burnout. I'm tired... my skin is breaking out... I'm eating on the wing... and a whole host of other things that are just not good for anyone's general health or personal well-being.

Jason to the rescue! He suggested I start a Manor Hall garden and enjoy time outdoors, where I get to have some separation from work and play while still being Mrs Manor Hall. You know what? He sure knows me inside and out. There's no way I would sit on the sofa and take time out, or be cajoled into chilling with a hobby.

It's been years since I last enjoyed any kind of gardening. All Ive been doing is living and breathing soap and letting Jason whizz over the gardens at breakneck speed with the lawnmower. I'm already relishing the thought of beautiful lavender plants... herbs... and flower after flower after flower!!!

So, meet the first project in the Manor Hall garden. It's the neglected area under my huge acorn tree. It's been left to just grow as it wants to, season after season for a good few years. That's gonna change. I'm planning on creating a peaceful place, where the wildlife can bring me much joy again. All in the name of Manor Hall of course. I mean... I can't be caught slacking now, can I?

Oh, Hurry Up Already

Only five days remaining. This is what you call really gathering speed. Oh, how to convey how I feel?

It's like... waiting for Santa when you're five years old. It's like... getting parental permission to have your best friend along on the family vacation. It's like... that first kiss. It's like... acceptance to the college you prayed for. It's like... catching the bouquet. It's like... the bended knee proposal you thought would never come. It's like... the birth of your first child. Heck... it's like the birth of your first grandchild! All. Rolled. Together.

Just to give you the heads up - as if you need it. Work on the website will be happening over this coming weekend. Jason will be disabling the buy me button on Friday to avoid confusion for those who may arrive at the website via a bookmark or search engine link.

It's gonna be a great weekend here for me. I dunno about you, but... I am officially giddy with it all.

From The Archives: Blast From The Past

One week to go to the launch of the new website. Well, 6 days, 13 hours and 50 minutes according to the countdown clock. I've been putting the new labels onto the Art House soaps, and they look great!

In a week's time the future beckons, and I'm feeling rather wistful as I approach my seventh birthday of soapy stuff. I thought I'd share with you a re-post from the blog archives. It's about where it all began, and what's behind the name of Manor Hall Soap. Enjoy:

Monday, February 22, 2010: Blast From The Past

This was me, back in July 2004 full of the excitement of embarking on my new venture. I was Susan Mann. I'd been living permanently in America for two whole years, and I was a soapmaker. This was going to be my office. It was going to be my workspace. This was my Manor Hall. In my hand is my hang tag. Oh, I was so proud, but it would be another nine months before I settled on the real identity that would become Manor Hall.

Back home in England, manor houses were grand. They were a picture of great british establishment, standing on land passed down through generations and dating way back to the 1200's. Where knights carried off ladies on the back of their horses, and the Lord and Lady of the manor reigned supreme.

My Manor Hall was originally intended to be a black and white affair. Modelled after the Tudor homes that so grandly stand with huge black beams, interspaced with white facings. I was ordinary folk, but setting up my little soap empire afforded me the opportunity to be the Lady of my own Manor. Being Susan Mann, it also played off my name nicely, and the thought of my grown up children being able to tell all their friends that mother owns a Manor Hall amused me greatly.

So, for a while, my fairy tale Manor Hall Soap Company was black on white...

...until Jason gave me the splash. You can even see it in the corner of the original design. I fell in love with it straight away, and as those first few months of the development stage passed we came up with many designs in search of the right glass slipper for our Cinderella of soap.

Every year since 2004, we've taken a break over the Christmas holidays. We use this to sit and reflect on our past year, and chew the fat over what's to come for the new year ahead. This year things were delayed a little due to him needing major surgery, but that didn't stop us plotting and planning and setting our goals while he was in the hospital.

My little soap company has grown every year since it began, and although this year has started a little late for us, new growth is planned. The office is having a much needed makeover, and the new flatpack furniture we bought back in November from IKEA, will finally be opened. But first comes the painting. The room in the photo above, once more finds itself empty. The computer and other office essentials have been moved temporarily into the shipping and stock room, so as not to interrupt the flow of day to day soapy business. By the weekend, I should be doing the happy dance once again.

It's strange how things sometimes come full circle. There I was back in 2004 with a black on white vision for my Tudor styled soap company. That soon gave way to a splash of color, and here I am all these years later looking around that empty room again where it all began. I'm painting a nice modern neutral, and guess what I'm filling it with? Yes, I'm filling it with a chic look of black furniture. And you just know that it'll be accessorized with... a splash of color. All from IKEA of course. For although I may dream of being titled English gentry... I'm just ordinary folk. And ordinary folk can't afford Chippendale stuff.

P.S. - Chippendale is antique English furniture dating back to the mid-18th century. My husband just read this and told me what "Chippendales" is in America. :D

The Four Musketeers

Meet the boardroom table. I've spent more time around it this last seven days than I have around any table in my whole seven years of soap making. Morning, afternoon, early evening... and late night. Some days, sleep has been so short that I've considered throwing a nice fluffy pillow onto it and kipping there for the night.

I currently have four projects on the go and I'm at the helm of each and every one of them. All of them are big and will complete the journey to take Manor Hall Soap into the next chapter. All will be reaching conclusion before the last day of July. I thought I'd share a little of life as it is behind the scenes right now for me, so here are my four musketeers:

Project Splash.
Project Storm.
Project Slice.
Project Cheese.

Yes... even round the boardroom table I can't resist being myself in keeping things light and fun where possible. Project Splash is the new website launch, and if you've seen "The Journey" video through to the final frames, you'll know why it has that name. With only 8 days remaining, the heat is on in bringing everything together for a smooth July 18th launch.

At 10.30 this morning, I'll be round the table again checking up on some final details, chasing up on errant details, and bringing into play a few new details which are only just becoming relevant across the four projects as this new week approaches. As for Project Storm and Project Slice? Well, there goes that tease mode of mine again. But with only three more weeks of July left to go, it's not gonna be too long before you'll be finding out.

Oh, and Project Cheese? Don't take the name too seriously... I am not gonna be making Stilton - or selling it! ;)

A Classic Special Weekend

So, here we are into the birthday month. In two more weeks, my Manor Hall will soon be seven years old. Like... wow!

While we're all eagerly awaiting the reveal of the new website in 9 days time, I thought I'd get a great soap bar special going over the weekend. So, from now until Sunday the 10th at midnight, buy two of the classic soap bars and I'll give you a third one for free. Simply enter 2 in the quantity box when making your Classic soap bar purchase, and I'll throw a third one of the same product in your order box... for free. For every two you buy, I'll give you a third.

Please remember that this special is for the regular classic style 4oz soap bars only, and not the big 5oz Art House style. With the regular order box freebies waiting in the wings as well, you can really make it a soap bar special to remember. Happy weekend shopping, and roll on July 18th!

Come One, Come All

OMG it really has been an exciting week. It seems right now like it's just one good thing happening after another.

Anyone who has followed Manor Hall for a while has probably heard of Donna Maria Coles Johnson, the CEO of the Indie Beauty Network, mainly because I'm always talking about her. If you have followed along, you'll know that she has been a huge inspiration to me and many others. Donna Maria leads a 7,000 member network of small business owners, bringing us together and helping us all improve our daily grind.

One of the latest brainstorms from Donna Maria is splitting the U.S. up into Indie regions so that her members can get together and bring our power together locally. I have had the great honor of being named the representative for the Boston region, and I'm really excited to announce that the first meetup is going to be on Saturday, July 30th, at the Indie Business Summer Sizzle Networking Luncheon in Boston.

I recommend that if you have any kind of small business and you think you can get to Boston on July 30th, you go and get more info over at Indie Business Blog. This is a great opportunity you absolutely don't want to miss.

In addition to meeting yours truly and Donna Maria, you'll also get the chance to make contact with two others. Speaking first is the amazing business coach, financial analyst and professor, Nunzio Bruno (catch him at his informative financial blog, Financially Digital). And speaking second will be the wonderful marketing strategist Al Santaniello, host of the awesome Businews Channel (launching on July 18th!). I will be posting a little more about those two as the day approaches.

One of Donna Maria's favorite sayings is that "a rising tide lifts all ships". Well, Donna Maria is that tide, and she has helped lift me up, along with thousands of others. This is going to be a really great event and I can't wait for it.

Red, White and Blue To You

Our office is currently closed for the Independence Day Holiday Weekend and will reopen on Tuesday, July 6th. You can still place an order through the web site during this time. All Fourth of July sale orders will begin shipping on Tuesday when we reopen. Our estimated shipping time remains at 3-5 business days from when orders are placed. Happy Fourth of July!

Of course, the office may be closed, but I'm still going to be working today. Some of it will be fun, as we thrash out new Fall scents and products.