We’re off to a good start! My heart is full from all the wonderful support that’s come flooding in from all of you! 
Every day things come up to remind me why this project is so important. Last night I went to a women’s business networking event. I spoke with a lawyer who, besides having a regular practice, also has a start-up that services attorneys online. She told me about a recent experience with a potential investor. After they talked for a while, he said to her flat out that he wasn’t going to invest in her company because he figured she was just going to become a mother and devote all of her time to being a mom. My blood boils when I hear stories like that! How dare he?! He would never say that to a man!
We need a place to come together to shore each other up and strategize how to deal with the day-to-day and the big picture. Moondays will be the perfect gathering place for sisterhood, women’s empowerment and self-care.

I just sent out the emails asking people if they would commit to backing the project. It's so hard for me to ask for things. I remember one time when I was a kid and I was with my dad in a store. There was something I wanted very badly, but I couldn't bring myself to ask for it so I stood there and cried because it was so painful. I think many women have been in the same boat. Men have the feeling of entitlement in our culture and we just don't because of the way the patriarchy is structured. I've been getting a lot of yeses, so that's a relief! :-)
I finally got to see the video and it's great! I'm very excited about it. It's interesting how the filmmaker had to edit together bits and pieces of the footage to tell the story.
We're creating a bunch of Facebook ads, so you'll be seeing us a lot if you're on that platform.
I'm so excited and nervous because we go live in just 4 days!!!!!

We did it! We filmed the video last Sunday. It was really fun to build-out a mock up of a Moondays. Michael, the filmmaker, was very professional and I'm excited to see the finished product. It was a blast working with a bunch of sisters who were totally jazzed about it, too. And I am so grateful for their help!
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My critical perfectionist eye kept going to all of the not-so-perfect details, or second guessing things like my outfit, the way my interview went, etc. I was so grateful for Morghannah and Morgan agreeing to be the two other interviewees. They are such eloquent, articulate speakers and passionate about the project. I was also overjoyed with how our volunteer models help set up some of the shots, for instance in the "cafe." They did such a magnificent job making the food and place settings look beautiful, way better than I could have done. It was a lot of work to set up and take down in 5 hours and get in all the different scenes we wanted to capture. Then Michael and I went downtown to shoot some scenes at my store, The Fossil Cartel. All of that time and work and the finished product will only be 2 minutes long! It will be interesting to see which cuts make it in the video and how Michael puts it all together. ​

I've sent the preview link out to those who agreed to help review it. I am amazed at how many thorough responses I'm getting! People have been so kind spending time to really look it over, take it in and make suggestions. I've already changed the page a great deal due to the feedback. The power of having a couple of hundred eyes looking at it is phenomenal. People think of all sorts of improvements I would not have thought of. Plus I've received a lot of encouragement through positive responses and messages from others who believe in my vision. It helps to know I'm on the right track! It makes all of this hard work so worth it.

I hired someone to do a rendering of what Moondays could look like. I only had one revision after the initial submission. There's so much I'd like to change, but it would get too costly to keep going. Hopefully it will help people picture it, along with the video that's coming and how I describe it in the body of the Kickstarter page. 

Nervous about my video. Michael asked me to journal for 4 days leading up to the shoot to " lubricate my mind" for the interview.  Will I say the right things? Will I say everything I want to say? Will my mental health be okay?

Sound bites I'm working on:

1. What is the pain point/ issue?
2. What's my solution?
3. What will users learn?
4. What is my background? (that's the easiest!)
5. What future am I creating?

There are many various pieces to the video shoot: 2 main interviews besides me, and these scenes: cafe, retail, henna, massage, tarot & astrology reading, hair braiding and Jen playing her dobro. Will the various vignette scenes work? Will we remember and have all the right props? We have from 8:00am-1:00pm to get it all done. I have a feeling we'll have to rush to get everything all cleaned up and out the door at the end.

Having to keep track of thousands of emails and people's responses is a big task. I wonder what people's responses will be after they see the link. Will I be inundated with billions of responses? Hopefully, all good? :-) This is definitely an interesting adventure.

It's scary putting yourself out there! Thank Goddess I came across Brene Brown's latest talk on why it's necessary to have courage to be vulnerable. It really helped shore up my confidence. Often it takes a lot of courage to go for your dreams. No matter what happens, I'd be satisfied if they put on my headstone "At least she tried." We'll never know if something is possible unless we try.
I've been sending emails and direct messages asking if people would give me feedback on my next step and I will send the link when it's ready. So far, I've been getting great responses. I wonder what people will say when I send them the Kickstarter preview page? I'm really happy with the way it's coming together, thanks to Michael Zelig's help from Start Motion Media. Michael is a crowd sourcing expert and filmmaker I hired to help me with this project. 
My transiting astrology is prime for the timing. My Saturn return is happening and Jupiter and Pluto are all in my 10th house. The 10th house is the house of career. My natal Saturn and Jupiter are also on my mid-heaven which has to do with career, and they are coming into conjunction, which is a very positive aspect. Saturn is the planet that makes you focus and is a task maker. Jupiter is the benefactor planet that has to do with expansion and money. Pluto represents death and rebirth and transformation. Sounds like I'm in for a ride!

I often hear women say that they'd love to have a place for women to gather. Every time I hear that, it gives me fuel to move forward with my project. We are all yearning for a place to connect with other women, take a respite from this crazy world, be authentic, be witnessed and share deeply. We deserve it! There are women's circles happening all over the world where we can do just that. Check out http://www.findawomenscircle.com/ as a resource to find a women's circle in your area.
​Watch the videos of my weekly updates to follow along with my crowd sourcing journey, which launches in June, to establish the first brick-and-mortar Moondays location!  

Our culture pushes us to go, go, go all the time. It's way too yang. Moondays will be a great excuse to take the time out and be in yin mode. Taking short respites is so important for our health and building our "feminine muscles."
​Watch the videos of my weekly updates to follow along with my crowd sourcing journey, which launches in June, to establish the first brick-and-mortar Moondays location!  

"There's nothing like a dream to create the future," said Victor Hugo. Isn't that the truth? It's so much better to create your own reality than to live by default.  "What's the worst that can happen? They can't eat you!" -- sage advice from business coach Barry Moltz, in reference to the fear of trying new things in business.  I constantly have to remind myself of that. Working to do something that's never been done before can be scary, especially when I get some sideways looks.

People also thought I was a little nuts wanting to sell rocks. Meanwhile, 30 years later, I'm still thriving, supporting my family and selling treasures of the mineral kingdom through my business, The Fossil Cartel. :-) Some people "get" Moondays and others don't, just like with the rocks.

Watch the videos of my weekly updates to follow along with my crowdsourcing journey, which launches in June, to establish the first brick-and-mortar Moondays location!