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Shake it off…

So – true story.

Was meeting with my team of Nutritional Therapists. Called NTs for short. Lovely group. Smart and also weirdly, quite cool. Chosen for nice-ness, and also interest in science-y things and gut health. Goodness, lots now! 12 at last count, just hired two batches newbies, so referring to them as “new newbies” and “old newbies.” Which doesn’t sing. But considered calling them the “Red Squad” and “Blue Squad” and decided would just confuse things further.

Meet with NTs once a week – and newbies more often, to onboard them – also they work with Training Supervisor Claire Toomey & Customer Relations Director Ceris Colven, until up to speed. Very proud of our 4.9 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot. Cannot bear to let it get messed up. So training for newbies very intensive.

Weekly meeting called “Customer Cwtch,” which is Welsh for hug. Traditional “Customer Service” way too boring & grey. Cannot bear grey language. Makes me itch. Also – need concept for dealing with our clients that is warmer and more personal than just “service.” Like a car. Gak. Our clients deserve better than being treated like a car. So Cwtch it is, to remind what really here for. Human touch.

So – ask NTs in Cwtch to update me on what clients have been saying, that I need to hear.

(Funny. Think – once upon time was just me – milking goats, making soap, answering phones, driving parcels to post office! Only ten years ago! Mad.)

Anyhow in Customer Cwtch meeting, one of New Newbies (Eloise, lovely young lady) says that she’s been talking to customers who “aren’t smoothie people.”

WHAAAT?

Screech to halt. Demand: Why not smoothie people? What means, to be not smoothie person?

Not sure, Eloise says. Just say they don’t like smoothies, can we recommend some other way to take our products.

Now. This is THING. Because have worked out over time is that must – MUST – have quick and easy way to combine things for good gut health. Yes, need kefir. And to feed live bugs from kefir once inside system, need prebiotic as well. Also need collagen because am waaaaaay over 30, and own system sadly no longer producing collagen. Dire. So must take collagen every day to maintain skin, hair and gut lining. Quickly notice if stop taking collagen. Not pretty.

Also need ashwagandha because – also true – MUST take ashwagandha every day. Will freak out if not. Ashwagandha actually decreases amount of cortisol in system. When taking ashwagandha, ceiling can fall down and will simply look up calmly and say, “Hmm. I see. Now how is this an opportunity?” If not taking ashwagandha, reaction to daily disasters would be very different. Would not like to explore this further. Feel convinced that family would abandon, & not without reason.

However have not got time to take all these things separately. Life short! Must combine for speed. Best way to combine is to blend. Morning routine: Blend. Drink. Done. SO FAST. Lifesaver.

So have developed & recommended this “gut health smoothie” concept for busy customers as well. Because – know this for fact – everyone v. busy.

Never NEVER heard of people who don’t like smoothie. Who could not like? Like saying “Don’t like drinks.” Surely depends on what’s IN drink? Or smoothie?

Look around at cool & clever NTs. They are all nodding heads.

“Yes, I’ve heard that. It’s a THING. People don’t like smoothies.”

Feel – winded. Feel disoriented. How long has this been going on? Why did self not know? Feel out of touch.

“Well,” I say, grappling for control. “If not smoothie, then what? How can help customers get necessary ingredients for daily gut health but FAST?”

Some of these customers are older people, NTs say, who identify themselves as NOT SMOOTHIE PEOPLE.

Wonder to self – What is smoothie person? Am I smoothie person? Do not think so. Am just person in hurry.

But when think, can understand a bit. Smoooothie sounds a bit – limp lettuce. Celery juice. Green powders. Yesterday’s news. Very 2019. Smoooooothie. Word even sounds a bit boring. Think about 18-year-old son Benj, very into weight lifting and keeps informing that CG needs to “get up to date” with “TikTok.” (Do we? Sweet Jiminy Cricket and and the Baby Orphans! Another Story. Will tell another time.)

However, Benj does NOT drink smoothies. Benj DOES blend things up together and drink them, but are not called smoothies. Are called…..SHAKES!

Try out tentatively. “How about….shakes?” Much head nodding. NTs like it. Shakes! Shakes are better than smoothies. People from earlier generation remember milk shakes from the drug store and drive-ins. (This generational memory is American however – is same in UK? Note to self – must check.) And also – shakes taken by younger people like Benj in weight lifting and fitness. (Thought – am in-betweener on this? Shakes preferred for older and younger – smoothies only acceptable for late-middle-agers like self? Gak.)

Also, shake as word more active than smoooooothie. SHAKE up your gut health. Shake up your life! Feel quite energised by new concept.

Rush in to tell Rich. He scoffs.

“What on earth does it matter, whether you call it a shake or a smoothie?”

Now. Rich nearly always right. Nearly. BUT. This time, think not. This time, think EVERYTHING MATTERS. Back in day, when it was just self making soap and answering phones, when had no money for marketing because – well, no money for anything, because no money at all! – everything mattered. Had goats. Had farm. Had stories to tell. Had stove to make soap and goat milk to make kefir. Built business on what had. But everything mattered, because had very little.

And today – even with big team of lovely NTs –

everything still matters.

So – what do you think? Shake or smoothie? Is there a difference? Are you a shake person, or a smoothie person? Please advise!

Hugs,

Shann.x

PS If you’d like a chat with one of our lovely NTs – ask a question, raise a concern, get some FREE advice, these are sympathetic, smart and carefully trained people who love to talk gut health. From 8 am to 8 pm weekdays they typically answer in under a minute – so jump on live chat! ; )

Questions? Talk to a Nutritional Therapist on live chat!

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