Roots
I don’t often put out two blogs in a week, but something very exciting is under way at LYB, and I wanted to be the first to share the news. I have to say a big “thank you” to every one of you who has encouraged us from the start, become a loyal and articulate customer and advocate, read and fed our blogs, and joined us along this rapidly-accelerating journey. We have learned so much about who we are by getting to know and talk to you!
Just in time for spring, the season of both introspection and new beginnings, LYB is embarking on its next great adventure. For this next chapter in our evolution, we are going local!
In a moment, I’ll share with you what this means, but let me begin by explaining how the idea to “go local” came about. My mini blog series on “how to be happy” has spoken at length about finding our true joy and personal power through choosing to be the authors of our lives. So often, we become disconnected from ourselves through a series of small decisions based on what we think will make the world around us happy. Before we know what has happened, we find ourselves living in a way that is incongruous with who we truly are. When we become aware of this, we must stop, take a breath, and look within. It’s time to return to our roots.
Looking back, it seems like some of the best decisions in my life have been driven by a desire to return to my roots, or to something that has at some point meant the world to me and somehow unintentionally drifted away. The result of coming back to that something—be it dancing, my home state of Indiana, writing, yoga, cooking at home—has always yielded a renewed sense of happiness, purpose and connection to my true self.
My company has always been an extension of myself, and so, just as it is the season for personal introspection, it is also the perfect time to evaluate how I wish to “author” LYB going forward. I have loved every minute of this journey, from watching this amazing company being born to seeing it spread its wings into becoming one of Indy’s best fashion resources and a community gathering spot, a retailer for local yoga studios, and a thriving e-commerce site. By exploring so many different avenues for reaching people, I’ve gained great clarity on who LYB really is and what makes us, as a company, so different and special. We are about so much more than just great clothes and shoes! Our customers love spending hours in the store (some on a daily basis—you know who you are! J) sharing laughter, stories, styling dilemmas, and often a glass of wine with us. They come for both the company and the clothes. Our one-on-one interaction with them is not only helpful and fulfilling for them, but it’s what fills us with joy and gives us a sense of mission.
And now I come to why we have chosen to own our identity and our future by “going local.” Diving into the big wide world of e-commerce was part of an effort to reach an even larger community of like-minded individuals—stylish, busy, evolving women—who we know would resonate with our mission. It has been thrilling to watch this community grow and to create connections with so many wonderful women outside of Indiana! At the same time, however, we have become so aware of what we are unable to offer our audience at a distance: the opportunity to connect on personal level, and to provide hands-on styling assistance based on the unique individual. The two things we hear most from our in-store customers are: 1) “We just love coming in to see you because you guys are always so cheerful and welcoming,” and 2) “OMG everything in here is SO soft!” We’ve realized that, on the shopping and interpersonal notes, our customers at a distance are missing out on what we do best.
Beginning this spring, LYB is returning to its roots. We want to let the best parts of us shine through. What does this mean for our customers?
1. A greatly enhanced in-person shopping experience: We are currently in the process of a big store expansion at our main location that will be complete in several weeks. We love your company and want you to feel welcome to stay and hang out, so the new space will be full of couches, cozy seating areas and bigger fitting rooms. We will also have a whole room dedicated exclusively to our awesome and ever-expanding shoe collection
2. New Love Your Body On the Go locations: As part of our commitment to our local community, we try to meet you right where you are, and sometimes there’s just not time to get out and shop. Through our On the Go locations, we’ll meet you at the studio with a selection of your favorite clothing, jewelry, yoga props and bath and body products. We continue to form new partnerships with your favorite studios around town. Look for our next On the Go location to be announced in May!
3. An exclusive focus on in-person shopping: We want to meet and work with you in person! You’ll still be able to visit our beautiful website, but our e-commerce operations will be replaced in several weeks with a website that shares our story, continuing blog posts, and links to our social media pages. We hope that our customers at a distance will stay connected with us through our blogs, and we encourage you to check our social media pages regularly to see pictures of our new arrivals. If you see something you love, feel free to give us a call and we’ll happily take your order over the phone!
My heart just swells with gratitude when I think of how far we have come in less than a year-and-a-half thanks to you! I began this journey in an effort to create a community for women, and, in actuality, you have created a community for me. LYB is where I come every day to find connection, understanding and bucket loads of joy and laughter. Thank you to all of our friends, employees, customers and extended LYB family for making this the best journey ever. Here’s to our continued evolution!
Cheers,
Lisa Berry