Summer reading at Soak
Posted: 07/06/2011 Filed under: Business, school Leave a comment »As you may know, we are big fan of continuing education and ongoing professional development. Here’s how summer reading contributes to ongoign learning at the Soak office.
Summer book clubs. Oprah had one, elementary school suggest them, my mom is part of one as is my best friend. We have our own version here at the Soak office.
Here’s how it works.
- Each person selects two books.
- For each book read they get one day off of their choice during the summer. It’s not really an extra day off, but more a day of reading, anywhere they choose, other than the office. (8 hours per book, 2 books = 2 days off)
- While reading they consider the following questions about the books and keep notes of interesting findings they might like to share:
- Why am I interested in this book? What drew me to it? Where did I hear about it?
- How is the content of this book going to help me be more effective in my job?
- How is the knowledge gained from reading this book going to contribute to a culture of learning at Soak?
4. In the fall, we have a luncheon round-up where each person tells everyone else about their reading and learning experience. That’s it!
My summer reading? I was the first to pick this summer. I am reading Sean Moffitt’s new book Wikibrands. Sean is a good friend and brilliant marketing guy. Check him out if you haven’t heard of him. I’ve also suggested Ngoc, our awesome marketing coordinator read this book. Sometimes I suggest books, sometimes I get introduced to new books!
My second book is a sequel to last year’s summer reading. The book strategy is the same as last year, we modified the ‘time in lieu’ part. Last year we tried to close early every Friday at 3pm (2hrs x 8 weeks = 2 days). We were always busy and it didn’t work so well.
Anyhow, back to my books. last summer I borrowed ‘Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time’, by Howard Schultz from my friend Gilad. It’s a great story on building brand, business and selling great products. It’s no wonder I was interested in it. You should read it. So, this summer, on my recent road trip to Montreal, I picked up Schultz’ second book ‘Onward‘ available in-store for their 40th anniversary. I plan on reading it at the cottage while drinking my morning coffee. I think it will enhance the overall summer reading experience.
Summer reading is important, so we stay up to date on current business books, biographies or whatever else is going on in the world outside Soak. If you work as hard as we do, you probably don’t have enough time to read either. We are busy, so it’s important to schedule in learning. We always want to spend more summer time in the sun, so in the summer, I offer up reading and relaxing away from the office. When the rest of our team sorts out their books, we’ll be sure to share them with you. I hope they do it soon, no reading, no extra sunshine!
What are you reading this summer? What books would you recommend?
Exciting delivery.
Posted: 07/03/2011 Filed under: Business, SWpress, SWpromotions, Uses for Soak | Tags: basin, magazine, Martha Stewart, Media, Ngoc Nguyen, soak Leave a comment »We received an envelope this morning and much to our enjoyment, it was the April Spring issue of Martha Stewart Living. Flip to page 38 and you’ll find Soak featured under “75 Spectacular Spring Things”!
It’s been an exciting day for us media-wise as we’ve received news that we’re also in Chatalaine for the April Issue as well on page 89! We haven’t seen it ourselves yet but you can bet we’ll be picking up the issue.
I have been reminded of Spring all morning. First it was the brightly coloured fabrics shown on Red Pepper Quilt’s blog. And then these magazine spring issues. Not to mention the sunny skies and melting snow. If you’re anything like me, and can’t wait for spring cleaning time (not because I enjoy cleaning, but because it means warmer weather is just around the corner) than perhaps a brightly coloured Carrie or Phil basin can help you with a few jobs around the house.
Spring uses for Carrie and Phil
Clean your blinds. Fill up a basin with some warm water and Soak and dip a wash cloth in the water to wipe down your blinds. It’s amazing how much dust can accumulate on each blade.
Wash your winter accessories. Carrie’s larger size makes her great for hand washing several pairs of mittens, scarves and hats all at the same time.
If you are a big gardener, the basins are great for outdoor use. They are great for holding soil and fertilizer or to keep your bulbs and roots in one place.
Do you have any other ideas of uses for our vibrant basins? We’d love to hear them.
Heel – Round Table
Posted: 24/02/2011 Filed under: Business, Craft, Knitting | Tags: amy singer, Foot cream, Heel, LYS, purple purl, review, yarn Leave a comment »
Amy Singer, editor and writer at knitty.com often does reviews on new yarns and knitting accessories. We joined her last month at the Purple Purl as she and a group of reviewers tried out our newest product, Heel. All of our reviewers came with their current knitting projects and eagerly waited to find out what they were going to test this week. 
We received a lot of great feedback. You can find Amy Butler’s review here. I’ve summerized a few of the key comments that we received.
- “I like the spearmint. It’s cool and I think in the summer, it’s going to feel good too.”
- “It’s a little greasy, and I like that. It feels more like a lotion than a cream. It could go in a pump.”
- “It’s a lovely consistency and it disappeared into my hands right away.”
- “I didn’t find it greasy at all, in fact, I’m knitting with it right away afterwards and it’s not affecting me in any way.”
- “Definitely not greasy — almost like the moisture is sealed in to my skin now. Very nice.” – Amy Singer
Thank you so much to all the lovely reviewers. If you’ve tried Heel, we’d love to hear your thoughts on our newest product.
Business is cool | Design Strategy Part 2
Posted: 15/10/2010 Filed under: Business, school | Tags: business, Jacqueline Sava, marketing 1 Comment »Author: Jacqueline
Everyone thinks that if you just make a better mouse trap, you’ll be rich. Each business discipline has its own priorities in terms of mouse trap function and profit. As designers, we want to understand it all.
Sales thinks… that without them, there is no business- your mouse trap is nothing, if I don’t sell it.
Marketing thinks… if nobody knows there’s a new mouse trap, who cares?
Finance/business thinks… if it’s just about the bottom line, the trap isn’t important.
Designer thinks… if I design a better mouse trap, it will sell.
Design must be all encompassing. One must understand all aspects and priorities in order to create useful products.
In the second part of the design strategy course, we dive into marketing. We talk about marketing as part of the strategic mix, not to become professional marketers, but to be able to understand what marketing is all about when in a business or client meeting.
We skim the surface of famed marketing terms such as the 4 P’s, (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), we look at types of products (core, functional, augmented, potential) and try to define the ‘true’ solution a consumer is seeking when they look at goods or services. We stop for a while on pricing products, understanding how value compares with price (why starbucks can charge 4x more for coffee than say, Tim Horton’s or the local gas station) and why people pay more for certain things. We close off understanding how to define consumer needs and target markets. When we move towards the world of understanding brands, we look at product lifecycles, adoption curves and a few other marketing fundamentals.
It’s important to note that this marketing research is done in the context of the business strategy (which we learned how to analyze in the first part of the course). If we don’t have context, all the marketing research in the world won’t help our products succeed. That’s just my opinion, based on lots and lots of experience.
You might have the same glazed over look my students did this week in class as you read over these topics. I’m okay with that. It’s not that our designer/ students need to master brand strategy. If they did, they’d go get degrees in Marketing. They need to be familiar with the concepts and terms, so they can work well alongside marketers and agencies collaborating on client projects.
Should you feel the need to understand these points further, I would direct you towards our course text book, my favorite marketing book for non-marketing majors, ‘Marketing a roadmap to Success’ by Ajay K. Sirsi. Professor Sirsi was one of my MBA Profs at Schulich School of Business and he wrote this book to help simplify marketing terminology for us mere mortals, who don’t have the time for four inch thick text books. Happy reading.
Birthday Celebrations
Posted: 14/10/2010 Filed under: Business, Craft | Tags: birthdays, prizes, the workroom, yarn 1 Comment »Congratulations to The Workroom in Toronto who celebrated their birthday on the weekend.
For those of you who haven’t heard of The Workroom, it’s a great place to sew, knit, quilt, and make new friends.
Karen, the owner, had a little party to celebrate full of great food and fun prizes. We included a fun raffle prize that included a Carrie basin, some fun yarn (thanks to Louet for the contribution), a bottle of Unleash, a travel pack, and some great knitting books. If you didn’t win the Soak prize but still want to get your hands on a Carrie basin, you can purchase one from our online store.
Thanks Jean for taking these great photos!
New from Soak | Heel- foot cream for feet worthy of hand-knit socks.
Posted: 07/10/2010 Filed under: Business, Craft, Design, Knitting | Tags: Foot cream, Heel, soak wash, soakwash Leave a comment »Our unique combination of ingredients restores the skin and soothes tired feet. Cucumber extract, Vitamin E and the soothing powers of menthol work together to form a luxuriously rich treat for sock worthy feet. Go ahead. Indulge.
Not a knitter? Heel- is perfect for all feet. Whether you are walking the mall in search of holiday gifts or treating your feet after a run, Heel is for you.
We’ve launched this great product with a few of our favorite knitting friends. If you are part of the Loopy Ewe sock club, you were treated to the first batch of peppermint infused foot cream.
We were proud to launch Heel with the Loopy Ewe.
Jimmybeanswool.com devotee? Get a customized tub of soothing scentless with menthol to match the Lorna’s Lace limited edition yarn Goblin. We’ll feature a new limited edition tub each month. There’s also a lovely basic Jimmybeanswool.com batch as well.
Soak is also new to JBW. Check out the two-packs on their site.
Along with our scentless Heel, you can also choose from our delicate and cooling cucumer or rich and soothing spearmint.
These delectable treats can also be customized! With a minimum order of 24 units, we can customize the label to your heart’s content. Got a sock club, we can make a label for you. Are you a yarn retailer looking for special holiday gifts for your top customers, Heel is perfect. Knitting retreat? Yoga store? Shoe shop? Even if you have a great group of lucky friends (showers, bridal parties or charity runs) we can personalize Heel for you.
Email us for a quote and conversation on custom designs.
Another brilliant creation by the experts at Soak Wash Inc. Like Soak, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Business’S cool. Week 1.
Posted: 01/10/2010 Filed under: Business, Design, school | Tags: business, Jacqueline Sava, school, soakwash 2 Comments »This Friday we are shaking things up. It’s time to put away our summer bags for a school bag fit for fall. We’re trading silk for leather, cotton for vinyl and soft sacs for sturdy back packs. Join us each Friday for Business’S cool.
Stories to inspire and educate, from owner and founder Jacqueline Sava.
Tuesday mornings you won’t find me at the Soak office. I’ll be held up in an interior classroom at George Brown College’s School of Design. My philosophies and practices combining design and business led me right to the Design Management program at George Brown. In class you ask? Well, I’m not taking classes, I’m teaching a class called Design Strategy. Essentially, I teach designers how to think and work like/with business people. I believe (and as a trained designer, I feel comfortable saying this) that designers should learn, at some point or another, that there is a whole world out there that doesn’t understand, speak or think design. More importantly, if we designers want to live in the real world, we need to learn to communicate, work and live in unison with business people.
Most of the students have, like I do, undergraduate degrees in various design disciplines. They all want to work as design managers, design directors or key players in the corporate world, bringing design to the masses, or at least management. Each week (or so) I’ll bring you insights from the classroom. A sneak preview at what we are working on, great books to read, insights from students, and experiences from the Soak office. It is shockingly true, that nothing is more valuable than experience, and these days, we are getting more than our fair share.
This photo was taken at one of our branding sessions.
Education is a core value here at Soak. We not only educate our consumers on best practices with our product, but also continue to learn at the office as well. We are always seeking to improve, share and develop ourselves, as we develop the business. Feel free to send thoughts and ask questions. Sharing knowledge is my passion and I hope you can learn new things here, to apply to your work and life.
Enjoy.
Back to the design school, and a little bit of history on myself and the program:
The School of Design features many award-winning programs. Design Management draws international students together with diverse backgrounds such as Industrial Design, Fashion, Graphic Design, Advertising, Architecture, Interior Design etc. All students have work experience, ranging from one to several years, in various disciplines and countries. The richness of cultures, experiences and insights is staggering. There is nothing more rewarding than learning while you teach. This is my second year working with the brilliant faculty at the School of Design. In the past I’ve taught at Humber College (in both the Industrial Design department and the School of Fashion Business) as well as done lecture series with various business organizations. My background combining an undergraduate degree industrial design from an art college (RISD) and an MBA in strategy and marketing from SSB (York University) offers a unique combination of art and business, design and strategy. When I speak I try to bridge design and business enabling easy and enthusiastic communication from both perspectives.
Next week, let the games begin. I’ve got my school bag ready. Do you have yours?
101 things to do with Soak | 033 Life jackets
Posted: 28/09/2010 Filed under: Business, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, life jackets, Ngoc Nguyen, sailing, soak wash, soakwash, volunteering, wash Leave a comment »Author: Ngoc
I had been searching for a place to volunteer when my friend suggested that I look into the Disabled Sailing Association of Ontario (DSAO). They are a great non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing people living with a disability the opportunity to learn about and enjoy sailing.
I had no idea when I walked into the small office at the beginning of the summer, that I would want to spend every single evening down at the Harbourfront volunteering for them. I volunteered as a sailing companion and was able to learn how to sail, spend my summer surrounded by water, and hang out with some of the best company I’ve ever had. I met more inspirational and positive people this summer than I have in my whole life. They showed me that you can overcome any obstacle with the right mind set. One particularly amazing person that I met was Joseph Chessari who had both of his legs severed last year in a work place accident while cleaning a machine. Visit his site www.walkingwithnewlegs.com and learn more about his story and his initiatives to support and encourage other amputees.
Sadly, the sailing season is coming to an end and the time has come to lift the boats out of the water and store all the equipment away until next summer. While putting away the life jackets, I noticed that they had become extremely dirty and had a slight musty smell to them. Of course the first thing that came to my mind was, “These could use a good wash in Soak.”
Washing your life jacket.
There are several types of life jackets out there so take a look at the care tag before washing. Make sure you do this early enough in the day that the life jackets will have enough time to dry completely.
- We had a lot of life jackets to clean so we laid them out on the grass and hosed them all down.
- I filled up a Carrie basin with some cool water and some Soak.
- I used a soft cloth and dipped it in the Soak water and gave each life jacket a gentle rub down.
- Hang them up to dry.
- Make sure they are completely dry before storing.
There are many great activities in Toronto dedicated to providing activities for those living with a disability. If you have someone special in your life that has a disability, I would strongly encourage you to tell them about disabled sailing, or perhaps disabled skiing for the winter. If you or anyone you know has questions about disabled sailing, feel free to contact me at ngoc@soakwash.com and I’d be happy to help you in any way I can.
I am also looking for another interesting place to volunteer. Let me know if you know if any great organizations in need of helpers.
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 31. Romni Wools
Posted: 24/09/2010 Filed under: Business | Tags: bags Leave a comment »Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
Sometimes you just need to take your favourite shopping bag and visit your LYS for some yarn therapy. With the cooler weather moving in fast, perhaps it is time to pick up some fall/winter weight yarn.
We don’t have a soakworthy bag this week, instead if you are located anywhere near Goodwood, Ontario, then we encourage you to grab your favourite shopping bag and visit Marilyn’s new store Romni Goodwood. Marilyn is the owner of Romni Wools and will be holding her grand opening event next Sunday for her newest store.
A restored confederation building that was built in 1867 will be the home of this brand new yarn store. They are also big fans of Soak so don’t forgot to pick up a bottle or perhaps a Carrie or Phil basin while you are there.
We always love seeing what our customers are working on. Send us a photo of your Soakworthy project (and reference this post) and tell us why it is so special to you and we’ll send you some mini-soaks to help you care for your most cherished FOs.
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 30. The Gift Philosophy.
Posted: 17/09/2010 Filed under: Business | Tags: bags, gift philosophy Leave a comment »Author: Ngoc
Grab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
This week’s bag is less of a bag and more of a box. A gift box from The Gift Philosophy to be exact. The Gift Philosophy is a brand new store that specializes in putting together thoughtful gift sets for all types of occasions. Farah, the owner, has hand picked fun, unique, and eco-friendly luxery items to include in each gift set that will surely please the recipient.
The Gift Philosophy is particularly Soak worthy because of the idea behind the gift boxes. Each gift is housed in an eco-friendly gift box that not only looks beautiful, but is tough as well. The boxes are designed to endure being regifted and reused several times to cut back on the amount of waste that accompanies gift giving. When you open the box, inside is a printed message that encourages and inspires the gift recipient to take action and make a small difference in our world. Farah hopes that her gift boxes will be reused at least 3 times and will inspire 1 million big and small acts of difference by 2013.
We should all take a page out of the Gift Philosophy’s book and make a conscious effort to be a little more socially and environmentally responsible.
Some of my favourite gift sets include:
Love Soaked in Natural for baby showers
SIMPLE PLEASURES in SWEET LOVE
