Hello!
This is a quick missive to wish you all a wondrously magical 2024! I so hope it’s a special year of revelation and personal growth for all of us, and one that leaves us feeling more grounded, confident and clear about our purpose on this beautiful planet.
I, for one, firmly trust that life is on our side, and that it will always provide us with the opportunities we need to help us figure out how to be the person we came here to be… the best versions of ourselves… that, despite adversity, still find inspiration and motivation… and that, in spite of the daily awareness of cruelty and hardship in the world, still feel connected to a great source of compassion and kindness, so that we can show up with care in our hearts, to meet the challenges that emerge.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then adversity is the mover and shaper… If we allow it, it will connect us with our core, so that we can find levels of courage we never knew we possessed. And, it will shift us to a place of integrity… that place within ourselves which is fuelled by impassioned focus.
It will also serve to smooth off the edges… making the parts of our being that no longer serve us, slick and easy.
Resisting adversity is foolish and hopeless… I tried it last year, and the results were messy! I forgot to remind myself that adversity was my friend… there to guide me to new levels of understanding and achievement. Instead of thanking it, I cursed it.
So, you can guess who came off worse!
It was a sobering experience, and one that I am glad that I can laugh about now!
So, please join with me in thanking adversity for helping to shape the more fully rounded, and altogether more compassionate people that we are!
And, now it’s time for me to thank you…
I am endlessly grateful for your support of the work that I do. Nothing feels better than thanking you, from the bottom of my brim-full heart… so, thank you, thank you, thank you. x x x x x x
I appreciate every way in which I am able to help, whether it’s making my products, the writing of natural health insights, or answering your questions via email… I love it all!
You make all of my efforts more than worthwhile. x x x x x x
Important Update…
Many of you will have noticed that, despite major price hikes everywhere, Wild As The Wind products have remained the same price throughout. This is due to a determined effort to keep everything as affordable as possible.
I have even been discounting many of the antiviral and antibacterial products, during this period, so that you can stay well during unprecedented times.
But, sadly, the costs to Wild As The Wind have risen so much during this time, that I am going to have to pass some of that on to you. But, I still intend to absorb some of the costs myself, so price increases will be less dramatic than you have seen elsewhere.
I have downsized premises, and made other cost saving decisions that will allow me to do this. But, there are many things that I don’t have control over…
Events are now, on average, 3 times more expensive than a couple of years ago.
I have recently had to pay Customs & Excise over £550 in duties to import FIVE oils.
Yes only five! (I stock more than 250!)
This is an incredible order of magnitude compared to pre-Brexit costs.
The oils in question are critically important for Facial Oil No. 2, so there’s no avoiding the issue.
And, of course, rocketing energy prices, have made everything else more costly.
Then, there’s the weather!
The cost of acquiring new customers has tripled in the last couple of years. Events that used to cost £40, now cost £120! Plus, if the event is cancelled, due to bad weather, the fees are never refunded.
So, not only do small businesses suffer the loss of revenue due to non-attendance, we also make an immediate loss because of the non-refundable fees.
This has happened a lot in 2023 - I haven't been able to attend over 50% of the 2023 markets and events that I had committed to, due to the appalling weather.
Thankfully, most of the Christmas events went ahead in 2023!
Phew! (A vast improvement on 2022!)
But, as revenues from Christmas events are used to purchase new stock for the coming year, cash reserves aren’t going to go so far this year.
All of my suppliers have been significantly increasing their prices during the last two years, and the next price increases are about to be applied in January.
So, the new stock for this year is going to be even more expensive for me to buy.
Sadly, because of all of this, it is unsustainable for me to continue without reflecting some of the true costs of the business. This means that the price of all products will increase on 1st February, 2024.
It also means that there will not be a January sale.
Instead, I have decided to delay applying price increases until February so that the current prices continue to be inherently heavily discounted.
Essential Oils
I haven’t increased the cost of many of the essential oils in six years. This means that the price rises for essential oils will rise more significantly than for the skincare range.
Facial Oils
I’m only intending to increase the facial oil price by c. 10%.
Toners & Mineral Spritz
I am going to carry on subsidising Toners to try and encourage people to use them.
Toners are vitally important for increasing moisture levels, plumping and reversing the signs of ageing. Plus, using toners means that you don’t need to use so much facial oil, so they save you money over time.
Mineral Spritzes, which are great for repairing skin and improving sleep etc, have been on offer for quite a while. I will keep them at the discounted price until 1st February, and then will return them to their usual price.
Again, I will continue to subsidise Mineral Spritzes to encourage people to use them.
Organic Nigella Sativa Oil
My New Year’s Eve was roundly improved by the following feedback from Geoff…
Since taking Nigella Sativa and Copaiba Oils our dog Alfie is so much happier and lively. Before he didn't even look up when someone came to the door and now is he is eager to greet everyone, he is also up and ready to go for a walk anytime. Thanks Rachel long may it last!
I am going to do my absolute best to keep the price of Food Grade Organic Nigella Sativa Oil as affordable as possible!
All Other Products
Again, I promise to keep price increases as affordable as possible where the full Wild As The Wind product range is concerned.
How You Can Help To Keep Prices Down
It seems crazy to think that your actions, over and above simply buying Wild As The Wind products, can have a huge impact on how able I am to keep the price of Wild As The Wind products down… but, it’s true.
I’ll explain as briefly as possible… please bear with me… a little context is needed…
Because of all the problems with the weather and events, in recent years, I haven’t been able to maintain and grow the Wild As The Wind customer base.
A buoyant customer base doesn’t just mean that all of one’s eggs are not in the same basket… it also importantly means that economies of scale kick in.
Buying 5 litres of oil costs significantly less, per litre, than buying just one. This creates a big cost saving, but only if you have enough customers to sell your oil to.
Plus, fixed costs, like premises, events and energy etc, are a lot more affordable when the costs are apportioned across an increasing number of customers.
A solid and growing customer base simply equates to sustainability for other businesses. But, it means something else to Wild As The Wind. It means that I can continue to provide affordable healthcare and personal care to you.
Hundreds of thousands of small businesses have gone to the wall in recent years. One of the key reasons for this is a diminishing customer base.
Wild As The Wind seriously needs to extend it's customer base now, to make it as future-proof as possible.
The cost of acquiring new customers has tripled in the last couple of years. This has been exacerbated by the weather & event failures.
It means that I have to change tack a little, and put a greater emphasis on acquiring new customers online. All of those lost trading opportunities can be mitigated with more online effort.
Long-term Wild As The Wind customers know that I have opted to operate the business via markets and events in order to dramatically keep costs to a minimum.
The real cost of a 30ml bottle of Facial Oil No. 2 would be over £200 if I didn’t go to such lengths to cut out all the middle-men, and the bricks and mortar retailers etc…
But, the middle-men I do have to deal with, (Customs & Excise and event organisers etc), are increasingly exacting a toll, sadly for diminishing returns…
More online effort can hopefully change all of this.
When I practically plead with you to provide feedback and share on social media, I am not doing it because I want your praise and adulation. I am doing it because I am trying to urge you to help me, so that I can help you.
And, I do this by keeping prices down.
Simply put, if the cost of acquiring new customers is reduced in 2024, then the cost of Wild As The Wind products will remain more affordable. It really is that simple.
So, armed with this new insight, please help yourselves by writing that quick review that you’ve been meaning to write for ages… and get on social media and share it with others, who may just thank you for it too.
You can simply and easily submit a review on the relevant product pages of the Wild As The Wind Shop Website, by following the advice provided in this short article: How To Write A Review
You can then simply copy and paste it onto your timeline on social media.
Copying and pasting on a Mac:
Select the text you would like to copy by clicking and dragging your cursor over the desired text. This highlights the text in blue.
Press Command + C.
Then go to your social media profile timeline, and click where you would like to paste the text… i.e in the status update field
Press Command + V.
Copying and pasting on a PC:
The steps on a PC are largely the same, but the keys used are slightly different. Instaed of using the command key, you use the control key (Ctrl).
The copy keyboard shortcut on a PC is: Ctrl + c for Copy
And, Ctrl + v for Paste.
Other Benefits Of Feedback
Another key reason for providing feedback is that I cannot say many of the things that you are able to say about your products.
I cannot afford to fund labratory research to prove that Wild As The Wind products deliver specific results, like large cosmetic companies can.
The best that I can do is urge you to share your own personal findings. Whilst anecdotal, all feedback is profoundly important and helpful if it describes the benefits gleaned.
If a person appreciates the potential benefits of a product they are more likely to buy it...
So again, your reviews might just be vitally important in keeping the Wild As The Wind customer base good and healthy.
Okay, Lesson Over!
So sorry to blast you with all of this info on New Year’s Day! But, hopefully it will make sense, and will compel you to act… so it won’t all be for nothing…
I really hope that 2024 is a fantastic year for you.
But, if you do have any emotional and health issues that you don’t feel able to face on your own… you’ll know I’ll be here for you. Just email me, and I’ll send you links to the articles I’ve written that will hopefully help…
Sending so much love,
Rachel x x x x x x x
Jude you are an absolute superstar! These reviews are excellent!
Jude also writes this about Raspberry Seed Oil & Sun Tanning Essential Oil Blend :: https://wildasthewind.com/product/raspberry-seed-oil/
https://wildasthewind.com/product/sun-tanning-essential-oil-blend/
"I have had kerotosis on the skin of my arms and legs since my early 30’s. I was advised that it was sun induced as I did a lot of sunbathing with olive and coconut oil in my teens ( and lived in the tropics early years). These kerotosis have been difficult to manage and I tried virtually everything on prescription and over the counter to improve the condition. As I have aged ( now in my 60’s) the condition became worse on my lower legs despite being careful in the sun. Bought raspberry oil and the sun tanning oil and found these improved massively. Now just use raspberry oil daily and most of the very stubborn areas of keratosis have gone. My legs truly better than they have been in decades. It really works brilliantly for me. Thank you."
Thank you so much! The most amazing feedback has already started to come in, in response to my New Year post! It's so incredibly affirming that I am going to share it here in the comments...
Jude writes re: Black Seed Oil [Organic, Food Grade] :: https://wildasthewind.com/product/organic-black-seed-oil-food-grade/
"I love this oil, I have suffered from diverticulitis on several occasions and have more recently had other bowel related issues. When these attacks occur I find half a teaspoon of the oil taken orally followed by half a glass of warm water ( as suggested) significantly reduces my pain snd symptoms. I do this every day for a week and then less regularly increasing back to daily should symptoms return. If in a lot of pain I rub thieves oil onto the skin of my abdomen as well for a few days which works more effectively for me than pain killers. Thank you Rachel."
Black Seed Oil is also known as Nigella Sativa Oil.