Spam Free

Last week I began sending out emails to friends and family to let them know that the Poloppo shopping cart was (finally!) up and running, and that they could get a 50% discount over the next two weeks if they beta-tested the site for us (read on if you'd like that yourself).

I got up to the letter D in the alphabetical list of my Mac Address Book when things started to go a little pear shaped. My inbox began to fill up with "Mail Error Handler" messages and I began to realize I was being blocked by my friends' barricade of spam filters because of the word "discount." It's a weird and uncomfortable feeling not to be able to email your friends because of high security, and it reminds me of the frustration I feel at security in airports in having to take off my shoes, ensure I've checked in all toiletries (or be prepared to lose those I haven't), and guzzle freshly-bought bottles of water I'd forgotten not to buy.

I guess it's a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. So far, (knock on wood), we've been terrorist free in U.S. skies since 9/11. And down on the ground our email inboxes are (for the most part) spam-free when we jack up our spam filters.

So, without further adieu, I'd like to announce that if we have your email address, you can rest assured that you will never receive anything that resembles spam (even if it is a much-desired 50% discount!). And I'm left with no alternative but to spam my own blog with the discount letter. I figure that if you've come to read the Poloppo blog that you must be a friend, if not in name, at least in spirit ...

Dear friends,

Welcome to Poloppo!  It’s a world created (almost!) entirely by children. Can you imagine how wacky, fun and innocent that would be?  

We’ve launched Poloppo to help you get in touch not only with your own “inner child” ... that crazy, happy, wondrous and loving person (who’s willing to try anything!), but also with the children in your life, and throughout the world.  We believe the combination of creativity and children to be a powerful recipe for inspiration and development, of self, family and community.

If you love children, have compassion for children in underprivileged circumstances, and consider yourself to be even mildly creative, please take a look, and help us with feedback, suggestions, submissions of artwork, sales ... anything you can think of! All Poloppo child artists receive royalties on products that sell with their work and a portion of revenue goes to art programs for underprivileged kids in the U.S. and worldwide.

To help us fine-tune the website, we’d like to offer a 50% discount to anyone willing to beta-test the site. The 50% discount will last for two weeks (from Saturday October 27th through Saturday November 10th) and will be followed by a 15% discount for the following two weeks. At check-out, use the code = POLOPPO5 (be sure it's all caps and click the "apply code" button).

Please forward this to your friends and family who might be willing to help out!  Send to people who will be interested in the concept, patient with our beta version, will provide feedback – and who might enjoy the sale.

Many happy wishes from the team at Poloppo!

Team Poloppo - Party On!

Most people who know me well would agree I have a penchant for partying. It's true: any excuse to celebrate will set me off on a party-organizing frenzy that could last anywhere between three days and six months.

Poloppo's very own launch party (Saturday August 25th) was a prime example. After months of development and preparation I was desperate to let off some steam, and the launch seemed like the perfect excuse to party (right?!). The thing is, the actual launch date of a business like this is a little nebulous; is it when you're prepared to take orders (of small quantities) via phone? Is it when you launch into full-on production with manufacturers? Or is it when you make your products available to the public via online shopping or retail?

We decided to plan the launch party to coincide with the move of the production studio from the garage into a slightly larger building on the other side of the property. That was almost six weeks ago now.

If I could relive these past few months the only thing I would do differently would be the launch party date: it needs to be next weekend (October 6th), to coincide with the shopping cart going live.

The birth of the shopping cart reminds me (somewhat) of the other birth I experienced three and a half years ago: that of my daughter's.

Giving birth is one of those truly life-changing experiences that is difficult to explain. Annabelle was born on a stormy Wednesday morning after 41 hours of labor (only five of which were eased by an epidural). Aside from feeling immensely exhausted and relieved afterwards, I also felt elated, and somewhat invincible. If I could push this amazing creature (with the head the size of a coconut) out of my body (from an orifice not normally accustomed to coconut-sized objects), I could do anything.

The shopping cart labor and delivery has been no less of a feat. The one thing I imagined to be relatively simple about this process has turned out to be a highly complex engineering and creative masterpiece. Of course, such a creation can only be achieved by incredible teamwork. And what a team!

I'd like to extend a big hearty thanks to the Poloppo team, who are making it all happen:

Firstly, the talented and inspirational artists, Elijah, Marius, Ulysse, and David in San Francisco, Liora in Oakland, Sarah in Arizona, Nevena in Serbia, Charles in England, Michaela in Zimbabwe, Claire and Dominic in New Zealand, and Joe in Malaysia ... without who none of this would exist!

Next, our valiant team of designers and seamsmeistresses, headed by our super-competent production manager, Amber; Eliza, Cat, Norma, Japnam, Gina, and Amaka, who have launched into production with such drive and savvy. And our wondrous pattern-maker, Sylvie P - a wee taste of Paris in the heart of SOMA.

Our patient and meticulous web developer, Mark Salvatore. Whether he's iChatting from Guanajuato or Bogota, it makes no difference; he's been constantly on the ball with what needs to happen next.

Then there's our other Sylvie (again, French); talented photographer and super-mom; Sylvie Gil (www.sylviegilphotography.com), who took a break from photographing mega weddings in Napa Valley to shoot our cute and luscious models in Poloppo apparel last Sunday and Monday.

Our Photoshop meisters, Vicente Llopis (http://www.vicentellopis.com) and Robert Girvin (http://www.robertgirvin.com/) who have retouched the photographs and generated the final jpgs with such deft precision.

The delightful models who waited so patiently, and performed so well during the two photo shoots. Laughing's not always that easy (unless you have Ulysses strutting around you on a hobby horse, shouting "pooooonie" in a faux-gay voice!).

Those delightful boys from the Nice Collective (www.nicecollective.com), Ian and Joe, with their inspiration and advice.

Our animator intern extraordinaire, Julian Narvaez (www.juliannarvaez.com) who's cooking us up a You-Tube storm (watch this space!).

The "Ladies Who Launch" (www.ladieswholaunch.com) support group, especially with their reminder about fun and celebration; go girls!! Let's party @ Balmy Casa on December 1st!

My summer intern P.A., the super smart, vibrant and savvy 19-year-old Karmyn, who (sadly) had to return to U.C. Riverside a couple of weeks ago :-(.

My business partner and general counsel, the brilliant David Johnson of Stanford legal fame, who's simultaneously capable of keeping things real and raising the bar for the overall vision.

Our super-psyched PR girl, Shital Mehta (www.shanthinteractive.com) with her endless enthusiasm, great suggestions and smart dharma.

Our corporate lawyer, Jason Brady, who's able to wave a magic administrative wand and make a corporation appear. Long may the entity of Poloppo Inc last!

My wonderful child care assistants and teachers, Miss Patty, Alicia, Karmyn, and Nancy, without whom we would have had either one frazzled mom or one TV-glued kid: Go Team Annabelle!

My friends, near and far, especially Kat, Antje, Lucy, Wendy, Don, Veronika, Thomas, Rob, Rowan, Carlos, Robert, Lawrence, Sylvie, Patty, Tania, and Kathy ... without whose constant support and encouragement Poloppo would be unlikely to exist.

My parents in New Zealand, who continue to make bold moves and be the pioneers I've always admired.

My father-in-law in Ontario, who in the final throes of leukaemia, continues to be a beacon of love.

My patient and supportive husband, Oscar, who loves to "have things sorted" and has had to live amidst almost-complete chaos for months now as Poloppo vies at overtaking our home, and lives (in the best possible way!).

And last but not least, the feisty, beautiful and hilarious, Annabelle; my three-year-old daughter who teaches me (daily), about passion and wonder, about patience and slowness, about creativity and love.