Inspiration happens in our lives during the most unpredictable times. It happened to Jenny Kerchner when she  entered the Denver Museum  of Nature & Science last summer to see the Body Works Exhibit.  During her visit she combed through the store at the Museum when her eyes came across the beautiful display of  jewelry by The Leakey Collection. She was intrigued by the beautiful colors and the story behind the  jewelry.  She purchased a strand of  beautiful Zulugrass, went out to the car and started thinking about how cool this would be to bring Zulugrass to the Alternative Gift Fair which promotes “Gifts of the World that Give Back to the World”  at the Broadmoor Community Church in Colorado Springs.   She quickly ran  back into the Museum to buy more, and when she arrived back home, she went to the website to look for a contact. That is when she reached out to  Susan Barton, a sales team member of The Leakey Collection.  Susan loved  Jenny’s idea and collectively, they started the wheels in motion to make Jenny’s idea happen.

Jenny took her profits of $800  and donated them to the Beads for Learning program of  T.R.A.D.E., a non-profit organization founded by Katy and Philip Leakey, which provides funding for schools,  teacher’s salaries, women’s health initiatives, and work opportunities for women in East Africa. It was so successful that she wanted to do it again this year.

Inspired by Jenny, we asked her to share her experience with us, “What stood out to me most is how interested and fascinated people are with the beauty of the beads; their origin, ingredients and aura. One of my customers visiting the booth was admiring the jewelry. I told her the story and options as she shopped for a while. Then out of the blue she said I want you to build the same ensemble you are wearing.  I want that! (I had on eight 27” strands with a bead clasp holding them in the back so they were doubled to the front in purples/plums/Beads for Learning blended colors).

It amazes me every time I realize how intensely attracted people are to Zulugrass. You would think I would know this by now, yet over and over again it filters into an interaction with a customer,  and you can just feel this mesmerizing addiction building in them. It is such a rewarding product to sell.”

Besides being an inspiration to us, we also found out that Jenny has a love for wild equine (especially zebras) and a history of working around them. She is one of Mr. Flops! greatest fans and is always looking for updates from the bush about his latest adventures. Perhaps a guest post in the making?

It is amazing how diverse and wonderful our customer base is. One would expect to find Zulugrass at eco-friendly stores, those that advocate fair trade, and at select gift stores across the U.S., but you might be surprised about this month’s featured shop. Outdoor Experience , in Sandpoint Idaho, is an extraordinary place to find everything you need for an active, outdoor lifestyle. In addition to kayaks and hiking gear, Zulugrass single strands have been one of their staples for the past 5 years. Last month, thanks to the efforts of Outdoor Experience, The Leakey Collection sponsored the Scenic Half Marathon. This opportunity gave me the chance to catch up with Kevin Nye, one of the store’s owners.

Zulukris: Tell me about your store.

Kevin:  We are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. Our product mix is diverse with approximately 50% of our inventory in sportswear/outerwear and the other 50% in hard goods like cycling, kayaking, backpacking and cross country skis.

Zulukris: Congratulations on your 25 years!! You obviously have found the secret for success and we’re glad it includes The Leakey Collection.  You have been carrying Zulugrass for over five years now.  What was it initially that attracted you to the product?

Kevin: The colors!  We were looking for  simple new accessory items to add to our product mix that generally fit in with the active lifestyle pieces we sell.  Zulugrass has proven to be a consistently good seller for us.

Zulukris: What do you attribute to its success?

Kevin: A consistent inventory and a well stocked display of 200-300 pieces.  It sells well to all age groups, it’s reasonably priced, and our customers always come back for more.

Zulukris:    You were very involved in the Scenic Half Marathon    which used Zulugrass for the winners.  Tell us a little more about the race  and the response to the prizes.

Kevin: What made Zulugrass so perfect for the race is that over 75% of the participants are women. It seemed, and proved to be, a great fit for the event.

Scenic Half Marthon winner & coach

We want to thank Kevin and Marc  for making a difference in their  community by supporting healthy events.  Even though they didn’t know that October is Fair Trade Month, they are endorsing the guidelines of fair trade every day through their support of The Leakey Collection. Thank you Outdoor Experience!

One of our partners is promoting Fair Trade and will be holding a spectacular event Saturday, October 15th, and we love to spread the good work that our partners do.

Compleat Gourmet & Gifts has been around for 27 years.  Joan and Barb most recently passed the ownership and baton to Connie Stevenson, who introduced  Rwanda baskets to sell in their stores.  Connie believes that we can all “Shop To Make A Difference” by supporting USA made and global fair trade products. We agree!

October is Fair Trade Month, and the store will hold  their Fair Trade Event Saturday, October 15th.  Connie will be introducing a wide array of products from around the world including our beautiful Zulugrass.

Compleat Gourmet & Gifts Location

7592 S. University Blvd.

Centennial, CO • 303-290-9222

If you haven’t checked them out, Style Substance and Soul wrote a fabulous story on The Leakey Collection and the Amazing Women of Kenya back in August. We loved the way they told the stories  of  two Maasai women whose lives have been changed because of the work opportunities Katy & Philip have created.

Once again, these three best friends who have created an online gathering of women who strive to look good, feel good and do good have wrote a guest post on The Budget Fashionista on accessories that are good for your soul. Check it out!!

Working for the Leakey Collection has helped my  children understand that each one of us has the power to make a difference.

This week, at my daughter’s prompting, her best friend and I experienced a new kind of cut- one that has a purpose.  After months of growing our hair to the required 8 inches, the three of us spent the morning at Ubuntu Hair Salon so that we could donate our hair to a cancer patient in need.  Thru Pantene’s Beautiful Lengths program, we donated 5 ponytails, enough to make 1 wig.

The  gift of opportunity can sometimes reside in nurturing our children to participate in making the world a better place.

Here’s a short video we made about our wonderful  experience.

What do you get when you put two women together who are passionate about making a difference?

You get a site full of consumer conscious choices driven by its founders Melinda and Justine who care deeply about the environment, the health of women and the future of our planet. They created this site for all of their women friends, social entrepreneurs, leaders, students, fellow moms, and fashionistas (men too!) who also do not want to compromise on style and wish to create a more conscious and less toxic world.

We were thrilled when they chose Zulugrass as a launch day fashion piece and we love the way they use product signals to indicate how eco-friendly  a product is.

3% of net proceeds from today’s offer will benefit Village Empowerment to help create a “Model Village” in Malawi with a community center, classrooms, water pump and solar powered electricity system.

Please drop by and give them a warm welcome and check out their many products including The Leakey Collection.

World Fair Trade Day 2011 is this weekend and when we think about how far we have come, we know that it just wouldn’t be possible without our partners and everyone who wears and shares our products.  Social conscious people are opening their arms to products that are produced by Fair Trade companies because they know the positive impact it has on giving everyone a chance to provide a better future for their families.

We thought that we would take a moment and share a video we just put together to let you know that the choices you make really can make a positive impact on communities. Happy World Fair Trade Day!

The Leakey Collection’s presents our newest mom…Jennifer Bonynge.  Jen’s third child was born April 15^th and although his real name is Gannon, our nickname for him  is LL or Leafy Leakey since he’s such a special part of our company!

Jennifer was introduced to our company almost a decade ago through an organization called MOPS which stands for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers.  Like me, she was navigating her way thru motherhood for the first time- trying to attain balance in a world dictated by messy diapers and sleep deprivation.  At MOPS, we learned that we weren’t alone in this unchartered territory. With this network of women, we shared fears, secrets of motherhood, and even recipes. At the end of each meeting, we participated in a craft.  Besides endless laundry, it was the only task many of us completed in months!

Jen portrays the lessons learned in MOPS on a daily basis. She can do it all, while maintaining balance and a smile.  She is a “Jill of all trades”- the master crate packer who is as handy with a drill as she is with a hot glue gun. She can handle any project that is thrown at her, and she does it with ease and confidence.  She is dedicated to The Leakey Collection- always willing to find a way to help us.  She even came to work to pack up orders as she was timing her contractions!  It’s no wonder there is a color of Zulugrass named after her!

As for motherhood, she excels in that too!  She recently helped her daughter write a fan letter to Taylor Swift and proudly videotaped her son performing an Elvis tribute dance at his school’s talent show.

Although Jen will take off some time at our warehouse for Baby #3, she will still be handling her sales territory (Arizona, New Mexico, and Alaska) and coordinating our summer trade shows in between changing diapers!

We hope Jen and all the mothers in Kenya and around the world had a wonderful Mothers Day!

Anne Mahrle

Today I was fortunate to catch up with Anne  Mahrle, owner of The Green Scene.  She has been a customer of The Leakey Collection for over three years, since she opened her natural living store in Marshall, Michigan.

Anne’s story is amazing and should be shared.  Anne had been very ill, hospitalized 17 times in one year, and her body was wasting away to nothing.  Doctors tried traditional medicine, such as daily steroids, but it only made her sicker.  She was told she’d have 10 years to live and her quality of life wouldn’t be great.  That’s when Anne decided to take matters into her own hands.  She discovered a wholesome, all natural approach to her health care, as well as her entire life, and suddenly Anne was feeling stronger.  Her improvement was so dramatic and powerful that she knew she had to share her findings with more people.  Using her store as the platform, she lets everyone know that there are natural alternatives to toxic products and prescriptions that we use on a daily basis.  Her entire store is dedicated to one stop shopping for a healthy lifestyle.  She carries products in health & beauty, arts & crafts, food & drink, cleaning supplies, natural supplements and fortunately for us and the Maasai, she also carries a variety of jewelry including Zulugrass.

She has a very loyal base of customers who, thanks to Anne, are living a healthier lifestyle.  Anne says she is rewarded on a daily basis by her interactions with people.  Many young people have found her store and are sharing her stories of healthy living with their friends and even with their parents.   Her customers locally have improved their quality of life and at the same time she is making positive change for people across the globe, like the Maasai from Kenya.  All of her products are gentle on the earth and give back in numerous ways.

This Earth Day, we hope more people across the globe find a healthier way of living- just like Anne.

March is Women’s History Month dedicated to those women who inspire you.

Because you inspire us,  we have created a color combination of Zulugrass “You are an Inspiration“, two beautiful Zulugrass Single Strands in shades of blue to symbolize trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, and truth during Women’s History Month.  Celebrate by sharing one of these sets with a woman who inspires you. Tell her why she has inspired you and ask that she share the extra strand  with a woman who inspires her.

If two is not enough and you wish to keep the chain of inspiration flowing, we have an offering of 4 strands of inspiration on one card.

Check out those who inspire us on  I AM.

Share your inspirations with us here or on facebook !!!