We’ve always considered Katy and Philip stars, but now the entire United States can acknowledge Katy’s celebrity status! Not only has she recently graced the Money Section cover in a national newspaper, USA Today, but Monday, October 26, a new television show on E! Entertainment – “That Morning Show” - will spotlight Katy and The Leakey Collection.

According to a recent press release, “Offering lighter and more uplifting fare, “That Morning Show” focuses on topics that will enhance the lives of its viewers. From the workplace to the kitchen, the world of fashion, or new environmental projects, iBC’s new production will meld entertainment and information in a way aimed at making viewers hopeful, empowered and informed.”

Hosted by a trio of fresh faces, Chelsea Cannell, Mark Long, and Carla Cavalli, it is a perfect television showcase for us because it focuses on all the things our company stands for – hope, positive influence and making a difference.  It is an amazing opportunity for Katy to discuss sustainability and Fair Trade concepts, highlighting the fact that October is Fair Trade Month.  Katy hopes to educate viewers about the gift of opportunity that has changed the lives of so many Maasai women and their families and inspire them to join us in “Women Helping Women.”

“That Morning Show” airs from 6:00-9:00am (ET & PT), coast to coast, seven days a week. Check your cable network listings for E! Entertainment. Watch Katy live or set your Tivo or DVR for Monday, October 26! This is a must see!

The snarling leopard propelled Kimberly into one of the fastest runs of her 23 years.  Walking back to camp from the workshop one August afternoon, her mind languishing on the fun she’d had with the Maasai women earlier in the day and listening to music on her Ipod, she disturbed the leopard several yards up the hill.

When I saw her, sweaty and breathless, she was regaining her composure, and relatively calmly asked if the snarl she heard could have been our resident leopard.   Since he had recently been seen dragging a Clip Springer to his lair in the same spot, I confirmed her first real adventure while living in the bush.

We relaxed with a cup of tea, and soon we were chatting of other things.  Kim had learned a lot staying with us in Kenya.  Being my niece, she was privy to our trials and tribulations from the beginning of our business, but coming to Kenya had added a new dimension, and she wanted to know more about how Fair Trade worked.

I explained to Kim that Fair Trade was comprised of basically four main tenants:

1. The guarantee by the Fair Trade company to pay a “Living Wage” for those who were   employed by or contracted by the company. “Living Wage” means a wage that allows the worker to feed, educate and take care of medical needs for their family.

2. The guarantee by the Fair Trade company that the people working for or contracted by the company were involved in the negotiation of their pay, working conditions and general working set up and structure.

3. A Fair Trade company must, in some way, invest either time, money, or assist a community in ways outside of the Fair Trade business; i.e. building clinics, helping schools, building infrastructure.

4. A Fair Trade company must operate within the globally accepted rules and regulations for an environmentally sustainable business.

Kim and I discussed the fact that few Americans could boast of such a system of compensation, as many dual income families have a difficult time covering the costs of living that a “Living Wage” covers in rural areas around the globe.

I was surprised that she, a relatively savvy and socially conscious young woman, hadn’t understood Fair Trade and realized that few Americans do.   There seems to be a deep distrust of business which surprises me, since most, if not all, Fair Trade businesses are small mom and pop operations.  Kim went on to tell me of corporate greed and big business transgressions as reasons why there was such distrust among Americans.

Although sympathetic to those concerns, I countered with the fact that more small businesses are started by women in the United States than any other group. Surely these women understood the power of small business to transform lives.

“Yes, but everyone wants an “angle.” Don’t you think some businesses are saying they are doing those things but aren’t?” she challenged.

The best way to insure that you are in fact changing lives by purchasing Fair Trade goods is to make sure that the company making the product is a member of a Fair Trade organization.  In the United States, the Fair Trade Federation is excellent.   It took us nearly 9 months to gain membership, and during that time, we endured 3 rounds of intensive interviews. Our business practices were thoroughly scrutinized, as was our method of production, operation and environmental claims.  Two other Fair Trade members had to vouch for our operation as well; this intense scrutiny is effective at determining a company’s compliance with the Fair Trade rules and values.

By this time, it was getting dark, and I told her that in the morning I’d tell her some stories of how Fair Trade business has changed the lives of women here, and on that note, we adjourned to our bucket showers.   Hyper aware of her surroundings after her encounter with the leopard, Kimberly scanned the area with her flashlight and stuffed her Ipod in her pocket, the foam ear blobs swinging from thin wires dangling from her jeans.  I had to smile. It took a leopard to make another young woman wake up and hear the “real” music!

In an upcoming blog, I will tell you those stories about how our Fair Trade operation has changed some women’s lives in Kenya.

The Leakey Collection supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month by offering our specially designed pink Zulugrass jewelry, but we were still curious when we recently received an order for 20 (yes, 20) Fight for a Cure Hangtags!

As usual, we are continually amazed by you, our wonderful partners! In this case, Nancy Webb, a radiologist specializing in breast imaging (mammography, ultrasound, MRI) and biopsies for the detection of breast cancer. She works at Waldo County General Hospital, a small community hospital in “beautiful Belfast on the coast of Maine” and bought the Fight for a Cure jewelry for her Technologists and staff! This warm, compassionate woman told me she loves and wears Zulugrass constantly and wanted to share both the jewelry and our mission of “Women Helping Women” with her staff.

She told me about the wonderful, caring Oncology Department that organizes an annual Cancer Awareness Walk that originally focused only on Breast Cancer fundraising but now targets all cancer. She says, “The money raised goes into our Oncology Patient Assistance and Mammography Funds to help cover the costs of diagnosis and treatment of any cancer if a patient is in financial need. The past couple of years we have raised around $8,000.”  Most of the funds are raised through raffles of prizes donated by the hospital and local businesses.

We at The Leakey Collection are delighted to offer specially designed pink Zulugrass jewelry, Kuponya which means “to heal” in Kiswahili, and our Fight for the Cure Hangtag, featuring 2 pink strands of Zulugrass. 5% of sales from this select pink jewelry is donated to the Estee Lauder Cancer Research Foundation and an additional 5% goes to Women’s Health Initiatives in Kenya.

Although October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there are other ways you can help year-round. You can “Click to Give Free Mammograms” daily at The Breast Cancer Site.

This month we are proud to spotlight people like Nancy and Waldo County General Hospital and would love to hear your stories about people that join us in making a difference - Women Helping Women.

GUEST BLOGGER: Chrystal Corcoran, Customer Service

 Simplify.

Doesn’t the word itself promise a renewal of mind, body and spirit?  That’s why it’s the theme of this year’s International SPA Associations Conference and Expo held in Austin, Texas, October 5-7.  The Leakey Collection is thrilled that Katy Leakey herself will be at our booth, #1213, speak at Ten Thousand Villages in Austin, and spend time with the entire team! We can’t wait!

iSPA has been recognized worldwide as the professional organization and voice of the spa industry since 1991,  representing more than 3,200 health and wellness facilities and providers in 83 countries.  Katy will be showing our entire line, including our newest products – Friendship Bracelets and Fallen Acacia Wood Table Top accessories. Click here to see our wood product line on our Facebook Fan Page. We’d love it if you’d support us by becoming our Facebook Fan!  We also are unveiling our new skin care product – TLC Marula Oil, Africa’s secret to youthful skin.

Marula Oil, hand collected from wild Marula trees in rural East Africa, is a cold-pressed, deep penetrating oil that moisturizes and heals dry skin.  This light, unscented oil is high in anti-oxidants, oleic acid, and vitamins C & E, which are essential components for healthy skin. In Katy’s words, “Much to my disappointment, I found in my forties that I had inherited my mother’s scaly dry skin.  Alligators wear their patchy skin nicely, but my mother and I didn’t, and no product seemed to have a hope of returning the soft silky skin of youth – until now!  At my age, I am very skeptical of “miracle” wonder treatments, so with reasonable doubt,  I replaced my normal skin care regime and tested TLC Marula Oil, using no other products for a couple of weeks.  Happily, I discovered that it absorbed quickly and left no residue on my skin, and within two weeks of using Marula Oil, the alligator pattern began to subside.  Encouraged and surprised, I continued and by the end of one month, my legs were smooth and silky again.  After using TLC Marula Oil on my face for several months, the red blotchy spots have virtually disappeared. I’ll never go back to my old skin regiment – it’s TLC Marula Oil forever!  I have finally found a skin care product I can believe in.”

In looking for skin lotion recipes, we realized that most of them are 80% water.  The active ingredients are minimal in most of the skin care lines, so we decided to offer the active ingredient on its own – 100% Marula Oil. We sent out samples to just over 100 women across America and asked them to replace their normal skin care rituals with our 100% TLC Marula Oil and see if they noticed a difference.

The results are significant.  73% of the women noticed a visible improvement in their skin after just two weeks of using TLC Marula Oil, including me. I loved the effect it had on the texture and fine wrinkles on my face. I’m eagerly awaiting more!

While Katy’s in Austin, Texas for the iSPA Expo, she will be speaking at Ten Thousand Villages, located at 1317 South Congress Avenue, Austin, on Tuesday, October 6th, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  She will be discussing the joys and challenges of owning a rural enterprise, the importance of fair trade, and the impact the company has on her neighbors, the Maasai.  She looks forward to answering questions and to talk about her life in Kenya, as well as the mission that drives The Leakey Collection. Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. We’re proud to be associated with them!

Katy looks forward to seeing you in Austin!  Drop by to talk to her at Booth 1213 or at Ten Thousand Villages, just a mile and a half from the iSPA Expo. We can’t wait to hear what YOU think about TLC Marula Oil!