Who is Cool Dog Duke and what is he doing on Addoway?

Cool Dog Duke is a real Chocolate Lab living an unleashed life on the lake in beautiful Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.

He and his brothers, Harley and Skooter, are well-known characters, often referred to as "The Lab Gang" around our rural town, the oldest summer resort in America. They have been known to steal beach toys, flip flops and sneakers from front porches during the summer months, and fish and mittens from beside the  bobhouses once the lake freezes over... bringing everything home to Mama who then must spend hours trying to return the goods to their rightful owners. 

Duke is the trouble maker, Harley is too laid back to argue, and Skooter – older, wiser and always the voice of reason – begrudgingly follows along and tries to keep them out of really BIG trouble. But yes, they have been escorted home by local law enforcement... more than once.

Lovable scoundrels that they are, the local butcher saves them the best bones, the ladies give them extra cookies at the drive thru, and they always get a shout-out when we drive thru town in our little convertible. Welcome in most of the homes and shops around town, they are a 3-dog band of congeniality and good-will...

...which led to their being invited to do a public service video  (about 3 minutes into the video link) for our local police department on cross-walk etiquette (If dogs can do it you can too!) and land their own TV show which highlights local businesses and attractions here in the Lakes Region. Their job is to create community partnerships and offer up a few laughs, and they do both very well!

You can watch these three fetching Sous Chefs in the kitchen, around the lake, and on the town as they dish about all things Wolfeboro this fall on Sundays With Sue Sous on Wolfeboro Community TV Channel 25. The dogs inspired the  "Got Bones? Wolfeboro NH" T shirt to benefit two of the sous chefs' favorite local non-profits: The Libby Museum of Natural History, and The Lakes Region Humane Society. 

The huge success of the "Got Bones?" design led to more designs to benefit other non-profits and the Cool Dog Duke brand was born, named after our ring-leader Dukey with the hope of redemption for some of his misguided adventures involving ice cream cones and hot dog vendors. 

Characterized by "talking dogs" a percentage of all Cool Dog Duke sales support organizations that "give animals a voice."

Which brings us to addoway. Although there is an extensive catalog of Cool Dog Duke fun gear on the website, selected gear will be available at Oshun Spirit Earth Friendly Traders. As part of the Alternative Market Movement, one of the goals at "Traders" is to form and participate in trade networks which provide alternatives from the diseased global economy and transform the flow of goods and services beyond commerce-as-usual trough barter, so that everyone may participate in abundance.

Each and every month Addoway donates 20% of all Pro Membership revenue to select fundraisers including relief for natural disasters both in Japan and the US, and to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. Addoway is a natural fit with the Cool Dog Duke brand, who's mission is centered in animal rights and well-being.

Our latest creation is the "Beware of the...(something with very big teeth)" sign,  which is being created through local partnerships and whose profits will benefit the local Humane Society.  The plaques are made of upcycled, recycled and reclaimed pine boards, hand cut, hand painted, and distressed to look aged. They measure about 12  x 7.5 inches minus the bite mark. A creative alternative to typical "Beware of Dog" signs, they are fun on a garden path, and equally at home outside your co-worker's cubby! They are made to order. Response to the project has been very positive and we have high hopes for a larger sustainable operation!

So... that's it! Now you know! Cool Dog Duke and Addoway, a great team working hard to BE the change we wish to see in the world. A good vibes dog and a good vibes marketplace, sharin' the love! Be sure to LIKE the Cool Dog Duke facebook fan page to enter monthly drawings and win cool gear.

Peace!

Business as usual on Bonanza: the gift that keeps on giving

As many of you know, I once had an Oshun Spirit storefront on Bonanzle (since re-branded as Bonanza.com). I no longer sell there because I cannot support the aura, or energy, that surrounds the venue. To make a long story short, their business values and ethics are simply not in alignment with my own. Just as I purchase Fair Trade chocolates and coffee (among other products) to provide a fair wage, a quality working environment, a valuing of identity, and a desire to care for and empower people and their communities in developing nations, I cannot support any organization, or developing venue, that degrades and manipulates their own community and its members. 

But the purpose of my blog today is not to tear down Bonanza or list their failings. Yesterday, through their actions and reactions they proved once again that with their heads in the sand,  they will be the masters of their own demise. In fact, I will take this time to bless my experience with them and thank them for the lessons they have offered me. I am truly grateful for the unfolding of events which prompted me to look closely what is really happening there, and in the world market at large. 

Yesterday, for me, watching the events of the day play out was like receiving a gift of comfirmation. It was the redemption of my intuition and my knowing that if I continue to follow my heart and don't fall prey to what others might want to convince me into thinking, I am, and will continue to be blessed with abundance and joy.

In hindsight I believe that my higher purpose there was not to help build and sell on their new ecommerce venue at all... rather it was to gain an understanding of what my business values truly are, and to evolve my own business "consciousness." Perhaps, so that I might have an understanding to offer to my own clients who wish to evolve their passions and dreams into spiritually aligned, service-oriented businesses... experience is the best teacher after all. Because my clients and customers are in a process of shifting their worldview to a more spiritual and ethical one, they naturally, eventually, shift the way they look at doing business, too. 

We know the world is changing in many ways. There is great suffering, but there is also great joy in the wake of these shifts. Many people are waking up and reassigning meaning in their lives. Beyond earthquakes, volcanoes, and solar flares, the electro magnetic fields which sustain all activities, including business and personal relationships, are changing. I recently read a quote that sums it up quite succinctly:

"Practice business as usual and you will likely have no business to speak of in the new era of authentic business."

Indeed. Now, there is nothing intrinsically un-spiritual about making money. An adventurous, creative, and self-reflective approach to business can have benefits all-round. Believe me, I enjoy the fun things that money can buy! But, both success and failure can lead to self-awareness, spiritual growth and wisdom... which money cannot buy. In fact, I believe that "business" can be, and should be, a deeply moving spiritual practice.

 
I know that people and organizations with higher thoughts and vibrations stimulate others to higher thoughts. That's how we facilitate positive change. It starts with you... but it goes on forever... you know, the ripple effect.

I came, in part, to work on the Bonanzle marketplace because I have long embraced the idea of "giving before receiving" as part of my approach in compliance with the Universal Law of Compensation. But now, I blog.  This simple act gifts prospective clients and customers with ideas, information, and inspiration which they are  seeking, and at the same time helps them feel comfortable about my ability to serve their needs.

But what's really "spiritual" about this approach is that it puts my business in harmony with my soul's divine design for my life. Running around after a buck doesn't sound like a life plan to me. Getting in tune with my inner purpose and making it work to improve the lives of people around me, does. And remembering that helped me to move forward.

When you think about it, there is a tremendous amount of time, energy, money, and effort that goes into pretending that things are one way, when they are actually completely different. If your model is efficiency and sustainability, that old model of manipulation and "smoke and mirrors marketing" and endless self-promotion is insanity. Raising the vibration of yourself and your business might prove better marketing. 

If you want your business to make a difference in the world, simply find ways to raise your own vibratory energy, as individuals and in your groups. You already know how: prayer, meditation, service, giving, time spent in nature, making love... being loving, having fun! Your customers cannot help but to get an energy boost too. They might not know why, but they'll feel lighter, happier and more at ease. They will want to be around you, and use your products and services because your energy feels so good! 

I know that once I remembered the vision I held for my "divine" life, and started to follow it in my everyday business dealings, I found that my business decisions became easy and intuitive, heartfelt, and clients were magnetically attracted to my sense of "sureness of purpose."  I immediately began reaping abundant rewards from the higher energy seeds I had sown. Simply by leaving Bonanza I stopped the bleed of the tremendous amount of time, energy and effort that went into pretending things were different that I knew them to be in my heart. Once I got heart-centered again, I started making money again, effortlessly.

I must say also, that like any spiritual pursuit that leads to growth, having a transparent, service-oriented,  and authentic business model will challenge you. Synchronicity and it's inspirational lessons would lead to my booth's functionality being manipulated for almost two months, limiting my ability to do any business at all. I was censored, and finally suspended from the Bonanza forum because I spoke the truth about the experience on behalf of the community of sellers there who remained unaware of the business practices they too were immersed in.

But it is difficult to unsettle the wise man or woman. The ethical maturity of one who approaches life and business with a spiritual perspective is likely to make him/her more settled, confident, and detached than the typical ego-centered, profit driven businessperson. This detachment is not apathy, but the relaxed mindfulness of a person who is able to see that regardless of the ebb and flow of life, and the up and downs of business, that there is something behind it all that is unmoving – the Spirit. 

And, in the end this is the greatest asset for us all as we go about doing business in the marketplace.

May you be blessed!

image credit: mousemusings.com