(this was originally sent to our newsletter subscribers by email - if you'd like to get these letters right in your inbox, just sign up here! (and hint hint, they contain email-only discount codes when you get them that way!))
I hope 2023 is off to a really great start for you, my friend.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the year ahead, and I have A LOT of thoughts. Thoughts about Fillaree, thoughts about community, thoughts about communication/how we communicate, and thoughts about how to exist as a human in 2023.
This year will mark year 9 of making soap and getting it to the people in our paradigm-shifting way (seriously, the paradigm is shifting, and we were turning that crank very early on!). I’ve said it before, but I’m not in love with making soap. Soap is simply my vehicle into the communities of people who share a similar vision of the change I want to see in the world. People like you. People who are willing to embrace a different economy, who are willing to give up the convenience of the linear take-and-trash system and instead take a couple of extra, yet simple steps in order to stay in our closed-loop circular model. You are the ones who drive this mission forward.
Over the past few months, well, years really, but especially as we cross the threshold into 2023 - a problem is emerging in how we can and are willing to reach people to spread the word. The avenues we’ve relied on are getting narrower and narrower, and the tolls on those routes have reached astronomically taxing rates. Social media (obviously that’s what I’m talking about) is the bane of my existence right now.
Fillaree came onto the scene during those glorious days of free airways (for the most part) on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Do you even remember what that was like? Back when you chose who you wanted to “like” or “follow”, and low and behold, when they shared something, you would just... see it? There weren’t ads for products that creepy AI sold to the highest bidder. No “suggested posts” that assume they know you better than you know yourself, but are really just hijacking your attention and selling it for a profit. No reels made by people who really hate making reels, but just do it just because the overlords say they have to in order to have their voices heard.
Can you hear the contempt in my typed words? I bet you can. We have historically put a lot of precious time and effort into our social media plans. But this year, I’m calling it quits. Or maybe I’m “quiet quitting” social media (there’s a reel about that somewhere, I’m sure 🙄). When we have something to share, that we’re excited to share, we’ll share it - but on our terms, in whatever way we feel like sharing it at the moment. And, most importantly, we’ll do so with very little attachment to how our posts are “performing” on those platforms. FILLAREE. IS. NOT. A. COMPETITION.
As we make this shift, we’re going to double down on communicating by email. Transferring our effort and strategy onto this little newsletter where we know our messages will at least land in your inbox. It’s up to you whether you open them, of course, but at least it’s not up to some dude on a yacht somewhere (definitely NOT using closed-loop soap).
This space is where we can tell our stories, share our musings on the world, and keep you up to date on product specials and important information from the factory that will matter to you as a Refiller. Email can be what social media fails at every day. Please write us back, too! We always welcome your messages to us, and we hope you’ll welcome ours to you. But don’t worry, we don’t intend to start an aggressive email plan, either - we’ll stick to our twice monthly (at most) emails to you, but with a renewed focus on making them extra juicy and fun for you.
Until next month,
Alyssa