my life, spirituality, travels and more
Wrapping up 2021 & What I learned from hosting Pop Up Shop(s) in Helsinki
Well hello hello, long time no blog.
Thanks for tuning back into my scribbles! We are soon to be wrapping up the year, so I wanted to take a moment to reflect upon this past year and also share some of my experiences from now having hosted two Pop Up Shops for my yoga clothing brand, Moonah Wear. And, yes, if you’ve lived under a rock, this may be new information for you, but I launched my own sustainable yoga clothing line back in 2020.
Having my own yoga clothing company, in addition to being an entrepreneur within the fields of wellness and yoga has been a rollercoaster and such a massive learning experience. I’d be lying if I wouldn’t also say it’s at times been challenging, frustrating, scary and even stressful. That being said, I get to work with things I love.
Okay, so I think it’s fair to say this year has been a crappy sequel to 2020 (in terms of the pandemic). Right now, infection rates are on the rise and new restrictions in place here in Helsinki (hence having the time to write this blog post as all yoga studios are currently closed). Looking at the bright side however, it seems as if this new variant may be less dangerous 🤷♀️. Anyways, this blog post is most definitely not about the big C, but neglecting its affect on us all when reflecting upon the last year would also be disingenuous. The toll it has had on us small business owners is devastating.
If you follow me on instagram, you may have seen my stories last year about me missing out on all Christmas Sales with Moonah Wear due to the pandemic and various production problems (not that I expect you to remember them lol 😅). Due to that experience, I had decided that history was not going to repeat itself this year. This is why I had decided to book a venue for hosting my very first Pop Up Shop in the heart of Helsinki before Christmas. Turns out renting a beautiful venue in the city centre is not only expensive, but quite challenging as a one (wo)man show. Long story short and a few meetings later, the lovely Pukhraj Ranjan from Moi Namaste and I decided to team up as we share the same values, are both female entrepreneurs working within the sustainable textile industry and both quite new to the world of running our own businesses. Together we decided to co-host our beautiful Mindful Moments at Spalt PR on Iso Roobertinkatu 30 in Helsinki in November and then another Pop Up Shop in Ullanlinna on Tehtaankatu in December.
As my business is an e-commerce business, the whole idea with the Pop Up Shop was to create a week filled with different events so that people would get a chance to get the full brand experience, meet up with the founder, hear the story behind Moonah Wear and get a chance to see and try on the yoga wear in person. We made sure to create an interesting schedule with free events everything from sound baths, yoga, a full moon circle to even an influencer event with Champagne Yoga.
Our beautiful Instagram wall wouldn’t have been the same without the Peacock chair from Parolan Rottinki. Pic by Johanna Keto.
The key is having a killer Instagram Wall
But, the one thing that lured in customers and people alike (in addition to the great location in Punavuori), was our amazing Instagram Wall. And this, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off without some of our very generous sponsors including Parolan Rottinki with the most stunning Queen chair (they call it the Peacock chair, but honestly, I felt more like a Queen on my throne on that chair 👸) and Cafe Cucca with their flower installation.
The chair was such a hit, because not only did almost every single customer and guest snap a photo of themselves on it, they also shared it on their socials, tagging us and generating more traffic and brand awareness for us.
Another great advantage with the chair was that we had positioned it just in front of the main entrance to the shop with a neon sign saying “This must be the place”. This created curiosity in all the people passing by, as they would see the “throne” and that sign, eventually wanting to come check out what it was all about.
MY TAKEOFF FROM HOSTING TWO POP UP SHOPS
Hosting a week filled with events and manning a shop morning to night was tiresome, but such a great experience. We got to meet with so many customers in person and to share our stories and make new connections. I also believe it created more brand awareness and even a small buzz for our brands during that one week period. It did result in more sales than a regular e-comm week as well. I also loved working and collaborating with another woman owned business, as it can be quite lonely at times running my own company. We even created a collaboration Kimono (the Lunar Kimono) as a lovechild from our collab. The Kimono is made out of GOTS certified cotton with a traditional block printing technique honouring Indian craftsmanship.
Our second Pop Up Shop was not as successful as the first one we hosted in Punavuori. I think for a number of reasons: first, the location was not as great as the one of our initial Pop Up, secondly, we didn’t have the same killer Instagram wall (even if we had the gorgeous chair on display), third, nor did we host daily free events, as the space was smaller, not to mention the infection rates were on the rise again. Now in hindsight, I am happy we hosted both Pop Up Shops, as I definitely learned so much from both of them. In 2022 I am most definitely looking to host more Pop Up Shops, making sure to create an Instagram Wall in each single one and perhaps even taking Moonah Wear on a tour to my beloved Sayulita, Mexico.
But in the meantime, stay tuned and follow Moonah Wear on instagram check out the most beautiful chair from Parolan Rottinki, as they also recently just restocked (it’s been out of stock for a while) and make sure to also give me a follow to stay in the know of my upcoming shenanigans.
Thanks so much for the read and wishing you a happy, abundant 🎉NEW YEAR 2022 🎉
X,
Eva
Below you will find a mixture of some pictures from the Pop Up Shop at Spalt, Pukhraj and me, Moonah Wear shots, as well as the collaboration Kimono and the new High Priestess Hoodie.
MY BFF IS A BEEKEEPER
MY BFF IS A BEEKEEPER
Meet Elisa Nordman, a long time friend of mine who is an avid hobby beekeeper from Helsinki with a passion for sustainability, green thinking and a deep appreciation for nature and our planet. She keeps her two hives at a farm outside of the city and produces artisan honey under the brand name Hunter House Honey. I sat down with Elisa and picked her brain about her super hipster, yet actually amazingly impressive side hustle that she’s been doing for a while as I felt the urge to to introduce this insanely cool save the bees- gal with my fellow internet scrolling audience. Here goes.
Q: Who are you?
A: I am Elisa. I currently work as a graphic designer and in my free time I love to get outdoors and spend time in nature, read a lot, do sports and then of course beekeeping.
Q: What made you take up beekeeping and become a bee-person?
A: In all honesty, it was actually half a coincidence as I stumbled across an ad in beekeeping at a Christmas fair in Helsinki (Tuomaan markkinat). It immediately caught my attention and I took a photo of the ad and then the next day I thought to myself, what the heck, why not. I signed up for the course online, without truly knowing if I would follow through or not. Fast forward 5 months and I found myself in a beekeepers farm shopping for the gear. Once I had all the necessary items, I knew I would have to buy the bees as well. Even though there initially was some slight hesitation, I’ve always been aware of the role the bees play in our eco system and how they are struggling and declining in numbers due to the pollution, harsh pesticides and changing weather patterns. Since a very young age I’ve always loved the flavour of honey, so that worked as one motive as well.
Q: How did you get your hives, did you buy them?
Learn the difference: 1. Honey bee 2. Bumble bee 3. Wasp 4. European Hornet
A: Yes, I bought my hives from a beekeeping shop and the bee colonies I bought straight from a beekeeper I was referenced to through the beekeeping course. The beekeeping community is a quite small and there are forums online where you can exchange knowledge and buy equipment from people within the industry. So basically all the bee colonies are bought from another beekeeper, you can not buy them from a shop, or at least not that I know of.
Q: How do you get started in beekeeping?
A: Well, in my opinion the only way to start is to participate in a course and learn the basics. The other option might be to have a mentor who walks you through the step by step process of starting your own colony. I still highly recommend participating in a course as it’s quiet complicated and you’ll get into the community easier and learn to know other people within the community.
Q: Most people do not react well to the sight of swarming bees, were you afraid of the bees when you first started out as a beekeeper?
A: No, I wasn’t afraid of bees. Bees are actually really calm and they don’t mind us people if we let them be(e) in peace. I’ve noticed that people can not distinguish the difference between bees and wasps and most people easily mistake wasps for bees or vice versa. To clarify and in case you were unsure, bees and wasps serve different purposes in nature. Bees pollinate our food, our plants and produce honey, whereas wasps eat pests from flowers and plants, but their pollination value is lesser than their hairy cousins. I think it’s only relevant to be afraid if you know that you’re very allergic to the stings.
Q: Do beekeepers get stung by bees?
A: Yes of course, however not very often. I’ve only been stung while beekeeping less than 10 times through my gloves and suite. The stinger has not been able to penetrate my skin properly as I am always wearing my protective suite.
Q: As a beekeeper, do you become more sensitive or more in tuned to nature?
A: For sure. I’ve always been a nature lover, but now after beekeeping you have to pay more attention to the weather, to the seasons and to the flora around you as it all affects the bees and their behaviour. This is actually the part that I’ve enjoyed the most and it’s been very fulfilling to become more aware of my surroundings.
Q: What's the most fulfilling part of a beekeeper's job?
A: I’d have to say that the most fulfilling part of this job is to actually get to know your bees and to learn how to work with them as honey bees are not wild bees, even though they are free to fly, come and go as they wish. Honey bees need our help and I try my best to read their signals and their behaviour to my best ability and make the right decisions in being their caretaker. As an example, I need to prevent mites from invading the hives and when the season has ended it’s my job to feed the bees and prepare the hive for the winter.
Q: How long does a bee live?
A: On average a worker bee lives 40-50 days. A queen bee usually has a lifespan of 4-8 years.
Q: How much time does it take to take care of your hives?
A: Holy moly, it takes quite a lot of time. The general rule is to visit your hive every nine days, but usually I go there once a week. You never know what to expect, so it’s hard to know in advance wether you’ll end up spending an hour or five tending to your hive with each visit. In July I take a little more free time to myself as this time is usually the time the bees are collecting honey and you can actually let them be. That being said, this is not set in stone as it also depends on the weather. Many professional beekeepers are so good at reading the signs of nature that they can visit their hives according to weather (meaning less times), but I am not there yet personally.
Q: What has been the most surprising aspect about beekeeping?
A: The complexity of a bee colony. The system is totally astonishing and I am continuously learning more by each visit. For example, did you know that the queen is not the ruler in the hive, but the worker bees are. The worker bees make all the decisions collectively so if they see that the queen is not laying enough eggs, they will start to make a new queen bee by starting to feed an egg with royal gel.
Q: What do you have to say to anyone who is interested in starting beekeeping?
A: Find a course in beekeeping and you will get a good start. After my first course I was still completely and utterly lost because at that time I didn’t have my own hive yet as all the information was only theoretical. Slowly and after my first summer in beekeeping I took another advanced course in and finally things started making more sense to me. Just like with any new skill or hobby, learning takes time, so be patient! In Finland there are great courses in Työväenopisto, so make sure to check in with them.
Q: How much honey do you get per season and is it difficult to collect the honey?
A: Last summer I got around 30 kg of honey from only one hive. This season I am not sure what to expect yet, since one of the hives is very weak after the winter and the other is strong, but there has been some issues with the queen. Honey collecting is hard work. Firstly, the hive boxes are extremely heavy and it’s quite challenging to pick them up from the hive tower and your body positions while doing the labor can end up being super uncomfortable. In addition to the hard physical work, the bees usually get pretty upset with me fiddling with their home (understandable) , which adds an extra challenge to the whole process. That being said, last summer was my very first time collecting the honey, so I am hoping for it to run a little smoother this year. Fingers crossed. The bees do not hibernate during the winter, instead they curl up keeping warm and eat sugar water that we feed them in the autumn.
Q: Where can we find out more information about beekeeping and your bee endeavours?
A: I have an instagram account @beetvsuomi , where I share videos and posts about my beekeeping. I sell the honey after the summer and I have my small artisan label called Hunter House Honey.
Q: Any further plans for Hunter House Honey?
A: Not currently, my aim is to keep beekeeping and learning more as I go. I wish to spread awareness about bees and their importance to us humans.
Q: Tell us something weird about yourself?
A: I am extremely organised and well prepared when it comes to packing and my friends always make fun of me when we go on trips together, but I always have something they end up needing. I have issues with jello-like food textures and can not eat anything wobbly, slimy nor spongy, such as eggs, tofu or creme brûlée. Wherever I go I always make sure to check out the nearest exit route and I am passionate about whales. I have a degree in prosthetics & orthotics (prostatic legs.) I’ll just leave it at the list could go on for a while…
Q: Favorite quote?
A: I am bad with quotes but I guess you can’t go wrong with ”Always smile more than you cry, give more than you take and love more than you hate”.
Below an episode of BeeTv. Enjoy!
Thanks Elisa!
So long honey,
Evita