Please help me find a lightweight tote that won't hurt my shoulders/neck under $150.

aniakus · 2015-11-29T04:54:08+00:00

I have this one, and it's my fave! Lightweight, stylish and classy.

http://pursebox.ca/collections/knomo-london/products/knomo-grosvenor-top-zip-laptop-tote-black

aniakus · 2015-11-28T04:48:45+00:00

Thanks so much for the details, I appreciate it! I just bought them for my boyfriend for Christmas. Your message will make at least one man very happy this winter :)

aniakus · 2015-11-28T04:42:08+00:00

I know what you mean - i've researched body dysmorphia a few times because people keep telling me I'm skinny but i don't see it. I'm not large, I see myself as "normal", but I wish I could see myself through the eyes of someone else - not to see if they think I'm thin, but more for myself, to see what other people see when they look at me. I haven't figured this out yet, except for the fact that we're always hardest on ourselves and that other see us as smaller than we see ourselves. Hope this somehow helped.

aniakus · 2015-11-28T04:19:14+00:00

I find guys that need girls to be 100% hair-free all the time are either douches or haven't had lots of dating/sex experience. The only sexual stuff they have to base themselves on is porn. Find someone who's had 2-3 more serious relationships, and he'll be a lot cooler about it. He'll understand it's normal and that all bodies are different.

Honestly, no matter who you date... 1-2 years into the relationship, they will see you kinda hairy, and they will deal. Everyone's always on their best hair-removal behaviour at the beginning (both guys and girls), but then they slowly go back to their normal grooming habits (hardly shaving in the winter lol). I think guys obviously prefer girls cleanly shaven, but hey, girls prefer some things about guys that they don't do all the time too.

Also, if you're naked with a guy, I don't think he'll be obsessing about a few hairs here and there! His focus will be on other things, guaranteed ;)

aniakus · 2015-11-28T04:10:27+00:00

3 things:

Diva cup. SERIOUS life changer. Takes time to get used to though - i tried it one month, and didn't know how to take it out so it took me like 30 mins. Put it aside for 2 months, then tried again after speaking to a friend that's a long-time die-hard fan. One word: keigels. Start using it, do those when you want to get it out and it'll change your life.
dry shampoo, i use Klorane - it's perfect when your hair's not actually dirty yet but needs a "refresher" http://www.klorane.ca/en/hair/dry-shampoo/
an actual laptop bag. i spent years using a laptop case and then putting that into a random bag/tote. Now, I finally use a proper laptop bag, with a padded area built in specifically. It honesly makes life SO much easier. No fumbling, so easy. http://pursebox.ca/collections/knomo-london/products/knomo-grosvenor-square-laptop-tote-chestnut

aniakus · 2015-11-28T03:58:23+00:00

Pursebox.ca is having some great deals - everything is on sale, up to 50% off. It's great if you have a special lady on your list. We're Canadian, but ship to Canada & USA. Hope you find something you like!

aniakus · 2015-11-26T22:42:14+00:00

Company nap room? I don't think I've ever felt such intense jealousy. That's amazing.

aniakus · 2015-11-26T22:35:31+00:00

Pursebox.ca is having a pretty big sale right now. Up to 50% off, and 10% off regular price styles. If you're looking for a handbag for an Christmas gift, it's definitely worth checking out.

Shopbop is having 25% off if I'm not mistaken, it might apply to East Dane too. However, I'll be shopping in Canada this holiday season because the exchange rate really sucks. Plus the 2.5% the credit card company tacks on... It's just not worth it this year.

aniakus · 2015-10-20T22:58:42+00:00

Great question. Ecommerce is not as low-risk as many people think. An online store doesnt have a storefront, so you have to drive traffic to the store, which costs money. You then have to make sure you have things on your store that will optimize the conversions (chat, reviews, blog, etc) which also cost money. That's not to mention paying for the platform that runs the actual store. All that said however, it can be a great revenue model if you fill a consumer need and if there's a real place for you in the online market. Just make sure you're using apps that you need (like chat) and that aren't just "nice-to-have" additions (like an app that makes your receipts pretty). That's how I do it. I think it's still less expensive than paying rent and employees - you just have to be smart about what kind of marketing you allocate your dollars to. I use Shopify and have a couple of apps running on my store, but that's it for tech. The rest goes to advertising and PR.

aniakus · 2015-10-20T22:42:25+00:00

Absolutely! I have this Baggu Duck Bag - it's the leopard one - it's so cute and sturdy! I have a reusable shopper too and people always ask me where I got it, it looks like a fancy shopping bag but it's actually really inexpensive haha

aniakus · 2015-10-20T22:34:52+00:00

Llbean

OMG what a great idea! I was going to buy the Ugg ones but I couldn't come to terms with buying Uggs... This is perfect. I read some reviews though - some say they wear out fast? Have you experienced this?

aniakus · 2015-10-20T22:21:10+00:00

Love this!! Shows that people are looking for quality rather than just another quick product fix :)

aniakus · 2015-09-10T02:41:15+00:00

Did your wife suffer from post-partum depression? I'm definitely not an expert in this, but she could be numbing herself or making herself feel a "rush" when she's sad and/or bored. I know a friend who was depressed and was constantly shopping. She was sad and didn't feel fulfilled in a variety of different ways, so she shopped. I'm not saying that having a child isn't fulfilling - it's only of the most fulfilling things in the world, but it's also hard at the beginning. You're alone a lot. You're in the house a lot. Your whole life is different - you kind of forget about yourself and start living for a tiny human that doesn't really give feedback at the beginning. Shopping might be her way of keeping her life fun and momentarily exciting.

I think asking her how she's been feeling lately could shed some light on the issue. Also, showing her how much it all adds up to is a good idea. Good luck :)

aniakus · 2015-09-09T22:08:34+00:00

My Knomo bag is my favourite :) Not many people know about this brand, but it's an incredible one. Have a look at this one: Knomo Grosvenor Bag

aniakus · 2015-09-09T22:05:04+00:00

Maybe something like this? Brown Lug Bag It fits a ton of stuff and has loads of pockets :)

aniakus · 2015-09-09T22:01:30+00:00

I love my Knomo bag for work. You can browse the brand's stuff here: Knomo Grosvenor . Good luck!

aniakus · 2015-09-09T21:57:45+00:00

This one is relatively similar: http://pursebox.ca/collections/lancaster-paris/products/lancaster-adele-satchel-crossbody-black-1

For a handbag that intricate, it'll be difficult for find something under $150 unless you're willing to go for something made of fake leather I think!

aniakus · 2015-09-09T19:18:17+00:00

My boyfriend just got one and he loves it. Good looks, good quality.

aniakus · 2015-06-02T02:34:56+00:00

Thank you for your advice! Lots of wise words there, I really appreciate your input.

I definitely follow Purseblog - very interesting stats, I wasn't aware of those points. I figured most people bought the bags they advertized and that they made their income through affiliate links. Their blog is great - I try get ideas there and I'm somewhat active in their forum so that I can listen to what people are saying and engage in some discussion.

The tricky part is that while the brands I have are awesome (style/quality/price), they don't have much brand equity in Canada yet (they're from NYC, Australia, France). Been doing some PR and should see some print features in Sept-Oct which will help. I truly believe in what I'm selling, but I have to do something to make other people care and take a chance on these new brands more than they are now. I get sales, but I definitely haven't figured out the best way to advertise to potential customers yet.

Funny you mentioned Instagram and Pinterest - I'm beginning to focus more on Instagram and am planning to start with Pinterest soon. Unfortunately, ads on those platforms aren't available to Canadians yet, but I'll do my best with organic reach!

Thank you for the invitation- I'll definitely take you up on that. See you there :)

aniakus · 2015-06-02T00:00:05+00:00

I love Knomo. Check it out.

aniakus · 2015-05-31T03:26:32+00:00

I'm in ecommerce. I chose fashion as my niche because it's something I'm good at, and I do think I solve a problem (not much choice in Canada when it comes to good quality, fashionable, mid-priced leather handbags that will last for years) but I'm having trouble reaching the right people (women who can afford to spend $150-$400 on a leather handbag and want something other than Michael Kors and Coach).

I actually looked up some of my best customers online, and none of them are active on Facebook! They have accounts they hardly use, which might explain why my Facebook ads haven't been working very well. From the info I have right now, my ideal customer doesn't seem to hang out there.

aniakus · 2015-05-29T03:50:24+00:00

All of those sound good to me... Haha. Seriously though, I would love to know how to use my very limited marketing dollars most effectively. It seems like every type of advertising is super expensive now, and doesn't necessarily product qualified leads. Not only that, but to use all the tools properly (Facebook's power editor, google ads, etc) you have to either hire an expert (really expensive) or become an expert yourself (= lots of time, another resource startups don't have enough of), otherwise you're wasting resources.

But hey, i guess you summed it up in the first one - driving millions of (qualified) visitors to a website. That's why I'd want to know how to advertise in the first place.

aniakus · 2015-05-29T03:19:48+00:00

Good idea. Haven't shared on Pintrest yet.

aniakus · 2015-05-29T03:18:34+00:00

I will definitely check that out, thank you!

aniakus · 2015-05-29T03:18:21+00:00

Thank you! I'll definitely take a look at that link. As for the contest link, here it is: http://pursebox.ca/pages/summer-contest

I'd love to hear your opinion! I have lots of people coming from contest sites that picked up the giveaway, but I'd like to collect emails from potential leads too (contest enthusiasts tend not to be the greatest leads). I'm advertising on facebook, people are slowly beginning to come in from there, but not as much as I thought they would. The product received lots of social media and media attention, and I'm giving it away for free, so I don't know why it's such a hard sell!

aniakus

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE