As I begin my first blog post, I want to take a moment to thank all of Island to East Side’s loyal followers and customers. The love and outpouring of support, especially during this difficult time has been overwhelming, in such a great way.
From all of your feedback on our Instagram posts and stories, to the private DM’s we receive, I am truly amazed. We are navigating through unchartered waters right now and it’s not always easy knowing what the right thing to do is when it comes to business. Above all, I want to be connected and transparent with our customers, because without all of you, ITES would not be where it is today.
Recently, we hosted a few charitable shopping events and giveaways on Instagram that not only drove traffic to our site, but also created excitement in a lackluster time like this. People truly amaze me, in a good way. We received messages from those who participated in the giveaways, saying how much fun it was, even if they didn’t win, and that left me feeling like I was at least able to spread some good vibes. We also received notes from customers thanking us for arranging donations to Baby2Baby and Wish Upon a Wedding, which left me feeling humbled and appreciative for the opportunity to do so.
Since these giveaways and charitable shopping events were so successful, we are already brainstorming more ways to give back and connect with all of you daily. At ITES, we love collaborating with other brands, and this might be the perfect time to do so. As a result, we would also love to incorporate philanthropic purchases into our calendar year round, rather than just in this time of distress.
I truly believe the power of social media and the ability to access one another so easily puts us at an advantage; even though we are self-isolating physically, we are not alone. I’ve never felt so in touch with all of you and with our business. I’d love to take advantage of the time and clarity this quarantine has afforded me and establish a way I can continue to reach out to you as our busy lives resume.
For a while now, I’ve been thinking of how much I’d like to connect with all of you in a more personal way. Because Instagram has been a great way to share and engage our followers, I want to capitalize on additional ways to do so.
Truth be told, I’ve always been a bit hesitant to share too much of “me,” and so I’ve kept myself separate from the ITES brand, but this current “norm” we’re living in has given me the urge to step out of my comfort zone. And if we’re being frank, the time to write this, a luxury I didn’t have even a few short weeks ago.
If there’s one thing that’s surprised me while building this brand, it’s that people are genuinely interested in knowing not only about the custom items we design, but also the faces behind the brand. Because of that reason, and the need to fill my less busy schedule, I’ve decided to embrace some of the ideas I’ve had on the back burner and bring them to life. And here you have it, the #OOOwithITES blog is officially born.
Before all of this happened, I was super stressed out. Between work and wedding planning (yes, I’m also an ITES bride) I didn’t have a free spot in my mental capacity, certainly not to put my all into something like a blog.
What I wished for was that life could just take a pause, everything around me would stop moving, and I wouldn’t have to feel guilty anymore about abandonin
Well it looks like I got exactly what I wished for, (not in the way I had hoped it would happen of course), and it looks like you’ll now have a new blog to read each week.
Unable to control what’s going on outside, I’m using this time to organize both personally and professionally. In addition to launching #OOOwithITES, I’ve also gone back to the drawing board and asked myself, what is it that I want to see ITES stand for in the future. Whether it’s new items, new outlets to connect with all of you, or interactive ways to give back to the community that helped get ITES where it is today, I want to always keep the brand fresh and moving forward.
As a small business owner with no one to answer to but myself, I am trying to focus and practice new forms of self-discipline while working remotely. There’s something about being in the office, surrounded by all of our beautiful bags, that allows me to be creative and product focused. Since we can’t be there right now, I will continue to dream big from the safety of my bedroom, in the city that never sleeps.
There is something to be said about New Yorkers; we are resilient in the face of adversity. We’re accustomed to just going, and going, and often get stuck in our daily routine so much so that we don’t take a moment to just breathe.
While we are all being forced to work and create in different ways, I believe that something wonderful will come out of all off this. Wherever you are, remember, this too shall pass and we’ll make a brand new start from it.
Kristy Sutton
I have to give this miraculous testimony to the whole world to hear, which is so unbelievable until now. I had a problem with my Ex husband 1 years and 6 months ago, which led to our break up. I was not myself again, I felt so empty inside me, my love and financial situation became worse, until a close friend of mine told me about a spell caster who helped her in the same problem too. His name is Doctor Oman. I emailed the spell caster and I told him my problem and I did what he asked of me, to cut the long story short. Before I knew what was happening , less than two days later my husband gave me a call and told me that he was coming back to me. I was so happy to have him back. The most interesting part of the story is that I am pregnant. Thanks to Miraculous Solution home for saving my marriage and for also saving others’ own too. Continue your good work Miraculous Solution Home. If you are interested to contact the great spell caster visit him by text him up on WhatsApp at;: +66 83 685 5474
his email address is, MIRACULOUSSOLUTIONHOME@YAHOO.COM
Kristy Sutton
I have to give this miraculous testimony to the whole world to hear, which is so unbelievable until now. I had a problem with my Ex husband 1 years and 6 months ago, which led to our break up. I was not myself again, I felt so empty inside me, my love and financial situation became worse, until a close friend of mine told me about a spell caster who helped her in the same problem too. His name is Doctor Oman. I emailed the spell caster and I told him my problem and I did what he asked of me, to cut the long story short. Before I knew what was happening , less than two days later my husband gave me a call and told me that he was coming back to me. I was so happy to have him back. The most interesting part of the story is that I am pregnant. Thanks to Miraculous Solution home for saving my marriage and for also saving others’ own too. Continue your good work Miraculous Solution Home. If you are interested to contact the great spell caster visit him by text him up on WhatsApp at: +66 83 685 5474
his email address is, MIRACULOUSSOLUTIONHOME@YAHOO.COM
Nicole Kidman
Hi everyone my name is Nicole Kidman from Las Vegas and I am here to also give gratitude to Dr Isikolo whom God used to savage my situation and restore the joy and happiness in my home. I lost my husband to a lady abroad when he went to work in the same region where she lives. I never knew all that happened till a friend of mine sent me photos of both together and it was known to me after then that it was the reason why my husband grew cold towards me and left me behind. My husband was hypnotized and mind controlled and I knew everything when I contacted Dr Isikolo when I searched for help and found none. He assured me of his return and having our love and happiness restored back which he did and the result started manifesting after 48 hours. Now I have my man back and I can’t thank Dr Isikolo enough for his honesty and support. Just text him via WhatsApp +2348133261196 or email him via: isikolosolutionhome@gmail.com or read more about him via his website (https://isikolotemple.com)
Colleen Williams
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Marie Levi
A big thanks from Marie Levi to DR ISIKOLO for helping me to restore my broken home. Inconsistency has been the order of the day in my home and marriage. My husband has had a hell of a problem and torn on my flesh ever since we started having too many misunderstandings. Some days, he just left and never returned until its past weeks. I was devastated and tried all I could to fix the problems but didn’t succeed. I had to search out for help and I was directed by a friend to contact DR ISIKOLO which I did. I never knew it would be possible because the problems had lingered for two whole years. DR ISIKOLO assured me and only told me to trust him and believe in having my desires granted. He fixed my marriage with his powerful love reunion bond and my home is great again and my husband is with me never to leave anymore. Contact him too and believe he can help you because he has no bad records. Just text him via WhatsApp +2348133261196 or email him via: isikolosolutionhome@gmail.com or review his website (https://isikolotemple.com)