Greetings on our auspicious day.
I don't usually write a newsletter on a Monday, but this is a special day.
It was Twenty Five years ago today that Ancient Wisdom was born.
On Friday I told you the story of that first day of trading. You can read it here.
Thank you so much to all the people who wrote in with congratulation messages, it's a great encouragement to me and all at AW.
One kind person mentioned that 25 years is actually a "Silver Anniversary" - So we thought we would like to celebrate by issuing a Silver Voucher to all our customers.
It's worth £25 - and you can redeem it with any order over £200+vat within the next 25 days. See below, plus we have free shipping for the next 25 hours.
Plus some very special anniversary deals thrown in for good measure.
In Friday's newsletter I also made a call out for "Ben" to make himself known, as he was the first person to come up with the name we like best for our new warehouse address.
Ben had just posted anonymously to our blog site.
Below is his email.. I'm sure he won't mind me sharing it with you..
We are sending him Champagne today.. and I have invited Ben & Chloe to our official naming and opening party as guests of honour when this whole horrid covid thing is in the past.
If your covid depressed, or just fed up - Ben will cheer you up. Plus check out the deals below..
Anyway hope you have a great week.
Dear David,
I have this afternoon been arranging our most recent order received from Ancient Wisdom this week in our shop, getting ready for when lockdown ends here in Ireland (hopefully on 1st December). I had come home intending a quiet night in (as usual during lockdown) and just before I closed the lid of my laptop, I remembered it was Friday and I had not yet seen your newsletter, I always love to read your newsletters and reading them usually results in an hour or so browsing through your website filling up my cart :) I opened your email and read through it, as I scrolled down I see the picture of your new warehouse, imbedded the text "Affinity Park" I thought to myself "Oh look, they have called their new warehouse Affinity Park, I suggested that" Of course I thought someone else must have also suggested the same name... I never win anything! It wasn't until I had read the text surrounding the picture for the second or third time that the penny finally dropped... it was ME!! I jumped up and punched the air above my head... Frightened the life out of my partner Chloe! Haha.
WOW!!!! I am actually speechless!!! This is amazing!! I can not begin to explain just how happy we are!
I remember when my family and I woke to the news that you had had a fire at your warehouse, we assumed it was nothing serious as we had received an email from you guys, and then when I saw the gruesome images on the news I felt sick to the pit of my stomach, I could not believe it. The sense of loss I felt was immense. I remember pacing up and down the kitchen, a million thoughts going through my mind. Throughout my journey with Ancient Wisdom I feel I have been made to feel like one of the family, and that is genuinely a great feeling!! Of course I was concerned as to whether anyone had been hurt or worse, and the relief I felt once I had learned everyone was OK was great - but short lived. My thoughts then turned to the AW business, gutted by flames. I guess I underestimated you and Ancient Wisdom! I was sad for the people who might be losing their jobs and the businesses that would face disruption, all in the midst of the pandemic - it really could not have happened at a worse time! And then I thought of yourself, stuck out in Bali. I imagined how you might be feeling. Needless to say, as you will know only too well, that was not a good day! Like I said, I really have been made to feel like one of the AW family, so felt an incredible amount of many feelings, all of them sad at that time.
Since then I have read in awe your newsletters. You have spoken about hope and determination throughout. Frankly the way you have dealt with this has been inspirational! I am sure many may have curled up in a ball and given up! But not you or the AW Heros. WOW!
I spoke to Mauro a while after the fire, he told me of the "nightmarish" scenes he faced when he went to site. I can not even begin to imagine how yourself or any of the AW heros felt right then. I think myself and many of your customers shared somewhat in your grief.
And now look at where you are and what you guys have achieved... A new bigger warehouse, not only have you got much of the stock lost back in stock, but you are also adding new and fantastic lines regularly, your dispatch is currently the quickest I have ever known! What you and the AW Heros have achieved is amazing and to be naming your new warehouse "Affinity" has well and truly overwhelmed me! I won't bore you with my life story, But like you I also started off on street corners at markets selling bits & bobs, this and that. My family and I have had to overcome some real difficult times over the past few years and then in January when we moved here to Ireland, we felt like we had found our "Affinity" and then when we started our business again we found "Affinity" in that and then when we found Ancient Wisdom we found "Affinity" in our supplier...
Needless to say the word "Affinity" and its meaning is very dear to our family and from the bottom of our hearts we would like to thank you for using it to name your new warehouse!
Whilst here, can I please bring your attention to one thing? Mauro... What can I say? This man is an absolute LEGEND! The customer services I have received from Mauro, time and time again has been second to none! I call myself his very own pest! However he is always extremely helpful and obliging. No issue to small, no problem too big. It seems Mauro can sort anything. He is a true credit to Ancient Wisdom. I always hope there will be a way I can thank him for all of his help. Please pass on my thanks, and hopefully once the lockdowns ect are all over and we get back to some sort of normality I will come to Ancient Wisdom and thank him and yourself and all the AW Heros personally.
Thanks once again soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Yours,
Ben & Chloe.