Jo's Journal - March

What a busy month March has been, here at Mantra! With two major events which we were exhibiting and speaking at, as well as International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day, it’s been a non-stop month of activity here.

We’ve had the chance to meet several of you in London this month, with our pop-ups at the wonderful ‘LiveWell London’ event at Old Billingsgate, and the always-inspiring ‘MindfulLiving Show’ in Islington.

I also got the chance to speak to several of you in depth, after my ‘Find your mantra’ workshops at both events, which was a real privilege. I heard about some of the challenges you are facing in your lives right now, including the crises of confidence which are holding you back. But I also got to hear about many of your successes and celebrations, as you marked an achievement with a specific mantra.

The most frequently requested engraving for the reverse of our pendants at both events was, ‘I am enough’, and this was one of our bestselling ready-to-wear pieces too.

I understand why, as this is such a powerful phrase for us women in particular. I want to shout from the rooftops that you ARE enough. You are strong enough, good enough, talented enough, brave enough, deserving enough. You have all the skills you need inside you. It is easy to lack confidence or self-belief when life knocks you back: say this mantra to yourself to help you get back on track; to remind yourself that you are strong and powerful.

For me, words have always had the power to get me back on track. Song lyrics, listened to over and over again; lines of poetry, written down in my notepad; inspiring quotes on a postcard, stuck on my wall; paragraphs in books, highlighted in pencil. I have always been drawn to words for inspiration and life advice – and I see many of you are too.

We feel honoured to hear what you want engraved on your ‘myMantra’ necklaces, as these are powerful and highly personal messages to yourself.

For my latest purchase, I have had ‘A peaceful, easy feeling’ engraved on the ‘Moon and Sun’ myMantra pendant – from The Eagles’ song – as this is how I want to feel in my life this year. Having peace of mind; feeling in flow and at ease with the work I am doing; working with people who ‘get’ us and enjoying working with us; knowing that what we are working on is right for us, our customers and our brand.

This month has also seen us move forwards with no fewer than four new collaborations, all of which we will be announcing soon – with some truly inspirational and exciting women.

Life coach and warrior women, Nicky Clinch; positivity and mindset coach, Holly Matthews; anxiety specialist, Chloe Brotheridge; and love coach, Persia Lawson. Each is working with us to design pieces for Mantra, with a message and a design that embodies their personal beliefs. I can’t wait to tell you more!

Earlier this month, I was invited onto a panel on International Women’s Day, at Royal Bank of Scotland / Natwest, to discuss the entrepreneurial journey, and answer questions about being a women in business. It was a great session, with interesting questions and shared experiences from the mainly banking audience.

This is a day which I feel very strongly about, and am always keen to mark. We launched our new ‘Sisterhood’ charity necklace this year, on International Women’s Day – to celebrate all the things women have in common, rather than focusing on our differences.

We have also been seeing all your wonderful and loving messages for your mums, as Mother’s Day gifts have been flying out of the door. Our beautiful Family Tree necklace, our Strength disc, and our personalised ‘myMantra’ pendants have been the most popular choices for this important day.

I have also had a lot of fun this month, with a weekend in London to celebrate a friend’s 50th. As well as going to a musical and a few cocktail bars, we visited the Pierre Bonnard exhibition at the Tate Modern. What an inspiring, uplifting and life-affirming show! So inspiring – we went back again, the very next day

And with the sun shining and Spring well and truly here – it’s been a wonderful month here at Mantra.

I hope your March has been equally inspiring, and I look forward to catching up with you again in April.

Jo xx