This year, the EMasters x Design by Shoi partnership celebrated 23 years in internet marketing and web design. In 2016, we took on a new challenge when were invited to start Nusantara Collection — but this venture into online retail had to take a back seat when Covid changed many parameters (like logistics costs), and the initial partners decided to move in different directions.
It was on that journey, however, that we learned many new things. For example, when we investigated different social media and marketing platforms to promote Nusantara Collection, we couldn’t find anything that could serve our ‘slow’ (artisanal) niche and accomplish what we wanted to achieve…
- We were looking for a marketing platform that provided authentic data — so our progress can be measured using accurate & reliable metrics.
- We wanted a space where we could tell our stories to a returning audience — where they could follow an unfolding story or series sequentially — and a safe environment where we could share different perspectives without the fear of being attacked.
- We didn’t want intrusive ads to dilute the message… or allow scam ads, misleading algorithm-generated headlines unrelated to content, etc.
- On top of that, we wanted a space where genuine networking & relationship-building could take place.
Current social media and marketing platforms do not cater to slow-moving value-added products (or value-added services) that require the building of relationships. Generally, social media encourages race-to-the-bottom price points, and other proprietary platforms either have built-in “stickiness” that do not give you the full marketing tools to succeed, or have restrictions on integration for augmentation.
So when we created It’s My Life as an alternative to these social media/marketing/networking platforms… for the reasons above, we chose open source over proprietary. This way, we can evolve with the needs of our Community… and add the right tools to help our Community grow. In particular, we have a deep desire to support artisans who make handcrafted items, art imbued with the heart & soul of their makers… where It’s My Life can be a nurturing space for them to express their authenticity.
In EMasters‘ 23-year journey with Design by Shoi, we embraced a culture of walking the distance with our clients — delivering value work at a reasonable price point, and never compromising on quality. And we wanted It’s My Life to also reflect those values.
After careful deliberation, we decided that It’s My Life was something we could do because we have agency here… we already have a mature & reliable Team that can take this effort forward without the need for external partners (eg. our Nusantara Collection experiment) until the right ones come along.
This is the only way we believe It’s My Life can become a genuine Community — where It’s My Life provides the nurturing framework… and members/subscribers are encouraged to interact to find win-win collaborations & relationships.
The framework — one that recognizes, values & honors the expression of your authentic self — is important. This means that even as we travel down the pathway of It’s My Life… we will be able to retain our authenticity and not unconsciously morph into something else.
If you have questions or wish to discuss any blog post or topic… please sign up for It’s My Life for that specific topic… or join me on The Spiritual Realist in Business FB Group if you have other questions outside of the topic and I’ll try to cover them at first opportunity.
