Yep, I like the sound of that. 2014. Sounds FRESH. It's got a ring to it, y'know?
2013... Well, 2013. To encapsulate 2013 would be to describe it, broadly, as a year of change, a year of awakenings, a year of difference. ABS moved from a food catering business model to a snacks manufacturing business model (visit our store to check out our new line of products! www.anythingbutsalads.com)
ABS is in the midst of expansion. The health foods movement is finally kicking into gear in Hong Kong. ABS is growing. Fast.
Demand currently outranks supply. This is a happy problem, albeit still a problem.
Competition is picking up. And that's good. More awareness. More traffic into the health foods scene. More movement. More wisdom & knowledge shared. More awakenings. More dynamism. More for everyone.
Yes, I love the sound of 2014.
The cherry on top of all this is (finally) an Anything But Salads super store!
We're located on Tai Ping Shan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Doors open end March 2014. (Don't worry, I'll keep you updated).
Apart from that, ABS and I are getting lots of press coverage and you may check some of them out here:
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/supplement/food/art/20131120/18515023
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/supplement/food/art/20131230/18571022
So yes. ABS is moving. We're growing. And the tiny seed has blossomed into a sprout and the sprout is growing into a rather large tree. As with all growth and development, change is called for.
Time for a face lift.
Let's get started.
One thing I've noticed about myself is that I loathe fads. I honestly do. Fads are great for people who want to cash-in and cash-out quickly. They're good for those who like to take advantage of other's weaknesses, insecurities and lack of knowledge. They don't widen your scope of knowledge. And why would they? If you're knowledgeable, there's no advantage. Where's the profitability in that? They just give you what you THINK you want at that SPECIFIC time. Demand --> Supply. Most times, these individuals don't give you the whole picture. They just feed your inner demons.
Easy economics. Gullible buyers.
Think I'm being too harsh? Allow me to illustrate this for you......
"I've gained some pounds over the holidays. I don't like how my body looks and feels."
"Oooo.... Spiffy. Wanna lose weight fast?"
"Uh... Yeah."
"Well, I've got JUST the thing for you!"
Pfft. They ALWAYS have "just the thing for you".
So what choices do you have? Currently, in Hong Kong: Juice fasting. Raw food-ing. Fasting. Slimming centers. Slimming pills (how is THIS even legal?!) Blah blah blah.
Honestly folks, ask yourselves - what do you know? Socrates, a reputed wise man, once said that wisdom is knowing that you don't know anything at all. When you fast, have you ever asked yourself why fasting came about? What the actual motivations behind fasting are? Do the people selling you that fasting package tell you how to fast the correct way, how to break your fast and how to lead a sustainable healthy lifestyle, of which fasting is a mere part of? And is cutting down caloric intake the FASTEST way to lose weight? (I'm going to write an article about this later. But for now, the answer is NO).
How often do you find yourself yo-yo-ing between I-feel-amazing for 2-3 weeks and then swinging back to I-feel-awful-and-think-I-need-to-fast? Short term vanity over long term peace and happiness. I don't know about you, but the choice is pretty darn obvious to me.
In my conversations with people, I find lots of evangelists - They, or someone they know, or someone they know who knows someone, have read some blah-blah article on the internet and POOF! They're suddenly experts overnight. Or, they take some raw foods course (not bashing raw foodists here, I am a raw foods chef myself don't get me wrong) and POOF! They're suddenly experts on treating cancer and other ailments.
Despite having a solid grasp of nutrition and foods, I still do not dare profess myself as the evangelist of any one method. Our body is a complex organ. And the wonderful thing about Mother Nature is that everything and everyone is unique in their own special way.
There is no magic diet. There is no magic lifestyle. There is no magic pill.
There is life. And what you make of it.
So this is why I loathe fads. Fads create profiteering evangelists who treat YOU, the consumer, as puppets.
I'm not a puppet. That's why I don't view my clients as puppets or people whom I manipulate. No. ABS is founded on the principle of mutual respect.
I hear your problems. I empathise. I know what you're going through (Lord, do I know.... I've been through hell and back). I know what makes you tick (FYI, I am a psychologist). I know human weaknesses and insecurities. In spite of that, I'm not here to take advantage of you.
My mission is not to feed your inner demons. It's to empower you.
So I, and therefore ABS, do not believe in pushing products onto you. We do not flood channels just to make our bottom line look f*ing amazing. We do not preach that our products can cure your cancer or make you slim. No, we just offer you options of upgraded choices, in varying permutations, so you can decide what works for you.
Yes, we respect you.
That's why we exist.
2014.
Yeah, I like the sound of that.
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