As we approach the holidays in lockdown, I'm focused on microdosing pleasures wherever I can find them, so I want to feature two inspiring companies that are in the business of pleasure. I have no association with either, so this is most definitely not an ad... just a celebration of what they are up to.
First? Gigamunch! (Just the name makes me smile.)
Gigamunch is a weekly food delivery service that delivers fully-cooked meals, developed by local immigrants and refugees, to customers' doorsteps. Each meal arrives with a printed cultural guide and a music playlist from the home country featured that week. The service is only available in the Nashville area for now, but they were actually brought to my attention by a client living in Los Angeles—so apparently word of what they're doing is traveling fast! What a cool thing... music playlists with dinner??
Life is so much richer when we open our hearts (and palates) to people from all different cultural backgrounds. I love this so much. Shouldn't this be nationwide?
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Next, I discovered McBride Sisters Wine through a heart-wrenching and inspiring episode of the podcast, How I Built This. Two half-sisters—one living in California, the other in New Zealand—discovered each other as adults after their long-absent father passed away. In 2005, they started a wine business focused on inclusivity and sustainability, and, since then, they have grown into one of the largest Black-owned wine companies in the world, sourcing grapes from the wine regions of both of their childhood homes. It's a story of two people, who were very much alone in the world, finding each other and making something beautiful out of that bond.
Guy Raz, the host of How I Built This, was so moved by their story that he decided to split it into two full-length episodes. It's well-worth the time if you enjoy stories about love, loss, sisterhood, and unlikely entrepreneurship. You can find the first episode here and the second here.
That's all. Just some love this week and encouragement to find and nurture tiny pleasures in the coming weeks—little things that give you joy and make you and the world better.
Much love,
Sarah
Celia and I had so much fun with our virtual release event at Parnassus! They sold out of books, but I'm heading back this week to sign more when they arrive. If you've ordered some from them, hold tight! They are on the way! And you can watch the video of our conversation anytime if you missed it!
If you bought your book from a different bookshop, feel free to reach out to me to get signed bookplates for yourself or your local shop.
I also had a chance to speak with Jeremy Park at CityCURRENT Radio this week. Jeremy spotlights companies and organizations that are doing good work or, as he puts it, #powerthegood. I was honored that he invited me! This conversation is about 10 minutes long and gives a feel for the different sections of THE HABIT TRIP.
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