Meet Margaret Ann Lembo, President/Founder and Author-The Crystal Garden, Inc. (est. 1988)
Tell us about your business…
The Crystal Garden is a book store, gift store, and spiritual premier center in Palm Beach County. We have multiple showrooms filled with gemstone jewelry, sparkling gemstones and crystals, aromatherapy, unique gifts from around the world, positive thought and self-help books, scented candles, wind chimes, angels, and many events for body, mind and spirit. The Crystal Garden is the home of Smudge in Sprays sold through the US, Canada and Mexico and The Crystal Garden Brand Essential Oils and Aroma-Energetic Mists and Sprays. The owner and creator is award winning author, Margaret Ann Lembo, author of Chakra Awakening; The Essential Guide to Crystals, Minerals and Stones (both published by Llewellyn Worldwide); Color Your Life with Crystals (publisher Findhorn Press) and 7 Spoken Audio Guided Meditation CDs.
Our customers are seekers of inner peace, joy, spiritual fulfillment and a desire to be happy and healthy on all levels. The store has proven to provide this support and comfort while offering a wide variety of merchandise and events for over 25 years.
Please tell us what being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?
After 12 years as a mortgage banker, the 1987 stock market crash catapulted me out of a lucrative career into creating my own business. Leaving the mortgage banking industry was bittersweet because I left as a Senior Vice President running 4 offices in Southwest and Southeast Florida and over 40 qualified employees on staff. There was a major gift in this transition. The many years of financial background, running multiple offices, and many employees while offering training programs in house and for outside companies, including colleges, gave me a strong foundation for establishing my own business. I come from a family of self-employed entrepreneurs to provide a lifetime of education.
What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?
My father and various family members and close family friends were business models for me. I started working in my father’s business at 13 years old during the summer breaks and weekends starting foundation of on-the-job training to the various aspects of owning a successful business.
What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
My greatest professional accomplishments are
- becoming an internationally recognized published author with more titles to come.
- creator of award winning Smudge in Spray and full line of Aroma-Energetic Sprays – formulas for these are Divinely inspired
- creatress of a successful business with a Retail, Wholesale and Events Center Divisions over 25 years old.
What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?
Whatever you passionately believe in and work ardently to achieve will come to pass especially if you love what you do.
What has been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?
There are various tools I’ve used that have provided a service to my customers and my community and thereby naturally promoted my business. I firmly believe that having a primary intention of service for the good and well-being of the members of my local community is the best foundation. Education about the products and goods we offer brings about automatic sales. Becoming an expert in my field with 3 published books helps as well. Local advertising and word of mouth is always on my marketing list. National and international attention is directed to my business due to the use of social media, especially Facebook. Because I’ve toured on National Book tour over the past 5 years, this has proven to be a very good marketing and sales tool for my Wholesale Division as well as for those who travel to South Florida on vacation. Our tropical climate brings readers and customers from all over the world to my store as a destination must!
What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?
One thing I have learned throughout my life, both in business and my personal life, is that the power of positive thought, belief in oneself, and a powerful imagination can create anything with ardent desire and dedicated action with perserverance. Also, maintain a focus on loving kindness and service to the greatest good is a perfect foundation for life and business.
Do you have any new projects coming up (or have you just completed a big project ~ reached a milestone, etc.)? If so, please tell us about it.
I just launched a new addition to The Crystal Garden Brand aromtherapy line of Aroma-Energetic Sprays – the 7 Chakra Sprays.The formulas or recipes are received through Divine Inspiration combined with my experience and knowledge of essential oils and vibrational healing.
Each spray has the following components to make it an Aroma-Energtic Spray:
- proprietary blend of high quality Crystal Garden brand essential oils
- Gemstone Tinctures
- Holy Waters
- Sacred Site Essences
- Bach Flower Remedies
- Positive affirmations
There are 2 more new additions on the drawing board for 2014 as continue to work on my next book.
What do you do for fun/relaxation?
I enjoy watching movies, reading and visiting with friends.
What is Number One Business Goal you plan to accomplish over the next year?
Continue to be creatively inspired to provide tools for positive thinking to help people live a happy life.
You want to write a book on ______________________ (fill in the blank and feel free to explain).
I am currently in the process of writing my next book and have written three previously published. I have a publishing contract and the working title is Aromatherapy and Vibrational Healing.
What’s the best way for our readers to connect with you (feel free to include the links to your social networks and websites)?
www.TheCrystalGarden.com
www.MargaretAnnLembo.com
Join the conversation! Facebook.com/MargaretAnnLemboPage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MargaretAnnLembo
Follow Tweets: Twitter.com/MargaretAnLembo
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