Isn't it the worst when a company's marketing looks completely different from what your first-hand experience is with that company? There's a house plant company called The Sill, which literally markets itself as the friendliest, happiest plant company in the world, making plants accessible and fun for all. The concept was fresh two years ago, so I followed the company online as they grew from an online-only store to a real store. When I excitedly went into their actual store a year ago for the first time, I was met with silence, curt answers to questions, a snide remark to a basic plant question, and an unwelcoming vibe. The store felt nothing like the online marketing. When I feel tricked by marketing, it's like, bye. But when a company is what they say they are, I'm all in. That's the idea behind this thank you series where I've been thanking the authentic companies in my life all week. I want to do a little something to spread the word of people who are doing good and doing good business.
On day 1 of thank you week love letters, I recognized fitness companies that encourage real wellness, not shrinking bikini sizes. On day 2, I pointed out a site that helps cut out the (physical and emotional) excess in our lives. On day 3, I talked about early education resources that have been invaluable to our family.
Today, I appreciate organizations in my community: Capoeira Brooklyn and the Park Slope branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. These are super local to me, whereas my other posts have mostly been nationally or even internationally accessible. More than ever, though, I'm thinking about community on a smaller scale and wanting to surround myself with positivity...in my family, on my block, in my neighborhood, in my city, in my state, in my country! But, community starts small.
I'm lucky to have Capoeira Brooklyn on my block. My son has been learning this Brazilian martial arts with Mestre Foca since Greyson turned 3. This capoeira studio isn't just teaching a skill or a sport to make a buck. When a child or adult takes capoeira with Mestre Foca, he's also buying into a lot of good energy, a spirited community and a group that truly embraces all people.
Mestre Foca and his wife teach and practice capoeira and their two kids also practice the sport. They don't just preach, they live it. To me, this family represents the spirit and energy of capoeira. I love that the whole family is dedicated to capoeira and they all share the love of it with the world. Capoeira is not just martial arts, but it's also dance, music, culture and Brasil...and it's all the energy that those things represent. It's love, it's community, it's fitness, it's so many things in one sport.
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Tudo bem, Mestre Foca! |