Lisa Woodruff built the Sunday Basket in 2017 by taking concrete steps instead of waiting for perfection: prototyping with foam board, securing patents, finding a manufacturer, making hundreds of design choices, and teaching customers how to use it. She livestreamed from the Columbus factory for transparency and juggled basket creation, pocket development, and building a community of certified organizers.
Chapters
My biggest lesson learned in 2017 with the Sunday Basket is that you just need to take the next step. When I decided to make a Sunday Basket basket, the first step was I had to make the actual basket. I had to go buy the foam board. I had to create the basket. Then as soon as we had the basket, I realized, oh, I can't have anybody manufacture this until I get a patent. I had to get a patent. I had to make sure I wasn't infringing on anyone's trademark. I had to get a registered trademark. Then I had to get a manufacturer. Then we had to make 899 decisions about this box. And then we had to order it. And right now it's in ordering. And then it's going to need to get here. And as soon as it gets here, I could tell you the next thing— we had to pick colors. The next thing we have to do is figure out how to get it to you, how to price it, how to ship it, how to deliver it, how to to teach you how to use it, take the next step. One of the funnest Facebook Lives that I did this year was that when I was walking into the manufacturer in Columbus to have the prototype of the Sunday Basket made, it was like a surreal experience. Some of you were on there live with me and watched it. I was literally— I literally drove to Columbus. First of all, I like rarely leave the Cincinnati area, so it's a big deal. I drove up there and back in one day. I got in the car, took the kids to school, and I was like, I, I am driving up to Columbus to have a prototype made. I got there. I couldn't, I couldn't figure out where to park. I was downtown. I parked under some underpass or something. Partly I did the Facebook Live because I figured, well, if I'm going to be abducted, at least it'll be on Facebook Live and maybe somebody will find me easier. So I'm doing the Facebook Live as I'm walking into the manufacturer. And then I did a Facebook Live on the way out, again, partly for safety. And it was so cool to have you on that experience with me. I had no idea what I was doing. I, I didn't know if I was just throwing away $650. I didn't know if this Sunday basket would ever actually be manufactured. I didn't know if you'd ever want to buy one. I, I didn't know. I didn't know. But I knew one thing. If I didn't have the prototype made, I couldn't take the next step. That's all I knew was I needed to take the next step. And the other thing I want you to really take away from this is not just take the next step, but don't be too attached to the process. If I had focused on making sure I had enough certified workshop organizers, Or if I had focused on only making the basket last year, or if I had focused on only getting the slash pockets made last year, I wouldn't be where I am today. It was the bouncing between, okay, I need to make a basket. All right, we need the slash pockets to go in the basket. Okay, we need people that are going to want to share this message and come on this journey with me as certified organizers and continually taking the next step in all of those areas. That got me to where I am today. So let's relate that to— if you're listening real time, it is December 29th, 2017. And I want you to imagine what your house will look like on December 29th, 2018, if you would just take the next step. And not be too attached to the process of getting your home organized. I could tell you 100% without a doubt that if you join the 100-Day Home Organization Program, which is open for just a few more days, and you start January 1st, 2018, you will be able to do the 100-Day Home Organization Program 3 times in 2018.
