WaterLilyZen is the inspired brainchild of Bindia Hallauer, former Microsoft executive, world traveller, and yoga teacher. I first met Hallauer almost four years ago as I was looking for a personal yoga teacher in order to recover from an injury and increase my flexibility and core strength. At the time, she said I reminded her of a lotus, a plant whose blooms emerge from the depths of the water and rise above it. Water lilies, on the other hand, float on the water and sway with the currents...in a peaceful Zen-like manner.
When I saw that Hallauer had started a new venture of handcrafted, sustainable gifts for home and living, I had to check it out. And I was surprised by the reasonable prices on these limited edition or one of a kind goods. So I had to find out more. What follows are the questions I asked Hallauer about her passion and purpose in creating the conscious company of WaterLilyZen.
What made you start the WaterLilyZen?
It is nice to have things around us that inspire us. Lifestyle themes are varied, so what inspires someone can be very different person to person. Someone can be into yoga, someone into surfing, someone may like mountains and someone just southwestern lifestyle.
In recent times, consumers and communities becoming more and more interested in knowing what materials have gone towards making the item they choose to acquire.
These two fundamental aspects are at the core of why I started WaterLilyZen. WaterLilyZen was created to bring you expressions of mindful living.
Mindfully created items for Mindful Living. Right from the creation of lifestyle-theme-based designs, onto the materials that go towards developing items, onto the dedicated moments that an artist has put into creating each aspect – matters to WaterLilyZen and it matters to its customers.
How do you curate or make what you sell?
WaterLilyZen is about unique handmade, handcrafted items that are built in small batches. I am a creator and designer myself. But I also collaborate with small artisans locally in the US and globally around the world to choose materials and develop designs that stay true to WaterLilyZen's vision for its customers and communities.
From where do you derive inspiration?
Nature itself is a vast inspiration for us. Ancient and contemporary patterns invigorate us. And our global community itself is a huge inspiration for us. We appreciate the continuous feedback from our customers as well who help us continuously evolve our line of offerings.
What are your hopes for the company or why do you see it as important?
Of course, we hope to see more and more lifestyle themes added, more designs and items added to the portfolio – creating a gallery of choices for customers.
WaterLilyZen is just two months into its launch since mid July 2017. At the moment we have online presence via our WaterLilyZen.com web site where customers can buy our offerings from. Our outreach and engagement with audience and communities is mainly via social media platforms. So far, we are growing organically and by word of mouth.
We have yet to see a boost where WaterLilyZen becomes a defacto choice for mindful living accents and choices. When people or establishments think of decorating and accentuating with mindful living, it would be great to see WaterLilyZen to become their partner of choice.
Do you only sell to the United States or will you sell worldwide?
U.S. and Worldwide. Currently we have customers mainly from the U.S.
If a sustainable company or artist wants to sell on your site, can they? How?
Since we are a small company, the direct connection with artists is a mutually appreciated aspect for us. Minimizing middle-men, agents and brokers helps us bring value and beauty from an artist' chisel or canvas directly to our customers.
If any artist wishes to collaborate with WaterLilyZen, they are welcome to contact me directly at Bindia@WaterLilyZen.com
Anything else you want to add?
Be sure to check our 'Autumn Hues' theme on our site.
It is the season of giving - we keep adding fresh selection of 'Gifts' ideas and items on the site. Go ahead and give yourself an acknowledgement with a gift or make a loved one feel appreciated!
