This time on the adventures of JŌHI TALES ....
It all started with a trip to Malta, my cousin’s 50th birthday, and a set of gel tips.
Lately, my entire life has been leaning toward going natural, separating myself from a chemical-filled world and shedding constant digital noise. For the past year and a half, I’ve felt this quiet, persistent pull to just sit with my own thoughts again. The endless cycle of podcasters reading from teleprompters, Twitter Or AKA "X"wars, and digital outrage on social media has gotten redundant, overwhelming, and frankly, exhausting.
When I returned home to Kodiak Island-our big, beautiful island floating in the Gulf of Alaska-I knew the gel tips had to come off immediately.
At the salon, when asked what color I wanted, my standard response is always classic red or a light natural pink. I don’t usually stray far into "crazy" or bright colors. But out of nowhere, an inner whisper said: Yellow.
I’ve been searching for design inspiration, a way to reconnect with myself, and who knows maybe a rebirth. I ended up picking a regular, old-school yellow nail polish—the kind that chips after two or three days (and yes, it’s already chipping). But it felt right.
Yesterday was a day of breakthroughs all around. We took the dogs to White Sands Beach, and it ended up being a day of major milestones for my fur babies. Josie took the plunge and learned how to swim for the first time, coming out dripping wet and proud, while London had a huge breakthrough of his own learning how to share. Watching them navigate those quiet, real-life wins reminded me about the simplicities of life that bring a true sense of joy. Moments away from the endless doom scrolling chasing that feeling.
On the drive home from the beach, I was listening to YouTube when a video popped up by the channel That Practical Mom titled "I Quit My Smartphone for a Year. Here’s What Nobody Tells You."
In the video, she shares how stepping away from her smartphone, deleting apps, and shifting to a minimal phone (like a Light Phone) completely transformed her mental clarity, her sense of time, and her peace of mind.
And then I noticed it: she had yellow nails. The exact same shade as mine.
Call it a sign, a synchronicity, or a gentle nudge from the universe, butI knew right then what I had to do.
Without overthinking, I deleted TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook off my phone.
I didn’t destroy the accounts, but I removed the apps. For so long, running an e-commerce business in 2026 has felt like a non-stop lecture on "social media, social media, social media" and "sell, sell, sell." While I want my business to grow, I’ve never been someone motivated by relentless consumerism. I am a creative. I want to formulate and craft things that genuinely serve a purpose for people, not treat my community like mindless consumers meant to be pushed down a sales funnel.
The second I hit delete, an immediate weight lifted off my shoulders.
Of course, the question is there: How do you run a natural shampoo bar business in 2026 without social media?
To be honest? I’m figuring it out as I go.
Instead of quick-fix clips designed for mindless scrolling, I’m planning to use YouTube as a place to sit down, talk, and genuinely document this journey. I want to build a space where I can share the creative evolution of the brand, dive into original concepts like my "Cleopatra: The Future’s Ancient" series, and talk candidly about what it looks like to build an intentional business off the social media treadmill.
I need this space. I need time apart from the feeds to hear my own voice again, to relate to real people in real life, and to build this brand from a place of authenticity.
So, I’m following the yellow brick road, or in this case, my chipping yellow painted nails.
Here’s to stepping off the grid, reclaiming our time, and building something meaningful from the ground up.
Stay tuned here on Jōhi Tales for real updates on the journey, handcrafted formulations, recipes, and honest thoughts on living intentionally, or doing our dang best too!
Sincerly,
Sacha 🌱
0 comments