September 2025 - Refresh, Reflect, Renew
Woo hoo! Three months of Peaceful Parcels have been sent out into the world. Sometimes we get so caught up in the details that it’s easy to forget how much we’ve accomplished, so I’m taking a moment to remind myself that this is a great achievement — even if it doesn’t always feel that way.
This month, we faced one of the challenges that so many small businesses must confront — finding the will to keep going. After sending out August’s parcels, we received some amazing reviews from people who loved the box, but for the first time since starting Peaceful Parcel, we also received a couple of not-so-great reviews that hit us harder than expected.
Remember, this is just a two-person business — me and my partner Kurtis — and we only have around 10–15 monthly subscribers. So any negative feedback, even just a little, felt momentarily like the end of the world. We talked it over and reminded ourselves that anything you put out into the world will be criticized, and the best way to respond is to learn and grow from it.
We decided to take the comments to heart and genuinely try to improve the product. The recurring theme in the two negative reviews was that the August parcel didn’t feel “relaxing” or that “it wasn’t for them.” After reflecting on this, I realized it might be because these subscribers had seen the July box’s review from Subscription Sisters on YouTube, loved those products, and decided to purchase — but the August box featured all new products with a different theme. Change can be tricky, and not every box will resonate with everyone, but it’s an important part of growing and improving.
We responded to their comments as best we could and left the door open for any additional feedback we could learn from. Some improvements we’ve made include making it clearer in our social posts and on our website that each month’s box is different, as well as putting extra care into our product selection process to ensure that everything we choose will bring our subscribers a sense of peace.
After navigating the hurdle of the negative reviews, we ran into another challenge we hadn’t faced before — securing influencer marketing for the month. In previous months, we had some wonderful YouTubers who were willing to review our box, but this month, when we reached out to new influencers, we didn’t get any bites.
This has a small impact on our business budget, as we had prepared an additional Peaceful Parcel specifically for influencer reviews — a box that ultimately wasn’t used as we had planned. No matter! We’ve decided to make the most of it by using the extra box for marketing materials and creating our own unboxing content to share and promote on our socials.
I share these struggles with you to show that we are human, doing our best to bring a little peace to your lives while also balancing the peace in our own. Running a small business can be hard, but it is also incredibly rewarding. We are truly thankful for every one of you who has subscribed and supported our shared sense of calm.
In honor of that peace, we spent a lot of time curating the perfect lineup for the September Peaceful Parcel, with the theme Refresh, Reflect, Renew.
Here’s what we included this month:
- “The Dreamer” Linen Journal from Dream Daily
- $25
- Handmade Ceramic Gua Sha from Celement
- $30
- Shea Baby Bath Bomb from Georgia Soap Co.
- $8
- Rejuvenating Age-Defying Face Mask from Taylor Made Organics
- $12
- Magnesium Organic Lotion from Taylor Made Organics
- $7
Altogether, the Refresh, Reflect, Renew box carried a value of $82, carefully curated to help you refresh your routine, reflect on what matters most, and renew your self-care rituals.
Even with the challenges this month, we’re grateful for how far we’ve come and continue to look to the future with an open heart (and maybe one a little tougher after those negative reviews).
♡ Sherry