I Love California And Other Entrepreneur Musings

(The apocalyptic sky at 11:00 a.m. in San Francisco, California on September 9, 2020 - photo credit: Trina Chow)

Maybe it is because today marks 19 years since September 11th, 2001.

Or perhaps because to date over 3.1 million acres have burned in California this year (per CalFire).

And here in the Bay Area we are projected to have 29 consecutive Spare The Air Days and counting. (Spare the Air days are declared for days in which the air quality index is over 100)

Not to mention we are in our 7th month of the pandemic with flu season on the horizon.

For those of you who aren’t in the Bay Area, the color of the sky ranges from ash gray to reddish orange and some days the sun is bright orange or you can't see it at all.

The mood here is best described as reflective, eerie and somber.

My heart breaks for California. People often ask, why are we still here in the Bay Area? 'Should we stay or should we go' is a frequent topic. As it turns out, we Californians are hearty folk.  Like Juana Briones and other early settlers, and like those investors on Sand Hill, we take risks and gamble as we stare down Mother Nature in the face of record heat waves, uncontained wildfires, and yes...earthquakes.

At times the current mood can be a bit much for the spirit and I have to remind myself of all this as I reflect on how the timing of 2020’s major events have unfortunately coincided with all of my new product launches. But entrepreneurs are also hearty folk and while I wouldn’t say I have nerves of steel, I know navigating a continually shifting landscape is the norm. Keep moving forward is what we need to do.

In the coming weeks I will be launching a new sun protective neck cover as well as more sun protective face masks in different colors - all prints. (I know. The timing may be awful and feel insensitive - and I still need to work to compartmentalize this.)

Both new products will be made of the same fabric we use to make our UV Sun Gauntlets. For our Sun Gauntlet fans, you know this fabric feels yummy, buttery soft and lightweight. We’ll have a pretty berry pink print that will coordinate with our UV sol Escape sun protective cape, as well as pretty prints in black, blue and navy blue. 

Technical specifications include OEKO-TEX certification which means it is rated safe for prolonged contact on your skin with no trace hormone disruptors or other common chemicals (over 350 to be exact). And this fabric is certified UPF 50+ to block 98% of UV rays, and is breathable with four way stretch. 

I think the tech specs are worth mentioning because you want to know what you're breathing through, right?

Given the situation here, all sun protective masks will ship with a few PM 2.5 filters which may be inserted into the pocket of our two layer masks. (The filters are five layers, including two layers of melt-blown filter cloth and one layer of activated carbon. They are effective to filter out particulate matter in the air.)

We have a free download of 7 tips to get you going with your glow.  Access it here:

#getHeliGirl #wearUPF #whatbeautysurroundsus