We recently connected with Debby Lightman Casher and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Debby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
It was never really my intention to own a business. I was a stay-at-home mom of 3, with a Masters Degree in Psychology and an Elementary Education Teaching Degree. I had worked as a psychologist at school before becoming a mother. But, when my own children started attending school, I went back to work part-time in local schools, teaching yoga & mindfulness to students. In 2017, after a full year of teaching mindfulness in the schools, I was approached by teachers and families asking me how they could incorporate mindful practices into their lives on their own, when I wasn’t actively working with them. I began handing out “mindful minute” activity cards to teachers and parents. They were just some mindful activities and exercises taken directly from my lessons with my students that I knew were affective and fun. I wanted to make them approachable and accessible for anyone and everyone, so I wrote them as easy one minute activities, rather than full lessons. I categorized them into what I believe to be essential mindful practices – expressing gratitude, mindful awareness, breathing exercises, and the practice of loving kindness. Unexpectedly, the word of my “mindful minute” cards began to spread and I was approached again & again about my cards and whether or not I was selling them. So, I began selling them. As sales picked up, I decided to make my business official. My business is called Mindfulnice, because I believe that mindfulness is such a nice practice, it really should be called Mindfulnice. In just 5 years of being in business, I have now sold over 10,000 packs of my Mindful Minute Activity Cards to people all around the world. They are being carried in over 200 retail stores worldwide and I am continuously thinking of new and exciting ways to grow my business. People need mindfulness more than ever. Anxiety & depression are at all-time high levels. My mindful minute cards make the practice of mindfulness (which has been shown to lower levels of anxiety & depression) accessible, approachable, easy, and fun. They are appropriate for all ages. I have recently launched an expansion pack of More Mindful Minutes, which includes mindful movement and connection. I am launching a new Spanish version of my cards next month and I have plans for other languages to be added as well. The reach of these cards was unexpected, but so fulfilling to know that my words and lessons have helped so many people, and continue to do so. I have created many other decks of cards as a result of the success of the Mindful Minutes. I also sell Pick-Me-Up Affirmation cards, Reflect On This self-reflection cards for contemplation, DiscoverMe cards for journaling prompts, and more. I’ve also become a licensed artist selling my artwork to companies used on products I believe in and feel good about. All of my designs and surface patterns are inspired by my own mindfulness practice and they also each have a mindfulness lesson or story behind them. I have seen the reach of my life’s work and I believe it is my purpose to help people by teaching mindfulness through my creativity.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I have always been a creative person and I’m proud to say that I’m a self-taught artist, since childhood. I never considered attending art school. I don’t know why. But, I believe my choices set me on a path to exactly where I was always meant to be. After college, I became an elementary school teacher, because I’ve always loved working with children, but the psychology of people and helping others has also been a passion of mine. So, I continued my education to obtain a Masters Degree in Psychology with a specialty in Mindfulness Education. I also became a yoga and meditation instructor, because I spent a lot of my time practicing these things myself and knew the benefits. I wanted to share my knowledge and skills with other people. I never really knew what I wanted to do with all of my degrees and education – I only really knew that I wanted to become a mother. So, when I became a mother of 3, I stayed home to raise my children. I continued my artist pursuits and learned new skills while raising my children. Certain things clicked in my life, but I didn’t feel completely fulfilled with any one job (other than being a mother) and I sometimes found myself wondering how it all fit together. It wasn’t until very recently when my education coupled with my art and I became a licensed artist teaching mindfulness through my creations. Everything fell perfectly into place. I’m so proud that I trusted myself, as well as my path, and that it brought me where I know I’m supposed to be. I feel fulfilled knowing that I’m helping others in a way that is unique. Everything I do is done with love and intention. I believe if we put goodness into the world, it will multiply and I love being a part of that ripple effect. Mindfulnice is very much a part of that.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As humans, we carry a long history of lessons and backstories that we would be better off unlearning. One of the things I had to unlearn was the belief that I wasn’t a “real” artist. I didn’t go to art school and I didn’t know a lot of the art processes and theories. I just enjoyed creating, but never truly believed that I could make a living as an artist. I come from a family of professionals and felt it was my destiny to also become a “professional”. As I got older, I began to question what that really meant. I had a professor in college who told me “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day of your life”. I always remembered his words and I know now exactly what he meant by that. I mean, trust me, I do work very hard, every day, but the beautiful thing is – it never feels like work, because I love what I do so much. I have had to unlearn the ideas of what it means to be a professional or successful and also what it means to be an artist. Being those things doesn’t have to look a certain way. It can be whatever we want it to be. We define our own success based on how we truly feel. And, I’ve told myself again and again that if I create art, then I am an artist. Once we wake up to this idea, we begin to see people and the world differently, and with much kinder, more empathic eyes. Life is a series of learning and unlearning in order to truly discover our own authentic selves. It involves trust and loving kindness.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I believe that my genuine kindness and openness to all people has helped to build my reputation within my market. My customers feel seen, heard, and understood. I personally reply to every email or phone call. I pack every order with love. I know my customers feel that love, because they tell me. I receive emails every day from customers telling me things like – they cried when they opened their package from me – feeling as though they had received a gift from a dear friend and – that they can feel the love and thoughtfulness that has gone into each one of my products. My intention with my business, Mindfulnice, is to live up to that name. Mindful. and, Nice. I truly care about people. I want to help them to be happy and to live their best lives. If I can be even just a small part of that, it makes me feel fulfilled and successful. I treat everyone the way I would like to be treated, and I have gratitude for everything. I celebrate my peer’s wins and I cheer them on. I don’t feel like we are in competition with anyone but ourselves. There’s plenty of room for everyone to share their gifts. I believe that people see that in me, believe in me, and feel comfortable with me and that is what has helped to build my reputation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mindfulnice.com
- Instagram: @mindfulnice_com
- Linkedin: Debby Lightman Casher, M.A.
Image Credits
Tawyna Wagner Photography