Wei to Grow - Summer Intern Program

For the last few weeks, Katie Hess of Lotus Wei and I have been participating in a Summer Intern Program through the City of Phoenix and AZ Call-a-Teen. Funded by stimulus money, it has created opportunity on all sides. Katie & I have been looking for a way to get involved with young people, and this has been fabulous for us. Our interns are ages 16-20, studying entrepreneurism, come from diverse and challenging backgrounds, and really have that spark. It’s been a real joy. Here’s a note from Katie, our Operations Guy John, and some of the comments the interns have made about the experience.

— Lisa Reinhardt, CEO & Chocolatier at Wei of Chocolate

This summer at the Lotus Wei/Wei of Chocolate headquarters, we are fortunate to have several young, brilliant interns working as a part of our team through a special Entrepreneurial program. Lisa and I have been looking for a way to reach young people; this has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Beyond traditional business skills, we’ve tried to give them an inside look at the non-traditional sides of our business, for example: morning meditations before work, fresh-cooked meals for lunch with everybody ‘round the table together, and how to make natural products for yourself. It’s such a great feeling to have an expanded team of positivity!

— Katie Hess, Organic Alchemist at Lotus Wei

In attempting to introduce a new perspective on life to the interns, I myself was exposed to a thoroughly new mode of self-expression: working with them turned out to be totally tight. The bank they made for us was bomb. They never cramped my swagger; they got so much done we're now so 2010, when everyone else is so two thousand then. Sweet!

— John, Operations at Lotus Wei/Wei of Chocolate

My name is Tina ...

The one thing that has truly inspired me working with Lotus Wei and Wei of Chocolate is the great positive energy flow in the work environment. It’s a nice, yet cool, weird, wonderful feeling you get once you walk in their door. You get the sense of inner calmness that totally catches you off guard — in a good way, though.

Lisa and Katie and John are the most helpful people that I have encountered in a very long time. If I can gain back all my inspiration, joy, happiness, love, positive clear-mindedness, and my sense of clarity that I was so sure that I’d lost, then I can only imagine what their products can do for people across the world. I feel that this is what the world really needs right now, with everything that’s going on with politics and the economic crisis. Your chocolate and flower essences make me feel at ease and gain more insight of the world and of myself. Lotus Wei and Wei of Chocolate help make life a whole lot calmer when things seem to be chaotic.

— Tina, age 20

My name is Claudia ...

I’m 16 years old and am a part of a program called Call-a-Teen which has so many opportunities for youth. I am currently going to Gateway Community College from Monday to Wednesday and work at a place called Lotus Wei and Wei of Chocolate as an intern. I’ve learned so many things and it’s only Week Two. I can’t wait to see what Katie and Lisa have in store for us!

I have definitely been inspired by all of the different scents I get to smell when I come in — I would love it if others got to experience all the smells I do; they would be amazed. I was so excited to realize that the tea that I had been helping with was actually going to be sent to a spa. How cool is that? The tea has many things in it but it’s a total secret , so shhh … but I can say that my favorite herb put into the tea is the orange peel. Orange peel is a really good digestive aid. The best part of the job is getting to smell everything and all of the chocolates — yum!

— Claudia, age 16

My name is Ruben ...

Working with the women of wei has opened up a whole new world of peace and tranquility. I enjoy the everyday tasks we accomplish and learning about new natural medicines and health awareness. I enjoy the way they use their experiences to educate others in meditation, health and wisdom. I am also witnessing a live small business coming into its 3rd year of service. I think their all natural, organic products are the wei to go.

— Ruben, age 18

My name is Alarra ...

... and I’m 16 years old. Currently I am working for Lotus Wei and Wei of Chocolate. While working here I have learned many different facts, skills, and the “wei of life.” In the process, I have witnessed a change in myself and other employees around me. For example, we have all become more peaceful and positive in our inner selves. You may ask yourself, why? How can this be? The company Lotus Wei is all about natural and organic products. Each product contains a certain flower essence that balances a variety of different character traits within each essence. Wei of Chocolate also has the same effect. Lisa, the owner of Wei of Chocolate, makes her own special chocolate, also with flower essences. Each chocolate has a different taste and effect. Both Wei of Chocolate and Lotus Wei offer incredible products.

If you want amazing natural and organic lotions, mists that have different effects, shower gel that has no chemicals and leaves your skin soft and beautiful, flower essences that give you more peace, love, inspiration, and a quiet mind, then Lotus Wei is the “wei to go.” If you want dark, delicious chocolate that provides more happiness, love, peace, delight within each bite, Wei of Chocolate is the “wei to go.” Make the right choice and pamper your body, Lotus Wei and Wei of Chocolate … Wei of Life.

— Alarra, age 16

The Rx we’ve been waiting for

Last fall, Catholic University in Italy announced that eating a small piece of dark chocolate per day – just 6.7 grams – is the optimum amount to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by 1/3 in women and ¼ in men. Wait, did we read that right? Reduce women’s risk of heart disease by 33% by eating chocolate every day? Finally a prescription that makes sense!

According to researchers, dark chocolate has such an abundance of antioxidants, in particular flavonoids and polyphenols, that its anti-inflammatory properties are remarkable.

Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study said, "Our results have been absolutely encouraging: people having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced."

The best part for us, however, is that somehow, it all makes sense. One piece of any flavor of Wei of Chocolate is just 7 grams. So go on, take care of your heart. Enjoy a little Inner Peace today. Or Inner Clarity … or Inner Delight … or Daily Gratitude … or Daily Love … or Sensual Love … mmm.

Count me in!

This week, Northumbria University in the UK released a study that showed consuming cocoa flavanols improved people’s performance on math tasks, and lessened their mental fatigue.

Actually, I’ve noticed that before. I’ll be working away on an Excel spreadsheet, trying to figure out THE formula that will make my life easier, and when I eat a piece of chocolate, whoosh! The answer will come flooding in. No kidding. Or maybe it’s the end of a long day, and you walk into the room wondering what you were looking for … if I can only remember to eat a piece of chocolate, it makes those brain neurons stretch out their little tentacles until they finally touch again, and it all becomes clear.

The kindness of chocolate … ah …

Have you ever had an experience like that?