Disclaimer: Before anyone flips a lid, this isn’t personal. It’s about business interactions over the past year, general observations on running holistic shops, and the wildly disproportionate response to standard affiliate and referral ideas. Misreading generic commentary as a personal vendetta? That’s entirely on you.
The Setup: What Actually Happened
Over the past year, we’ve observed something truly rare: a generic blog post about business practices being interpreted as a full-blown personal attack. Enter: Pilgrims in Gloucester. Jasmine, if you’re reading, grab a seat and maybe some chamomile… oh wait, no teas sold.
The original blog posts were never about you or your shop. They were generalised observations about the holistic and gift markets, affiliate schemes, and the benefits of mutually beneficial referrals. The goal? To spark constructive discussion:
- Why affiliate schemes work
- How referrals increase revenue for all involved
- Opportunities for brick-and-mortar shops to collaborate with online shops
Instead of curiosity or discussion, we received:
- Blocking from the shop
- Threats of police involvement
- “Don’t do that” when attempting to highlight Onyx Dragon via branded t-shirt
- Abrupt friendship ending
If she had asked standard, reasonable questions like “I feel this was targeted, was that the intent?” this letter would never exist. But panic won.
Misreading Intent: The Core Issue
Let’s make it crystal clear: the misreading of intent came entirely from her. Not from us.
Customers will always go online if they can’t find what they want locally. Ignoring this fact while blocking a potential mutually beneficial referral? That’s called business malpractice in sarcastic circles.
Click and collect from Onyx Dragon to Pilgrims? Genius. Upsells in-store? Obvious. Anxiety-driven refusal? Comedy gold.
Other examples of normal business practice she rejected:
- Reciprocal action ignored: we purchased from Pilgrims instead of wholesalers, yet apparently that didn’t count
- Affiliate schemes = standard business practice, especially for smaller holistic shops
- Complementary shops referring customers to each other = normal, low-risk, profitable strategy
- Sharing customers increases revenue for all involved, including Pilgrims, Nchantments in Gourock, Cauldron Creations in Gloucester, and 23 Enigma in Glasgow (rare books, not tea)
The Gift Market Context
Reality check: the gift market has been steadily declining since Brexit, the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and skyrocketing energy prices. Smart collaboration could have softened the blow. Affiliate schemes are literally a way to share customers, increase footfall, and strengthen networks. Misreading them as some diabolical plot? Argument to the absurd at its finest.
We’ve even seen other holistic shops survive by selling rare items—books, crystals, niche products. Observing what works and collaborating is how business intelligence operates.
Friendships vs. Panic
We valued Jasmine as a friend. Her reaction to a simple blog post was disproportionate, misreading generic commentary as a personal attack.
- Friendship ended over anxiety-driven assumptions
- Blocking entry into the shop over a misinterpretation
- Threats of legal involvement over standard business ideas
If she had engaged in constructive discussion or asked even the simplest clarifying questions, none of this would have been necessary.
Business Intelligence Check
Let’s be clear:
- If a generic blog post about holistic business practices inspires panic and blocking, maybe reconsider who is running the shop
- Refusing collaboration and referral opportunities is foolish and short-sighted
- “I don’t care what happens outside my shop” is not a strategy—it’s a recipe for missed opportunity
Fallacies Observed
- Argument to the absurd: assuming generic commentary = personal attack
- False dilemma: thinking affiliate schemes = loss of control or revenue
- Slippery slope: “referring to Onyx Dragon will destroy Pilgrims”
- Ad hominem (unintentional by reaction): presuming Onyx Dragon’s motives = attack
Sarcasm and Observations
- Nervous reactions every time the affiliate scheme was mentioned: “oh, I’m not sure…”
- Jumping to misinterpretation of fragile ego commentary (which was generic, not targeted)
- Losing sight of customer behavior: they will find what they want anyway, so why not guide them and get a slice of sales?
- Overreaction to generic blog posts = lost opportunity, blocked friendship, comedy gold
TL;DR / Takeaway
Generic business observations were misread as personal attacks. Affiliate schemes exist to increase revenue, share customers, and strengthen networks. Misreading them? Hilarious and costly.
If she cannot step up to standard business strategies, maybe it’s time to step off.
Final Note: We still welcome Jasmine to reopen communication and rebuild friendship. The door is always open. No ill will; just a lot of flabbergasted observation of panic over a standard business proposal.
#BusinessCollaboration #AffiliateMarketing #HolisticTrade #Referrals #Pilgrims #GloucesterBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #OnyxDragon #CustomerSharing #BusinessObservations