Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,

Last Thursday, I awoke to find that our health and wellness website, OrganicAuthority.com, was blocked from Facebook without warning or notice about whatever rule it is we violated. It was almost as if our website never existed. Not a single trace of the site could be found. Our Facebook page was whittled down to images we’d posted without links to our site, and the content of other sites we’d shared.

Like any tech-savvy company, we checked from other browsers. Our smart phones. We waited in hopes that it was just an infamous Facebook “glitch.” But the waiting was in vain as the hours ticked by and still no change. We had vanished from Facebook.

As a web-only magazine, Facebook is our lifeblood–a direct contact to many of our readers. We’ve been on the platform for well over six years now and we strive to follow your policies, play fair, and be a good corporate Facebook citizen. We spend money every single month on ads to extend our reach and drive engagement in what we think helps to build a better community. We invest in creating high-quality content month after month to support and nurture our ever-expanding Facebook community.  

Like many other small businesses, we supported you in your early days, when big brands and media laughed at you. While we’re by no means the biggest site on the platform, we take pride in knowing that even our tiny drop in the bucket helped build your brand. We send our audience to your platform daily to not only help build Facebook, but to also make the world a more connected and inspired place. When our content goes viral on Facebook, we know we’re making a difference in countless lives.

We’ve adapted to the ever-changing Facebook policies and algorithms  that you claim improve the quality of the content and the overall Facebook experience for both brands and the communities they target. But yet, you don’t seem to return the love to those who help to build your platform. You respond by reducing organic reach year after year. You routinely suppress trending news stories you don’t support, and then, you shut sites down, too. Without warning.

You shut down Maria Kang, an obsessed fitness mom-of-three, for expressing her voice on the current state of obesity in America, deemed it hate speech, and blocked her access to Facebook. And now you’ve done it to us (and who knows how many more).

In fact, you’re becoming rather infamous for your censorship. You don’t seem to like photos of plus-sized women on Facebook (or Instagram), you’ve routinely taken them down, too. You have a long history of censoring breastfeeding mothers. And what about sex education? You don’t seem to support that either. You’ve even censored Matt Orfalea’s video of PBS censoring Green Candidate Dr. Jill Stein’s criticism of Hillary Clinton, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and Obamacare. The list goes on of who and what you’ve censored, including journalists, artists, LGBTQ groups, and more.   

Yes, Facebook, for some reason you’ve blocked our small health and wellness website, OrganicAuthority.com, from posting delicious recipes made from scratch, DIY home and garden, content, nutrition, wellness and fitness tips, and important food and environmental news that help to create a safer food system and environment for everyone. Even you, Mr. Zuckerberg.

And not only are we very sad, our fans our sad. In fact, it was our fans that alerted us to the problem. Here’s what some of them had to say:   

Earlier this year, I was thrilled when you assigned us a Facebook account manager for our ads. It helped us boost our reach and best utilize your platform. But then, you took him away, too.

When we discovered our site was blocked, our former account manager kindly referred me to this page: http://www.facebook.com/business/resources, where we used to be  able to chat with live help, but then you took that service away, too. Now, in order to get help, it is nearly impossible! I have to dig through page after page to find out where I can contact someone–anyone!– at Facebook to get help. I’ve submitted several requests including an appeal via this page and other avenues, but I haven’t heard a peep since our site was banned some time last Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning. I even posted a question to your Facebook business page. Still no response.

It’s sad that a company as big as Facebook– and so critical to moving us into the technological age–doesn’t value it’s paying customers. We thought we were in this together.

How can you be an Internet company focused on communication and community-building without a clear communication system for your paying customers? May I suggest you take a page out of Zappos’ book on how to deliver a world class customer experience?

I can only assume that if we were BuzzFeed or another large brand, this would not have happened without warning or explanation; there would be some sort of recourse. Not giving a paying customer, no matter how small,  the courtesy of an explanation, or a chance to correct any error we may have made, is downright mean, and dare I say  UnAmerican. These tactics are arrogant. They stink like the behavior of a bully. The behavior assumes that you, Facebook, are 100 percent correct in your decision to block our site, in what was most likely a technical error. I’ve experienced this before, having ads rejected only to be told by a Facebook customer service rep that the system made a mistake, “that shouldn’t happen.”

As two digital companies living in the technology age we all need one another to thrive and survive. In fact, the digital landscape thrives on collaboration and connections. You couldn’t survive without your billions of users or the brands that spend billions of dollars to advertise. Can’t we at least have a more humane system of flagging content or sites before just hitting the delete button?

Blocking us could have a chilling effect; it certainly affects our bottom line. We are a small, self-funded and boot-strapped independent publisher that isn’t backed by big VC dollars like many other sites in today’s market. We bring a unique, independent voice that’s helping change our food system and empowering your users to take control of their health and feel good about doing it.

We invest in Facebook to help drive traffic to our website, drive revenue, and create jobs. This type of loss in traffic could very well force us to have to let people go. Inaction on your part and an absent path to recourse will affect more than our brand, it will affect people’s lives.

But banning us not only hurts our brand, it’s hurting your brand, too. Users are losing trust in Facebook, calling this blatant censorship and a violation of our First Amendment rights.

We posted a note to our fan page letting our followers know what’s happened and here’s what some of them have to say:

To see all of the comments go to our Facebook page and click on the post published Friday August 26th at 11:25 am PST,  (an aptly sad emoji with a tear). There are even more comments on our second post from Sunday August 28th at 3:33pm (also the sad emoji, because this is sad!).

Facebook, this sucks. We’re hopeful that your system once again made an error and this isn’t a draconian slight to small publishers and businesses. We admit it, we need you. And we sure hope you realize you need us, too.

In Good Health,

Laura Klein

P.S. If you are reading this on EcoSalon, our sister site of OrganicAuthority.com, it’s because I posted a copy of this letter here so it can be shared on Facebook with our fans. 

The post An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, Inc.: In Defense of Our First Amendment Rights appeared first on EcoSalon.

You’ve probably noticed by now that EcoSalon has a completely new look! This redesign is long overdue. We felt the site needed a refresh and a design that allowed for better discovery to expose all of the unique content EcoSalon has to offer!

This redesign is a work in progress which means you’ll continue to see us test new ideas to uncover what works and what doesn’t. I’m not a believer in perfection (I would never get anything done otherwise!). Our team felt launching the redesign with all its imperfections outweighed any negatives that came with it. We welcome your feedback on the site design (and content!) so be sure to let us know what you love about and would love to see us incorporate.

As we continue on this journey down the path of what it means to live a conscious lifestyle, I feel it’s even more important today to cover topics that are meaningful and relevant to living a progressive lifestyle. It is my hope that someday everyone will become global citizens and start thinking about the longterm consequences of their everyday actions on this planet. The human-induced climate change is evidence enough that our actions are having an unprecedented impact on the earth. According to NASA, the current warming trend is significant because it’s proceeding at a rate that has been scientifically unknown over the past 1,300 years.

Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson (former CEO of Goldman Sachs), the man who helped stave off the second Great Depression of 2008 and guide the nation out of its financial crisis, and author of the new book, “Dealing with China, An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower“, recently stated in a CBS interview that there are two issues even more critical than the financial crisis: our relationship with China and the environment. He states, “When you look at the climate change crisis, it is cumulative,” he goes on to say it’s “more dire” than the financial crisis “because it threatens to change the way of life as we know it on our planet.”

We want to open the door to more conversations about tough topics like these that are important to you. We also want to have a little fun, laugh, play and help you look and feel fabulous inside and out with conscious fashion and natural beauty tips. Ladies, we want you to embrace your feminine sexuality confidently so you can enjoy more amazing sex, love and better relationships. Guys, we want to engage you more in these conversations and get your insights into these same issues.

With today’s broken healthcare system that’s getting more expensive everyday, we want you to take control of your wellness with prevention, which is why we added ‘wellness’ to our food vertical. We also want to have more conversations about solutions to our broken food system. And we want to highlight the people and companies doing good and creating positive change in this world.

Here’s the bottom line, we want to inspire you to live your best life and be your best self in a fun, inspired, way that also changes the world in the same way. We want everyone to live a conscious lifestyle, and have a heart.

Your editori-in-chief,

Laura Lynn Klein

The post EcoSalon Has A New Look! [Letter from the Editor] appeared first on EcoSalon.

Every woman wants to feel sexy and desirable, but should we really be defined by our handbags? Here are 9 reasons to stop carrying those logo-covered, designer handbags.

1. Ladies, let’s be honest, these handbags are ubiquitous. Everyone seems to have one these days! Do you really want to look like everyone else? They just aren’t that original, nor are they exclusive. There’s nothing unique about luxury goods sold by large multibillion dollar corporations focused on growth, brand visibility, awareness, and profits (how do you think they buy those full-page glossy advertisements in the fashion mags like Vogue?).

2. Is it really necessary to spend $1000 on a handbag? Really? This is a bag that’s thrown over your shoulder, and on the floor of a subway or a restaurant (and probably its bathroom), the movie theater, or the bar where soda, coffee, alcohol and who knows what else has been spilled, only to stain that expensive purse. As you get older and wiser, someday you’ll look back and ask: “Why did I spend all that $$$$ on those ridiculous designer handbags when I could have put it towards my kids college tuition, or invested it, or taken a trip of a lifetime?”

3. The replicas coming out of China are so good, no one can tell the difference between the real ones and fake ones! So, why bother with the expensive real one when people will probably think it’s just a cheap knock-off in the first place?

4. Flashy, luxury items are out. Subtlety and an understated lifestyle are in as the new face of luxury.

5. Thanks to award winning journalist, Dana Thomas, who called Louis Vuitton “the McDonald’s of the luxury industry” in her book, “Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster,” the bags are now a running joke among top fashion industry designers because they’re so common these days.

6. Conspicuous consumerism is out. Saving is in.

7. Smart luxury consumers are tired of the logo-covered standbys because they are so 1999. Their taste has become more discriminating and they aren’t buying them anymore. How many handbags do you really need, anyway? Collecting more stuff is out. Collecting luxury experiences, though, is in.

8. Sorry ladies, carrying an expensive bag does not mean ‘you’ve arrived’ or are superior. Do you really believe that carrying an expensive handbag will deter other women from hitting on your man? (One study says this is true. Really?). Come on ladies you have more self-confidence than that!

9.  Let’s face it: oversize handbags don’t impress men. Women carry them to impress other women. When men see a woman carrying an oversized, expensive hand bag, they simply wonder and chuckle, “Is that an overnight bag she’s carrying?” And by the way, have you ever noticed that carrying oversize handbags hurts?! The weight starts to hurt your neck, shoulders and back!

Lesson: Feeling fabulous and desirable doesn’t come from a status symbol. Too many women make the mistake of entering a room with her handbag first, instead of leading with her gorgeous, confident self, with the bag in tow.

Related on EcoSalon

Freitag: Creating Sustainable & Upcycled Bags That R.I.P.

Mink Shoes: Couture Vegan Shoes For a Walk on the Wild Side

11 DIY Jewelrey Projects You’ll Love to Rock

 Image credit: wavelab.be

The post 9 Reasons to Ditch Those Logo-Covered Designer Handbags (They’re So 1999!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

Happy New Year! Welcome back and get ready for a rockin’ 2013! We are thrilled that Organic Authority, LLC (the same company that publishes OrganicAuthority.com) has officially acquired EcoSalon.com.

We are gushing with all of the support and love we’ve received during this transition. We are excited to pick up the ball and continue the EcoSalon conversations and get to know all of You, our beloved community.

Personally, I love change and am so excited to add EcoSalon to the Organic Authority family. As a company, we get to dig deeper into important topics known and loved by you, such as conscious fashion, culture, design, sex, food, and tech, that perhaps we’ve only touched on…until now. And I am really excited to be able to learn from all of you. If you like a piece of content, share it through your networks on Pinterest, Facebook, Google+. Stumble it, Tweet it out, and most importantly share your thoughts with us—please!—I love hearing your ideas and value your feedback.

2013 will be a spectacular year on so many levels! The number 13 is my lucky number (despite what many say about the number 13), and is a lucky number for my family. I was born on February 13th, my mother was born on the November 13^th, and my grandmother, born in 1913, would have been 100 this year. (She was a triplet! Did you know there’s even stronger luck associated with the number 13 when another 3 is involved?) So, this year is personally a very big year for my family and me; it’s one to celebrate, one to embrace—especially for women!

Thirteen is also a very feminine number. It is the lucky number of the Great Goddess, and is revered as the sacred essence of good fortune and good luck. It is the average number of menstrual cycles in a year (I thought it was 12, but what do I know? Science says it’s 13). Italy and China consider the number lucky. When Chinese women offer up their traditional mooncakes, there are always 13 on a plate to represent the 13 months in a full lunar year. In fact, it wasn’t until after the patriarchal revolution that the number 13 (and Friday) was deemed unlucky. And today, sports teams all over have embraced the luck in number 13. Dan Marino, an American football legend wore the number 13. Basketball superstars Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal also wore the number 13. Yao Ming wore it in the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

But who’s to say the number 13 is lucky or unlucky? You do! What you believe is your choice, and is exactly what you’ll receive via your worldviews. So, choose wisely, and make the best of your beliefs.

In 2013, resolve to embrace change. The world in which we live changes rapidly, which is why it’s even more important to: believe in You. Ask for that raise, pitch your idea, launch that business that’s been burning in the back of your mind. Stop procrastinating! There’s a reason why tech companies launch in ‘beta.’  They just do it: they get feedback from their customer, and adjust along the way (if they wait for perfection, they’ll be dead in the water).

Believe in You.

Listen to your intuition, your gut, and go for it. Ignore the nay saying voices (including the one in your head) and choose to listen to the voice that cheers you on and believes in You. In 2013, choose to live your life out loud, embrace change, and watch your life flow with ease.

I look forward to getting to know You in 2013.

Your publisher + editor-in-chief,

Laura Klein

Image: Pink Sherbet Photography

The post Welcome Back! Embrace Change and Believe in You appeared first on EcoSalon.