Newsletter for the week of Aug 31

Happy Labor Day! What's up for September?

Labor Day started in the 1800’s

with labor unions celebrating the workers who make corporate profits possible. Labor workers are the backbone of our society, and deserve the recognition they receive this weekend. But it’s not just about grilling or taking a moment to mark the end of summer break, kids going back to school, and the slow march toward cold weather. This holiday is about the literal blood, sweat, and tears of those laborers who were brave enough to unionize, to band together and fight the penny pinching business owners who would fire you for getting injured on the job, and have you replaced by the end of the day. These are struggles we still face today – worker exploitation, long hours, low wages, unsafe working conditions, and so much more. Desperation.

Gig work is once again rising and the notary industry is proof of that. Pushing an economy toward gig work is a way to keep workers from unionizing and fighting for fairness in pay, equity in hiring practices, adequate health coverage, and compensation for on-the-job injuries. Gig work is designed to keep worker in a mindset to view other laborers as competition, not community.

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Whether it’s entrepreneurial spirit, the desire to control our own fates as much as we can, or simple need, we each have a story that drives us to where we are now – small business owners and solopreneurs. We can choose to view other notaries as colleagues, not competition. I joined the Michigan Notary Association because the founders have the same values of cooperation and community. It may not be a union as such, but it is a way that we stand together, speak with a collective voice to our legislatures, educate the public, and keep each other informed.

If you aren’t part of a union, what’s stopping you? Is today the day you take that step to join or even form a union, in honor of Labor Day?

September* is National Children’s Awareness Month

as if any of us could escape awareness of the existence of children. But to be sure, kids need a LOT of forms signed and the minute you want to leave them with someone else those forms feel like they multiply exponentially. Seniors in high school often need parental signatures on travel forms notarized, toddlers going to Disney with Grandparents need signatures notarized on power of attorney forms and medical forms and all sorts of stuff.

And yes we all want to avoid thinking about it, but our wills and trusts ensure those kids are taken care of in the event of our untimely passing. Ensuring people get a solid estate plan in place is a passion of mine, because it makes our loved ones’ lives so much easier in a time when they would rather be grieving than making decisions and guessing at what we would have wanted.

There are lots of free estate planning kits or paid DIY kits out there of course. But most of us aren’t versed in the laws and rules that govern creating these kinds of things, and we won’t be around to make changes or answer questions later. So it may be worth hiring a lawyer to at minimum advise and answer questions, if not totally build our plans.

*Yes I see that it may also be June or October, apparently no one can agree on that either.

September Events with On My Way Michigan:

• Sun 7/Mon 15: Notary Basic Education class hosted by MINA - Are you a new notary, aspiring to be one, or looking for updated education? Come join us!

• Thu 11: Washtenaw County Senior Leaders - If you own or work for a Senior/Disability-focused business, come to the WCSL meeting to connect with other folks passionate about serving this particular demographic.

• Sat 13: Drop-In Notary Hour is 9am at Vertex coffee in Ypsilanti.

• Sat 20: Drop-In Notary Hour is 12:30pm at Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti.

Drop-in hour services include:

• notarizations for $10 each with no travel fee

• wedding certificate signings for $50 (BYO witnesses)

• I-9 verification for $40

• questions about services and what you’ll need for a future appointment for $absolutely free!

  
  

Have you voted in the poll to help choose our next drop-in hour location?

Business Expansion Updates:

I’m pleased to announce that On My Way Michigan won the contract for Marketing Agent of the Tooth Fairy Agency. This agency assigns your family or child their own personal Tooth Fairy who writes letters delivered by Fairy Mail to guide them on brushing, caring for oral appliances & braces, and generally building good oral care habits. This adds an element of storytelling and play to a chore often dreaded by kids & adults alike. Services include:

• Free resource guide written by the tooth fairies to kids and adults, with new resources added regularly.

• Free access to social media accounts (currently Facebook & Instagram) for ongoing tips, tricks, and support directly from the tooth fairies at the Agency.

• One-time fee downloadable Canva template so you can be the secret writer behind your child’s tooth fairy letters, customize instructions and colors to suit your child’s preferences, with no ongoing cost. You decide whether the letters get sent via email or fairy mail, how they’re sealed and decorated, everything about it.

• Subscription to the Tooth Fairy Agency gives you access to our design services on an ongoing basis. You tell us your orthodontist’s instructions, what your child is struggling with, their preferred color scheme, and choose their tooth fairy avatar. We will customize up to two letters a month addressed to your child including brushing tracking charts, rules and suggestions about wearing & cleaning oral appliances, with encouraging pep talks that focus on positive reinforcement. These will be available for printing at home within 24 hours of sending us a message with any instructions you would like included, or we can send them addressed to your child through your fairy’s email address. You spin the web of fantasy, we’ll take care of the artwork!

• The Welcome Packet is a one-time, completely optional add-on. You receive a Welcome Packet directly from the Tooth Fairy Agency wherein your assigned tooth fairy will introduce themself and set expectations like where to check for letters. It also includes a super-secret adult envelope full of motivational stickers for securing your child’s letters closed while they go through fairy mail, and cheering on your small humans as they build new habits with brushing, flossing, turning expanders, etc.

• To keep tiny prying eyes away from the magic behind the scenes, the store and all adult-to-fairy communications are in a password-protected portal account.

We are super excited about this partnership with an excellent group of tooth fairies who have shown true dedication to the humans they support.

Here’s hoping we see you soon!