Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Givers Gain Gala

Giving stories are coming in! Here is one sent to me from Steve Bell and Gina Fink-Bell, owners of The Networking Masters in Regina, SK, Canada. They are the founders of INFA and hosts of the Authors Unscripted Talk Show. Gina is also the founder of the JV Mavens Group. They invited me as a guest speaker on their Authors Unscripted Talk Show a week ago. Steve interviewed my about the book and you can catch it here. It was a great interview and a special shout out to them for having me.

After the radio interview, Steve and I chatted for a few minutes. He started telling me about a charity gala they hosts each year. Giving is important to both Steve and Gina and that is really clear in all that they do. The 1st Annual Givers Gain Gala really caught a lot of local attention and they have had up to 500+ participants and raised nearly $5,000. Each year they select a different charity to not only raise money for but also awareness. See, this is key. Giving is great for organizations. But part of their mission is to also raise awareness about their cause and what they do in a community or region. The 2nd Annual Givers Gain Gala helped raise money and awareness for the Local Food Bank.

This event is a huge success for everyone, the hosts, the sponsors, the organizers, the charity and the community. Keep up the great work Steve and Gina! Continued success for your Givers Gain Gala.

Could you do something similar through your local business network? If the answer is yes, step up, reach out and make a difference.

Monday, February 23, 2009

FlapJacks Flip for a Cause on the 24th!


YUMMY! I love breakfast and could eat breakfast food at all three meals. My favorite is buttermilk pancakes smothered with real butter and maple syrup. And if you are a pancake lover too, then don't forget February 24th is National Pancake Day.

Here is a good reason why you should head on over to local IHOP for a stack of flapjacks too. In celebration of National Pancake Day, IHOP will give you a free stack of 3 pancakes and all they ask is that you make a donation to children's hospitals through Children's Miracle Network.

Like IHOP's slogan, "Come Hungry. Leave Happy" and Feel Good about Contributing to Children.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Lace'm Up for $140 for a Cure

Okay this is one expensive pair of running shoes. I know, I am a veteran long distance runner of nearly 35 years and I have make a significant investment in my running shoes as good shoes and the right shoe for me helps prevent injury.

Now, I have never worn New Balance. I don't need a straight-last, mid-foot striker shoe and I don't need the wide toe box. But it's a good fit for someone who does needs those things. The other reason I've not worn New Balance, is because, well, it has suede - which makes for a heavier training/race-day shoe and I've always seen it as a shoe that appeals to men versus Ryka or Reebok for women. But New Balance is counting on women to spend $140 on these pretty pink running shoes as a way to commemorate Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 20th Anniversary. New Balance has been sponsoring this event for twenty years.

It's not so much the cost of the shoe, comparable to high-profile basketball sneakers, but as a cause-marketing campaign it customizes each buyer to have stitched on the tongue of the shoe, "In Honor of" or "Lace Up, " or "Running for" which is really pretty cool. That is what I think women will buy... the emotional attachment to the shoe being customized for them or a friend or loved one. The majority of women have to have the connection to, emotional feeling toward, to be compelled to buy, do are stand for something.

No matter how much New Balance does for breast cancer, I still have them as a male running shoe product ingrained in my head and have for years, but I must admit this may be one way to get this runner to change course.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Twitter hosts Twestival to raise donations worldwide

Okay, I am a Twitterer, Pinger, Ninger and Facebooker. The reality is these social media sites offer many benefits. For me, social media networking allows me to connect and build relationships with other professionals, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives, offer advice, connect people, share my expertise and crack a funny at times. And you can connect instantly. Zero lag time.

Twitterers Worldwide are Gathering for Twesitval too...

"On Feb. 12, more than 200 cities worldwide will hold events to foster networking within local Twitter communities as well as raise funds for charity: water, a nonprofit that installs wells and rainwater harvesting systems in developing countries. Amanda Rose, the architect behind the multicity Twitter festivities, said Twestival grew out of a smaller get-together held in London last September to benefit a local soup kitchen. “Originally, I thought it was going to be 30 people in a pub doing karaoke,” she said. “But we ended up having 250 people show up.” Ms. Rose said the London event brought in about £1,000 and several boxes of canned goods, and planted the seeds for a much larger event, spanning several international cities.".... "Since then, Twestival has taken off: The London event is expecting upwards of 800 guests, and Ms. Rose estimated there were a dozen satellite events being hosted around Britain. Scott Harrison, founder of charity: water, who is also helping organize the New York event, expects attendance numbers nearing 1,200. In addition, Twestival events have sprung up around the globe from Cape Town to Beijing, Peru, Tokyo and Bangladesh."


Read more about Twestival here