Anyone who has been to camp knows it’s an experience that stays with you forever. You’ll always remember the name of your favorite counselor, the first person you kissed behind the tree (or wish you did!), the crazy camp songs, the smell of the campfire, and the taste of s’mores. Even though you outgrew the shirt you got at camp – the one you wore so much it faded and tattered – you kept it because it was a symbol of one of the best weeks of your life.
We have the pleasure of working with a number of camps across the country. We’re inspired by their passion for camping and for giving kids a great experience. We want to help kids – and their parents – relive the memories of camp all year round. What better way than with some pretty cool gear?
Are you a camp director? Take a test drive on our sample online camp gear store. Tell us a little about yourself and you just might get a little something. Let us know if you’d like an online store for your camp. (Even though this is a YMCA-focused site, we can tailor for any camp.)
Spread the word to your camping colleagues about this great way to keep your camp top-of-mind all year long!
Not a camp director, but would love an online store for your own customers? Let us know that, too.
We get inspired and a little geeked out around here when we see creativity in marketing and advertising. Lately, we’ve posted some of the new Superbowl ads on Facebook (have you liked us yet?). Pretty amazing when a 30-second commercial can make you laugh, want to share it, and – most importantly – remember it. (And of course buy what they are selling!)
Arguably one of the most creative minds in our time is Steve Jobs. He (humbly) had this to say about the topic, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.”
The truth is, everyone doesn’t see things the same way, and we’re not all able to connect things so brilliantly. So it’s pretty cool that those who do are willing to share.
A top ad agency, Ogilvy Chicago paid tribute to their agency’s co-founder using push pins. While not a new concept, we liked the manner in which they shared it with us: cool music, video, and a pretty darn good portrait. (Words of wisdom at :55, “Don’t be a bore. You cannot bore people into buying your product.”)
Hmmm…maybe there’s an embroidered Tyra somewhere in our future?!?!
Mostly sunny, windy and very cold
High: 8
Wind Chill: -15
Wind: NW 15-20 mph gusting to 25 mph
Thick socks. Check.
Lots of layers: Check.
Gloves. Heavy coat. Check. Check.
And lastly…my hat. Double check!
While it’s been disproven that most of your body’s heat loss is through your head (they say now it’s only less than 1/3 to 1/5 of total heat loss), I’ll keep all the body heat I can. Besides, there are some pretty great looking options, all of which can bear YOUR logo.
Used to be we’d worry that a hat would mess up our hair. Now it’s one of the coolest (rather, hottest) accessories out there. In any climate.
Today we celebrate the life of a man who changed the course of history, whose bravery inspired a nation, and whose courage defied the threats and hatred that tried to silence him. Across our nation the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are quoted to remember the struggle and the triumph of a movement and to inspire us all to continue to work towards peace and acceptance.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Then, it was race. Today, it is still race, but also divisions of social class, poverty, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religious beliefs. While we have come so far since the 1960s, we still have a long way to go.
The time is always right to do what is right.
We are faced every day with opportunities to do what is right. Sometimes it is as small as helping an elderly woman carry groceries to her car. Other times it is as difficult as speaking out against an injustice or prejudice.
In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the
silence of our friends.
But we must continue to use our voice and to live in the spirit of Dr. King. To live with light and peace, love and acceptance. To bring his Dream to reality.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
We all get a little excited around here when a new product arrives. While most of them are pretty self-explanatory as to how it’s used (a pen, jacket, travel mug), we recently got one that made our minds race with possibilities.
This:
A sleek, clean, multipurpose glass bottle with a cap.
It’s earth-friendly, functional, and different that a lot of the
things we see come through here.
So we took it for a test drive:
Cool, right? So who wants it? Imagine your logo on it and your customers/clients using this over and over again – on their desk, in their kitchen. Who knows where else?!?
Everyone has that favorite outfit or piece of clothing that makes you feel like “you” when you wear it. Might be the perfect pair of jeans or a team jersey or a really comfy pair of pj’s. We’re big fans of t-shirts and there’s something about a vintage tee that – in a strange way – connects us to a bit of history. The more faded the better.
So we’re starting a vintage t-shirt collection. Rather than wearing any holes in them, we’re going to display them like art around the office.
Like most people, the team at Promolux started talking about New Year’s resolutions. The beginning of a new year (and the end of a likely overindulgent holiday season) is a natural starting point to resolve to be a better you. Eat better. Read more. Be more positive. Get organized. Spend less/save more.
How long will it last? Well, likely until about the end of January…February if we try really hard, but here’s to new beginnings, good intentions, and forgiveness if we revert to our old (and probably not so bad) ways.
This is a short list of what the team here resolved to do in 2012 (names have been removed to protect the innocent):
• Drink less soda.
• Eat healthier.
• Exercise.
• Get to work on time.
• Don’t rely on computers to handle all the business – meet with clients face-to-face!
• Swear less (no more trucker mouth)!
• I would really like to work on loving the morning. I want to wake and be like, “good morning everyone!” and mean it. (Basically I want to be like the people I currently hate in the morning.)
• Get a better New Year’s resolution for next year.
• Nag my husband until the basement is cleaned.
• Be more careful before opening mouth.
And then we heard one from the basement:
• Be as famous – and friendly – as Casper.
• Be less afraid of the dark.
Sometimes, you just gotta buckle down and get stuff done. The other day, our newest Promolux team member, Amy, and I packed 2100 shirts to 21 locations in 55 minutes. We focused. We worked together. And we rocked it.
It’s not easy in our fast-paced, technology-filled world to be this efficient all the time and some projects obviously take more time than packing shirts, but it made me think about how I could streamline my work more often. If you are like me, you just want to do a good job, get a lot done, then go home feeling satisfied with your day, and enjoy your time at home.
So I started to look for a few tips on how to be more efficient at work. Some of these are easier than others, but good food for thought:
Silence your email notification and only check it at certain times during the day.
Only attend a meeting if you really have to be there. Start and end on-time. And make the most of meeting – have an agenda and clearly defined goals/outcomes.
Stay organized, get de-cluttered, and manage your calendar. (Lots of seemingly easy tips here, but this one might be the toughest for me!)
Do your thought-intensive work in the a.m. and the labor-intensive work in the p.m. (if you are like most people who are sharper before lunch).
When you are facing a deadline or your plate is full, minimize interruptions and let people know you need privacy. Then get your stuff done!
Keep expectations reasonable.
Do what you love. (Good thing I’ve got this one nailed!)
And I’m just gonna stop there since now I have to work on these tips…and my work. It might be a long day.
I couldn’t do what I do without the help of Team Promolux. They keep the place organized and efficient; make sure our clients get what they want, when they want it, and always with a smile; and probably the most difficult part of their job – they keep me sane.
So when the holidays rolled around this year, I wanted to do something personal, stylish, and fun for them. What says, “Thanks for all you do!” like a pair of personalized sneakers? And not just any sneakers…SAMBAS!
From left to right – Amy, Jackie, me, Melissa, and Chelsey – will be stylin’ in these new kicks. The squeak of the new shoes on the floor will replace the usual clickety-clack of the heels-wearing gals outside my office who are always on the go.
To all of you – whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, all of the above or just that you have a few days off – I wish you a wonderful holiday season.
This is my wish for you: peace of mind, prosperity through the year, happiness that multiplies, health for you and yours, fun around every corner, energy to chase your dreams, joy to fill your holidays! – D.M. Dellinger
