“Try and fail, but don’t fail to try.” ~Stephen Kaggwa
“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” ~Anonymous
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” ~Vincent van Gogh
“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” ~Beverly Sills
“There is merit in the attempt, and a whole lot accomplished along the way.” ~Anonymous

Finally, my personal favorite because it’s cute and nerdy at the same time,
“The best angle from which to approach a problem is the Try-angle.” ~Anonymous

You guys are quick, so I think you get the point. Enter the contest, have a good time writing about the women that inspire you to be a better person, and you might win something for yourself and your inspiration! Good luck! Remember to email your entries to asmith@gofreshforce.com. Thank you!

This week, I attended a Lunch ‘N’ Learn Seminar at the Chicago Market entitled “Image Building 101″. Many of the points made throughout the presentation got me to think, and think hard. It was primarily geared at small businesses trying to find their place in the world. A great question posed by the presenter was, “If your company never existed, the world would be worst because?…” The room was not filled with many willing to answer out loud. This question could apply to anyone, change the word company to job or ideas and the meaning still hits home.

As a big part of Fresh Force‘s marketing, I began to ask myself, what makes us [Fresh Force] different? Different from our competitors, different from the other companies sitting in that room with me, just different. One thing that I can think of immediately is our artisans, although sometimes I don’t feel like I get them enough attention. I have attempted through showcasing their products, but perhaps this is a bad approach? Maybe I’m not getting the point across that purchases directly benefit our artisans. Hand selected, each and every woman or group of women, relies on their products to sell so that they can earn a living for themselves and their families. Sure they might have jobs on the side, but the bulk of their income usually comes from their talents of creation.

The Lost Symbol a great book by Dan Brown, has a wonderful quote to help complete what I am trying to say.

Since the beginning of time, man has sensed there was something special about himself… something more. He had longed for powers he did not possess. He had dreamed of flying, of healing, and transforming his world in every way imaginable. He had done just that. Today, the shrines to man’s accomplishments adorn the National Mall. The Smithsonian museum burgeoned with our inventions, our art, our science, and the ideas of our great thinkers. They told the history of man as a creator- from the stone tools in the Native American History Museum to the jets and rockets in the National Air and Space Museum.

I’m not trying to suggest that the products from our artisans will someday end up in a museum, unless your closet resembles one, but more on the side that as a human race, we are creators. Each decision we make can change the world, even the tiniest of decisions can add up over time. (Just like compounding interest for your first dollar in the bank!) Being involved with Fresh Force, means that I have an obligation, one that I take on willingly, to help our artisans. Dawn, Karin, Kate, Kristin, Sherry, Susan, the women from Bridge for Africa and the Stung Treng Women’s Development Center all depend on us to find the customers that love their products and cannot get enough of them. Truthfully, I’ve been racking my brain to find the best way to do this. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. As always, asmith@gofreshforce.com or post a comment below. Thanks!

Perhaps my simile is a bit on the cheesy side, but I tend to like use words you can visualize. Having the curious mind that I do, I’d would love to hear your “life is like…” story. You can post it in the comments or just send me an email at asmith@gofreshforce.com Teach me something.

Although they weren’t my favorite characters from the movie, the “minions” were undoubtedly cute and entertaining. From a marketing standpoint, they drew plenty of attention in ads and movie trailers before people knew much about the movie. I know my curiosity was peaked each time I saw a cab drive downtown with the funny capsule shaped creatures featured on the roof advertisement.

Which got me to thinking, perhaps Fresh Force needs a cute little mascot. Do the creative minds out there have any suggestions?

For fun, test your mascot knowledge! Here is a quiz on some famous mascots, think you’ll know them all?