Win With Words August 10, 2010

Hello Everyone!

Our Inspiring Women Contest will be ending soon, and I wanted to make sure you had enough time to get your entry in! All you have to do is write a few words about a women that inspires you, email it to me, and you are entered to win! Your write up can be as long or as short as you want. The winning writer and his or her inspiration will each win a prize, so what do you have to lose? Write about your mom, grandma, mentor, boss, sister, best friend, whomever you choose, and you could win! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. If you need a reminder, look for the orange banners at the top of www.gofreshforce.com. Good luck, we look forward to reading and awarding your winning entry soon! Contest ends AUGUST 31, 2010.

Quotes to inspire you to give our Inspiring Women Contest a TRY:

“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!

What Makes Us Different? July 29, 2010

Hello Readers!

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!

Have It All [Diaper] Bags July 15, 2010

To be honest, I adore most the products we carry here at Fresh Force. One of my personal favorites are the chic-o-bello diaper bags. What makes these bags so awesome in my eyes is two things. 1. If you are actually using them for a baby/child, they have everything you need all bundled into one. In each bag, you get a large 20×28 inch changing pad, a plastic case to hold wet wipes, a separate zipper bag for diapers, an insulated bottle holder, and stroller straps. Plus, there are lots of pockets for storage and organization.
2. If you don’t need them for a baby/child, all of those extras pieces are removable, and the bags look fantastic as normal purses or backpacks. The cool thing is that you get to keep all those compartments for organization that are great for cell phones, laptops, books, food, or anything else you need to tag along with you. I’m a big fan of products that are versatile with multiple uses, and chic-o-bello bags are certainly that!

Need convincing? Take a look at the pictures for each bag. I’ll even send you more photos if you aren’t getting enough details from the current ones. Also, this weekend, you can save 15% off your order by using the discount code COB15 at the checkout. The next friend I have that is going to have a baby is definitely getting one of these. Heck, maybe I’ll gift one or two to people who aren’t expecting.

What I love most about Fresh Force is that we only offer products from artisans that inspire us, and who make products that we think will be great for you or your loved ones. Let us know what you think about our website and the products we offer. Thanks!

Inspiring Women Contest! June 23, 2010

From day one, the vision for Fresh Force was to Inspire, Empower, and Encourage women from all walks of life to do what they love and help them provide for themselves and their families. We strongly believe that each and every one of the artisans we feature on Fresh Force is doing just that, and we are thrilled to be a part of it!

Now, as we reflect back on everything that has happened with the website thus far, we decided that we haven’t give you (our newsletter readers, friends, fans, followers, etc.) enough opportunities to talk about the women that inspire you. Here is your chance! Please send us stories of women that you are inspired by, and/or women whom you feel make a difference. It can be anyone, your mom, best friend, mentor, etc. as long as she has made a positive impact on your life, or the lives of others.

To encourage you to share, we’ve got a surprise for you! After we receive several nomination stories, we will pool the stories together and have our readers, followers, fans, etc. vote to determine the winner. The inspiring woman picked, as well as the nominator, will each win a prize- in addition to getting recognition for being their awesome selves.

We are going to accept your nominations from now until August 31, 2010. Don’t worry if you aren’t the best of writers, we can edit for you, and all submitters will be anonymous until the winner is announced. We look forward to reading about the women that have helped shape you into the person you are today.

Please email all entries to asmith@gofreshforce.com.

Look for banners like this one on our homepage if you ever need a reminder!