Tuesday, March 24, 2009

You're From Where?

In today's world many people want to market their products or services worldwide and often forsake a very old reality that connecting to your local market FIRST is vital to the life of your business. Just think of all the famous people and products you know of and ask yourself of how many times you identified them with their place of origin. Now ask yourself: why is it important? For one simple reason--Credibility.

In most dictionaries the word credibility is defined with words such as (drum roll): believable, trustworthy, honest, and integrity.

Nothing beats credibility! The words credibility and credit are said to derive from the Latin word credo which means "I trust you." A classic example is a bank checking a company's or an individual's credit history. So never underestimate the power of your local market, or feel timid in reaching out to your local market before selling to the rest of the world in hopes of becoming a worldwide sensation.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Why We Love Summer, and Why We Love Rayne (Summer Rayne Oakes)

A spokesperson and advisor for Planet Green, Summer Rayne Oakes is best known for her work as a model and ethical-shopping fashionista reminding us to take better care of our planet by buying products that show we care.

She has gained attention by attending the eye catching Charity:Water events, and she also writes for the Huffington Post; where she recently wrote an article recommending our client Paper to Pearls.

The article is called Top 10 Coolest African Fair-Trade Fashions. In it she writes:

"Paper to Pearls, an initiative of Voices for Global Change, is a beading initiative that brings the voices of Uganadan women's struggles and hopes to the forefront of fashion. The colorful paper bead jewelry is handmade by women in the internal refugee camps of Northern Uganda who have been displaced by years of internal conflict by the Lord's Resistance Army. Each bead is carefully rolled by hand and cut from strips of calendar paper and secured with glue, varnished and assembled into necklaces. The women's dexterous workmanship is transformed into bold colors that can be worn singly or layered on." Thank you Summer!

Summer also has recently released her new book (cover photo see here) titled Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty. The book shows how our concern for the environment can take shape through our fashion. To learn more please visit the link: http://www.stylenaturally.com.