Kip Beelman - Raising the bar in Seattle Photography

I have 4 very close friends who are photographers in the Seattle area. I have had a chance to work with 3 of them in the past (Michelle Enebo, Dana Wasuyluka and Michael Johnson) and had incredible success with all of them. Add to them Kip Beelman.

Recently, my marketing mastermind suggested I needed some up-to-date pictures of me for PR, internet marketing and the such. Since I am no Tom Cruise, I needed some serioushelp. In steps Kip Beelman. In steps Kip Beelman’s gear. In steps Kip Beelman’s expertise.

Kip was very gracious in coming to my house on a Sunday evening. He envisioned the poses, set-up his gear and had me flash my cheezy grin. Below are a few samples of what came out of the session. Get used to them. After my marketing guy gets a hold of them, they will probably be plastered throughout the internet. I will hold my favorite back for when I hit the cover of a magazine. Oh, I forgot, I am not getting a ton of calls to be on a magazine cover. If that is the case, I will show it to you anyway…

While he was hot, my girls, Brenna (7 1/2 Years Old) and Audrey (4) got on their ‘Poofy Dresses’ from Carol. By the way, how did they grow up so fast?

When you have a minute, please check out Kip’s site. Not only are there incredible images, but there is great music to complement them as well. I am very fortunate to have quality friends like Kip in my life and am extra thankful that some of them have unspeakable talent. Thanks, Kip!

Does your Awards Supplier have Site Search?

Today we went live with site search on the trophies2go.com home page.  It is a very interactive tool designed to quickly and efficiently find the product you are looking for.  The user starts with a keyword, category or unique characteristic for their award.  They type it in to the search box in the upper-right hand corner of our site and click the ‘Go’ button.  Our site reveals products with those characteristics and also allows the user to refine the search by category, material, price, size or several other factors.  The results are given in either a grid or list format below the criteria.  The user can then resort the results by popularity or price. 

This new feature is provided by Nextopia.  If you have a moment, please try it out and let me know what you think!

As described earlier, you can find it on the trophies2go.com home page in the upper right hand corner.  In the next few weeks, we will also be adding site search to our smaller sites as well.

Thanks, Jeff

Should I give my kids trophies? What’s up with the attitude?

At a recent social function, I was confronted by an individual whom I have met previously.  He happened to be a touch inebriated, but his honesty was real and probably echoes the thought of others.  He said, “I don’t believe in giving my kids trophies, they should earn it.”

So there I was, the leader of an awards company, trying to defend why he should give his kid a trophy.  I gave it my best shot outlining the pros/cons of the psychological benefits of positive affirmation, etc. and he was still left with a blank look on his face.  In retrospect, my answer should have been, “don’t give them trophies, then.”  There seems to be a backlash of people who don’t want to give trophies.  I have heard so many reasons not to award trophies, that it seems as if my customers are bitter at me.  They think I am “forcing” them to buy their kid a trophy.

So then I sit and shake my head and think…what is up with the attitude?  Why are they so ticked off?  I might never say this to one’s face as it might start an argument, but here are a few of my hypothesis on why they are upset and don’t want to buy their kids trophies (am I serious or joking?  Hmmm, you decide.):

1) They didn’t win any trophies when they were a kid.  Are they still bitter from 30 years ago when they lost the championship game and didn’t get a trophy?  Note: that was 30 years ago.  This is now.  Get over it - you lost.  Don’t take it out on your kid.

2) They wish they would have gotten a trophy for ‘just showing up’.  Again, that was 30 years ago.  Fast forward to today.  I feel the truth is that kids do care about recognition.  They want to be validated by their coach or parents for a job well done.  Chances are there have been multiple instances when a child feels like they have done something recognition-worthy over the course of the season.  If you don’t want to buy them an award, why don’t you take them out for ice cream or give them a pat on the head…just don’t leave your kid thirsty for your praise.  This is what makes felons.

3) Cost – Things may be a little tight the wallet?  I understand this thought, but really, what else can you buy for $6-10 that will bring your child a touch of joy now and for years to come?

4) You don’t think a teammate’s family can afford it.  My guess is this is just trying to cover up #1, 2 or 3 above.  If it is the honest truth, though, I suggest checking to see if others are willing to chip in and buy that child’s award.  If they aren’t willing, please don’t leave the child out of your awards party.  Email me at jeff@trophies2go.com and I will see what I can do…

So here I am at the end of another monologue…here is my summary:

I want our customers to want to recognize their kids, employees or co-workers for accomplishing their goals and achieving success (however that may be defined by them).  These are the good things in life, why not celebrate them?!?!?  If you are having bitterness when it comes to buying awards, I invite you to reference the above reasons and see if these feelings are caused by your past.  If they are, maybe you can break the cycle and pass on some fun, joy or excitement in the form of a symbol of meaningful recognition – of course you can find these at www.trophies2go.com.