THE POWER OF ONE

One is not the loneliest number.  There are so many experiences in our life that leaves us with a feeling that one is not enough so why do it in the first place.  Like… One potato chip, or one bite of banana cream pie…not possible.  Or a one minute massage…torture.  Or one minute with someone you love.  I don’t think so.  We are often left wanting more, or feeling ineffective.

On a more serious note, most of us have spent most of our lives working very hard, feeling the demands of our financial obligations,  feeling powerless to the economic recession, and to the affect of government on our daily lives. It feels as though we cannot have an impact or effect positive change, and that we are at the mercy to the powers that be.

We cannot do anything about the things we do not know but we can have more control and influence over the things we are aware of.  A rose garden begins with one seed.  Winning a race begins with one step.  A degree begins with reading the first page of a textbook.    And one dollar can launch a crowd funding campaign that allows an important  idea be born, and develop into something that can impact and improve our world. 

Early in the development of the Ember Deflector (“ED”), our team sometimes felt ineffective to help the public understand that there was a very important need out there that most people were unaware of, including the inventors wife.  With the power of passion in our beliefs, social media, and our tenacious team never stopping no matter how we were feeling  🙂 , in 3 months we grew our  following beyond our expectations.

People are now beginning to understand the importance of this product to providing peace of mind if wildfire threatens their home.  Every one of you is important, and cumulatively can have a monumental impact in getting this product on homes, and in saving lives, property, and the environment.

It began with Ed, and now our FB team is 870 plus…Please join our team, and help make a difference  ww.facebook.com/ emberdeflector.com.2.

There are several ways you can help….

You can contribute and/or spread the word through email, LinkedIn,  twitter, Google+, and Facebook by clicking on our crowdfunding link at:    igg.me/at/emberdeflector

To show our appreciation, just by sharing you will be in the running to win an iPad mini.

Thank you!

 

What the Heck Is Crowd Funding – Part 2 The New Frontier

As I have ventured into a New Frontier of raising money for our business – called crowdfunding, I have encountered many respected individuals who were concerned that somehow we would land in jail, or at the very least get in trouble with the SEC/IRS.   None of us building a business wants to get into trouble.  We want to have a chance to have success with our innovation…our passion, and do it legally.   We want the opportunity to launch an important product, creative idea, or charitable cause into the public with the hope of bettering our world in some way.

Crowdfunding goes back much further than ever I imagined.   Did you know that if Joseph Pulitzer, in 1884, had not run an appeal to raise money, in his newspaper, the New York World, he would not have raised the $100,000 needed to complete the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty?  The American Committee for the Statue of Liberty had run out of money. Can you imagine not having the Statue of Liberty, one our most treasured symbols of freedom and liberty.  That is the power of crowd funding.  It is the power of the cumulative many.  With the support of 125,000 people, the Statue of Liberty now stands

Our country is built on the courage of our ancestor taking momentous risks, forging the unknown to improve the lives of themselves and future generations.   Crowdfunding is one ingenious solution to a seemingly hopeless situation many of us find ourselves in….a struggling economy that makes it nearly impossible to launch a new idea.  Glass half full or half empty…your choice.   It is so easy to feel defeated, but we do have options that empower us to success.

Like anything new, it is hard not to be cautious/suspicious.   Frankly, due diligence is a critical part of any good business.  So, I did a bit of research on the history, and current conditions of crowdfunding.   I began to reinvent the wheel….stopped myself, and said why  J.   Here are some wonderful links that will illuminate and educate you on the history, and the current status of crowdfunding.  We are committed to keeping you updated on the advancements in policy.

Our Link:   igg.me/at/emberdeflector

Fun videos illustrating the history and benefits of CF:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdHj8_JK47s

http://laughingsquid.com/a-brief-exploration-of-the-history-behind-the-crowdfunding-platform-kickstarter/

Informational links:

http://socialmediaweek.org/blog/2011/12/a-social-history-of-crowdfunding/

http://www.fundable.com/crowdfunding101/history-of-crowdfunding

Views on Title III “Crowdfunding”, SEC Regulations: Kim Wales

http://www.giveforward.com/p/crowdfunding/crowd-funding-websites

http://www.crowdfundingworldsummit.com/crowdfunding/

 

POTATO SALAD AND A FEW JOKES

I awakened early this morning thinking to myself, “I know we have an incredible product, but how can we raise awareness so that we can get the funding we need to get this sucker into the marketplace!”

I went downstairs, poured my coffee pondering my existential dilemma.  I turned on the Today show and learned that a man wanted to raise $10 to make potato salad. Well….guess how much he raised?    Over $36,000!!!    So I googled this story, found an article on it, and wrote in an email to my girlfriend who is working with us on the campaign, “I want to puke.”

Okay, this is not me having my most mature, self-actualized moment.  This was a comment by a woman who has felt like the Energizer Bunny for the past several months getting a crowd funding campaign together in order to launch a meaningful product that will save lives and property.    What the heck!  So, I took a very deep breath, and again started talking to myself (I probably was in need of therapy at that point)!  Anyway, I quickly shifted gears saying, “this is not personal….learn from it!”  I shifted into one of those Zen poses that is supposed to center you.  :).  It was then that I realized Mr. Potato salad was exceeding his every expectation. , and was given an opportunity to do something  meaningful.

Here’s what I think.  Potato salad is about as all American, down home, comfort food as it gets.  It’s kind of like chicken soup when we are sick. It makes us feel safe and satisfied.  It’s often associated with really happy things like BBQ’s, and the 4th of July.  Many people are not feeling so well these days.  Everyone is in transition, which doesn’t always feel so comfortable.  No need to illuminate the obvious and the negative.

So…good for him…he raised $36,000!  Now…”how will we do the same?”    Throughout the entire development of the campaign we were constantly laughing, joking, and injecting humor into a product that centers on disaster and personal and community crisis.  So in that vain here is a couple of outtakes from our filming, and a few of our silly jokes that keep us going.  Enjoy!

A few Corny JOKES:

1. “Doctor, doctor! I need glasses!”

“You certainly do, ma’am. This is a barber shop.”

2. What do rich cows ride?  A cattle-lack!

OUTTAKES:

http://youtu.be/d0CFbEIOPIo

http://youtu.be/2Gebj57taA0

Our Crowd Funding Link:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ember-deflector-protects-lives-homes-and-environment/x/6056394#home

Disclaimer: No potatoes were harmed in the making of this blog…well , with the exception of the tons of potatoes used in the $15,000 Greek Potato Salad give away…it was for a good cause though… Ember Deflector.