Stretching the dollar to do some good with @JimmyJohns day old bread

Just a reminder that it doesnt take much to help someone that needs it. Heading to grab a "freaky fast" sandwich from Jimmy Johns today for lunch, a man who was clearly hungry interrupted our convesation to ask for some help. At first, we were maybe a little annoyed, but to his credit he specifically asked for something to eat, not for money. I told him to sit tight and I'll grab him something.

If you didnt know, Jimmy Johns sells their day old 18in sub rolls for just 50 cents! We've picked them up before for dinner, the kids lunches, etc. as well as to help out people before, so I knew they had something that would make this guy's day. For just $1, I picked up 2 loaves of bread and on the way out handed them over. It doesnt take much...for that matter the easy part is spending the $1...what we need to do more of is be willing to say yes, and help. So, next time that opportunity comes your way, think about saying yes.

Is it 'Game Over' for Foursquare?

The other day as I was going through me email I saw a notification from Foursquare that I had been “Ousted” as the mayor of one of my favorite coffee shops in West Seattle. A year or so ago, I would have felt disappointed and motivated to get it back. The whole “gamification” was definitely pushing me. But as I quickly passed over that email, I realized that the luster around Foursquare isn’t there for me anymore, and I wonder if it is ‘Game Over’ for Foursquare?

I will admit that I do still use Foursquare...my wife can attest to that as I will pull out my smartphone when we go places and I check in. But my motivations have changed around Foursquare. Instead of seeing where friends might also be, trying to get a mayorship, obtaining new badges or being the points leader, my focus is more around see what deals might be near me or more specifically, where I am. To Foursquare’s credit they have evolved the platform to have more deals and specials, but is it enough? They have also released a whole new set of badge levels that continue to emphasize the game part of the platform..and while interesting, no longer motivate me.

I consider myself pretty tech-savvy and maybe the game of Foursquare has just worn off...just like the game itself wore off when I transitioned from grade school to high school. My motivations have changed, my interests have changed, and maybe it just isnt for me anymore? I’m sure I will continue to use the platform, and will be intrigued by a new badge that comes my way, but for me I’m looking for more value. Deals and specials are a start, but there needs to be more of them. They need to make it easier for business to get deals out there, and for consumers to be able to use them. I think the gamification aspect can continue to evolve, but that too needs to have value. What exactly does a level 5 Juan Valdez get me? There are so many apps, platforms, network, etc competing for what little time I have and I need something more.

What do you think? Is it ‘Game Over’ for Foursquare? With “Foursquare Day” approaching on 4/16 I would love to hear some thoughts on how/if you use the platform and if it still has you engaged. If not, what else has your attention now?

Impacting every generation through service

In my last post I told the story of how our family, along with friend rallied together on LeadDay (February 29th, 2012) to prepare and serve a meal at Nicklesville (aka Tent City) in South Seattle. Just a little over 4 miles from our house, after hearing about the great need there, we really felt like this was a great opportunity to use this extra day in 2012 to serve others who need a little help. We went in not knowing what exactly to expect, but in looking back are thrilled about taking the step forward to help this group.

When we arrived we were greeted with a handshake and a smile; good people so excited to see others willing to lend them a hand. We quickly setup our food stations, with a pasta dish, cream corn, rolls with butter and homemade chocolate chip cookies and milk. Soon, people emerged from their tents, hungry and ready for a warm meal. After being led in saying grace, the kids (yes the kids) started the assembly line, dishing out food. The line was steady, with over 75 people coming through, and some multiple times. We shook their hands, patted them on the back, and encouraged them to take seconds. There were modest in every way, and we had to encourage (and sometime force) them to more. It was great to see them smile, and you could see how much they appreciated not just the food, but our simple presence.

After the meal, one of the Tent City members took a special interest in answering the kids questions, and took us all on a tour. Below is the raw video from our tour. It is humbling in many many ways. From seeing the tents, covered in wet tarps...to the pile of dirty wet clothes...to the structures they hope to have built...to their goats. What catches my attention is the sens of quiet and calm as we walk through the camp. There is the buzz of highway noise, but not much else. If you can, listen close to some of T.J’s comments. Especially the one around the 12min mark where she says “I’m spoiled rotten” simply because she is able to get a new tent on a consistent basis.

As darkness settled in, we packed up and headed on our way. We heard “Thank You” more times than you can possibly imagine. We knew we had done some good! But what really hit home, and made us realize that taking this on was good thing, was based on the reaction from the kids. Walking out, many of the kids were asking parents “when do we get to do this again?” One group of high school students from Seattle Lutheran High School said they knew exactly what their Senior project was going to be. On the way home, Maddie didn’t stop talking about how she wanted to keep things going and what she could do next. Finally, you know it was a good thing when the experience persists....Here are two pictures taken recently that show how this experience is still on the kid’s minds.

Maddie’s whiteboard list of things to do next...

And Kenzie’s response to what she would do with $100. “I wold give it to tent sity”

How we plan to give back on #LeapDay - and hopefully you'll do the same.

A few weeks ago while at Church, our Pastor talked about caring more for our local community. At times we tend to look either at our immediate ciricles, or at the extremes (like foreign countries) for ways to serve/help. However, needs are right here in our own community, right here in West Seattle. He provided information on the Nickelsville "Tent City" that is just a few miles from West Seattle, where needs are great. We came away thinking that we could do something to help, and the brian strarted working.

(photo from seattlepi.com)

A week or so later we had the idea that a few of our friends and family could work together to serve a meal to the residents of Tent City. We could pool our time and money and take some action, and do something. Even better, we thought it would be cool to do this on February 29th, Leap Day. The day that only happens every once in awhile with leap year, why not use this day that we normally never even get, and use it to do some good.

After a few calls, and rallying the troops, we have the pieces in place. The food is made, cookies baked, plates ready, etc. Most important, we have our team ready to go and ready to help. We are really looking forward to this opportunity to do something for some people that need it, and are certain it will be great experience for everyone. Be sure to check back for a follow up.

In the meantime, on this LeapDay, try and take a moment to use this day that doesnt happen that often, that you really didnt expect to have, and do something good with it.

My Top 5 Superbowl Commercials

Along with the millions of others around the world, I took in the Superbowl last night. While none of my favorite teams were in this one, I’m still a sports fan and enjoyed the game and everything that comes with it. The Ads have long been an area that I enjoy taking in, getting a chuckle here and there, and being amazed at how much money is spent for such a short amount of time. Sure, you have the eyeballs, but I just have to wonder if there is truly the return. Oh well, enough of that, I thought I would pull together my Top 5. The basis for my top 5 are simply that I remember them the day after. I’m sure there might have been some better ones out there, but as I scanned my brain this morning without looking online or anything (I promise) here were my favorites:

#1 - Bud Light - Here We Go

Loved how the dog rolls out the Keg...as well as the support for rescue dogs.

#2 - Kia – Sandman

Overdose on the magic dream dust!

#3 (Tie) - Doritos - Sling shot baby and Mans best friend

Hard to pick between the two, so it’s a tie with these two from Doritos

#4 – Chrysler 2012

Funny product placement of Twinkies – the only other thing to survive!

#5 Chrysler – 2^nd Half

Good old American ad! Hard to go wrong with Clint Eastwood too.

Honorable Mention - Jack in the Box – Marry Bacon

Just Made me laugh, and who doesnt love bacon!

Building fans early - It's about doing the right thing

In between a basketball game and soccer practice on a busy Saturday the Jensen family was running around trying to answer the cry (requests) of the kids to hit the Menchies’ Grand Opening in West Seattle. While the store has been open for a couple months now, this was the big celebration event. Over twitter and facebook we heard that lines were long and we had all but written off that we would get there before the 1pm end time for the free yogurt giveaway. We avoided some crazy traffic coming from downtown, pulled up in front at 12:59 and got in line at 1:00 on the nose...whew, just in the nick of time! Luckily on this cool Saturday we didn't have to wait outside long but there was still a 20-30 person line to get to the free stuff, plus we got our picture taken with a “Menchie.”

Then we got the news..an employee came up to us and said that unfortunately the free yogurt promotion was over at 1pm, but they had other things planned later in the day, etc. etc. Ugghhh! While the kids didn't start “melting down” - we got that look. So, leaving empty handed was not going to be an option. We decided to just stick it out and pay for yogurt. A couple minutes later that employee came back over, noticing that a) we stayed despite the bad news and b) everyone else behind us left, and told us that they changed their mind...that we were the last family to get free yogurt. The long faces turned into smiles and the kids were happy.

In the new age of social we talk at length about building fans and followers, with most of that happening online. But in the end it is still about doing the right thing and having a good customer experience. While we were still planning to buy yogurt that day, they realized that a smile on these three kids’ faces was more important than a sale. By making sure we knew they were taking care of us, the kids took notice (so did we) and they earned a set of Menchies fans. I know this for a few reasons:

1) They tell everyone else this story about how they were the last ones to get free yogurt.
2) They want to go back all the time - ALL THE TIME!
3) They tell their friends to go back all the time.

By knowing when to do the right thing, they won over these “kids” and gained true fans.

Our "Junction to Junction" Snow Walk #wasnow

One of our favorite traditions when we have a "snow event" like we expereinced today, is to go on a snow trek around West Seattle where we live. Last year we ended up helping a gal that had never driven in snow before. But overall, we just love to explore and get out. So, today we ventured to the south to the Morgan Junction for some pizza. The local Zeeks was open and we settled in for our Snow dinner. After dinner we started working our way back home, with our leftover pizza getting the front row seat in the sled. We stopped at a couple hills to give the girls some night sledding on the compact snow/ice...even the small hills were really fast!

As we kept walking, we figured we woudl just work our way to the Alaska Junction (the hub of West Seattle). By this time, Kenzie worked her way into the sled (holing the pizza) and we took turns pulling her through the ice crusted snow. Within a couple blocks of the junction we ran into some friends that had their 4-wheeler out, pulling 2 dog sleds. This immediately caught the girls eyes and they were anxious for their turn. They also needed a "braker" so I got to ride along as well. We werent able to go as fast as the girls wanted to since it was icy, but it was pretty fun. Although, my face was totally frozen by the time we ended our ride.

After a quick "pit stop" at the Junction QFC we turned around and headed back home. We found a ton of icicles which the girls loved collecting along the way and skated our way on the icy side streets. Overall, another successful family snow walk. We didnt plan on that long of an adventure, but we fit a lot in and will remember this one just like all the others.

Making Christmas a bit brighter for another Family – Our Extended Family Tradition

The Holidays are a time when traditions are both formed, and played out. Going to grandma’s house, baking cookies, cutting down the family tree, etc....and our family is no different. For as long as I can remember we packed up and headed to my Grandparents house on Christmas Eve for a BIG extended family get together. We shared food, fun, games, and of course gifts. As we got older, some people moved away and the crowd got smaller some yeara, but we still had our tradition of getting together and sharing the Holidays with each other.

After a number of years of just exchanging gift cards with each other, and following the passing of my Grandfather the summer before, we started a new tradition a few years ago, a tradition of adopting a family in need and spending our time and money on making their Christmas a little brighter. We worked with our Church that helps hundreds of families each year, and picked from a handful of families that they felt would be the best fit for us. Over the years we have helped single parent families, families going through medical issues, and families that are homeless. Each has their own story and circumstances that we embrace and do the best we can make things a littler better.

Usually right after Thanksgiving we contact the Church to let them know we are “in” for another year and they give us a few options to pick from. This year, they started with one, knowing that our family would be the best fit to try and help. It was a family of 8; Mom, Dad and 6 kids - ranging from 2-16. They have landed on tough times, and have been living in a homeless camp. Their needs were minimal; some clothes, blankets, gloves and maybe a bag to put their belonging in.
So, let’s just stop here for a second. Can you imagine this? A family of 8 with no home...a bag for their belongings would be great?

When we heard this, we knew we wanted to help, but a family of 8 was big commitment. Even for our extended family, we were concerned if we could make an impact. Sure, all they wanted was a bag for their thing, but we knew we wanted to do more than that. We reached out to the family and everyone agreed that we COULD do this, so we made it happen. Over the course of the next few weeks, we accumulated clothes, toys, blankets, etc. We also went to a local custom print shop that was able to help us order duffel bags at cost. They also dipped into all their “seconds” and was able to provide even more clothes for the bags.

The above picture are the 8 bags filled to the brim with all their goodies the day before we delivered to the church to then get to the family. Seeing the product of our hearts coming together for another family was pretty cool. I can honestly say, that this is one of the best traditions we have started. It is something we will continue to do...and I would encourage anyone reading this to start this up as well. If you think it might be too much to take on, think through it again....you can make it happen!

CHIRPS

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