It's a Small World

I'll admit it - I tend to be slightly extroverted. I like talking with people. I'm not afraid to start conversations anywhere there happens to be people around. Nope, I'm not even afraid of making cold calls. I guess that's why I was so successful in my sales career.

In fact, I pick up people.

I once met a woman at a networking event that I found interesting, so I called her the next day and said "I think you're interesting, will you be my friend?" That was in 2001, Madeline and I are good friends to this day. When we first moved to Atascadero in 2004, Curt and I didn't know a soul - until we went to the opening of the Carlton Hotel. Sitting at the bar, I found the man sitting next to us very interesting (though we had not yet started a conversation), so I said to him "we're new in town, will you be our friend?" Come to find out, he was the Chief of Police at Cal Poly at the time and I just happen to be a sales rep for a company that developed public safety applications. This turned out to be another great friendship.

It's been a couple of years since we last went to the Carlton, so last Friday we decided to meet some friends there for a drink. Curt and I arrived early and sitting across from us were two young men that I found interesting. Wanting to start a conversation, I threw them my new pick up line... "do you twitter?" (Forget "what's your sign" or "do you come here often", this one works *much* better!) This of course got the conversation started and soon we were friends with Chris from Los Angeles.

OK, so here is where it becomes a really small world - it's a little complicated, but stay with me...

Next day I had a notice that Chris had begun following me on Twitter, so I welcomed him and introduced him to my 1300+ friends. Later that morning, I checked in on his page and noticed he had several new followers since I last peeked. When I went to see who his followers were, I was surprised to see one of them was my daughter, Bettina. Hmmm, I thought, she must have seen my introduction and decided to follow him too. I better let him know who she is...

This is the twitter exchange that followed:

Me: Bettina, who is following you too is my daughter, she lives in LA

Chris: I work with Bettina at The Farm...

Me: Wait a minute, are you the chris I met last night in Atascadero?

Chris: Yep....

Me: Are you serious, you know Bettina?? OMG!

Chris: yeah, i know Bettina...

Me: Amazed at what a small world this is

Chris: I know, right...

For a moment, I was so confused. When he said he knew Bettina, I thought "oh no, that's not the same Chris I met last night, it must be one of her friends that decided to follow me. I introduced the wrong person!" But come to find out, Chris works at the same restaurant as my daughter, and even car pools at times. Who would have thought?!

We met again that Saturday evening so that I could give him some Action Wipes and we decided not to tell Bettina until he saw her - he was going to go back to L.A. and tell her he met the coolest woman (cuz, you know, I am cool). Then he was going to show her a pack of Action Wipes that I had given him - the look on her face would be priceless! Unfortunately, Bettina got laid off before he returned. (Please, does anyone know of photographer jobs in L.A?)

So Bettina, guess who I met?!

Tour of California, Lance Armstrong and Action Wipes

All I can say is...WOW, what a blast! Like a lot of people, Curt and I typically watch the Amgen Tour of California on Versus, but this year, I got to watch the tour up close - behind the scenes close!

Thanks to Twitter, I got to meet Markus Neuert of Cyclefilm, who gave me the opportunity to tag along as he filmed the tour (watch Chasing Lance With Liz Kreutz - very cool!) Joining him at the Paso Robles stage, I tagged along through Solvang, Pasadena and San Diego where I was able to capture a lot of incredible pictures and a couple of videos which I will share once I have the opportunity to upload them from my camera.

In the meantime, take a look at this funny, grass roots, Twitter marketing campaign that I captured with my Blackberry - and which I hope to expand upon in the coming months (if you know of any celebrities that would lend themselves to this effort, I'd appreciate an introduction :))...

Lance Armstrong - You Need Action Wipes...

@lancearmstrong the Podium Girls have a message for you...#atoc

@lancearmstrong your stolen bike has something to say... #atoc

@lancearmstrong @timjackson *Masi Bikes* said to get a better bike... #atoc

@lancearmstrong Cannondale girls have a message too... #atoc

@lancearmstrong, @fredcast and @cyclefilm send their hellos... #atoc

@lancearmstrong @johanbruyneel has more advise 4 you... #atoc

@lancearmstrong - @philliggett and @paulsherwen have one final word 4 you... #atoc

@lancearmstrong your face is not a baby's butt, don't wipe it like one... #atoc

Bittersweet Shorty Award Win

I won the Shorty Award for Brand. Many were surprised as expressed by this tweet: @rickmarshall "Action Wipes" beat @Marvel's Twitter army?" Yes, my 900 fellow tweeps helped Action Wipes pull ahead of Marvel Comics which has over 5,000 tweeps and SavvyAuntie.com with over 4,000 tweeps. Which proves it was not a "popularity" contest, but about the connection, both on a personal and professional level, one establishes with the people they choose to socialize with (hence "social media").

However, it's a bittersweet win as my dad (whom I told you about in my Thanksgiving post) passed away unexpectedly days before the announcement. So needless to say, I've been on an emotional roller coaster the past two weeks.

I was and will forever be, very appreciative of the support and encouragement my dad continually gave me. Even as he was dying, knowing I was in the lead for the Shorty Awards, he said "New York must be cursed for you." This was a reference to where the awards ceremony will be held, and to the last time I was supposed to go to New York for the launch of C&M Couples, when my mom passed away just two days prior. And in as much emotional pain as he and I were at the time, he encouraged me to go anyway. He said it again this time and encouraged me because as he said, "...you have to go."

While the Shorty Awards are unlike an Oscar, a Nobel Peace Prize or a Super Bowl win, it holds just as great significance for me. For one, it is something my dad and I got to share during his last days and secondly, it's the recognition that enough people felt strong enough to place their vote with Action Wipes and @marthavan that gives me the encouragement to continue on. But for Life Elements, the company and Action Wipes, the brand, I hope this award helps continue the growth in exposing our products and leads to additional distribution opportunities and yes, sales :-) ...All things Twitter has provided since I started using it a few months ago.

My thanks again to everyone that voted for me and much warm love to fellow Shorty Awards winner for Non Profit, Athletes For A Cure (@atheletes4acure), who tweeted "We dedicate our Shorty to Martha Van's Dad who lost his fight before he got to see his daughter win."

Aw-Shucks...

Here are what some of our friends on Twitter are saying about Action Wipes:

• I finally had a chance to try out the Action Wipes and...let me tell you why I am in love with them. First, they smell incredible. I can spend the day smelling clean and fresh, not like a freshly lathered up baby. Also, unlike other wipes I've used after hiking or on the road, they don't leave any residue on me. Huge plus when showering is not an option. I really love these.
  
  
• Well, I would not have believed it, but my reaction to the Action Wipes, was completely different. Refreshing and cooling, with no residue. NO ALLERGIC REACTION. I also used the spray, first testing it on my inner wrist. No problems, and a great product. I brought them to lunch after today's grueling ride through 12 miles of smoke (30 miles in all) from the LA County and Santa Barbara fires. I wish I had taken a picture of the wipes before and after. They were black in some places. Four out of four women loved them. Loved the way it cleaned entirely, and left no residue. Loved the scent. Loved the size. Loved the Eco footprint.
  
  
• Action wipes are fantastic.
  
  
• Action Wipes work. Before/after my 30k trail run.

• Sorry, meant to write a mini rave. Action wipes were awesome! One of my climbing buddies stole them they were that good.
  
  
• Loved them! We took them on our last trip and they were great. I was surprised to see how sturdy they were and they smelled great. We loved them!
  
  
• Hi! I was just thinking about you. They're great! I'll be mentioning them in an upcoming travelingmamas post :)
  
  
• I action-wiped myself today and i really dig the scent. these will come in handy backpacking... :)
  
  
• They smell good, without being perfumey. That's a definite plus.
  
  
• Went through whole pack in Moab. They really came in handy! Intend to write a post about them. Here's one just from face http://is.gd/4g4m
  
  
• Passed out the Action Wipes to our marathon training group post run this morning to RAVE reviews. Looks like a winner!
  
  
• Thanks again for the action wipes. Every camper could use some. Definitely great for when there's no shower around!
  
  
• I did get a chance to try a couple. They are very nice. I like how they don't leave me sticky and don't smell strong.
  
  
• Thanks for the AW! They are awesome! In fact, love everything about them. Plan on doing a future blog post too.
  
  
• Hi, their wonderful, we are having our chapter gathering tomorrow, and we are going to pass them around and get ideas from them. let u know.
  
  
• We used them Columbus day weekend after hiking Tuckermans Ravine in NH. Luckily Martha had sent us a pack of ActionWipes! We were able to get the hiking/campfire funk off of ourselves for an enjoyable drive back down to southern NH feeling nice and clean! Thanks so much for an awesome product! I recommend them to everyone.
  
  
• Thx for the Action Wipes. They worked great. Best thing now is that I can use them to keep my bike in order.
  
  
• Just ran the Silicon Valley Marathon. Treated it as a tune-up long run (took it EZ). Used my Action Wipes afterwards. Awesome!
  
  
• Just got the action wipes. Wow! Far exceeded my expectations. Our van will smell real purty-like.
  
  
• Like ur Actionwipes. Clean n refreshng-0 residue. LOVE the reusability. Next am putting on peppermint essentials for reuse. MAHALO!
  
  
• A big thank you for the Action Wipes. Ragnar was GRIMEY! Those things were mega-awesome. Total Shower Replacement.
  
  
• We try to be on top of the next big thing. We think Action Wipes qualifies. Thanks for your race sponsorship!
  
  
• WOW! Action Wipes are great! Must show them to the local bike shop! Thanks! Much better than baby wipes for post-ride clean-up.
  
  
• Sunday Funday long run day. 10 miles of pure joy. Glad to have my action wipes at the end. Actionwipes.com
  
  
• Martha, Action Wipes were at hit with Team White Line Fever during the Ragnar Texas Relay. Stay tuned for a mention on the podcast.
  
  
• Used action wipes after a few days in flip flops... Worked great! http://twitpic.com/m9an
  
  
• Love the smell and feel of my skin after I used them.
  
  
• Congrats on your feature in Dec Triathlete Mag! My husband and I LOVE the Action Wipes after long runs.
  
  
• They worked great. Perfect size to wipe down with. Small package, easy to carry with you.
  
  
• Hey Martha, they arrived a couple of days ago. I love them! The liquid seems a little soapy at first but it dries quickly. The aroma is SO much better than baby wipes! I have been sharing them with our group and they always go quickly!
  
  
• I have tried them and I love em! I keep a pack in my car so anytime I need to go somewhere after I ride, I just use an Action Wipe and I am good to go! I will continue to use and buy them

Recent Events

First, thank you to everyone that participated in Jaime Whitmore's silent auction, which raised $12,500!! But it doesn't end there - we can still help. Jaime and Courtney can use gift cards, or money which can be sent via Paypal to gutzytrigirl@hotmail.com. Also, I believe another auction site is being set up on eBay, but I don't have that info yet. Will post as soon as I find out though. And yes, the years supply of Action Wipes sold on site!

As of today, we are now following 877 interesting people from all walks of life on Twitter. And we are being followed by 209. This social media network is easy and fun. I like it because it allows you to mix business with pleasure. Those that are following me have gotten to know me on a personal level as well as created some business opportunities for us. Check it out and follow me.

NEWS

Life Elements, creators of Action Wipes, is a proud partner of Carbonfund.org. Through our partnership, we are able to offset our carbon emmissions and ship carbon free. In this recent article, Carbonfund.org helps us spread the word about Action Wipes: Want to be a Good Steward of the Outdoors? Stay Clean Responsibly With Action Wipes

Click here and listen to our podcast visit withYoga Mama Satsangha - LaSara Firefox. This was a fun interview where I got to talk about going green and how I started the Life Elements' line of products - C&M Couples and Action Wipes.

If you're riding your bike to work or at lunch and then have to rush to a meeting, read how Karl McCracken from the U.K. found Action Wipes so useful... Just Peachy After a Hard Ride

COMMENTS

• We went on a trek in the Peryar Tiger Preserve and used the Action Wipes quite a bit. It was the end of the monsoon, so the wet and humidity made them really indispensable.
  Thanks for your help!


• Action-wiped myself today and i really dig the scent. these will come in handy backpacking... :)


• I got the package of your products and THEY ROCK! Thank you so much.


• Used my first action wipe today. Fantastic product! Will have to keep on hand in my tri bag for those busy days.


• I used your actions wipes today on my 20 mi bike ride, sis-n-law was like what are those, so i instanly became your advertisement.


• That's it?! Only 6 ingredients?! Wow!