We had a great time this past Sunday at the GreenFest Philly, and met a lot of really cool people. Check out our Facebook page here to see some of the pictures. More pictures to follow over the coming week.
We’re almost geared up for this upcoming Sunday’s GreenFest Philly. It sounds like it’s going to be a really great event filled with a wide variety of exhibitors. It might also be your opportunity to see the first five women’s Fourward shirts, one of which is an entirely new design (We’re trying our best to get the ladies’ samples in before Sunday, so keep your fingers crossed)… So if you’re in the Philly area, be sure to check out the day’s events! Details are at http://www.greenfestphilly.org/features/exhibits.php
If you get me in touch with a contact at a high school that’s on/near our around-the-country route AND we end up making it a stop on our trip, you get two free tees of your choice. If you ARE this contact and get in touch with me directly, you will receive two free shirts yourself if your school is selected. Don’t worry ladies, womens shirts are coming soon, so you can get two womens shirts of your choice in the event that you help us out.
All you have to do is:
1. Email your high school contact the following Fourward blog post link: http://tinyurl.com/m6edwk
2. Carbon Copy (CC) frank [at] gofourward [dot] com on the email
That’s it! If your contact gets in touch with me and their school is selected as a stop on the Fourward tour, I’ll contact you about getting you your free shirts. Act soon though, because there are only so many slots available on the tour!
Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Cincinnati, OH, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Helena, MT. Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Dallas, TX, Shreveport, LA, Jackson, MS, Mobile, AL, Jacksonville, FL, Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA, Columbia, MD, Newark, DE, Lawrenceville, NJ
As I announced last week, Fourward is driving around the country this November (see route below). Before I explain how you get your free tees ($64 value), let me re-explain the general purpose of the trip in case you missed the original announcement.
We’re making stops at high schools across the country to let high school kids know about the Keep Moving Fourward Entrepreneurship Competition (KeepMovingFourward.com). We’re also going to have fashion show fundraisers at each school, where half of all profits will go to the host high school. So the general format of our visits will be a nighttime event at the host high school where we’ll have a brief talk about the competition itself, the fashion show with students from the host school, and then a sale of Fourward clothing afterward.
Here’s how you can get your free shirts: If you get me in touch with a contact at a high school that’s on/near our proposed route AND we end up making it a stop on our trip, you get two free tees of your choice. If you ARE this contact and get in touch with me directly, you will receive two free shirts yourself if your school is selected. Don’t worry ladies, womens shirts are coming soon, so you can get two womens shirts of your choice in the event that you help us out.
All you have to do is:
1. Send your high school contact to the Fourward blog post at http://tinyurl.com/m6edwk
2. Send a message to frank [at] gofourward [dot] com to let me know the name of your contact, and that you’ve sent them to the link in step one.
(You could kill two birds with one stone by emailing your contact the link, and cc’ing me on that email)
That’s it! If your contact gets in touch with me and their school is selected as a stop on the Fourward tour, I’ll contact you about getting you your free shirts. Act soon though, because there are only so many slots available on the tour!
Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Cincinnati, OH, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Helena, MT. Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Dallas, TX, Shreveport, LA, Jackson, MS, Mobile, AL, Jacksonville, FL, Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA, Columbia, MD, Newark, DE, Lawrenceville, NJ
Fourward is driving cross country and back this November! We’re making stops at high schools across the country to let high school kids know about the Keep Moving Fourward Entrepreneurship Competition (KeepMovingFourward.com). We’re also going to have fashion show fundraisers at each school, where half of all profits will go to the host high school. So the general format of our visits will be a nighttime event at the host high school consisting of a brief talk about the competition itself, the fashion show with students from the host school, and then a sale of Fourward clothing afterward. We’re expecting each event to take less than 2 hours.
Here’s the tentative route:
Philadelphia, PA, Pittsburgh, PA, Cincinnati, OH, Chicago, IL, Minneapolis, MN, Helena, MT. Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA, San Diego, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Albuquerque, NM, Dallas, TX, Shreveport, LA, Jackson, MS, Mobile, AL, Jacksonville, FL, Savannah, GA, Charleston, SC, Raleigh, NC, Richmond, VA, Columbia, MD, Newark, DE, Lawrenceville, NJ
If you are a teacher, student, or administrator at a high school relatively close to any of the listed cities, we want to hear from you! Please send a message to frank [at] gofourward [dot] com if you’re interested in having Fourward consider your school as a stop on its around the country tour. Act soon though, because there are only a limited number of stops available.
Starting a business is serious (you guessed it) business, so please take careful consideration before entering into any type of business venture! And since it is serious business, please read my beautiful bit of legalese before you dive into the post:
FOURWARD LLC MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND CONCERNING THE FOLLOWING BLOG POST, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. IN NO EVENT SHALL FOURWARD LLC, ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY ADVICE, INFORMATION OR DECISIONS MADE FOR OR ON BEHALF OF OR AS A RESULT OF THE FOLLOWING BLOG POST OR FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING ECONOMIC DAMAGES OR INJURY TO PROPERTY AND LOST PROFITS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER FOURWARD LLC SHALL BE ADVISED, SHALL HAVE OTHER REASON TO KNOW OR IN FACT SHALL KNOW OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FOREGOING.
Would You Raise Your Child Part-Time?
Raising a child and “raising” a new business share a number of similarities. Both can be emotionally, physically, and financially draining. But both can also be massively fulfilling and life-changing experiences. You try not to think about all of the “drains” when raising a child, because that’s your baby. You raise them because you love them and want them to have their best possible life. Same goes for a business. You raise it, and push its growth along because you love it, and want to see it blossom into a successful enterprise. So ask yourself this… Would you raise your child on a part-time basis? I’m hoping the answer there is a simple “NO.” OK, so why would you raise your business on a part-time basis? Obviously, the child analogy doesn’t apply to 100% of all circumstances, as there are times when it is appropriate to do things on a part-time basis. However, the comparison has held true for the entrepreneurs below.
Should Everyone Jump in Full-Time?
I’m not saying that everyone should jump into their business full-time. I simply wanted to take a look at the other side of the coin for this particular debate. When I was looking into starting my business, I could only find articles that talked about why you SHOULD start part-time. Hopefully the following will prove helpful for folks looking to find out some reasons why they might NOT want to take the part-time route.
Important Things to Consider…
Now I’m not sure if jumping into your own business full-time is appropriate for you, but it’s something that you should at least consider. You need to first look within yourself, and talk to that little voice inside of you. Do you have the cojones (ask a Spanish-speaking friend for the translation) and persistence within you to bring your vision to life? Do you really truly believe in your idea and its potential? Do you have enough money to buy food and toiletries (true story) for the next 3-6 months while you get your business off of the ground? These are all very important questions that you should fully address before making any type of potentially life-altering decision.
Don’t just take my word for it though. Take it from these other folks who have already been there and done it before. Starting a business part-time was NOT the way to go for them. You won’t know for yourself unless you sit down, look within yourself, and reeeeally think about it…
Fourward LLC is not affiliated with the following individuals.
Not Enough Time in the Day
I’ve started five businesses over a commercial career lasting 40 years. All five businesses had this in common: Determining the viability of each required an 18 hour business day. Owners who think they can devote less time to a new venture are unaware of what it takes to create and carry through with the actions that produce sales leads, publicity, open new markets, implement systems, train staff and capitalize on the technological advantages required to succeed in today’s business environment that favors buyers, not sellers.
-Michael Grossman: Owner of My Green Mind
Your Current Employer Might Own Your Ideas
If your new business is at all connected to your current employment the ownership of anything you develop will be in question. Imagine working for a year part-time developing your new start-up, just to find that your current employer tells you they own it all, when you go to quit. Ensuring that any intellectual property you develop for your own business remains with the business can be tricky, and expensive. So unless your new idea is completely unrelated to your current employer, I would generally recommend that you do not work in parallel for an employer and yourself.
-Judith Szepesi: Patent Attorney, BST&Z LLP
Success is a Matter of Extreme Focus
I think one of the top reasons not to go part-time is that it is very difficult to divide your time & thoughts between your day job and your new venture. This is especially true if you have a demanding career that can take 50-60+ hours a week on its own. You can also lose the support of your family if all of your off time is spent working on your new venture.
-Ken Price: ShopWatchBuy.com
Customers Need You
It should seem obvious, but you probably won’t notice this problem as a part-timer because it will “magically” go away on it’s own. The problem is that if you are not easily available during business hours, your company is just NOT going to grow. It can’t. No matter what industry you’re in, your customers will have questions, want to place orders, and will need follow-up. If you’re away during the times when your customers need you, they will simply go elsewhere. Ironically, you may see this as proof that your “part-time” business isn’t ready to support you full time. The reality is that you never gave it a chance. -Mark Hunter: Founder of FlipScript Ambigram Products
Your Commitment Shows
Starting and building a successful business takes a lot of energy. Your commitment must be high and your focus must be total. Anything less will show up in customer-service lapses and quality problems. Your customers can tell the difference. You can still prepare before you begin. And once you’re established, you can let-up a little. But if you’re serious about starting a successful business (not a hobby), give it everything you’ve got.
-Harry Liebman: CandyTorahs.com
You Might Turn Investors Away
In our work with innovators and start-ups, we see that there is often a need for outside capital for the business to grow. Investors want to see that the leaders have both feet in the company. If it’s a part-time effort that they aren’t wholly committed to, there is no sense lending or investing money. They aren’t going to get any serious funding to take the business to the next level.
-Jeff Lindsay: InnovationEdge.com
If You Don’t Take Yourself Seriously, No One Else Will
I have told myself the preceding statement for years as a writer, editor, and a young author of Frommer’s travel guide, and again as a new entrepreneur. You need to see yourself as a business owner before other people can see you as one and work with you as one. Part-timers will find people treating their venture as a hobby instead of a new career. Full timers will hold themselves to the seriousness of their start-up with nothing holding them back. It will not be easy, but if you take it seriously and commit to it, you will reach your goals one by one by one.
-Lisa Marie Rovito: Founder, Orange & Blossom
One Word: Motivation
You’re much more likely to overcome the inevitable obstacles and achieve your goals when you don’t have the safety net that a full-time job usually provides.
-Scott Swanay: President & Chief Sherpa, Fantasy Football Sherpa
Part-Time Business = Part-Time Results
A “part-time business” will likely drive “part-time results”. When I started my home-based business part-time while working a full-time job, I got minimal outcomes because my efforts were limited due to time and energy constraints. Once I made the decision to “jump right in” and turn my part-time efforts into a full-time venture, my business took off and so did my fun factor!
-Dez Stephens: Personalized Parcels
You Might Appear Unprofessional
If you only work part-time, you can look unprofessional, unseasoned and unreliable – be there in a full-time, “ready-to-serve” capacity.
-Cynthia McKay: CEO of Le Gourmet Gift Basket, Inc.
Networking is a Must
Businesses that aren’t internet-based often require serious networking and face-time to build a client-base. In order to attend industry events, take prospective clients to lunch or drinks, participate in webinars, network on Twitter and, perhaps most critically, prepare our walkie orders myself to ensure accuracy and excellent presentation, I had no choice but to commit to WY20 full-time.
-Sherri Haymond: Founder, What’s Your Twenty, Inc.
Your Full-Time Job Might Suffer
When you’re at the full-time job all you will be doing is thinking about your own business, and how you would rather be doing that than your current job. This will have a direct negative impact on your current work, and you will be letting your boss down along with your fellow workers. You would be better off doing your own thing and giving that 100%.
-Timothy A. Wilson: Founder, T.A. Wilson & Associates
Sink or Swim Mentality
Running a successful business is a full-time job. You must be totally committed to doing everything possible to make it work. If you keep your day job you’re hedging your bets and don’t have that sink or swim drive to make a go of it. Step off the cliff and grow your wings on the way down. That’s the entrepreneurial spirit.
-Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, Ph.D.: President, Advantage Leadership, Inc.
Flexibility to Explore Your Options
So I’d say the best reason to jump in full-time is so you can explore opportunities that may (and will) arise. Entrepreneurialism requires acting quickly and being ahead of the market. It’s hard to do that if your business isn’t your first priority. I recommend people make paying the rent a side project so you can focus fully on launching your business. It’s the best way to get off of the ground.
-Mark Briggs: CEO, Serra Media
Mark your calendars, Fourward will be at the Green Fest Philly in Philadelphia, PA on Sunday, September 13th. More information about the Green Fest Philly is available at http://www.greenfestphilly.org/
Yesterday I received really short notice on a shoot that BET was having for Ryan Leslie, so I quickly got some Fourward stuff together and shot over to the train station. It turned out to be a really great day filled with really great people. Shout to Nyte and Peter from the Bronx. Looking forward to working with you guys.
Fourward has its 4 P’s (Positivity, Patience, Passion, Persistence) while Ryan’s got his 4 D’s (Drive, Desire, Discipline, Dedication). All great values to live by!
Passion is a word that’s thrown around a lot these days. In fact, there’s now even a Lingerie Football League team called the Philadelphia Passion (who by the way, are no joke on the football field!). However, have you ever actually stopped to think about how the concept of passion fits into your own life? If you haven’t, it probably wouldn’t hurt to take a few minutes to learn from the folks below. They have all discovered their own passions in life, and are happier, more fulfilled people because of it. Life is WAY too short to just coast through on auto-pilot. If you aren’t doing SOMETHING that you love (whether for work, or play), you simply are not living.
Ask Loved Ones
Ask the people who love you what you’re doing when you’re the happiest! Sometimes, we’re so consumed by our lives that we don’t realize the things that make us happy. But our friends and family know when we’re the happiest, and can help steer us in the direction of our passion.
-Christine Pembleton: Author, Entrepreneur, Speaker & Minister
Read Widely and Often
Newspapers, books, blogs. As you read about what others are doing, at some point a piece of information will resonate and spark an internal process of you seeing yourself in that situation. Be an armchair explorer into the lives of others via their writings.
-Saverio Mancina: Marketing & Communications Director
If Money Wasn’t an Issue
I found my passion by asking myself this: “If I had a million dollars in the bank, and I didn’t have to go to work tomorrow, how would I spend my day?” The answer was that I would travel and I would write. That said, I sold the house and traveled America. I then wrote a best-selling book about motorcycle touring, and recently my National Geographic book, USA 101, was released.
-Gary McKechnie: Author, USA 101
Relax and Look Back
Think about all the different things you loved as a child and young person. Don’t edit; just think about skills, activities, work or play. This works well with a friend because you can bounce ideas off each other. Make a list; include everything. Then, move forward to adulthood and review your list. What does it say about you that is still true? Are there childhood things that can morph to adult activities? What pleasures from childhood can be adapted to your present life?
-Linda Edelstein, Ph.D.: Psychologist & Author, Writer’s Guide to Character Traits
Describe Your Perfect Day
Describe your perfect day (the answers WILL contain clues as to what you’d like to be spending your time on). Is it spending more time with your pet? Drawing? Volunteering? Gardening? All of these can help you define what you like to spend your time on, and help to be an outline for a new job, hobby or career!
-DeAnna Radaj: Bante Design LLC/3E Products
Create a Passion Board
Grab a dozen old magazines and cut out the words and phrases that jump out and connect with you. Don’t worry that you’ve never been to the Opera, if it is something you’d like to learn about, put it up on the board and take yourself to see a show at a local house or community center.
-Brenda Della Casa: Author of Cinderella Was a Liar and Walking Barefoot
Think About the Things You Enjoy
Stop. Sit. Relax. Think. Think about the things you enjoy. Of those things, which ones give you a productive feeling? And of those, which one(s) make you feel fulfilled? Finally, of this narrowed down list, which one gives you happiness day in and day out? Because it is THAT one that you can continue doing for years to come and enjoy to the nth degree.
-Logan Lindabury: Founder of Laughtub
Examine Your Free Time
Look at what you spend the majority of your free time doing – and then figure out how to get paid to do it! I love my home state of Michigan. I love to travel around it. I love to eat in its restaurants, visit its wineries, attend its festivals and events, golf its courses, paddle its rivers, cruise on its lakes. After working seven years for a regional tourism association, I launched my own marketing consulting company called PROMOTE MICHIGAN in which I get to do all the things I love on a daily basis.
-Dianna Stampfler: Promote Michigan
Ask a Friend
Have a friend toss out 25 different topics and ask you to talk (a few sentences) about each. Have your friend note when your whole face transforms–a smile appears, your eyes light up, your pace of speaking quickens. Chances are, when this happens, you are speaking about a topic you love.
-Dr. Marlene Caroselli: Speaker, Corporate Trainer & Author
Don’t Just Sit Around
Don’t sit around trying to figure out what you may or not be passionate about. Just get out there and try new things! If something catches your eye then give it a go because you never know where it may lead.
-Hannah Swales: Project Manager, Team Nomad
Listen to Your Gut
Your intuition, or inner voice, is an invaluable source of information. Start developing a keen awareness of the “dialogue” within you — even asking questions and waiting for the answers. Rarely, if ever, will your gut-level hunches lead you astray. Follow them!
-Kathy Caprino: Founder/President of Ellia Communications, Inc.
Times You Have Endless Energy
Think of times in your life when you seemingly had endless energy. We all experience times in life when we seem to have endless energy, where we feel like we could go on forever. When we are engrossed in activities that we are passionate about we tend to find sources of energy we didn’t know we had.
-Mark Black: Motivational Speaker, Author & Coach
Go Out and Experience Life
Go out and experience life, even if it’s just lunch with a friend. You never know what you might discover on the walk from the car to the restaurant. Be Alice and go down the rabbit hole to see what’s on the other side. You just might find your own spark that will lead you to a whole new world.
-Brooke Coe: Construction Artist / Interior Design
Take a New Class
I took a class to try something new. I always liked dichroic glass jewelry…in fact spent too much money on it…so I decided to take a fused glass class at a local art center. Just one class and I was hooked! About four weeks after my first class I started FOXY Fusions, started selling fused glass jewelry at craft fairs, and earned enough money to buy my very first kiln.
-Kerry Lawnsby: FOXY Fusions
Follow Your Heart:
Fourward is all about following your heart, and doing what you love to do in life, so this design really drew from that theme. We thought we’d combine an actual heart with a map-esque background, and this is what was born. Expect more colors in the near future!
Feel Your Passion:
When you follow your heart and move fourward in life, you’re naturally going to feel a passion for what you’re doing. This shirt was inspired by the thought of how fantastic it can feel when your passions are running through your veins!
Fourward Logo on Light Blue:
Fourward is about four very basic principles, so we wanted to keep the logo equally simple. Follow your heart, and move fourward in life. Expect lots of variations of our logo tee!
Find Your Passion:
In order to find your passions, you’ll likely have to experience a lot of things that don’t get you too excited. This design illustrates that by using all blue and green logos, and the single red logo over your heart. Keep trying trying new things, and keep moving fourward!
Act Now:
People often have a ton of constructive ideas in their head, but never act on them. It’s kind of like this Japanese proverb: “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” If you actually do something with just one of your ideas, you might be surprised at the results!
