If you didn’t already know, 59 Belts have been all the rage out on the golf course this year. I’m excited to partner up with creator and owner, Trevor Derrheim, and offer a sweet design competition to get my blog readers and fans involved in the creation of my signature “Speed Raser” belt buckle for the 2011 season. So, here’s the deal:

 
1. Download the 59 Belts custom buckle template.

2. Hand-sketch or use a computer-sketch design program to create a creative belt buckle that encompasses the GoSpeedRaser brand.

3. Email submissions to speedraser72[at]gmail[dot]com or drop a link to your design in the comments section below.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment both here and on Christina Kim’s blog. It was nearly impossible narrowing it down to only two winners. Your ideas and suggestions were awesome! Nonetheless, we have finally come to a decision…

P.S. I am loud.

I know you’ve all been scratching and shivering waiting for your Sweet Tweets fix, so this week you get a double dose of tweetastic humor! WOOT! This week we are giving away the “Rockstar” poken from PokenGirl.com!

If you haven’t been filled in yet, pokens are the newest, freshest craze in social media and networking. Pokens are simply digital business cards. Each unique poken character has a USB cord attached (the “hand”) that when plugged into your computer, uploads all of your new contacts’ information to your own personal poken profile.

I personally love the idea of not having to worry about designing, printing, schlepping or losing paper business cards. You simply touch pokens (or “high four”) and voila! You’re connected. Woooooohoooooo!! This is going to be the standard. That’s why I love spreading the poken gospel! You can read more about these cool little devices here.

This is the final week that PokenGirl.com will be giving away a poken to the person with the funniest tweet of the week – as voted on by YOU! Please vote for your favorite tweet in the comments below. Voting will end on Monday, March 1 at 12:00pm (noon).

In the coming days/weeks, you may submit funny tweets for consideration to speedraser72[at]gmail[dot]com with “Sweet Tweets” in the subject line.

Enjoy!

If you’ve been keeping up with Twitter, you may have noticed what Christina Kim surprised me with after my 1up victory in the inaugural CKJR showdown. If not, well, that’s what I’m here to brag about. Christina was sweet enough to have the people over at Titleist build me a custom Scotty Cameron prototype putter! She even had Scotty Cameron, himself, stamp “Speed Raser” onto the back!! Plus, she went out of her way to overnight it so I would recieve it before I left town to head out on tour. Can you believe her?! I am so blessed to have made such an amazing new friend, all because of the power of social media! #twitterandfoursquareftw

In keeping with the spirit of giving, Christina and I would like to give away some stuff. We don’t want this to be all about us, we want YOU to have an active role! We are tapping into uncharted waters here, people. We need your input and feedback in this adventure.

Both Christina and I are passionate about showing the world a completely different side of golf. We want to do something hip, fresh, and different. We strive to be both innovative and unique. In the end, we hope to bring a totally new audience into the game.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support and encouragement!

Check out the video below and give us some feedback in the comments!

*chest bumps all around*

Sweet Tweets is back with a vengeance and this week we’re giving away the popular “Bling” poken from PokenGirl.com!

If you haven’t been filled in yet, pokens are the newest, freshest craze in social media and networking. Pokens are simply digital business cards. Each unique poken character has a USB cord attached (the “hand”) that when plugged into your computer, uploads all of your new contacts’ information to your own personal poken profile.

I personally love the idea of not having to worry about designing, printing, schlepping or losing paper business cards. You simply touch pokens (or “high four”) and voila! You’re connected. Woooooohoooooo!! This is going to be the standard. That’s why I love spreading the poken gospel! You can read more about these cool little devices here.

For the next two weeks, PokenGirl.com will be giving away a poken to the person with the funniest tweet of the week – as voted on by YOU! Please vote for your favorite tweet in the comments below. Voting will end on Monday, February 15 at 12:00pm (noon).

In the coming days/weeks, you may submit funny tweets for consideration to speedraser72[at]gmail[dot]com with “Sweet Tweets” in the subject line.

Enjoy!

Once again, this week’s edition of Sweet Tweets is being sponsored by PokenGirl.com.

If you haven’t heard of pokens, you’ve obviously been living under a large fail whale… or maybe in it’s belly. They are the newest craze in social media. Pokens are simply digital business cards. I think it’s much more than a craze, though. It’s completely realistic to believe that these little guys will become the standard in networking, socializing, and business(ing). Nothing else is done on paper these days. How much longer will people really be using paper business cards? They’re such a hassle on both ends. You can read more about pokens in last week’s edition of Sweet Tweets!

For the next three weeks, PokenGirl.com will be giving away a poken to the person with the funniest tweet of the week – as voted on by YOU! Please vote for your favorite tweet in the comments below. Voting will end on Monday, February 1 at 12:00pm (noon).

This week we are giving away the noche de sangre poken! If my Spanish skills serve me right, that means “night of the blood”. oooohhhh! Pretty intense, huh? In the coming days/weeks, you may submit funny tweets for consideration to speedraser72[at]gmail[dot]com with “Sweet Tweets” in the subject line.

Enjoy!

(and yes, I know I went a little crazy with @jane_bot. You don’t have to vote for her, but you best be following her!)

This week’s edition of Sweet Tweets is being sponsored by PokenGirl.com. Wooohooo!!

I first met Vanessa Swanepoel (@PokenGirl), the driving force behind PokenGirl.com, at IZEA Fest in October. I sheepishly admitted to her that although I had heard of pokens, I had no idea what the hell they were. She and her sister, Juliet Keane laughed then showed me what these little gadgets were all about. They were even nice enough to give me one of my own. I was immediately blown away by the simplicity of this new innovation. It’s also a great conversation starter! — Perfect for networking and connecting.

A poken is simply a digital business card. Can you say bye bye designing, printing, schlepping, and losing paper business cards?! You can edit your profile and contact information online then start “high-fouring” with other poken users (pokens only have four fingers, duh). When you touch pokens, (that sounds dirty) you exchange information electronically. The device plugs into your computer USB port. Very cool, if you ask me.

For the next four weeks, PokenGirl.com will be giving away a poken to the person with the funniest tweet of the week – as voted on by YOU! Please vote in the comments below. Voting will end on Monday, January 25 at 12:00pm (noon).

This week we are giving away the popular ninja poken! In the coming days/weeks, you may submit funny tweets for consideration to speedraser72[at]gmail[dot]com with “Sweet Tweets” in the subject line.

 

 
Enjoy!

 

In October I had a post IZEAFest giveaway on Twitter and announced the winners of the Daphne’s Headcovers and Seeitgolf imagery training DVD’s. One day later I was faced with having to deal with a terrible and unexpected family tragedy that would not be appropriate for me to discuss publicly on the web. I had to put everything on hold for weeks. This was a great reminder to me that some things in life are just more important than golf, business, blogging, vlogging, side projects, and even startups. In that time I missed 2 of my best friend’s weddings plus BlogWorld and Blogs with Balls in Las Vegas. On top of all of this I was just beginning to start moving across town from a 3 bedroom house into a 2 bedroom condo with my best friend, Christo Greyling (@stogreyling). Sooo, now I am finally moved in and back on track. I’ve been super busy checking things off my white board to do list and getting this stuff in your hands was one of my top priorities. I’m so sorry for the delay!

That being said…

I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jane Spicer from Daphne’s Headcovers through Twitter over the last several months. She is one of the sweetest most uplifting people I’ve met online. She loves what she does and it comes through in the way she interacts with people as well as in the quality and love put into each one of her famous animal headcovers. What’s interesting to me is that Jane doesn’t really have to reach out and build her brand image or awareness through social media. Daphne’s Headcovers is a category dominator. In the world of golf, Daphne’s is in a league of their own. They know it. Everyone knows it. They created the category (or niche). I believe Jane has embraced social media because that’s the way she built the company — in a truly grassroots, social manner. As a young girl she would design handmade headcovers and go door to door selling them. People bought them because they liked HER, not because they necessarily loved her product. People follow leaders, not products, and Jane is one of the best in the business.

WINNERS! Seahorse: Jennifer Dixon (@wpmomof2) Banana: Lisa Martin (@blm03) Dragon: Buck Rogers (@BuckDaddy) Shamu: Meredith Crosby (@craftyGAgal)

Danny Orr is another CEO that gets it. I have known Danny for about the same amount of time I have known Jane (several months) and consider him a real friend; never having met in person. That is how real he is. Danny’s company, Seeitgolf, markets a mental imagery training DVD that in my opinion is the freshest new training aid in golf. Danny is a genuinely nice guy who has a real passion for his product and for people. He simply wants people to get better at golf (specifically putting). Although new to the golf world, Seeitgolf is generating quite a buzz amongst tour pros. They are way ahead of the curve in terms of innovation. Their product is truly mobile, as the 15 minute DVD can be downloaded straight to iTunes and easily synced up to your iPhone or iPod. They also have a new iPhone app coming out soon that I can’t wait to test out. He too has embraced social media in a way his competitors haven’t — and it’s paying off! It has been awesome watching real people with real products do real things through social media.


WINNERS! Dave Myers (@ragingtech), James Pero (@jamespero), Eric Schechter (@EricSchechter), Toni (@itsToni), Dr. Gio Valiante (@fearless_golf), Amanda Stewart (@amandastewart), and Sandi McKenna (@McMedia)

To the winners: Please resend your mailing address/contact info to speedraser72[at]gmail[dot]com. I can’t wait to hear how you like your new swag!

To Jane and Danny: Thank you so much for your generosity in stepping up and making this Twitter giveaway possible!

I recently got to test out some foneGEAR products and host the Be A Team Player with foneGEAR Contest. For doing this I was given a $100 credit to their online store and was able to choose 3 products to keep and review.

I found the site very easy to navigate and checkout was a breeze. When I saw their large selection of University of Alabama gear I immediately knew the direction I was going in. I have a serious obsession with anything Crimson Tide related. I actually had trouble narrowing it down to 3 items because there was just soo much sweet BAMA gear. Nonetheless, I eventually decided on an Alabama iPhone (smartphone) case, digital camera case, and laptop case:

My favorite item is definitely the laptop case. I love the soft and stretchy material it is made out of and the portability of it. I really like the attention to detail on all three products, as they feature nice team logos on all of the zippers.

The camera case is made out of the same awesome material as the laptop case and has a sturdy velcro belt clip AND carabiner on the back. What I like most about this case is that it is actually flexible enough to comfortably fit it in your pocket without being overly awkward or bulky.

The smartphone case is made of a rugged and tough rubber that is both secure and easy to use. I have had no problems with getting the phone in and out of it (a common problem I have found with most cell phone cases). I actually wish I had gotten the Alabama iPod case to use with my iPhone instead, just because it seems to be a little smaller and sleeker. That’s more my style. However, I still think it is a very quality product.

What I like most about this site is the huge selection of sports themed items including NCAA, NFL, NBA, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and even PBR (Professional Bull Riders) cell phone cases. They also have a large collection of phone chargers, phone holsters, laptop cases, gps cases, etc. I know I will definitely be ordering accessories and mobile equipment from foneGEAR again in the future. Good prices. Simple site. Easy navigation. Quality products. This has got to be the largest selection of cell phone cases on the web!

The Company:

foneGEAR began production in 2003 and has developed a product line of more than 500 unique items, including more than four dozen voice products (Bluetooth and wired headsets), 80+ charger models (12V vehicle, 120V home & away, and USB), more than 200 unique cases and holsters (including exclusive licensed phone and iPod cases), and a complete line of iPod and MP3 player accessories including audio headphones, chargers, and premium carrying cases.

The Deal:

Right now foneGEAR is offering a 20% off their merchandise and free shipping on orders over $35.00.

The Contest:

OK – so here’s what you wanna get your paws on… foneGEAR is offering my readers and Twitter followers the chance to win a $50.00 foneGEAR prize pack! All you have to do to enter is follow @foneGEAR on Twitter then tweet out a message containing your favorite NFL or NCAA team with the hashtag #foneGEAR and a link back to this post!

Example:

“I just entered to win a $50 #foneGEAR prize pack so I can score some sweet University of Alabama mobile accessories. http://bit.ly/2oGQ9l”

(Full contest rules here: http://bit.ly/OCxES)

The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on November 24, 2009

In the wake of this global recession British Airways wants small businesses and start-ups to continue to meet opportunity face-to-face. In this New Media age it is critical to remember the importance of face-to-face meetings in assisting companies in building relationships and overall business. In-person meetings and interaction remain an integral part of growing and sustaining business.

Your company’s efforts online can only go so far. Social media is a way to grow your audience and build relationships and credibilty for your company or personal brand. Once “the conversation” is started with potential clients, vendors, partners, etc it is imperative to follow up with telephone and face-to-face meetings. As motivation speaker and author Joel Bauer says; “No matter how many times we click place-to place, it will never replace face-to-face.”

If you are an entrepreneur, innovator and or small business owner you have got to check out this Business Opportunity Grant. This is a fantastic way to get the ball rolling! 100 companies will win! You must apply by September 30th so giddy up!

DETAILS FROM BRITISH AIRWAYS:

With a history of supporting small business and a desire to do our part to keep companies moving forward during these tough times, British Airways is proud to award a Business Opportunity Grant to 100 companies. Each grant consists of a year’s worth of Business Class travel anywhere British Airways flies. Additionally, each winning company will receive business support from our partners.

The idea for these grants was inspired by our collaborative research with The Harvard Business Review. We discovered the great importance of conducting business in person and its direct effect on the bottom-line.

Simply apply by September 30th by telling us about your company and answering a few short questions about your objectives for 2010 and how a grant would help grow your business. Should your company win, you will have all of 2010 to turn your grant into new business opportunities. Good luck.

THE GRANT:

-British Airways airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights.
-5 free British Airways World Cargo freight shipments of up to 500 kilos to worldwide destinations
-$1000 toward accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott
-5 Regus Businessworld Gold Cards providing access to business lounges worldwide
-Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer