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.

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*

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

“Win a #free iPod Touch or Macbook from the @Netfirms #contest. Domain registration services via Twitter http://bit.ly/yJfJK”

OR

Register a domain name via the Netfirms Twitter Domain Registration service for $7.99.

One retweet equals one entry per day. One domain registered equals one entry.

How it works:

You send a Direct Message to Netfirms via Twitter asking us to register a domain name for you. If the domain name is available we will register it for you and automatically add it to your existing Netfirms Control Panel and bill to your current billing profile. The only prerequisite is that you add your Twitter username to your Netfirms Control Panel. Please visit our tutorial with full details on setting yourself up for domain registration via Twitter. The instructions should be completed once only and you’re good to go after that.

1. Log in to your Twitter account (You can use any of the available Twitter apps)

2. Send a dm to @netfirms with the following: reg mynewdomain.com

3. We will confirm by replying to you via dm at which point the domain will be added to your Netfirms Control Panel. The domain is now ready to be used.

Ben Backus and Ben Boutwell have done it again. They won another $2,500 for making yet another rad YouTube video for Blu Frog Energy‘s monthly YouTube Video Contest. Make that three in a row. Pow!

The best video submitted each month not only pockets $2,500 cash, but also has a chance to claim the title of “Best Blu Frog Viral Video of the Year” (I made that title up) and win the grand prize: $10,000 plus an all expense paid trip to Cancun, Mexico (that part is 100% real).

My question is where are all the other creative and talented videographers out there? Someone must be able to challenge these guys! I admit, their videos are incredible, but I know some of my readers can come up with a 90 second video that is both clever and professional. C’mon peeps! Show me something! Give these guys some competition! Get your butt up off the couch this weekend and try doing something both fun and rewarding!

A secret tip for my readers only: do/make something worthy of appearing on “The Soup” and you’ll win.

Related Posts: Blu Frog YouTube Video Contest
Ben & Ben Go Back-to-Back in Blu Frog Video Contest

About six weeks ago I heard about an ingenious marketing campaign Universal Studios was launching–they gave away free 7 day, 2-park unlimited admission tickets to the first 100,000 people to register. I pretty much forgot about it until I received this well-done promotional pamphlet / ticket in the mail the other day. I love seeing companies come up with creative marketing campaigns and unique ways to create brand awareness through these trying economic times.

Now, I just need some peeps to go with! Who’s down!?

If I reach 1,700 followers on Twitter by 12am EST tonight, I will send one lucky person either (winner’s choice):

a) NASCAR helmet visor
b) pair of race-worn NASCAR gloves
*signed and personalized from NASCAR Driver Larry Foyt!!

If you didn’t already know, Larry Foyt is an up-and-coming star in the racing world and is the son of Legend A.J. Foyt (Winner of 6 Indy 500′s) So tell your friends who are Blu Frog Energy Drink and NASCAR racing enthusiasts to follow @johnraser for a chance to win!

To Enter:

1) Follow me on Twitter @johnraser
2) Tell your friends about the contest by tweeting “I just entered to win signed/personalized NASCAR gear on Friday 13th! To enter follow @johnraser and RT http://bit.ly/k85Ws”

Rules:
All new followers and Retweets will be entered to win.

Make sure to check out my Friday the 13th Blu Frog Energy Swag Giveaway!