Dear friends,

As I sit down to write to you, our valued customers, I’m taking note of the odd calm that’s been hanging over the ‘ville for the past few days. One that we haven’t felt in months. Well, practically since the beginning of 2012.

We had big plans for this year and some pretty lofty goals as well. As the final days are upon us (I’m not talking in a Mayan Calendar kind of way) we’re now in a place to look back on what we achieved.

It was a heck of a lot, actually. And, truly, we did it all for you.

We know that as the workplace changes and as the measures of success are continually redrawn, it can be challenging to find new ways to engage and motivate your team. The fresh products and programs we’ve been developing over the last year address those needs in surprising and innovative ways. And in just a few days, we’ll be unveiling them all to you in our new catalog and on Baudville.com.

In the mean time, I’ll be reflecting on what makes us, at Baudville, successful. And the answer once again is: YOU.

I am deeply thankful to you for shopping with us, for talking with us, for laughing with us, and for sharing your challenges with us. You make us stronger, and, in turn, our goal is always to help you and your business be stronger.

With appreciation, I wish you a wonderful holiday season, happy times with family, friends, and coworkers, and a prosperous new year!

Cheers!

Brad

Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll see:

--------------------------------

Brad Darooge is President and CEO of Baudville and a positive mojo aficionado. He brings the positive mojo to work every day along with his bike. In addition to leading Baudville, Brad is also an amateur triathlete.

Each year thousands of people across the nation raise awareness and support women and breast cancer research  throughout the month of October by wearing pink, donating their time and money to breast cancer foundations, or participating in fundraising events. It goes without saying (but I am going to say it anyway), that I am proud to be part of a nation that values supporting one another and raising awareness for such important causes!

With October behind us, now it’s time to show our support for MEN! Our team at Baudville has joined with thousands of men (and women) all around the world by participating in the celebration of MOVEMBER!  What is Movember (pronounced MO-vember), you ask? Read an excerpt from the source below for more details or check out www.MOVEMBER.com

"During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo's, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. Men start Movember 1st clean shaven. For the rest of the month, these selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into the annals of fine moustachery. Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health."

So it’s pretty easy to see how men can get involved in this campaign to raise awareness for men’s health, but how do the ladies make a difference? With their support! The Mo Sistas pledge to support the Mo Bros throughout all of Movember – after all, growing that moustache can be hard work! 

Here’s how we’re sprouting ‘staches, and supporting the cause at Baudville:

- Each man participating came clean-shaven on Movember 1st with a donation of $5.
- Men who were already blessed with a hairy face could commit to not shaving for 30 days with a $10 donation.
- Men, women, and anyone else who wanted to support the cause, came ready to acknowledge a man in their life or support a Baudville ‘stache participant with a $10 donation.
- Baudville will match all employee donations, with all proceeds going to a local cancer-focused charitable organization.

All participants received 5 (that’s one whole work week around here!) casual days  to be used in the month of Movember.  Every Friday in Movember we will hold a fun activity – and photo op to gauge our facial progress – check out our Facebook page  for more! Our grand finale will be held on November 30th. Cash and prizes will go to participants and supporters alike – although super extra-credit will go to Baudville’s best and worst moustaches!

Our committed team of stache-ers, raising some CASH and making a difference in the future of men’s health. Fellas, may the ‘stache be with you…

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just like you, at Baudville we have big goals. One of our biggest this year was to bring you an ambitious new selection of breathtaking (and smile-inducing) trophies and awards, while still providing the exceptional quality and same day service you’ve come to expect and enjoy.

I’m proud to tell you that we met our objectives—and then some! Visit BaudvilleTrophies.com to find all of your tried and true favorites along with more than 75 new awards for every budget, style, and occasion. We even have some that light up. Why didn’t we think of that sooner?

As the year closes and opens anew, I’ll be reflecting on the significant achievements of every member of my team, and you likely will too. How might you express your sincere thanks for a job well done?

Shop our Trophy Collection today and the answer will be Crystal clear!

------------------------ 

Brad Darooge is President and CEO of Baudville and a positive mojo aficionado. He brings the positive mojo to work every day along with his bike. In addition to leading Baudville, Brad is also an amateur triathlete.

I just returned from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 2012 Annual Conference and Expo, where we’ve been chatting with HR Professionals from all over the US. Part of our fun is sending the Baudville team to this show outfitted in fun (and sometimes funny) T-shirts that are guaranteed to spark some conversations.

I’m third from the left with the shirt that says President of Positive Mojo…and I love my job.

You know what? I do love my job. Nowhere but the ‘ville would I get to work with a talented team of individuals who bring their creative flair and imaginative spirit to the office every day. Case in point? The shirt on my back.

Recently, we launched a company-wide contest to write the winning words for our team’s T-shirts. You can read more about that contest in Allison's recent blog post here. In short, it turned out to be a great way for everyone in the company to share their voices with the world—and we ended up with a wealth of fresh ideas, too.

So what’s my takeaway? People thrive and excel when they’re given the opportunity to play an active role in company activities—even when it’s something as simple as a T-shirt.

Want to share your two-cents? Leave a comment about your favorite Baudville shirt, or your favorite way to engage your team!

Cheers!

Brad

------------------------ 

Brad Darooge is President and CEO of Baudville and a positive mojo aficionado. He brings the positive mojo to work every day along with his bike. In addition to leading Baudville, Brad is also an amateur triathlete.