Archive for the ‘In the News’ Category
Steve Jobs…
February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011
And no, we don’t know where it will lead. We just know there’s something much bigger than any of us here. – Steve Jobs
I know its not “new” news, but I am sure you all have heard about the passing of Steve Jobs. You know, Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. He was also was co-founder and previously served as chief executive of a small time production company named Pixar Animation Studios; and he served on the of the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company in 2006. This is by no means an exhaustive list of his accomplishments, I don’t think I have enough room for that.
What a sad day, to say the least, I am sure that there were still endless possibilities to what this man could have created.
Being an inventor myself (have you seen my kids belts), I truly have an appreciation for Jobs’ work. His dedication to his products and his dream is the stuff they make movies about.
I’m convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance. – Steve Jobs
The “i” products alone are a huge contribution to they way we all live and work today. Personally, I own a Mac computer and an iPhone and I’m sure all of you out there know at least one person with an iPod, iPad, iPhone, or MacBook. Whether you are a PC person or an Apple person, we all still have to recognize that he was a force and will truly live on through his inventions.
To read his story and to hear he went from building computers in his garage, to what Apple has become today is very encouraging for me as an inventor who started making Dapper Snappers out of my home. One day I can be that big… will be that big… Dapper Snappers will be on everyone’s tongues. Not literally on their tongues, I’m speaking figuratively of course because that would just be weird.
Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me. – Steve Jobs
Blessings,
Do Me a HUGE Favor? Pretty Please??
It's ON!!!
So I need your help. The story below is the long of it, but if you don’t have time to read it, I totally understand. The short of it is this:
I’m trying to get an audition for Dapper Snappers Kids Belts for a new tv show called Born By Moms with Ali Landry.
The TOP 10 Mompreneurs with the most “likes” for their products on Spokesmoms wall http://ow.ly/68XuT will be guaranteed to be auditioned!
Please help out by:
1) “Like” SpokesMoms.com fan page
2) “Like” my post on.fb.me/nVwzXS
3) Tell your friends!
Thank you!!
For Immediate ReleaseABC Kids Expo Partners with Creators of “Biggest Loser” and SpokesMoms.com to Launch New Reality Series at 2011 ShowAll Baby & Child, Inc. and the ABC Kids Expo® are excited to announce the launch of a new reality TV show, “Born by Moms,” at the 2011 ABC Kids Expo in Louisville, KY.SpokesMoms.com, in association with seasoned veteran TV producer Mark Koops (creator and executive producer of “Biggest Loser”) will be holding their first open casting calls for the series at the tradeshow.This new television production focuses on products invented by mompreneurs—entrepreneurs who happen to be moms. The show will be hosted by Ali Landry, who is expecting her second child, and will create an unprecedented opportunity for new companies to spotlight their products and generate immediate interest as only national television coverage can.Unlike other shows that discover new products, “Born by Moms” will focus on the vision and story of the mom behind the product. “Born by Moms” is the brainchild of Anthony Samadani and Ali Landry, founders of SpokesMoms.com, a new web site launching in early October to provide intuitive product reviews and help moms make better informed choices when buying baby and child products.One lucky mompreneur will win a $5000 investment to help her build on her dream simply for auditioning for the series at the 2011 ABC Kids Expo. For information about auditioning, contact SpokesMoms Productions at production@spokesmoms.com or (310) 405-9100.For information about the tradeshow, visit www.theabcshow.com or call the ABC Hotline at (210) 691-4848.
Can you guess what happened? Within the 1/2 hour, the email box was full. Within an hour, the voicemail box was full. So what did they do?
Emailed 5 hours later stating this:
Due to the amazing and overwhelming response to Born by Moms press release from the ABC Kids Expo on 8/19/2011, the phone lines and email have been swamped and many people have been unable to get through to the phone number listed.
As a result the producers are requesting that you PLEASE visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SpokesMoms and then “LIKE” them. Then post your product and background information and the producers will follow up with you individually regarding auditions. If you do not have a Facebook account, please continue to email SpokesMoms Productions at production@spokesmoms.com.
After doing as requested, along with hundreds of other mamapreneurs, SpokesMoms posted this as an official announcement on their facebook page:
SPOKESMOMS OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
The TOP 10 Mompreneurs with the most “likes” for their products on the Spokesmoms wall on will be guaranteed to be auditioned, and then be qualified to win the Born From Moms $5,000 Grand Prize!
So start promoting now and Guarantee your opportunity to audition for Born By Moms http://ow.ly/691sD
Thank you!
It seems to me that they are making it up as they go along. But that’s okay. I do that too! Of course, now its ON!
So now it’s my turn to beg of you to PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP “Like” my post at on.fb.me/nVwzXS so that I can qualify to be auditioned for the show. I would really Really REALLY appreciate it. (You won’t be able to like my post until you like the SpokesMoms.com fan page.
Thank you. Big Hugs. 
Blessings,
I’m a Winner!!!
I’d like to thank the acadamy…or not.
Really, I have all of you, my friends, family, and fans, to thank. Without your votes I wouldn’t have placed in the top 200. So, thank you for everything! Group hug?
Here’s the official press release…
StartupNation.com Honors Nation’s Leading Moms in Business
Michelle Cazella of Toddler Tech USA Wins Top Honors in Mom Business Competition
Port Orange, FL – April 28th, 2011– From among thousands of contestants across the United States, Toddler Tech USA’s Michelle Cazella, creator of Dapper Snappers Kids Belts, has been ranked in the top 200 in StartupNation.com’s 2011 Leading Moms in Business competition. (http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/2011-winners/)
Millions of votes have been cast in the annual competition, and this year’s flurry of popular support of the 2011 contestants was no exception. America has once again demonstrated its immense interest and support for moms building businesses as they also tend to their families. “With startup rates at an all-time high, these leading moms are leading the pack in startup rates,” says Rich Sloan, chief startupologist and co-founder of StartupNation. “They’re going after their business opportunities and developing their innovative products and services with fervor,” Sloan adds.
“This is an amazing acknowledgement of the hard work all of us Mamapreneurs put into our businesses while balancing our family lives,” says Michelle. She has worked diligently for the past 3 years to make Dapper Snappers Kids Belts a household name while wearing her “Mom” hat full-time.
After launching Dapper Snappers in 2008, Michelle decided to manufacture her kids belts here in the United States. Up until a year ago, she was still making them in her garage. Today, she has a 2,000 sq foot manufacturing facility and 7 employees. She now sells Dapper Snappers in more than 200 stores nationwide and in 14 countries! “One of my dreams when I started this business was to help other Mamapreneurs launch their products, build their brands, and become successful entrepreneurs. As a recognized winner of Startup Nation’s Leading Moms in Business contest, I have the confidence to move forward with that dream,” Michelle says. Her winner’s profile can be found at http://bit.ly/dslmib11.
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About Toddler Tech USA
Toddler Tech USA is the manufacturer of Dapper Snappers kids belts. Toddler Tech aims to provide time-saving, high-quality, affordable products and amazing customer service. Toddler Tech also manufactures Dapper Snappers Mitten Clips, Dapper Snappers Belts for Moms, as well as provides add-on clips for pants without belt loops. Find out more about the company at: http://www.dappersnappers.com/About-Kids-Belts-Baby-Accessories-Toddler-Belt.html.
About Michelle Cazella
Michelle, a 40-year-old mother to two little people, owns and operates Toddler Tech USA, manufacturing and distributing Dapper Snappers worldwide. After giving birth to her first child in 2005, and proudly watching him begin to walk (albeit with droopy drawers) just eight-and-a-half months later, Michelle became an “mamapreneur” with her Dapper Snappers invention. Michelle is busy working on her inventive additions to the Dapper Snappers line, including new designs and big kids belts.
About StartupNation
StartupNation (www.startupnation.com) provides over 200,000 pages of business advice and networking for entrepreneurs and serves millions of entrepreneurs annually. StartupNation is a free service founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs with the intention of providing a one-stop shop for entrepreneurial success, including blogs from a host of experts, podcasts, webcasts, eBooks such as Start Your Own Mom Business (www.startupnation.com/mom-business), award-winning step-by-step advice, and more.
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For more information, press only:
For StartupNation, contact Rich Sloan via email at Rich at StartupNation dot com or by phone at 248-430-1002.
“There is No Crying in Baseball, and There Shouldn’t Be Any Lead Either”
“There is no crying in baseball, and there shouldn’t be any lead either,” said Caroline Cox, Research Director at the Center for Environmental Health, in a recent press release by CEH. I just about died laughing when I saw that quote. But the problem of lead in kids belts is no laughing matter. I wrote (well, co-wrote really, with help from my amazing assistant. Okay…she did most of the writing…you happy? lol) a press release about it and here it is:
Port Orange, FL April 12, 2011 — The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) recently issued a press release concerning high levels of lead detected in Little League Baseball uniform belts. Well-known name brand, Rawlings, is among the offenders named in this report and includes belts sold in Walmart, Sport’s Authority, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Some kids belts were found to contain 280 times more lead than federal safety standards set for children’s products by the US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). Their concern is for children being exposed to high levels of lead any time they touch the belts and through hand-to-mouth contact.
Lead is a neurotoxin that causes a myriad of problems including brain damage, learning disorders, hearing problems and stunted growth. However, it is our littlest ones that are most vulnerable because their rapidly developing nervous systems make them especially sensitive to the affects of lead. Even the smallest amounts of lead exposure may cause children to appear hyperactive, unable to focus and irritable. At higher levels, lead exposure can cause permanent brain damage, even death. Scientists and doctors commonly agree that there is no safe level of lead exposure, especially for young children.
Inventor and distributor of Dapper Snapper kids belts (http://DapperSnappers.com), Michelle Cazella, expressed her own concern over this matter both as a mother and as a business woman. “When I read about this in the news, my first concern was for my son. Jacob plays tee-ball and we recently purchased a sports belt for him. Parents should be able to purchase kids belts and other children’s products without having to worry about putting their children at risk of lead exposure. I go to great lengths to make sure that our Dapper Snapper kids belts are kid-friendly and lead-free. At Toddler Tech USA we undergo stringent lead testing to certify that our products meet the standards set by the CPSC. I am surprised that bigger companies, like Rawlings, aren’t doing the same.”
Legal notices have been served by the CEH alerting retailers and the state that the belts violate California consumer protection law. CEH also notified the CPSC. Parents purchasing sports uniform kids belts for their children from large chain stores should be aware of the possibility of a recall. Michella Cazella further remarks, “It is the responsibility of well-trusted companies like Walmart and Sport’s Authority to ensure that parents are not only getting the best price, but also products that are safe for our children.” Dapper Snappers kids belts, are not sold in large chain stores, but in over 200 children’s boutiques and online stores nationwide.
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About Toddler Tech USA
Toddler Tech USA is the manufacturer of Dapper Snappers kids belts. Toddler Tech aims to provide time-saving, high-quality, affordable products and amazing customer service. Toddler Tech also manufactures Dapper Snappers Mitten Clips, Dapper Snappers Belts for Moms, as well as provides add-on clips for pants without belt loops. Find out more about the company at: http://www.dappersnappers.com/About-Kids-Belts-Baby-Accessories-Toddler-Belt.html.