by Kirby Hasseman
Let’s start this post with the premise that this is true: If you want to get better and grow, you should read (or listen to) books. If you don’t buy that, then you probably should not read any further. But if you do accept that premise, read on. Over the last few years, I have worked to grow myself by reading hundreds of books. It started as a one time goal, and became a bit of a lifestyle. Have I read bad books? Sure. But for the most part, I am able to pick one or two ideas (or at least reminders) out of almost every business and personal development book. But every once in a while, I come across a book that really gets me. These books often inspire me to change…or simply do more. I love it when I get one of these books…and recently I had a string of several in a row that were fantastic. So if you need some inspiration and motivation, here are 3 that I highly recommend! The 5 Second Rule, by Mel Robbins:go get this book Finish, by Jon Acuff: I really like Jon Acuff. He is a great writer and speaker. So I always enjoy his books. But I really liked his tactical advice on getting to “the gift of done.” Early on in Finish, he talks about where most of us get derailed when working on a new goal. We start on the fitness routine and do well for 5 days, then we miss…and we quit. He reminds us that the secret to success is what you do “the day after perfect.” If you have ever had problems finishing your goals…go get this book. The Motivation Myth, by Jeff Haden: Wow! I was prepared to like this book because I love Jeff Haden’s articles on Inc.com and Linkedin.com. But I was not ready to be fired up like I was. Jeff not only blows up the myth that we need a lightbulb moment or firewalks to be motivated. But he also digs into the way successful people set goals (and then forget them)…and how they create daily activity to build their own motivation. Awesome book. I was able to get an advanced copy…so pre-order this book now…and then read it! These are just a few books that have fired me up in 2017. Run out and get one or more of these to get yourself ready to rock. And never miss an update by signing up for the HMC VIP list here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for a tradition like no other! Each week, our very own Jeff Wickerham takes the time to highlight a specific promotional product that he thinks YOU should know about! 
This week’s pick is the Dye Sublimated Microfiber Cleaning Cloth! You can achieve stellar cleaning with a dynamic design with this cleaning cloth. Two pieces of fabric are stitched together, giving it a nice feel. The hemmed edge gives this a very polished look. To make this even better the price includes a gorgeous four color imprint on one side. This is a great deal…and one worth considering for your next promotion. If you need more information, please email us here.
Stay tuned for next Friday’s Jeff’s Pick!
Oh…and don’t forget to sign up for our VIP Newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Recently I joined a team of “Swag Warriors” to take on the first every PromoXperience with Dana Zezzo and Imagen Brands. We had an amazing team of runners to take on the Ragnar Trail Run in Arizona. Read more about the entire experience here. But if you want to take on a challenge like this, you are going to need two things. The first is an amazing team. We had that (watch the video here). But the second necessity is the right gear! Thanks to Crown Products, Vitronic and S & S Activewear, we were ready to go. Here is a list of the “Essential Ragnar Swag!” Coleman 60 Quart Cooler: When it comes to the Ragnar Relay, you are camping. So you need a place to keep food and drinks! The Coleman 60 Quart Cooler was a must. We stored our cold cuts, other food, Gatorade, and yes, beer, in this spacious beast. And with the wheels, it was not too much to move around. Click here for more information. Coleman Mesh Quad Chair: Yes you want a nice comfy place to sit. But we were in the desert! That mesh back was wonderful to keep cool. And with the ability to quickly breakdown and set up, it was great when we had to “claim our spot” or get ready to pack up! Click here to learn more. Jersey Mesh Cap: One of my unexpected favorites was the Jersey Mesh Cap (click here to learn more). The lightweight comfy cap was perfect for to keep the sun out of your eyes in the bright mid day sun! Click here for pricing. 18 oz. Viking Water Bottle: I was really surprised at how perfect and versatile this piece was when you are on a campsite. We all know the Viking is great for keeping coffee hot for hours…and this will do that. But it’s also great for keeping your water cold in the desert sun! Oh…and that lid is great for carrying (and keeping dirt out of the water!). Click here for more information. Athletic Cool Down Collar: Have I mentioned that we were running in the desert? Yeah. So we needed to work to keep cool. I put this cool down collar in the ice from the Coleman Cooler and wore this as a headband. This collar was awesome for those runs in the middle of the day! Click here for more info. Polyester Sport T-Shirt: So what shirt do you wear on the Ragnar? S & S Activewear provided these great performance t-shirts! Affordable and comfortable, you need something that will breathe when you are running over 15 miles of trails! This shirt did the trick for sure! Colorblock Hooded Fleece: Yes it is hot during the day. But the desert gets cool in the evening (especially after a long run). So I was super happy to have this comfy (and great looking) hooded fleece piece. Great to take the edge off the cool (or to get ready and warm up), this hoodie was a home run! This was an amazing experience…and I am glad I was able to be a part of it. But it would NOT have been the same without the great gear! Want to create an adventure? This list is a great place to start when you outfit your team! Never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP list here!
by Kirby Hasseman
Each week Kirby will dig into a word that will help in personal development, sales, and growth. The weekly word is designed to be short and sweet, and provide a quick lesson that will help you grow each week.
The Hasseman Marketing weekly word this week is SCOREBOARD. In this video Kirby asks us this questions….If or when you walk up to a park and see a group of kids playing basketball, can you tell if they are keeping score or not? The fact is, you probably can. You can tell this because people act differently when a score is being kept. The effort is higher. The action is more intense. At Hasseman Marketing, we like to have a SCOREBOARD. We like the power of challenge. We keep track of the things that are most important to us and to our team. We got this concept from The Four Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goal. This is a great book you can check out for yourself here. This week Kirby encourages us to measure the things that matter to you and to keep a compelling SCOREBOARD that everybody can see. Want to keep up all the time? Make sure to join our VIP List! Our VIP’s get an email with the latest content…and other special offers as well. Join here.
by Kirby Hasseman
What an adventure! What an experience! What a team! Wow…was I ever out of my comfort zone! On November 2-4, I was honored to be a part of a group of 8 promotional products professionals that gathered together to take on the Ragnar Relay Trail run. Dana Zezzo from Imagen Brands headed up this amazing effort that put the idea of a true “Field Test” for Promo Premiums to the test. Watch the video here. The team consisted of Dana Zezzo and Ryan Meulemans from Imagen Brands (Crown and Vitronic), Joe Durham from Halo Branded Solutions, William Adair and Les Edwards from Proforma, Jimmy Visney RLK & Associates, David Schultz from Distributor Central and yours truly. In order to complete the Ragnar Relay challenge, each member of the group needed to run 3 different challenging loops, of 4.1, 4.7 and 6.7 miles respectively. The terrain was rocky, steep and challenging. And once the group started running (I kicked us off at 10am on November 3), someone on the team was running non-stop until we finished them all! I was so impressed with the team. From the very beginning of setting up camp, everyone pitched in. As we pulled into the drop off area, we had to drop our gear and then go “claim a camp spot.” Once claimed, we had to set up camp and get ready to rest, sleep and live in this 20 x 20 spot. Lots needed to be done in a short period of time and it was amazing how everyone worked together. And let’s face it…I was no help. At one point I looked at Dana and said, “I have never set up a tent before.” You could tell by the look on his face, he was wondering why he invited me. And speaking of gear, Dana and Ryan really hooked the group up! Not only were we prepared with tech shirts, sweatshirts and flannels from S & S Activewear, but the Imagen Brands group came through with water bottles, Viking tumblers and all the Coleman camping gear we needed. It was amazing (and I will outline those in a future blog post). 
After my initial run at 10am, I had some time to rest as my teammates picked up the torch (or actually the belt). The next time I was called onto run was around 5pm. At that time I did the challenging Red loop, which was a 6.7 mile run with a big climb near the beginning. The views were amazing at the top of the mountains. My only complaint is that I could not take too much time to take them in! I was too afraid I would fall. My final run came just after midnight. I took nearly an hour to complete this 4.7 mile run. Then I had time to rest a bit as I waited for my team to complete their legs. After the run was completed, we got our finisher medals and tore down camp as quickly as we could. Again, I was so impressed with the teamwork. 
Not bad for a team of guys that (for the most part) had never really met before this trail run. After the race we all headed to a hotel where we took a (long overdue) shower and soaked our tired bodies in a pool and hot tub. While we all enjoyed a cold beer and shared stories, we recovered as best we could. I can say that through this “PromoXperience” I not only gained some valuable memories, but I connected with members of the industry in an event like no other. A huge thank you to Dana Zezzo, Ryan Meullmans and the entire Imagen Brands team for making it happen! Thanks for reading this! If you want to keep up with all of the adventures of Hasseman Marketing (and join our VIP list) please feel free to sign up here.
