Good afternoon everyone!  Today my little one graduated from Preschool.  I must admit, seeing her up there in her little cap got my a little teary eyed.  They grow up so fast! 

I’ve recently noticed that Grill Charms™ is getting some web attention.  If you don’t have this in your PR and marketing arsenal, put it in.  Submit product reviews to website and bloggers in your industry.  Here are few recent entries…http://www.cobalt-world.com/blog/ 

http://www.dorynsdish.com/my_weblog/2008/05/grill-charms–.html

It’s all about creating a buzz.  Hopefully it will turn into some sales.  If you are not signed up for Google Analytics, do that as well.  It’s free and you can see every time someone on the web mentions your name, product, etc….  (I can’t remember if I have mentioned that before)  Also, I have another contest for you entrepreneurs.  Here’s the info: 

“CALL FOR ENTRIES - In honor of all business owners that have been bold enough to take the leap to believe in themselves, Epic Media Relations announces its “Bold Idea of 2008 Contest.” This contest offers business owners the opportunity to compete for a grand prize of three free months of PR and media placements, valued at $25,000!
Picture yourself being interviewed about your business, product or idea by a famous journalist or TV personality. The Today Show,
CNN, USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine and a score of other publications and broadcast outlets will be buzzing about your idea. Imagine what this will do for your business in just three months!
Business owners are challenged to present their business idea, product or story to our qualified panel of judges. Contestants must send in a 500-word description detailing the purpose and benefits of your business, product or idea and why you believe your idea will take off.
A winner from each of the following categories will be chosen each month and entered as a semi-finalist. At the end of the year, four grand-prize winners will be chosen from among the semi-finalists. Categories include: 1) Startups with an original business idea; 2) Women-owned business owners with a innovative product or idea; 3) Young-entrepreneurs; and 4) Mom entrepreneurs.
PRIZES
· The Bold Idea 2008 Grand Prize is three months of PR services and media placements, valued at $25,000.
· The Bold Idea 2008 Monthly Prize is “PR in a Box,” which is a kit that includes messaging, press release and Internet distribution and a media list with 5-10 contacts. This prize is valued at $1,750.00
Overview
The Bold Idea of 2008 was created to find and select inventors with innovative businesses, products or ideas that could take off with some top-tier media placements and PR guidance. We believe in business people who are on the cusp of launching their “bold ideas,” and we are eager to demonstrate the benefits of PR.
How To Enter
The Contest begins on June 1, 2008 and runs every month through December 1, 2008. Each month a winner will be selected from the entries submitted. At the end of 2008, one grand- prize winner will be selected from the four categories among the monthly winners. Monthly entries must be received by the 20th of each month.
Submit a non-confidential written description of your business, idea or invention. The description should include the name of your business, idea and product and why you think your idea is original and bold. Descriptions should be no more than 500 words.
All entries must be received via e-mail at
contest@epicmediarelations.com
or via mail at

. Entries delivered to any other address will NOT be considered. The actual business owner or creator must submit all entry. For product submissions the invention must patented, patent pending, or copyrighted. Limit one entry per person per company for the contest.
Epic Media Relations, LLC will not be responsible for late, lost, incomplete, illegible, damaged, technically corrupt, and/or postage-due entries. All e-mail and written information will be securely stored and destroyed of at the end of the contest to ensure confidentiality. In an effort to maintain integrity and fairness to the contest, businesses, ideas and products that have been previously reviewed by the staff of Epic Media Relations, LLC are not eligible for entry. By entering the “Bold Idea of 2008″ Contest the submitter grants Epic Media Relations, LLC and its agents the right to publish, use, adapt, edit and/or modify such entry in any way, in any and all media, without limitation, and without consideration to the entrant. Submission of any entry further constitutes the entrant’s consent to irrevocably assign and transfer to the sponsor any all rights, title and interest in the entry, including, without limitation, all copyrights. Entries: must be the original work of the entrant; may not have won previous awards; may not have been published previously; must not infringe third-party rights, and must be suitable for publication (i.e., may not be obscene or indecent).
The first 100 entrants will receive a complimentary PR consultation and be considered for a free media placement.
Abbreviated rules: “Bold Idea of 2008″ Contest
No Purchase Necessary. Void in
Puerto Rico and where prohibited. Open to legal
U.S. residents 18 years or older. The Contest begins June 1st, 2008 and ends December 1, 2009. The grand prize will be awarded February 1, 2009.”

I can’t enter because I won the Orca Contest but all you entrepreneurs out there, GET ON IT!

Oh, just a little update on what Orca is doing.  They actually started my campaign a little early.  I got a call (while at the children’s museum yesterday) from Orca saying they had a PR opportunity for me.  My product is going to be featured on a Phoenix NBC affiliate for a Father’s Day segment.  The catch… I had to get 2 samples out to arrive in AZ by today.  OF COURSE I said “OKAY!”  I got in touch with Janene at my handy dandy fulfillment center Trending Solutions and she handled the situation lickity split!  You see… with my “village” there to take care of me, I can run a company from the confines of the “Shrimp boat exhibit” at The Charleston Children’s Museum!  The kicker is… the delivery address for the samples according to FedEx is “remote” and in order to make my deadline it wound up costing me $60.00 in freight charges!  Come on
Phoenix…. BUY SOME GRILL CHARMS!  (That airs Friday) 

Leslie Haywood, Founder and President of Charmed Life Products, Inventor of Grill Charms™  www.grillcharms.com