THE LOOP
Matt

Social Media inspiration

I saw this post on Instagram the other day morning and it really gave me a positive mindset for that day. I took a screen of it and looked back to it whenever I needed throughout the day. Hopefully it does the same for your guys!

 

Alex

Put Yourself Out There, Buy a Plane Ticket.

Hey Crusaders, As we are amidst the throes of reviews, a few position changes are taking place that we wanted to keep you in the loop about. The first is Emmeline's new role as our eCommerce Product Data Coordinator (EPDC perhaps?) Basically, Emmeline will be upholding the 5 basics on our website and other online marketplaces, having an eagle eye for our listings and making sure they're running at full accuracy and efficiency. If you see something amiss with any of our listings, she's the person to take it up with! And we also have Gabby transitioning into our Executive Administrator role, where her Administrative super powers will take a higher level to help out more closely with the Executive team. Other office duties may be passed off as necessary. 
Congrats to these two!  
I got the chance to backpack through the country of Guatemala for 2 weeks alongside my good friends, a few of which were born and raised there. This allowed me the opportunity to experience the country from a 'locals' perspective, which meant staying at relative's houses, home cooked meals, and overall, tourist free experiences. For example, the picture below was taken from inside the bed of a pickup truck owned by my friend's brother who lived in Guatemala (this was our main mode of transportation, don't tell my mom). Between exploring coffee plantations, hiking volcanoes, riding in sketchy taxi buses (aka 'Chicken Buses'), staying in a new hostel pretty much every night, and experiencing natural hot springs high up in the mountains, the country had so much to offer I sadly couldn't do everything.
 
I travelled to the country not knowing a lot about it's history or what it really had to offer culturally or geographically. I was however, able to take so much away from the trip after it was over. Taking the plunge and buying a plane ticket to a distant land is one of the best investments one can make. It sets a date for you to look forward to, to plan for, to get excited about, and most importantly a chance to learn new things about yourself (the good and the not so good ;) 

 

 

 

Bryan

What The Fresh Prince Taught Me

One of my favorite shows growing up was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. These were reruns that I was watching usually on MTV before I had to catch the bus. I loved how funny Will Smith was, and it was usually a great way to start the day. Every now and again there was an episode that would touch me on a deeper level, and would totally ruin any regular routine I had going that morning. Don't get me wrong, I loved these episodes, but it was kind of embarrassing. You know, we've all been there, at the bus stop with the boys, on the phone with your dad telling him how much you love him for being a great role model and stuff. To say the least, I was the butt of a few jokes that week. 

 

My point is that all of these episodes helped to illustrate a lot of great lessons. One that stuck with me is that it's not about where you come from, but where you're going. I like to think of this as a daily reminder that today is a new day, and we can take the opportunity to do better than ever before. We can't change yesterday, so we should just strive ahead and keep moving. I'm stoked that I get to share my weeks with all of you, so lets #sendit this week!