Affirmagy Blog

My blog has a new home. Come visit.

Ever wonder what happens to those beautiful flowers at the event you just attended? In 2003 Nancy Lawlor did while admiring the flowers in the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. The result? The Flower Power Foundation.

Nancy has found her passion ‘re-purposing’ flowers from events and weddings, and gifting them to those who otherwise would not receive fresh flowers. In 4 years she’s re-purposed over $2,000,000 in flowers and touched the lives of thousands. Impressive.

I found Nancy on DarynKagan.com. See the video here (waiting through the 15-30 second sponsor is worth it).

Here’s to us each uncovering our heart’s desire.

Creating the Book and Blanket Bundle to benefit breast cancer education and research was an easy decision. Doing good in the world is what our company is all about.

Spreading the word about our vision to raise $400,000 by October 31, 2007 in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a totally different conversation.

Today I want to thank and acknowledge several people who are helping spread the word and encourage folks to spend $39.95 to make a big difference in the lives of many. We are grateful for their support.

Shannon Bruce, CPCC and Founder of Your Greater Purpose included a wonderful article about Affirmagy in her May enewsletter.

Nancy Juetten, Kathe Shaw Basset, Elke Siller Macartney  & several other ‘Affirmagy Angels’ who will remain anon at this time.

Thank you all for finding inventive ways to help us raise $400,000 for breast cancer education and research.

If you have an idea, a insight, and action or an ah-ha that you believe will help us reach our goal, please email to kristen@affirmagy.com. And please, share us with your world.

Click here to learn more about why we are doing this.

I discovered Play for P.I.N.K. cruising the internet, researching organizations that I could ‘put my name to”. That’s one of my standards for the charities we align with - would I personally write them a check.

During my years as a board member and president of Washington Women In Need, I learned a great deal about non-profits, how they run (yes, they are businesses) and what to concern myself with as a donor.

I was impressed with Play for P.I.N.K. for many reasons, so I decided to give them a call (see my post on the The Task is to Ask). Boy am I glad I did. What a great group of powerful women totally dedicated to raising money for cutting edge breast cancer research.

Today you can donate to this great organization by designating 20% of your purchase at Affirmagy by entering “Play4Pink” in the promotion code box as you check out. It’s easy.

We have also decided to give a portion of the dollars raised from the sales of our Book and Blanket Bundle to PFP. Together, we’re making a difference!

April 16th I was in Washington DC at an event and I got it! Raise $300,000 through the sale of Affirmawraps in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

It was so clear!

Now all I needed were some strategic partners, one hell of a PR campaign and a ton of word of mouth to propel this idea to success!

I also knew from other brainstorming we’d done, that creating a gift pack with a Chicken Soup for the Soul book was a winning idea. And so the Book and Blanket Bundle was born!

After collecting our thoughts, and sharing the idea, the team at Chicken Soup embraced it. And I couldn’t be more grateful to have them on our team. Remarkable!

Next, what organizations shall we give $400,000 (yes, in the process our goal grew $100K)?

Great question…..

One day it dawned on me that two of the most influential women in my life were breast cancer survivors. One more a survivor of colon cancer. My life would simply not be what is it without these women in it. Period.

Back in November I received an email from a woman named Erin whom I have never met. Her email floored me. That week she’d lost her best friend to breast cancer. Reading her email, I cried and cried at the prospect of losing one of my dear friends. The pain would seem unbearable.

Then I began connecting the dots. How could Erin have the courage and poise to write me a thank you letter after her friend lost her battle with this awful disease? What strength. What grace. What a perfect example of women all over this country who face cancer everything it is to be human.

So, the light bulb got brighter. An idea began to take shape. And I knew what I had to do.

Even those of us who live intentional lives, do things unintentionally now and then. So is the case with my blogging activities in April and May. Here’s why I nearly disappeared:
Somewhere over the past 3 months, a BIG light bulb went off over my head. One day I asked myself, “why can’t we weave charitable giving into the fabric of our company?”. And then the flood gates began to open. I started talking to people I trusted, started looking at the financial impact on our growing enterprise, but mostly I started dreaming about the WAYS we could raise money for non-profits. And for me, that’s the really good part.

So, that’s where I’ve been - working away, dreaming, scheming and thinking about how this could possibly all work. Our first success was connecting with the Amercian Cancer Society Relay For Life events. See my post from early April. Today things are continuing to evolve and grow, and people are beginning to notice. So stay tuned. And get an insiders look into the birth of an idea has the potential to change many lives.