New York, Astia + girl athletes

This Astia conference here in NYC is unbelievable. The business we are building will benefit enormously from the wealth of knowledge and experience being bestowed upon Kathy and me.

Steve Blose, team photographer and dad on Kelly's semi-pro soccer team, the North Bay Wave, took fantastic photos of the team on Sunday and left me a voicemail today that we could surely use his photos on our site and in our marketing materials. More importantly, he said and I quote, "I didn't know a site like this existed and it is a dream come true." Kathy and I just got so fired up hearing that. His daughter, Alicia, is a rock star on the BC soccer team and I'm a huge fan of hers. They are good people so his compliment about vivoGS makes me happy.

We're building a consumer brand for this demographic that heretofore hasn't existed. Yes, there are sports brands, and girl brands, and women fitness brands, but no environment to acknowledge teenage and college girls for the "athletes" they are too. I put that in quotes b/c many girls tend to not think of themselves as "athletes" b/c the notion hasn't been very rewarded by society to date.

You can be feminine and attractive and get sweaty and strong too!

We're overwhelmed, having tons of fun and can't wait to see where it takes us.

Onward and upward.

Big Week in Sports and in vivoLand

So, I'm out of my mind thrilled about the Spain-Netherlands game tomorrow, as is the whole world, except maybe the US. Going to the farmer's market early tomorrow to get some good eats for friends coming over to help us cheer, analyze, cheer, analyze. I have to keep both of those activities to a minimum with Kelly and Darcy around which is understandable since they both know the intricacies of the sport better than I ever will. I wish they would provide me their own analysis of the plays more often!

Then you've got Lance still drumming up drama in the Tour de France, although he doesn't seem likely to win it this year. The Station des Rousses looked both beautiful and grueling today. I just love the polka dot jersey.

These are real men. Gorgeous athletes. Both the soccer players and the cyclists wear the most wonderfully bright, metrosexual uniforms to compete. I'm thinking our American men for the most part might find all the flair "sissified". Which speaks to their insecurity? What does my Canadian husband say about that, I wonder?

Watched with excitement to see what The Decision would be for LeBron. Yes, there was a lot of hype around his big moment, but it all became even bigger by Dan Gilbert's hate rant. How ironic...he should look up narcissism in the dictionary to see his own mug! http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/gilbert_letter_100708.html What do ya'll think of that tirade?

My own day included a 10-12-ish mile run with my friend Jonnie this morning, up the Railroad Grade to Summit to Sun Trail, back down the Dipsea steps. Felt so good to be in the fog, above the fog, back in the fog, and back to sun at home. Just spectacular. When I hear of my friend Mary Dean sweltering in the humid heat of Austin, TX, I am grateful for our natural AC here.

Everyone should read Predictably Irrational. It motivated me and Jonnie today to not do the routine run today. We all get into habits of behavior that aren't ever consciously or rationally decided, like going on the same route on your run each time. This conscious and rational decision to explore one of the million other awesome runs on Mt. Tam proved to be the highlight of my day.

I'm reconsidering many of my habits and working towards conscious decisions to refresh my brain each day. Our new home page launched today, which actually now that I think about it, tied for my favorite thing of the day. Hoorah for vivoGS! Onward and upward. Look for changes every week based on what the girls tell us they want, how they want it. Nearly 60,000 visitors to date from 50 states and 98 countries since the beta launched, and over 33,000 Facebook fans whose passion blows me away. Not going to celebrate until we hit our first major milestone of 100,000 monthly uniques.

I love sports and I love teenage and college girls. The girls are like solar power and they need a brand of their own.

Talk about breath of fresh air.

Ryanne's Riff

This summer our vivoGS interns are writing some incredible stuff. Thought I'd feature some of their articles that inspire me here. Is it weird that I feel that "game-day hunger" nearly every day? Constantly updating ourselves and challenging ourselves is what makes us alive. Don't ever get complacent or lose that youthful hunger for challenge. Thanks, Ryanne, for putting into words what college graduates everywhere are also going through.

As a recent college graduate, I have been spending my time soul-searching. Almost all my thoughts are devoted to the quest to find my passion in life. With my degree in hand, I feel lost and unsure of which direction to turn next. Nothing is pulling me like I had always assumed and expected it would.

These pressing thoughts and questions about my future have my brain working overtime and with little interruption—well, that is, other than from what I like to call “the side effects” of the rent-free living at home experience. Yes, that’s right, your mom can still make you clean your room at age 22.

In fact, cleaning my room seemed to be one of the most enlightening experiences that I have had during this post-grad era. As I cleared shelves and said a few tearful goodbyes to old rec-league trophies and medals, I came across a shoebox full of tattered papers. Having no recollection of ever putting or even seeing the box in my closet, I sat down on my bed to skim through the old papers.

Inside was a collection of letters that I used to write and pass out on game day to every member of the high school basketball team I captained. The letters were different every game but each one was meant to pump up the team and get the girls focused on the upcoming game. Always, the letters were signed with a heart and a #32.

As I read through the long letters—each emblazoned with a desperate fire to win, I realized that it wasn’t the writing style or even the nostalgia that had kept me seated and reading on the bed an hour later. It was the unedited and untainted passion that those words were written with.

In one bittersweet and fleeting moment, I realized that I was admiring that passion the way a 40 year-old woman admires the size of the jeans she wore in high school—with a longing for what once was.

I was passionate about my goals and ambitions. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind about what I wanted. I spent my time playing basketball and not only did I want to win but I needed to. It was the entirety of my livelihood.

In a way, that desperate passion is something that time has taken away from me. Life has become convoluted and clouded by uncertainty, experiences, new sets of ideals and principles and a 100x broader horizon of opportunity.

I am not the same as I was four years ago. I have grown up, learned new things and am constantly coming up with updated versions of myself.

Looking through that box of letters reminded me that while I can change and find new interests, I must find the passion that I once had. Playing basketball allowed me to experience the awesome power of passion and for that I am forever grateful to the sport.

And, while I may not be any closer to finding my niche now than I was before my sprint down memory lane, I have a new sense of direction since I was reminded of the passion that I am capable of feeling. Now I know that I must find something that makes me feel that game-day hunger again.

I’m determined to not stop until I do.