Monthly Archives: June 2018

Forcing Kids Out of the Lemonade Business

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Over the weekend, I was served the same Country Time promoted tweet on numerous occasions. I scanned the tweet each time but never engaged with it or took it seriously. Basically, the social media advertisement explained that kids selling lemonade all across the country are being forced to shut their stands down.

I initially didn’t give much attention to the @CountryTime tweet that said lemonade stands were being forced to shut down.

I brushed it off as a gimmick. However, this curious case was legitimized earlier today when I saw a tweet from CNN. The tweet linked to an article detailing that children’s lemonade stands are indeed being “forced out of business” because the young entrepreneurs lack permits.

Once I saw the CNN tweet about the issue, I started to take it seriously.

The article also explained that Country Time, in a gesture of good will and sound public relations, is standing up for those boys and girls impacted by silly regulations. The company put together a team of lawyers called Legal-Ade to fight back against counties and cities that are trying to remove driveway and street corner sugary drink stands. Legal-Ade will pay up to $300 to cover the fees of those dedicated children who actually purchased permits after they were told to close up shop.

I understand that many of these lemonade stands don’t meet health code standards and might present safety issues, but really? In a day and age where kids are pulled in so many negative directions, how can we slap them on the wrist for selling lemonade? Not only does maintaining a stand keep our youth out of trouble, it teaches so many worthwhile life lessons — customer service, supply and demand, preparation, money handling, and so much more.

But my biggest issue with telling the kids to go back inside is it totally neglects the spirit of permit laws. You would think that applying for a permit to sell a product falls on the shoulders of adults. You know, the ones who own a business and will be selling goods to the general public in a commercialized area. To think that a kid who wants to pass a summer afternoon setting up a lemonade stand should be responsible for securing a permit is ridiculous.

What disappoints me is that the people enforcing this crackdown were once kids themselves. Now I can’t guarantee this, but I am guessing during their childhoods they probably sold lemonade at least once or twice. Did they have to pay $300 for the right to sell lemon flavored water out of their parents’ driveway? I doubt it.

I hope this trend stops. Not even the ripest lemons are more sour than depriving a kid of running a lemonade stand. Bravo to Country Time for intervening. Don’t Blink.

Our Second Anniversary

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I woke up this morning feeling happy. Usually, if I ever feel overwhelmed or apprehensive, it occurs during those first five minutes when I hop out of bed to start the day. But it was pure bliss this morning.

Today we celebrate our second anniversary.

I needed no reminder, it was our anniversary and I had Sidney right next to me. There was no “the weekend is over” hangover or sluggish thoughts rolling through my head. I just simply felt like an extremely lucky guy.

It has been a special two years of marriage.

Our second wedding anniversary is moments away from shifting into high gear as we go out on our special date. But before we leave the house, I just wanted to very briefly express the thoughts that have swirled around my head for most of the day.

The first wedding anniversary is more of a formality than a celebration. People use it more to say “now the honeymoon is over” as opposed to commemorating the growth that occurred between husband and wife over those first 365 days. But the second anniversary brings with it a little more achievement. You are no longer newlyweds—people see you more as an established married couple.

Lucky to have her hands continue to guide me.

With a baby girl, countless life experiences, and a special synergy between the two of us, we definitely feel like that “established” married couple today. Not that we don’t have a lot to learn or improvements to make, but things simply feel natural at this point.

I think the strong start to our marriage can be attributed to the following: Supportive parents, a strong Catholic faith, simple structure, mutual respect, and the sweetest little girl in the world.

Supportive parents, a strong Catholic faith, and our baby girl have all contributed to a fruitful marriage.

Oh yeah—my incredible better half has definitely done her part to make the first two years of our union prosperous. I can’t thank my wife enough for all she does to take care of me and keep me happy. Sidney is truly a selfless person who does so much to keep our household running and our relationship fulfilling.

Two years later we are a happy family!!

Happy anniversary, Sidney! As you say, another year down and forever to go. Don’t Blink.

The Abu Thursday Rundown

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I have a genuine appreciation for my readers so thank you for returning to Don’t Blink. You picked a good day to do it because it is the Thursday Rundown. If you are a rookie, that means five random topics are about to come your way.

Cup On Head – I want to start the Rundown with a cute photo of Sloan. On Sunday, my daughter managed to put a Cookout cup on the top of her head. Not only did she look absolutely silly, but my sister-in-law made an interesting observation, saying that she looked like Abu from “Aladdin.” I don’t think the comparison was that far off.

Sloan with a Cookout cup on her head. Does she look like Abu to you?

Coin Dance – Earlier this week, my sister and brother-in-law celebrated their seventh anniversary. As I looked through Timehop I saw many photos from the reception, including one from the best wedding reception tradition ever: The Coin Dance. An Italian custom, the coin dance occurs during a designated bride-groom dance. Wedding guests shower the dance floor with coins and all the kids in attendance rush to pick up the silver (don’t think about throwing pennies). Not only does it break up the monotony of a reception while giving the children something to look forward to, it also provides good luck to the bride and groom. Judging by my sister’s marriage and my own (Sid and I did it at our wedding reception), I would say those Italians got it right!

A look back at the Coin Dance at both receptions of Sid & I and Miradan & Jay.

Summer Social Media Campaign – This week I was thrilled to introduce our summer #CCUSocialMedia campaign. With the PopSocket craze still going strong, I came up with something called PopCHANTet Texts. I am asking current students, alumni, and faculty/staff to describe what Coastal Carolina University means to them. However, they have to do it in 280 characters and I am encouraging them to write it as if they were sending a text message. For the visual component of the campaign, I am supplying each participating person with a CCU PopSocket to put on the back of their phone. The volunteer will then have a person snap a photo of them as they “text” what Coastal means to them. See below or click here for what the final product looks like. My goal with PopCHANTet Texts is to encourage the CCU community to be frank and to the point about why they are proud of their university.

I am excited about #PopCHANTet Texts!

Lemonade? – I got wrapped up in a debate with Sid and one of my co-workers about a tweet I sent out a year ago. I had expressed my opinion that I don’t think lemonade really goes with any food item or meal. I concede that it is a thirst quencher on a hot day, but I would never pour a large glass of lemonade to go with my Mexican food or a steak. Geoff, my co-worker, believes it naturally goes with Chick-fil-A and apparently Sid thinks it goes with anything but I can’t agree. What do you think?

This tweet that I sent on June 3, 2017, was debated again this week.

Knockoff vs. Premium – One of my personal favorite blog posts of all-time was written exactly three years ago when I had Sidney do a blind taste test of five products. Each product was represented by its premium version and a generic version. From snack foods to breakfast favorites to macaroni and cheese, I had Sid try all products and give me an honest assessment on what tasted better. I will say this: my wife’s taste buds are on point. I encourage you to read the post!

Sid sampled a popular cereal as part of the Knockoff vs. Premium showdown.

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To everyone attending the Carolina Country Music Festival this weekend, have fun! To all those who don’t live in Myrtle Beach and who have no idea what I am talking about — you have a good weekend too. Catch up with you soon. Don’t Blink.

How to Enjoy and Behave at an “Eat Free” Promotion

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Last night, I found myself at Red Robin. Coinciding with the end of the school year, the popular burger chain offered a national promotion that invited teachers and educators to eat free. Heck, even I was included simply because I work at a university. Those with a valid school/college identification card could choose from one of Red Robin’s tavern burgers (bottomless fries included).

But before we could eat one fry or simply lift our burgers out of the baskets, we had to wait. When we arrived at our Myrtle Beach Red Robin, people were spilling outside the front entrance. The secret was out among teachers in our area! We waited patiently (except for Sloan) for over an hour before we were seated.

Some of the people waiting outside at the Myrtle Beach Red Robin.

Not that we didn’t expect it. “Eat Free” promotions are notorious for packing restaurants to the brim and sending lines out to the parking lot. A common trick in the industry, restaurants hope positive PR and customers spending a lot of money on “extras” not covered in the promotion will offset the cost of free food.

It is easy to become cynical. As customers, we might declare that the time spent to get seated isn’t worth the free food. Some might even do math to back it up, arguing that the cost of their time doesn’t compensate for a free $6.99 hamburger. Others just hate the chaotic scene that these promotions produce.

We got what we came for. This was my burger and fries from last night. I would say it was worth the wait.

But if you are able to “stomach” these eat free promotions, I came up with 10 tips (in no particular order) on what to keep in mind and how to behave.

1. Arrive during a non-meal time – Beat the rush and arrive at 10:30 a.m. or 3 p.m. Otherwise, you can wait 75 minutes like us.

2. Know the promotion – Before arriving at the restaurant, and definitely before ordering, know exactly what the business is offering for free.

3. Be nice to the hostess – No one is more stressed out than the person up front putting people on the list and seating them. Try to refrain from bothering them too much and don’t lose your cool if it is taking a little longer than expected.

4. Social media appreciation – A great way to thank the restaurant for your free dinner is to give a shout out on social media. Don’t kid yourself, another big reason these promotions exist is the likelihood of positive organic digital engagement from customers.

5. Tip your server appropriately – Most will take this into account, but tip your server based on what the bill would be if you had paid full price.

6. Keep modifications to a minimum – If you are getting a free dinner, refrain from making it tough on the restaurant staff by requesting various modifications to your order (i.e. Could you please hold the pickles, add BBQ sauce, toast the bun, and bring me some Sriracha on the side?).

7. Don’t take advantage of bottomless items – Last night, our server kept bringing us out extra plates of french fries. When she brought out the final helping, Sid and I questioned whether we should ask for a to-go box. We decided against it.

8. Prepare for the wait – If you are going during a busy time, brace yourself for the wait. Last night, we observed people sitting in lawn chairs as they waited in the parking lot.

9. Don’t linger – After you have finished your meal, pay the tab and leave. Let the staff prepare your table for the other people who have waited a long time.

10. Lower your expectations – Realize that your free food item might not be the exact same quality it would be if you were paying full price on a night when the restaurant wasn’t slammed. Don’t let it get to you.

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Thank you to Red Robin for a delicious meal last night. We appreciate the fact that you value our educators. Now, when is the day I can get a free pizza from Papa John’s? Don’t Blink.

The Latest #CCUSocialMedia T-Shirt

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As a marketer, I am a firm believer in branding. My affinity for “establishing a brand” filters down to the social media program I am in charge of. When I arrived at Coastal Carolina University, I wanted the campus community to know that the engaging and memorable content they were seeing came from an overarching source that stretched from our Facebook page to our Snapchat account to our LinkedIn profile to our various other channels.

We confined our brand to a hashtag, #CCUSocialMedia. It didn’t take long for people to realize that if a piece of content was stamped with the tag, it meant that it was created by the University specifically for #TEALnation.

It was important to develop a brand for our social media program at Coastal.

But how did we get word out about the brand? Well, we developed a website, came up with creative content, utilized brand ambassadors, and followed an organized plan.

Oh yeah, we also created t-shirts…

We announced our new #CCUSocialMedia t-shirt today. Thanks to Katie, my social media intern, for being a great model!

Yesterday, I picked up our newest #CCUSocialMedia t-shirts. Designed to reflect the current social media climate, this shirt is the third version in our program’s history.

Me sporting the new #CCUSocialMedia t-shirt.

The front is our brand. Actually, it is a 2-in-1. Not only does it contain our University’s social media logo but it also boasts our #CCUSocialMedia hashtag. Tricky, right? A logo that is, for all intents and purposes, your hashtag.

The front of the shirt features our logo/hashtag and is to the point.

But the back of the shirt is where it is at. Ron Walker, a designer in our office, polished the concept I gave him and created something really cool. In a live streaming world obsessed with “likes” and “loves,” we knew this shirt would need plenty of hearts and smiley faces. He placed our increasingly popular Chants Up sign inside the screen of a phone marked with our social media handle (@CCUChanticleers). He then let the instant gratification flow as the reaction emojis begin at the bottom and hover upwards to the top of the shirt.

I must say that Ron Walker did an extremely creative job designing this shirt.

Will this shirt be as popular as our Chauncey inspired Twitter design? Talk about a difficult task! We didn’t re-order those shirts TWICE for no reason. But judging by the reaction on social media, I think these shirts will rival the past ones in terms of popularity.

The past two #CCUSocialMedia t-shirts.

I know you want a shirt. All you have to do is participate in #CCUSocialMedia to win one. Sorry, they won’t be available in stores to purchase. As for me, I am excited to wear my new #CCUSocialMedia shirt and continue to spread the brand! Don’t Blink.

School’s Out For The Summer

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I was in-and-out of the house this weekend covering the NCAA Baseball Regional. However, during the time I spent at home, something was obvious. Although always a sweet person and cool customer, Sidney seemed even more mellow and happy the past couple days. She had a constant smile on her face and joked around freely.

A couple times I straight up asked her why she was in such a good mood. Both occasions she denied anything was responsible for her joyful demeanor and I just let it go. But I couldn’t completely shake it from the back of my head. This morning during my workout I started thinking again about Sid’s mood and it hit me.

It is the last week of school!

It is the last week of school for this teacher!

To call it a “week” is probably inaccurate. Sidney’s last day of teaching for the school year is tomorrow. Better yet, tomorrow isn’t even a full day; like today, it is a half day. Yep, she only has a few hours left inside the classroom before she is on summer vacation.

I am a dummy for not initially identifying the concluding school year as the reason for my wife’s glee. It was a busy weekend and I guess I had a “silly husband” lapse.

With that said, I want to congratulate Sidney on successfully completing another school year.

When she leaves Palmetto Bays School tomorrow, she will have officially finished her fourth year as a teacher. Do the math, and that means Mrs. Reser has been a primary teacher for roughly 100 students in her career. Track those kids down when they graduate from high school and I am willing to bet that most of them will count her as one of their favorites.

Sidney and I in her classroom during her rookie year as a teacher. She completes her fourth year tomorrow.

But enough about claims that I can’t prove. Let me say something that I know for a fact: I am very proud of my wife! We have been together since she started teaching and I am always so impressed with the job she does. Sid has always given 100% and left an impact on those kids, but I have definitely watched her grow as a teacher throughout her time in the classroom. Each year she improves and becomes more comfortable. She started as a rookie teacher and has developed into a leader at the school.

So why all the euphoria? If she is a natural at her job, why is she giddy for summer? Um HELLO…being a teacher is very hard work!

After 180 days in the classroom, students aren’t the only ones ready for a break. Teachers earn their extended time off and you better believe they look forward to it. I would be all smiles if I was Sidney too! Don’t Blink.