#ThisGirlCan

Later this afternoon I'm going to be inspired by some amazing athletes. As you know, I'm an active volunteer and board member of Dare2tri. Today is their annual MultiSport Clinic. Athletes will rotate through sessions of swim/bike/run as well as yoga. As in past years, I work the bike sessions helping the athletes get set up on equipment (upright or hand crank bikes) and cheer them on through difficult intervals. Kids, adults, novice or elite...I'm inspired by them all.

But these are not the only athletes that inspire me. This blog and my many ambassadorships are all aimed to empower women through sports. It doesn't matter how fast you are, how big/small you are, just challenge yourself and do what brings you joy.

Earlier this week the Venus de Miles team connected me with a women who signed up to do the 25 mile ride in July. She's new to cycling and especially road cycling. I'm thrilled to be able to share my knowledge and help her achieve her goals. She is just one of many female riders who will set challenging goals for themselves with this ride. They inspire me.

This morning I came across one of the #ThisGirlCan ads that is set to the words of a Maya Angelou poem, 'Phenomenal Woman'. The campaign drives home that there's no one definition of what a beautiful woman should look like. There's no age limit to an athlete. Strength and beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, races, ages, abilities...disabled or able bodied.  Watch this video and tell me it doesn't inspire you. Read the full poem here.

I've kept politics out of my blog and articles, but in a political climate that condones "grabbing women by their pussies," and taking away the rights of women, it more important than ever to tell little girls, teenagers...women of all ages, you are stronger than you think, you are beautiful and you can achieve anything you want to. That goes for sports, education, careers, LIFE!!!

In a world of full of princesses, dare to be batman (batwoman). Empower and inspire your daughters, grandchildren, girlfriends, co-workers. Never say "you can't because you are a woman." Dare to push the envelop.

Enjoy the ride,
Sheri

Become an ambassador for your sport

So many companies are leveraging brand ambassador programs as an effective yet inexpensive way to spread awareness and adoption of their products. Many companies are going after women to be part of their ambassador programs as a way to attract more females to the sport of cycling, running or triathlon.

Companies have found that using a 1-to-1 approach, the word is spread throughout our communities we engage in and is seen as more credible than advertising. Since women seem to communicate differently than men, social media channels are a key to messaging. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and Strava are all ways ambassadors share their experiences and passion.

I’ve been lucky enough to have been in a few ambassador programs. My first experience was with Strava where I was the Midwest Cycling Brand Ambassador for a year and a half. Last year I was on Pearl Izumi’s first Ride Champion team. This year I’m an ambassador for Venus de Miles. Many programs are only for a year, so I’m always on the lookout for a brand that is important to me and embraces empowering women in sports.

I’m often asked how does someone become an ambassador? Usually a call for applications comes out towards the end of the year so the team can be announced right around the first of the new year. Many of the applications are very lengthy with essay responses. All the applications I’ve completed ask about your social media involvement. Companies are definitely looking for people who are heavy users of social media since it is an immediate means to share and reshare stories, pictures and experiences. Many companies also use certain campaign hashtags as a way to get stories/pictures to trend.

Other qualities companies are looking for in an ambassador is how involved you are with a particular sport. Are you competing? Are you a member of a club? How do you encourage others to be part of your sport? If you are someone who trains alone or isn’t active with any groups, this could be seen as a negative. Ambassadors must be social, give back to their sport, engaging, and less about self-promoting. If you fill out an application that shouts “me me me” then forget about being selected.

Another question I get a lot is what types of companies have ambassador programs. I’ve seen companies including apparel, equipment, nutrition, eyewear, accessories and apps like Strava. Every year I see more and more companies add ambassador programs to their marketing mix.

How do you find out about an ambassador program? Follow your favorite brands on Facebook. Many will post their call for applications there. Some have details about their programs on the company’s web site. Also read key eNewsletters for your sport, as they will run ambassador program press releases from different companies.

Most companies provide their ambassadors with clothing or equipment. Both Strava and Pearl Izumi provided me with ambassador cycling kits. You also get swag to give out at events or activities you host. Most will also give you discounts on their product so you will wear their brand and also knowledgably talk about it. But, as an ambassador you get back what you put into it. I really enjoyed educating folks about the different features of Strava or the products of Pearl Izumi. If I was able to get someone to challenge themselves or try something new, then I was doing my job.

Pearl Izumi even had The Pact ambassadors would sign. The words from The Pact really resonated with me. One of my favorite excerpts is:

“I will be inclusive. Even of the exclusive. I will encourage the beginner, the professional and everyone in between. I will place joy above performance, use my fingers for peace, not profanity, and I will focus on the scenery more than the scene.”

As part of being a Venus de Miles ambassador I received a discount code to use for registration. This year’s event is July 22 in Lake Forest, IL. There both the 5k run and a ride (25 or 60 miles). So if you plan to attend, use this discount code for $10 off registration. The code is only good from February 10-14^th so don’t delay.

Discount code: HAPPY10   (valid Feb 10-14)
Be sure to join our team: Echelon Goddesses 

Venus de Miles site

Challenge yourself to ride 25 or 60 miles. The Venus de Miles is a well-supported ride and there are over 400 encouraging women out on the road with you.

Enjoy the ride.

Sheri