Running this hills of Orange County this morning, I found myself thinking about Under Solen’s concepts and visions around social media and marketing.  The more I thought about how we work with our clients and with ourselves, the more the idea of diversity kept hitting me in the  head, much like the heavy drops of water that fell from this morning’s fog.

Our concept of social media and marketing is rich in that it’s different for each client that we work with. In order for us rock out a promotion, campaign or to help build brand awareness for the people that we work with, we have to be open to their needs, we have to lend a listening ear to their visions and we have to come into each relationship without judgment.  From this pure space, we are able to create a road map that lends guidance to each client that is utterly unique to their needs, thus celebrating their diverse offering to the world.

We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams. — Jimmy Carter

I love this quote by Carter because it encapsulates why Emily and I love being a part of Under Solen… because it allows us to walk many different paths with the brands and nonprofits that we get to work with. Our role teaches us to communicate with the engineers at Innate Gear or the fish lovers at Save Our Wild Salmon, to trade bike stories with Jeff Fox at Osprey Packs and to celebrate tearing down dams with movers and shakers like Andy Maser, even if these languages may not be our first.

I have no idea where or how Under Solen may expand over the next few years, but what I do know is that if we didn’t or don’t celebrate diversity in our roles, our brand would be nothing. This diversity pushes us to think outside of the box, thus keeping us ahead of the game.

So thanks for reading my running thoughts this morning and a happy weekend to you all!

IMAGE via

October has always been one of my favorite months because fall is such a dynamic season. The leaves are going through the mind-blowing process of changing colors, perspectives are rich as we leave the playful months of summer by preparing emotionally and perhaps physically for winter and the down jackets begin to become a reality once again… which is never a bad thing!

Although there are probably at least ‘one million‘ other events and notable happenings taking place this month, here is one that speaks to us:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month — having lost my mom to this bullshit, I honor and recognize the varied and vast amount of energy and effort that so many people put into not only the awareness but the eradication of this disease. The forces behind finding a cure are unstoppable! So thank you to Osprey Packs who is supporting this energy by selling a special edition pack and donating packs to climbers participating in Climbing for a Cure. Thank you to the individuals who are digging deep for the answers and well done to the survivors who are walking proud and carrying on… you are all true inspirations.

What’s happening for YOU this October… we’d love to hear all about it!

Take care!

Love from under solen

I saw a post from a friend on Facebook as the news spread of Steve Jobs’ death and all that it said was “iSad”.  This simple and clever post made me laugh while the rest of the world was/is mourning the passing of an exceptional thinker. From this laughter came deep gratitude for all of the people that are in our lives and who fill it consistently with smiles, hope and grace.

I will borrow Steve Jobs words and Rihanna’s song (to be played extremely loud — don’t be ashamed) as we raise our glasses to YOU as we venture into another beautiful weekend:

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… you can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”  — Steve Jobs

Thank you to the brands who carefully select and build products that truly stand for something and better our world in some small or large way. Cheers to the musicians and filmmakers who bare their soul each and every time a microphone or camera covers their face. Thank you to the non-profits who exist out of pure passion for something that needs to be believed in. Cheers to the silent leaders that fill our world, I trust that your voices will be heard in those times of need.

We honor and send high fives out to you ALL!  HAPPY FRIDAY and we hope that you ROCK OUT HARD THIS WEEKEND!

More than seasons seem to be changing these days and here at Under Solen we are taking it all in and watching it happen.  The raspy voice of Dylan filled my head as I took note of the crisp fall air, the infiltration of political signs littering yards and the multitude of people being swallowed by their phones while on my run this morning.

The fourth verse of Dylan’s song, Times They Are A Changin’ has always been my favorite and as I sing it to myself now, I realize that my favoritism is due to his timeless and profound lyrics.  They are a battle cry, calling us to action.

Bob Dylan – Times Are A Changing

“Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin’.
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.”

What I love most about this paragraph is the idea of getting out of your old ways to stand up to help change the world.  An idealistic viewpoint of his words perhaps, but with the drain of politics, the ever-changing and evolving world of technology and hint of fall lingering just outside the door, I am reminded that our world is not stagnant and that it is up to each of us to realize that we too can make the choice to LIVE OUT LOUD.

So in celebration of this beautiful Friday, I encourage you to find that song, that film, that photo, that cup of magical juice or whatever it may be that inspires YOU to rise up and SING.  HAPPY FRIDAY!

For our Portland friends, here’s an event you’ll definitely want to check out. We’ve mentioned Mountainfilm before, but what’s really cool about the film festival is that they take the whole thing on tour, giving people that can’t make it to Telluride to experience some of the amazing films and inspiring messages. Mountainfilm on Tour will be in Portland this Thursday, January 28, 2010, hosted at Portland State University. Check it out!

What: Portland State’s Outdoor Program and Portland Mountain Rescue are hosting the Mountainfilm on Tour festival on campus. It will include four hours of films that celebrate the great outdoors—especially mountains and mountaineering culture. In addition to the festival screenings, the Outdoor Program will hold a raffle and silent auction. Both Portland State students and the public are welcome to attend.

Where: Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, SMSU 355

When: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 6-10pm.

Cost: Students $7 advance, $10 door
Faculty and public $10 advance, $12 door

More info here.

"Everything... in the photograph -- trees, bushes, all the animals and plants in the forest and the water -- contains ocean nutrients from salmon." -- Carl Safina in the LA Times. © Save Our Wild Salmon

We live in an amazing place and nothing quite drives that point home like working with people who are passionate about their causes — be they businesses, advocates or adventurers. So, we’re excited to throw our weight behind a couple of great causes: saving Snake River salmon and the Flathead. Keep reading to see what’s happening, and how you can help!

Save Our Wild Salmon has been fighting to recover Snake River salmon for two decades. Snake River salmon Snake River salmon return to the biggest, highest, coldest, best-protected spawning habitat left in the Lower 48. In the last 6 months, tens of thousands of people across the country, nearly 100 members of Congress, three former Northwest governors, hundreds of local and national businesses, thousands of scientists from around the country have called on the Obama administration to end the legal and political deadlock to save wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest. And on Sunday, writer and founder of the Blue Ocean Institute, Carl Safina voiced his opinion in the Los Angeles Times:

Two months ago, in a swift trick no one saw coming, the Obama administration embraced the Bush administration’s failed salmon plan for an even more important watershed, the Columbia/Snake River system. The Columbia and its tributaries formerly produced more salmon than anywhere else on Earth, but the once-mighty rivers now have 13 salmon stocks in danger of extinction…

The fundamental problem with the plan is that its goal seems to be to maintain endangered salmon in an endangered state rather than revitalizing them. The administration appears unmotivated to restore salmon abundance and their role in the ecology and economy. Here’s what gives the administration’s game away: The one salmon species that is already at levels low enough to trigger additional action in the new plan has been exempted from the new triggers.

Jane Lubchenco, the administration’s point person for oceans and salmon, insists that “the actions in the plan will prevent further declines.” But keeping salmon in a coma and on life support does not heal them, nor help the other species, including people, that depend on them. The likeliest outcome of a salmon strategy based on just avoiding extinction will be extinction — and not only of salmon…

"Star" -- Puget Sound's most recent addition to it's resident Orca whale population. © Howard Garrett

There’s another photograph I saw recently. Taken just two months ago where Puget Sound meets the Pacific, it shows a new orca calf emerging from the water atop its mother’s back. The scientists from the Center for Whale Research who track orcas named her Star, hoping she will guide another seemingly intelligent mammal — us — to restore the salmon abundance she will need to become a mother herself 13 years from now. May she inspire the Obama administration to think again.

Read the rest of Safina’s op-ed at the LA Times…

Take action to save Snake River salmon here!

©Garth Lenz, iLCP

Miles of free-flowing river, sky-scraping jagged peaks and abundant wildlife make the Flathead River Valley one of the most wild and beautiful places on earth. But unfortunately, diversity and a natural aesthetic don’t always ensure protection. Proposed mountaintop removal mining in southeastern British Columbia, Canada is threatening the Flathead. Earlier this month, we wrote about the Epicocity Project’s new film, Flathead Wild.

Along with the film, people can really get a sense of place by viewing the gorgeous photos from the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). Visit Planet Green for a slideshow that will make almost anyone want to protect the Flathead!

Want to do more? Watch the video, and pass it along to your friends. And take action HERE!

1. Kicked off the morning at the Conservation Alliance breakfast. Inspired by all the great things this awesome organization has taken on in the last year. Here’s just one of the slides from this morning’s presentation:

2. We dropped by the Keen booth where they’re donating $10 to Haiti relief efforts for every person that gets a polaroid shot and posts it on the HybridLife wall. All we had to do was write where we wanted to travel to… guess what the Under Solen answer was? Everywhere!

3. Digging the cool new products from Innate — some awesome re-purposed bags that use leftover materials from sleeping pads, etc.

Now we’re just counting down to happy hour…

Especially with snow… we couldn’t have asked for a better kick off to Winter Outdoor Retailer. Now here we go!

In our ongoing Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010 coverage, we already rounded up a list of happy hours, but what we like even better than free beer is buying awesome gear and having your money go to a good cause. So here’s a list of cool swag you can score by donating money to super cool non-profits and causes; you’ll have new gear to show off at home and feel good about supporting positive change… the ultimate for an eco warrior gear head!

KEEN Targhee Boots

Score a pair of $40 Keen Targhee IIs for yourself and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Waterkeeper Alliance.

When: Friday January 22nd, 4-6pm

Where: Keen, Booth #32149

FalconGuides’ Best Easy Day Hikes books + National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps

FalconGuides is proud to announce a new alliance with National Geographic Maps. As a result of this collaboration, two of the United States’ largest publishers of outdoor recreation information will offer hiking enthusiasts comprehensive packages featuring FalconGuides’ Best Easy Day Hikes books and National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps.

A portion of sales from the four initial packages in the Best Easy Day Hikes Book and Map Packs series will benefit the American Hiking Society.

When: Friday January 22nd, 4-6pm

Where: Falcon Guides, Booth #33035

Suunto, Patagonia, Osprey, Dakine, Pistil Designs, Black Diamond, La Sportiva & more

SkiingtheBackcountry.com is putting on a raffle in conjunction with OR and SIA to raise funds for Kirk Williams, one of the writers for the online magazine. Last November, Kirk was in a mountain biking accident and ended up with a serious spinal injury.  He’s currently an  incomplete quadriplegic, but there is hope that he will someday walk again! He is also working on regaining the use of his hands and forearms so that he can continue to pursue a career in photography. Needless to say, his medical expenses are going to be staggeringly high.  On average, someone Kirk’s age with a spinal cord injury will spend $1.5-2 MILLION of their own money on medical expenses that are not covered by insurance.  The team at SkiingtheBackcountry.com figured the best thing they could do was rally up the power of the outdoor and snowsports industry and raise as much money for Kirk as possible!

The raffle will kick off Wednesday and tickets will be able to be purchased via SkiingtheBackcountry.com.

Shoes, bags, bottles and beyond

The granddaddy of OR swag is being sold by Conservation Alliance member companies, in fact there’s so much cool stuff that it’s too long to list here. You’ll find everything from Montrail shoes to a re-purposed NEMO tote to Osprey hydration packs, with a lot of companies giving 100% of proceeds to the Conservation Alliance. You’ve never put your money in a better place! Here’s all the info you need:

Columbia, Booth #28001

Product: Ravenice, Men’s and Women’s.

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Price: $40, MSRP $115

Hours: Happy Hour, Thursday, January 21, 4:30-6pm

Montrail, Booth #26001

Product: Sabino Trail Shoe

Price: $35, MSRP $100

Donation: proceeds will be split between The Conservation Alliance and Conservation Alliance grantee The Wilderness Support Center

Hours: Friday, January 22, 4-6pm

Brooks, Booth # 36123

Product: Brooks Cascadia 5.

Price: $50, MSRP $100

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: Thursday, January 21 – Friday, January 22, 11am-6pm each day

Ruff Wear, Booth # 33061

Product: Ruff Wear Sqwash dog toy

Price: $5, MSRP $9.99

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: available throughout the show

Stanley, Booth #21017

Product: Stanley eCycle Exchange Recycled & Recyclable mug and bottle. Two limited Edition Nineteen 13 Flasks for Auction

Price: $10 for bottle/mug. Silent Auction for Flask

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: Runs through the show and at Open Air Demo

Timex, Booth # 35125

Product: WS4 Watch

Price: $50, MSRP $200

Donation: 50% of revenue will go directly to The Conservation Alliance. IF all 300 watches are sold, Timex will provide an additional donation to a Conservation Alliance grantee.

Hours: Friday, January 22nd, 3-5pm.

Additional notes: limited quantity available

CamelBak, Booth # 15027

Product: SnoBlast Pack, limited edition — embroidered with The Conservation Alliance logo!

Price: $30, MSRP $79.99

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: available throughout the show,

Dansko, Booth #18027

Product: Dansko Shoes for Women and Men

Price: $75, MSRP $120-140

Donation: $10 of each shoe sale will be donated to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: available throughout the show

NEMO, Booth #1011

Product: Ditto Tote, made of repurposed NEMO tent samples and manufacturing seconds.

Price: $15, MSRP $19.95

Donation: 100% of the proceeds will benefit The Conservation Alliance

Hours: Available throughout the show

Osprey, Booth #8027

Product: Osprey Raptor 6 Hydration Pack

Price: $30, MSRP $79

Donation: 100% of the proceeds will benefit The Conservation Alliance

Hours: Thursday, January 21, 3-6pm

Black Diamond, Booth #5027

Product: Ion Headlamp

Price: $10, MSRP $19.95

Donation: 100% will benefit The Conservation Alliance

Hours: available throughout the show

Eagle Creek, Booth #22027

Product: ES Cargo Duffle, medium size. The perfect bag for hauling gear through the rainforests of Borneo or valuable schwag home from OR.

Price: $25, MSRP $75

Donation: 100% will benefit The Conservation Alliance

Hours: available throughout the show

Canada Goose, Booth # 5045

Product: Merino Wool Beanie

Price: $20, MSRP $50

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: Thursday, January 21, 2 – 4pm

Grabber, Inc., Booth #132

Product: 20-pack Hand Warmers or 8-pair Toe Warmers

Price: $5, MSRP: $10 Hand / $15 Toe

Donation: 100% to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: All Day January 23-24, 2010

Horny Toad, Booth #30051

Product: Men’s and Women’s Cashmoore fleece styles

Price: $20-$40, MSRP $76-$110

Donation: 10% of the proceeds to The Conservation Alliance

Hours: available throughout the show

Did we miss something? Leave a comment below or let us know via Twitter.