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

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!

Here at Under Solen, we’re all about empowering women, so we found this video and the cause behind it incredibly inspiring and motivating this morning. And we’re psyched to deck ourselves out in some gorgeous jewelry.

From Hands Up Not Handouts:

The power of theses embroidered bracelets is in what they represent… global connection, friendship and hope for a better life and peaceful tomorrow where everyone thrives.

Check it out! Thanks to the folks at PrAna for tipping us off.

From the PrAna Blog:

Women are the backbone of families and societies around the world. They perform 66% of all labor, produce 50% of the world’s food and bear 100% of children.

There are multiple layers of beauty behind the organization Hands Up Not Handouts (HUNHO) whose mission is to help empower the world’s impoverished women. How you ask? By helping them hone in on their knack for handcrafting goods from native materials which in turn, generates income that they, their families and communities can sustain themselves off of. This micro-enterprise model isn’t by any means new, HUNHO is yet just another successful example that’s making a dent for the better. What won’t make a huge dent in your wallet are the oh-so-cool and hip handcrafted accessories being made from HUNHO’s Palestine and Rwanda-based women run cooperatives.

HUNHO is the brainchild of the American philanthropic Sager family who in 2000 set out to travel to the world’s developing countries. Wishing to help the people they met along the way, without just handing out money as charity–they believe this can create dependency with no lasting positive effect–they instead became venture capitalists of sorts. After investing in a project, they help implement it–mentoring the artisans along the way with product development, strategy, marketing and distribution. And the final product is nothing short of positive and gorgeous for women in Rwanda and Palestine who are working through HUNHO cooperatives.

Is it any surprise that fashion icons and rock stars like Kate Hudson, Gwen Stefani and Rihanna would adorn themselves in these urban-chic, circular earrings that come in electrifying colors like hot pink, apple red and lemonade yellow? Or that they’d embellish their wrists in candy-colored strappy cuffs and wraps like these simple yet statement making tie-bracelets? I for one, likely along with these three fashion divas, eagerly await the continued artisan made crafts that arise from future HUNHO partnerships. It’s a simple, affordable and one-of-a-kind-way to support girl power–not to mention sustainable developing communities as all of the proceeds trickle back to the ladies in charge.

Via Treehugger

Here at Under Solen HQ we’re getting revved up for Outdoor Retailer, so we figured we’d keep track of all the cool and happening events in one ultimate guide. Keep checking back as we’ll be updating leading up to the show. And if you’ve got something that should be on here, track us down at @undersolen or leave a comment on this post.

Keep reading to get the full guide!

Gramicci 2010 Winter PONG Cup (ie. Beer Pong)

WHAT: Nothing’s better after a long day of walking around the show floor than a rousing round of beer pong! Gramicci happens to be hosting pick-up ping pong games everyday during the show, but from 4pm onwards it turns into beer pong! Friday and Saturday championship with $500 for winner!

WHERE: Gramicci, Booth #9001

WHEN: Daily

Friday January 22

Conservation Alliance Breakfast

WHAT: Ok, ok, so we know that this isn’t a happy hour, and 7am is early to be up and at ‘em, but the Conservation Alliance Breakfast is well worth making an effort for. The breakfast’s featured speaker is James Balog, the Founder and Director of The Extreme Ice Survey. His multi-media presentation takes a stunning look at the impact abrupt climate change is having on the world’s glaciers.

WHERE: Downtown Marriott, Salt Lake City

WHEN: Friday January 22, 7:00-8:50am

Sierra Designs Cocktail Hour

WHAT: Sierra Designs is celebrating the launch of Core Comfort Technology with a cocktail hour and cat skiing trip for two giveaway (courtesy of Alaska Mountain Guides and Alta Ski Area). Sierra Designs also wants you to take part in making the cocktail hour rock; message @SierraDesigns on Twitter to recommend songs for their playlist. More info here.

WHERE: Sierra Designs, Booth #28017

WHEN: Friday January 22, 4-6pm

Osprey + Winter Wildlands Benefit Party

WHAT: Come join Osprey Packs for a fundraising/outreach party for the Winter Wildlands Alliance. This event will be hosted by Osprey Athlete and Save Our Snow crusader Alison Gannett. There will be free beer (of course!), great gear giveaways featuring a Telluride Ski Weekend and a Rippin Chix Clinic for a $5 donation to WWA. Come help us celebrate winter!

WHERE: Osprey Packs, Booth #8027

WHEN: Friday January 22, 4-6pm

Happy Hour with Keen and Waterkeeper Alliance

WHAT: A kicking deal on shoes and 100% of proceeds to an awesome organization, what more could you ask for? Come join Keen who will be offering free beer and $40 Targhees with all proceeds going to Waterkeeper Alliance. If that’s not enough, you can rock out to live music!

WHERE: Keen, Booth #32149

WHEN: Friday January 22nd, 4-6pm

Bowl-a-Rama, Hosted by ExOfficio and Manzella

WHAT: Bowl-a-Rama
A Big Lebowski Bowl-a-Rama hosted by ExOfficio and Manzella to raise funds for Outdoor Industries Women’s Coalition.

WHERE: Ritz Bowling Alley, Salt Lake City (free shuttles to/from the bowling alley and the trade show will be available)

WHEN: Friday, January 22, 7-11pm

COST: FREE!

More info here.

Teva Party

WHAT: Legends never die. The Teva party is back! Get down at Club Elevate on Jan. 22, 2010, with JURASSIC 5’s CHALI 2NA – a featured artist on Tevanthology Vol. 8.  Join us for the world debut of The Teva Life Agent program, free swag and fresh beats.

WHERE: Club Elevate, 155 W 200 S, Salt Lake City

WHEN: Friday January 22nd, 9pm onwards

Woolrich ‘Get Your Plaid On Party’

WHAT: Beer, wine, plaid and prizes. Wear plaid and be entered to win a plaid-tastic collection of Woolrich goodies and a grand prize of a custom selection of Woolrich garments and a Woolrich-designed Thule rooftop carrier. Prizes drawn every 15 minutes with the grand prize selected at the end of the party. Must be present to win. More info here.

WHERE: Booth #19001-2001

WHEN: Friday January 22, 5-6pm

Outdoor Retailers All-Star Jam

WHAT: So, you’ve seen these guys at the show… But have you seen them on stage? The All Star Jam is coming to Club Elevate with performing musicians including Misty Murphy & Odub, the Black Diamond band, Kenji Harutunian, Timmy O’Niell and many, many more… Get down!

WHERE: Club Elevate

WHEN: Saturday January 23, 9pm-1am

As 2009 and draws to a close, we’re getting excited about what’s in store for next year. We can’t believe we only launched back in November! It’s been a very busy two months, and we’re hoping that energy takes us right on through 2010. So what wisdom are we taking with us? Just a few thoughts that should hep clear our minds and keep us creative and cutting-edge.

1. Social media is here to stay, but change is on the way. In the last year we’ve seen all forms of social media take off at tremendous speeds, and don’t think that speed is anywhere near slowing down, but it might be changing direction. We’ve been reading up on social media predictions for 2010, and there are some great articles including Six Social Media Predictions for 2010 on TalentZoo.com and Social Media Experts Make Their Predictions for 2010 on Mashable. We certainly agree with Charlene Li, Founder of Altimeter Group “Social media in 2010 will cease being the shiny new object and instead become part of the everyday lexicon of business.”

2. New media will continue evolving and help people inspired to create positive change. The internet has allowed people around the world to share their stories, photos, videos and build communities with others that are excited about their cause. This isn’t going away for 2010, and we’re betting that new media is going to become an even stronger vehicle for positive change. That’s why we’ll be doing many more features for our Profiles series, so that you can learn who’s making a difference in the world of new media and how they’re doing it.

3. Social media is still not a replacement for real relationships and networks. We love our social networks, but we love face-to-face time even more. In 2010 we’re committing to doing more things in person, getting active on the ground, talking on the phone and maintaining relationships by sending meaningful emails instead of quick updates. Keep up your personal relationships; real coffee breaks with friends are better than virtual ones.

Now we’re off to pour ourselves a glass of bubbly and ring in what we hope will be our best year yet. We hope you do the same – Happy New Year!

We love our Mountain Khakis, and we have always thought the rugged, toughness has made them uber hawt, but now the Urban Dictionary has made it official — these pants are MountainSexual.

From SNEWS:

It’s no new news to the folks at Mountain Khakis® that their premier collection of hips-down apparel has an air of sex appeal. So when Urban Dictionary, the ever-popular user-created slang dictionary, touted Mountain Khakis® as a prime example of the term MountainSexual, the folks at MK weren’t surprised…

Per Urban Dictionary’s definition, “Similar to metrosexual but one who lives in the mountains or otherwise pursues the outdoors adventure lifestyle. Kind of a cleaned-up granola, a Woodsy GQ kinda guy with a splash of bohemian. Knows that he doesn’t have to look or smell like a dirtbag to enjoy climbing, hiking, cycling, skiing (all forms), snowshoeing, etc. Probably reads Men’s Journal, Outside, Outside’s Go, National Geographic Adventure, even Wallpaper* and Dwell. Brands: Patagonia, Keen, Kuhl, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Mountain Khakis. Strong environmental ethic. Drives a well-maintained truck, performance SUV, or cross-over when absolutely necessary but walks or rides a bicycle whenever possible. Works out gym but primarily to be in shape for outdoor pursuits. Shuns chain stores and shops in outdoor specialty stores such as The Trailhead in Buena Vista, Colorado. ‘For such an outdoorsy guy, that dude sure has great style.’”

To see the entire collection of MountainSexual Mountain Khakis® go to www.mountainkhakis.com

From Gadling:

Amsterdam’s Singel canal, which in the Middle Ages encircled the city as a moat, is home to the world’s only floating flower market, Bloemenmarkt. The stalls sit like large, partially-enclosed pontoon boats up against the street, and from the inside, they appear to be regular shops across the road from the touristy cheese and trinket traps. As you can see above, you’ll never notice the stalls are floating, so don’t worry about seasickness.

Another holiday morning after:

You come to wearing a lampshade, mistletoe strewn everywhere, lying on a four-foot-high pile of empty airplane-size liquor bottles.

You’ll never remember that party, but at least you can remember the aftermath.

Turn those baby booze bottles to bauble: fill them with photos and hang them on your tree.

Last week we wrote about Copenhagen’s commitment to providing bikes for conference delegates to ride. But it’s not just the UN conference that’s making the city embrace cycling, bike culture has been a big deal in the Danish capital for quite some time now. Danes believe in the power of cycling so much, that the city of Copenhagen wants 50% of the population to be commuting by bike in the metropolitan area by 2015. That would be a 40% increase from today’s numbers.

What’s the environmental impact of commuting by bike? In the U.S. alone, we could save 462 million gallons of gas a year by increasing the number of bicycle trips by just half a percentage point: from 1% to 1.5% of all trips.

But back to Copenhagen. How exactly do you inspire a whole city to commit to two wheels? Come up with a sleek design for bike share cycles, providing everyone in the city with access to two wheeled adventures. Earlier this year there was a contest to do just that, and this week the winner was announced. The winning designs — called My Loop and Open Bike — are so cool, we figured we’d feature them here to give you a visual of what cycling in Copenhagen will look like in the very near future.

Images via: Below the Clouds (our favorite Swedish design blog!!)

As the world gathers in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference, we’re following along by covering all sorts of aspects of the issue and the conference. You can read all of our climate related posts here.