If you've been following the site for the past few months, you're aware we'll be launching the Lift Strong line of apparel, merchandise and seminars on September 1, with all proceeds being donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Here, however, is my problem.
I've been asked to write a letter to promote this line. The letter will either be sent via email or posted as an article on the site. After a full month of trying, I haven't been able to do it. Here's my list of excuses:
Yes, I know I can do this, but it means too much to me to screw it up. See, you can't mix business with emotion, and you can't ever let business become personal. When you do this - when you overstep your bounds - you're both putting your business at risk and potentially killing the project you're trying to support.
Honestly, the prospect of this project failing scares the hell out of me. I've failed more than I've succeeded with products and product lines, but this one is truly getting to me. We're going into this knowing we're not going to make a dime, so fiscal stress isn't the problem. The problem, as I see it, is that this project is bigger than EliteFTS alone. We may be backing it, but it speaks for the entire strength community. This project will show whether we care enough to make a difference. If it fails, what does this say about us?
Please understand me here. I'm not being negative, and I feel like this will be a huge success, but when you own a business, you'd better know the pros and cons of every action you take.
From an emotional standpoint, I've lost far too many people from these diseases. I've watched too many people I care about fight for their lives, and I'm still doing so today. This pisses me off. There will be more, and if you really think about it, we're all targets. There are four people on the EliteFTS Q&A staff alone who've had to battle cancer - one who is doing so now - and several others who've lost multiple loved ones.
It's hard to write awareness or sales copy with this, because I'm constantly in a state of...well...I don't have the words to describe it. That's why we need your help.
I then asked the readers to send me how they would write up what the Lift Strong line means...
Did you know that during 2009, there will be approximately 45,000 new cases of leukemia in the United States alone?An estimated 44,790 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed in the United States in 2009.
About 74,490 people living in the United States will be diagnosed with lymphoma in 2009
That means 119,280 people will be told this year that they have a blood cancer.
Think about that number for a minute.
London, Ohio, the town EliteFTS calls home, has about 10,000 residents. Multiply the population of this town by four, and it's still less than the number of Americans who'll be diagnosed with leukemia this year.
In 1960, a diagnosis of leukemia was essentially a death sentence; the five year survival rate was 14% for Americans of European descent. In 2005, the five year survival rate for leukemia ranged from 23.5% to 90.9%, depending on the type of leukemia. This is incredible progress. What makes that progress possible?
In the words of Alwyn Cosgrove, “Advanced medical treatment. Medical treatment discovered by research. Research funded by money. Money sourced from donations”.
I'm proud to announce the EliteFTS Lift Strong line.
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