AmeriBag Abroad

September 14th, 2010 by Irwin Gaffin

Nancy Evans, International SalesGuest blogger Nancy Evans shares insights on international sales of AmeriBag from the summer of 2010.

Well AmeriBag enthusiasts, there is much truth in the saying “timing is everything” especially as it pertains to the activity of blogging. Here sits someone who sells the Healthy Back Bag range all over the world and has yet to share in my global adventures (conquests, trials, tribulations, et al) always citing that “I’m too busy.”  Well enough! I need to liken it to exercise and make time.   So, it is at this very moment that I have been inspired by:

  • Irwin Gaffin: The one who not only paved the way for us to be contributors on the AmeriBlog, but a true visionary in his own right. He had a dream that AmeriBag would become a global brand. It is very surreal that I can be an integral part of creating that reality.   
  • Margery Gaffin:  Irwin’s counterpart, also known as the matriarch of our organization, and an inspiration to all.
  • Thea Linscott: Our grand dame of social networking who is a constant source of encouragement for me to “get in the game.”
  • Julie & Julia: A movie I just rented over the weekend and highly recommend for other foodies like myself.

Unlike Julie, I will begin the process of blogging about my travels selling and spreading the word of the Healthy Back Bag. While her mission was to make 500+ recipes in 365 days, mine is more like selling 365 days worth of bags in the course of some 125 days traveling abroad.

The very first “Ah ha” moment I would like to share is that bags are a universal accessory which evoke an emotional reaction and garner a large dedicated space in the closet.

Today, I choose to share a little taste of Germany from my recent trip to Munich this past June where business is regularly transacted over heaping portions of pig. Please note that Germany was still vying for the World Cup at this time. The city (and beer gardens) was bursting at the seams with energy. We have recently joined forces with the distributors of fitflop, another stylish health-related product that I highly recommend.  I like to refer to our dream team as Campo Monaco led by Katrin & Sascha. They focus heavily on marketing and public relations and introduced me to their agent, Margit Preiss, of Presse-Partner-Preiss.  Just to put things into perspective, Margit leads the public relations for the Munich Film Festival. To have her on our team is HUGE.
 The team in Germany reviews AmeriBag samples.

Here you can see us all admire a new Healthy Back Bag design, which they fondly referred to as the “Rocker Chick” bag akin to “tres chic” for the French.  This, while discussing the power of the brand, the messages of Earth (our environmental conscience), the Cause Bag (its global reach, yet personal touch) and our partnering with authentic woolen mills (a dying breed of true artisans) and textile designers,  further gives us the WOW factor.  My net takeaway is that the sky is the limit in Germany!

 And on that bright and powerful note, I will bid you Auf Wiedersehen for now.

“I Love My Life” Follow Up

May 6th, 2010 by Irwin Gaffin

Margery Gaffin, AmeriBag Executive Vice President and Co-founder shares:

We are hMargery Gaffin, AmeriBag Executive VP and Co-Founderappy to have provided a forum for you all to express your sentiments. Thank you for all your heartfelt comments and amazingly overwhelming responses! Many of you have come to appreciate life through some struggle while some are lucky enough to find this gratitude through sheer appreciation for all that life brings you.  Whatever your process – it is deeply important that each of us come to realize the preciousness of every moment we are granted – be they ecstatic moments or the most mundane.

The response to our new “I Love My Life” Healthy Back Bag has been staggering.  We are presently SOLD OUT!  But more will be available soon.  Stay tuned for updates on our website.  Also, we will be offering this bag in colors in recycled material in the future.

Congratulations to Janine M. Torsiello of Lake Hiawatha, NJ who won our “I Love My Life” promotion last month.

Thank you again for carrying forward this profound message of the importance of loving your life!

“I Love MY Life” Healthy Back Bag Giveaway

April 12th, 2010 by Irwin Gaffin

Guest blogger and co-founder of AmeriBag, Margery GaffinGuest blogger and co-founder of AmeriBag, Margery Gaffin, explains how the “I Love My Life” Healthy Back Bag came to be. Read on and you could have the opportunity to receive your very own “I Love My Life” Healthy Back Bag.

Almost exactly four years ago I was recovering from my last round of chemotherapy for breast cancer.  My strength was finally coming back, as well as my appetite.  I recall standing in my kitchen chopping onions. I was prepping for a nutritious soup. This is typically a boring, tedious task, yet I suddenly was struck by the idea, “how wonderful it is that I am JUST chopping onions and no longer thinking about cancer treatments, or any other morbid topic.  Just chopping onions!”

That’s when IT started…  I started to realize fully how grateful and appreciative I am for my life and my health and how much “I LOVE MY LIFE.” Not that MY life is perfect – no one’s is – but it was a refreshing feeling to have regardless of the diagnosis, treatment and recovery.  This led me to explore yoga, which for me has meant being in the moment and appreciating that fully.  Not worrying about what already happened or what might happen. Just being.

Four years later, I have continued to be very involved in yoga – mostly Anusara and Kundalini, and the phrase “I LOVE MY LIFE” has fully sunk in and reverberated through me.  I am (as one of my first teachers said) “grateful that I CAN practice yoga.” I open my heart everyday to new opportunities and experiences.

The culmination of all this “just being,” breathing and yoga has led me to express this sentiment in a very special bag.  It expresses the affirmation of the positiveness of life – the appreciation of life itself. Not just the big things, but also the ordinary day-to-day little things… even chopping onions.

"I Love My Life" Healthy Back BagWe are proud to present this gorgeous version of our famous Healthy Back Bag to symbolize this positive affirmation in each of you. Our customers. And the community around you.

We ask you to consider and tell us why you love your life? One winner will be selected at random on Thursday, April 22. You can enter this giveaway by sharing your response on Twitter, Facebook or a comment to this blog post. Tell your friends to share their stories with us as well. We are looking for this feeling of gratitude to stretch through our online community as far as it can go.

*Update: Janine M. Torsiello of Lake Hiawatha, NJ was randomly selected to win the “I Love My Life” Healthy Back Bag