Summer Synergy Youth Livestock Showcase

The countdown is on for my favorite Alberta youth livestock event of the summer.

Summer Synergy had it's first year last year, and was wildly successful. The goal of the show is to "synergize" different breeds and species into one collaborative show. This year it will host the Provincial Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Simmental, Gelbvieh, Limousin, and Shorthorn breed shows, as well as the Provincial 4-H Dairy, Horse, and Sheep shows, and the Calgary Stampede International Youth Livestock Show.

It runs from July 9-17 in Olds, Alberta, hosting approximately 200 youth from Alberta and neighboring provinces. There will be nearly $55 000 in scholarship money available for individuals who participate in the required events, in the amount of $2000 down to $500.

Receiving our scholarships on the Grandstand at the Calgary Stampede

For a Senior (15-21) to be eligible for a scholarship, they must participate in Confirmation and Showmanship (show an animal), Show Team Judging, Multi-Species Judging, and Marketing.

I will be participating in all these categories, with the two heifers I introduced you to here as my livestock component. I'll also be participating in a few categories unique to the Alberta Jr. Hereford Show, including public speaking and art & literature.

The marketing component is where this blog comes into play.

This year, Crystal.Cattle and Laura Bodell had the great idea to have Senior members create an Agvocacy blog as their marketing component. There are over 50 blogs that were created for this competition, and you can see the list here.

That's where I need your help!

The more followers, views, and dialogue I have on my blog, the better, as far as the marketing competition goes. Don't fear, the end of the marketing competition is not the end of this blog. I have far too much to say to quit now :)

So if you stop by the blog once in a while, feel free to become a follower! Let me know what you think of the posts in the comments, and any suggestions you have are welcome.

To learn more about Summer Synergy, visit their website.

Marketing You

Are you marketing yourself?

While I was networking and meeting new people at YCC in Washington, there was one thing I knew I should have came with. A business card. It's simple, a little old-fashioned, and effective. It's a way to make people remember your name and what you do, and keep in contact with you. I collected tons of business cards (see below) but due to the fact that I'm not exactly a business, had none to give out.

Some of the great people I met last week between ALMA and YCC!

Well, I've decided what I do is worthy of creating business cards for. I made them online tonight at a great website I found called MorningPrint. I was able to go through and step-by-step pick the type of paper, design, and text to put on the card. Here's how the card turned out:

The blacked-out line is my phone number. I trust you..but not the rest of the internet :)

Backside

I love the design I ended up with. It matches my blog (yes I think of these things) and is a little bit aggie and a lot of me.

I only spent $28.99 + about $10 shipping and handling for 400 business cards. All of the places I called in my town were between $50 and $150 for this amount. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!

So what are you waiting for? You are marketable as yourself, and you don't need to be tied to a company to do it. Having a personal business card is a great way to keep in contact with the new people you meet. I'm wishing I had these ages ago, and I know they'll start coming in handy right away.