ShareSLO

Cal Poly’s Amazing Student Leaders

admin — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:32:05 +0000

I can’t quite find the words to describe the energy, that a thousand CalPoly Student Leaders is able to create!! It’s great to see the passion that a group of students has about their community, and about the new students who will be joining them on campus soon. The occasion was the Student Leaders in Training presentation that CalPoly asked me to give, addressing community awareness & how to become more a part of the SLO Community. The presentation was for part of WOW-Week, when CalPoly Students prepare for the new class to arrive, so they can show them around and teach them the ropes. I had such a blast sharing about my love of the SLO Community and all that ShareSLO has to offer and what it all means to me personally. One of the activities we incorporated into the presentation, was to ask all the students who had cell phones, to send me the number one thing that they want or need from the city of SLO… In the next 5 minutes or so, over three hundred responses poured in & there was a VERY OBVIOUS common thread among well over half of the responses: COMMUNITY SERVICE & VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES!! CalPoly Students want to help!! They want to become more of an integral part of the community, by offering whatever talents and abilities they can bring to the table, and they want the city of SLO to put them to work!! This was so refreshing to hear, and so appropriate, as we shared our messages about Community!

Welcome to the Ambassador’s Corner

admin — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:32:54 +0000

Powered by a commitment to inspire those around him, Ambassador Bentley Murdock has spent the last 15 years helping young people all across SLO county reach their goals. Now, fresh from his swearing in ceremony, he’s getting ready to barnstorm the central coast to spread the word about the wonders of our beloved San Luis Obispo. This section will function as a place for Bentley and future ambassadors to share their thoughts and experiences with the rest of the Central Coast community!

Komplete Kombucha: Where we began and where we plan to go.

admin — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:33:54 +0000

Roughly one year ago, my roommate Alex and I had the idea to start selling fresh juice at the Thursday night farmers market on Higuera St. We quickly realized the high overhead cost involved with juicing, so I decided to consult my good friend Molly who had just returned from working with a few wineries in Spain. Over an acaí bowl at Sally Loo’s Wholesome Cafe, we decided that kombucha would be a great product due to the numerous health benefits and low overhead cost. With almost no convincing necessary, Alex, Molly, and I came together under the name Komplete LLC.

We quickly raised $10,000 through Kickstarter.com, an organization that allows outside parties to invest in up-and-coming businesses. Those funds have enabled us to purchase brewing equipment, health permits, kitchen rental, and insurance. Yet, we still did not have the formula down to create the best kombucha on the planet. Through much trial and error, while juggling our day jobs, we were able to create what we find to be a superior kombucha product. We currently sell Komplete Kombucha on tap at Bliss Café in downtown San Luis Obispo. The only dilemma we face is that we have not been able to produce it fast enough to keep up with demand! This will soon be resolved since we have just ordered more equipment to produce much larger batches.

Where do we see this taking us and why San Luis Obispo? San Luis Obispo has been a home to the three of us collectively for 12 years. We love this town and the health minded people in it! We feel that if there is one place to promote a new and healthy product, San Luis Obispo is the place! Our current goal is to create a steady production of Komplete so that Bliss Cafe is always well stocked. We do want to plan ahead but one day at a time or should I say one keg of Komplete at a time. Come share a glass of Komplete with us at Bliss Cafe and stay updated on our progress at facebook.com/kompletekombucha. Be well!

Note:

For those of you unfamiliar with kombucha, it is a tangy, mildly sweet, and effervescent beverage that can be consumed alone or with food that generally goes well with beer. Our kombucha is slightly alcoholic (>0.5%), but not enough to legally deem it an alcoholic beverage. It is consumed for its delicious taste and probiotic content.

Tourism & Hospitality – 101

admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:29:22 +0000

While driving around with our very own SLO Tourism Director, Molly Cano, getting to know some of the Hotel Owners in the area, we came across two tourists from New York (Greg & Manford) who were walking down the street with all of their luggage!! We asked them where they were headed, which turned out to be a hotel a couple of miles away! We loaded up their luggage & got to talking about all the things they can be doing while they were here. We introduced ourselves as “The SLO Tourism Director” & “The SLO Ambassador”, and they laughed! After we explained that we weren’t joking, they couldn’t believe their luck and were so fascinated by what the city of SLO is doing this year! They were so thankful for the ride, and said they will definitely be coming back to SLO again very soon! We hope they enjoyed their week-long stay in SLO, and we look forward to others we can find, toting their luggage, walking around waiting for someone to find their way around town. Whenever you see tourists around town, take a moment to ask them where they’re from. Suggest a few sights they could take time to see & spread a little of the SLO-Vibe around, so they can feel it while they’re here. Because that happy, helpful & inviting energy is what will keep people coming back to the good ol’ central coast.

SLO Marathon… Barefoot?!

admin — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:28:01 +0000

When I heard about the SLO Marathon, I knew we would be covering the event in a big way, but I really wanted it to be… Well… Different. This year was the 2nd Annual SLO Marathon & also happened to be a Boston Qualifier, as well as a “level three qualifier” which means, it’s a super tough one! The attendance for the race was phenomenal, and over 6,000 people participated in putting it together, and running in the multiple races and events. I had never run a full marathon before, so I thought it would be fun to run it barefoot! The ShareSLO Campaign agreed to purchase 27 pairs of new shoes for those in need, in exchange for the almost 26.2 miles I would be running barefoot! The gravel was sharp, the hills were tall, and the distance felt more like 100 miles, but I did it! It felt nice to be so aware of how thankful I am for the shoes I wear, and I look forward to finding those 27 recipients who really do need the shoes. ShareSLO is such a great vehicle for us to be able to do some very special things for those in need in our county.

Key To The City?!

admin — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:27:10 +0000

At the SLO City Council Meeting, The Mayor, Jan Marx presented me with a key to the city of San Luis Obispo! I can’t express how humbled I am to see the City put so much faith & trust into one person. This campaign is essentially, a tourism marketing experiment, and I am so excited to give it all I have, and to see the social media reach grow over this next year. There is so much that members of the city can do as well, and as we learn to work together, we will be amazed how much we can get done in one year. I’m looking forward to the gathering of the “ShareSLO Street Teams” who will be assisting to spread the campaign message & attend local events of all kinds. Here’s to SLO & all the good attention we hope to help her get over this nest year! Thank you, each and every one of you, for all you do to make our city & our county such amazing places to live, work and play!

First Week As Ambassador

admin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:26:04 +0000

To start off, I want to say ‘Thank You’!! I feel so honored to have been selected as ‘Social Media Ambassador’ for ‘The Happiest City in America’!! Thank you all for your support on any level throughout the beginning stages of this incredible campaign! There are so many people working hard behind the scenes, and it’s amazing to see how much heart has been poured into this effort. My hat goes off in a big way to all 44 ShareSLO Contestants, and for the superhuman efforts they put forth during the voting portion of this campaign. Every one of them is more than just qualified in a hundred different ways, and would have all done a fine job heading the ShareSLO Campaign. We look forward to working closely with many, if not all of the previous contestants, as they all have so much to bring to the table.
The first week as Ambassador has been busy busy, on-boarding with Rosetta Marketing (the company chosen to head the ShareSLO Campaign), and getting to know some of the main “influencers”, like the SLO City Council Members, SLO Chamber of Commerce Administrators, TBID Chair & Members, Molly Cano (SLO’s Tourism Director), and Jan Marx (Mayor of SLO). The ShareSLO Team is a dedicated bunch of people who have one underlying thing in common… We all love San Luis Obispo, and we are all committed to doing all we can this year to make this campaign more than just a success!!