Hello; This is a great post written by my friend sue neil. she is a writer currently working on a book who is sharing what she has learned about writing. In this post she explains the value of regular consistent reading and writing if you want to become a better writer yourself. she also talks about the value of keeping a daily journal. She touches on resolutions and how big dreams start from small goals. Its an outstanding post that you really should read. Thanks for listening, max Become a Better Writer in 2013: Two New Year Resolutions to Make it Happen

Become a Better Writer in 2013: Two New Year Resolutions to Make it Happen

Robert Graham Designs rewarded my weight loss with some awesome new clothes

Hello again; While most of my posts are related to the amusement industry and the equipment for sale on the website, sometimes I do like to post about personal experiences especially if they relate to my development as a business person.

Now, many of you are aware that I have had gastric surgery and lost a lot of weight. I have lost 247 pounds so far to be exact. One of the side effects of this is that I no longer have any good clothes to wear. With my weight constantly changing I couldn't invest in new clothes. Most everything I own is either a t-shirt or has a draw string. And these aren't suitable for wearing to meet clients or to attend trade shows and conventions. So, my question was how do I start to accumulate the professional wardrobe that I will need in the near future.

I decided to approach some clothing manufacturers and ask them to help with this. I did some research and selected Robert Graham Designs. I wrote them explaining about the weight loss and the need for new dress clothes for attending networking events. I also mentioned that I happened to be blind. Their representative Naomi Holland wrote back and explained that they usually didn't do make overs. But she went on to say that in honor of my losing the weight that they wanted to give me a free shirt. I thought this was a generous offer.

Searching Their Site

They didn't specify a price limit, so I went off to their site again to search through their shirts. I may have dropped from a 4xl tall or 5xl tall down to a 2xl tall in shirts, but I still started with their big and tall section. I found several shirts in there that sounded good. Then I went to their sports shirts section and looked around there too. I wanted to make things easy on them, so I gave them a list of four shirts I liked figuring that at least one of them would be in stock. Naomi told me she would place my order right away.

I think I should mention how easy it was to access their site. As a blind computer user I often have trouble using a site like theirs with my screen reader. Some of the larger sites like Amazon and Ebay have separate versions of their site just for blind and visually impaired users. But this wasn't necessary on the Robert Graham site. All the buttons were labelled, and the descriptions were detailed. Search results were grouped in small batches and best of all my cursor didn't jump around while on their site. this often happens when a site is set up to constantly refresh itself and it is a major pain when you are on a site that does it. I was so happy with my experience surfing their site that I wrote a review for their face book page.

Granite Sports Shirt

The first shirt on my list was this beautiful long sleeved sports shirt that they refer to as granite. It comes in black as you will see, and it has lots of amazing embroidery on it. My mom told me to tuck in the tail, but my brother Patrick thought this way you would get to see all of it. I will include the site description here just so you can compare the image with what they have to say about it.

Rich with texture, this solid jacquard tall long sleeve sport shirt features an all-over diamond pattern with an overlay of a tonal embroidered design. Single contrast stripe lines the inside neckband and double contrast stripes line the inside cuffs.

It is easily the nicest shirt I have ever owned. I can't wait to wear it. I'm thinking about wearing it to church this sunday.

Bonus Shirt!

I am grateful to them for giving me this incredible new shirt, but when I opened the box; I was surprised to find a second shirt. The shirt is called a bourbon polo. It feels great against my skin. It is 95 percent cotton. I don't believe it will shrink, but even if it does; the shirt is long enough to start with that it shouldn't matter. My brother patrick and my nephew thought the color pattern was unusual. I told them all the better to make an impression.

The catalog description on the website says This short big sleeve polo is crafted from piqué cotton. It features a contrast ribbed-knit collar, placket and armbands for a color-blocked look. Contrast ribbon inside neckband.

About Robert Graham Designs

I thought I should include some background about this fine company. I took this next section from their linked in profile. It all started with the shirt. Then came the buzz, followed by a groundswell of fans and admirers. Since 2001, Robert Graham has captivated consumers with an aesthetic experience that transcends the ordinary. Each piece is an unconventional work of art designed for an individual who exudes confidence and a distinctive identity. Today, Robert Graham has expanded into a range of other categories, including knit wear, pants, shorts, jackets, ties, cufflinks, belts, hats, scarves, gloves and hosiery, as well as a full women’s collection. This comes as no surprise as the brand’s design influences cross cultural boundaries, pairing eclectic prints and patterns to unexpected yet refined results. Pushing the boundaries of status quo, Robert Graham strives to be one of the most innovative brands in the industry by consistently pushing boundaries and exceeding expectations. The Robert Graham consumer is a connoisseur, an individual capable of discerning nuances who appreciates products of high quality and unique caliber.

I am thankful to have received such a great gift from the nice people at Robert Graham Designs. And I hope that by sharing this with you that they will be rewarded for their efforts. If you have someone on your list that would enjoy a truly unique piece of clothing, then be sure and check out their site. I hope you will mention having heard about them through me. I would love to become an affiliate for them. Or even better I am hoping that they may decide to endorse me and my site by providing more of their amazing clothes for me to wear in my upcoming travels. To that end be sure and share this post.

This is the kind of blessing you can receive simply by asking with an open heart. Like it says on the back of my business cards never be afraid to ask because if you don't ask they can't say yes. If you or your company have a product you would like me to review, then please let me know. Just use the contact form. I obviously am more familiar with products and supplies having to do with some aspect of the amusement industry, but I am open to suggestions. So, don't hesitate to ask.

This whole process was a lot of fun. I am looking forward to your comments. I love hearing from my readers, and I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and take care, Max