Recently I heard that my friend Kelly described me to her friends as, “old school”. I was not offended at all because I am definitely an old school person. What cracks me up is that the reason she thinks I’m old school is because I show up to every event that she hosts. Well, every event that she hosts is super cool and I have to mention that she’s pretty darn cool herself.
For example, the theme of a party that Kelly threw was called Game Changers. Apparently there are different versions of this kind of party but I love the name Game Changers. She and a friend invited a group of women (in this case, a bunch of second grade moms) for an evening of appetizers and cocktails. All of us were asked to think of a product that has changed our lives. The caveat was that it had to be under $15. We were asked to bring a quantity of three of the same item so that we can give them to three different women at the party. When we presented our $15 or less game changer, we were asked to stand up, give a fun fact about ourselves and then describe why the item we brought has changed our lives. I loved this - a group of women sharing a helpful tool with other women! That’s cool, right? It was great. I had been on a hunt for a natural deodorant for my daughter and guess what… my name was chosen by the mom who had also spent countless of dollars and suffered sweaty pits trying many natural deodorants! She gave away two types which she found to be the best deodorants on the market (total cost was over $15). I came home a winner.
The game changer that I brought was purely coincidental because I had just purchased wine aerators from Pampered Chef. They happen to cost $15. Would I say this was a LIFE game changer? Not exactly. Although anyone who drinks wine knows that this tool does change the wine game. The item that I would have liked to have pinched three women with is the “Rodan + Fields Lash Boost”. It costs a lot more than $15 (retails for $150) but for sure, it has been a game changer for me. I wasn’t prepared to get up in front of the party to give a fun fact and describe my game changer product. As I was listening to each woman who went before me, I was trying desperately to think of a fun fact about myself. However, I couldn’t concentrate because I was having too much fun listening to the other presentations. When it was my turn, I gave the revealing fun fact that I was torn between taking an Uber to the party (which would have cost a minimum of $100 round trip) or drive myself and be responsible. I continued to share that after I chose to be responsible I contemplated bringing a roadie with me since I was already late to the party and was in desperate need of some Prosecco. Some moms laughed out loud which I turned into a segue to a fun fact that I learned from a wine tasting event. Prosecco, according to many Italians, is served very casually because it is not considered champagne. It is consumed to “wash away the day” and so they have a glass of it in the late afternoon or before they begin their evening. Then they move onto another wine or desired drink. End the day and then begin the evening. Ahhhh, those Italians really know how to live, don’t they? After I gave three women an aerator and sat down, I was hoping that the tip about Prosecco added a little more value to my game changer.
Thoughtful Pinch as a platform, tries to point out the many ways people are thoughtful via stories of ordinary events. Some thoughtfulness is obvious because many of us are accustomed to showing thoughtfulness by giving gifts and cards. While other ways of being thoughtful are so subtle that they need to be pointed out. The Game Changer theme of this party, in an indirect way, asks us to share a vulnerability - something wasn’t quite right in our life - and we found a product that has made our life a little easier or better. Furthermore, instead of keeping this product to ourselves, the party gives us an opportunity to celebrate and share our game changer with others. Subtly thoughtful but amazingly powerful.
Of course the game changer that my friend Kelly’s brought was a whole Beach Body start up kit (BeachBody 21 day fix, book, food containers and trial membership). The cost was over the $15 limit but because Kelly is generous and thoughtful, she really wanted to pinch three women with a tool that changed her life. She’s that cool and I will continue to support her in anyway that I can. I’m that old school.
Pinches,
Barb