Hey Syndicate Family. It's officially the start of Spring!! How do I know this? Well here in Northeast Ohio, the first roar of the lawn mower started this week, and it's on like Donkey Kong. Mowing your lawn in our area is not a weekly chore that needs to be done, but a competition. Once that first lawn mower fires up, the rest have until the end of that weekend to catch-up. Most of the homes in my neighborhood sit on about 1/3 of an acre, so riding mowers are common, but wait, there's more, lol. You need to create patterns in your lawn, and God Forbid you do the same pattern twice in a week. So those in the know, will use hand-held mowers to get more intricately made patterns that your riding mower just doesn't have the turning radius for, hehe. So what's the tell-tale signs of Spring for YOUR family or neighborhood? I hope you have a most excellent weekend everyone!!

Happy Friday Syndicate Fam! We made it through another week and I hope you have some successes to share with the group! Let us know in the comments any Wins of the Week! I said last week that we are less than 2 months away from the traditional Pride Month of June. As I work with clients in my own business as an lgbtq business and marketing coach/consultant, I thought on the next few Fridays, I would share some of what I thought were great Marketing Campaigns and ask you a question. What has been one of your best offers or campaigns that helped boost your business? Share with the group as it may help someone else here in the Syndicate. Pride Month gives brands a golden opportunity to boost their reputation, establish deep connections with their customers, and drive growth. But only if your Pride Month marketing comes with the right intentions. Today’s buyers are looking for more than just great products. They want to support brands that align with their values and support important social causes, including LGBTQ+ inclusivity. You need to show that your business is genuinely committed to diversity and inclusion. If you nail that, your ideal customers will choose you over your competitors. That means more repeat buyers, higher order values, and more cash/credibility in your pocket. in 2021 Lego premiered its "Everyone is Awesome" build set, released during Pride Month. This set was designed by LEGO®’s Vice President of Design, Matthew Ashton, who is himself a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The global toy company showcased a vibrant lineup of LEGO® figurines representing the diverse identities of the LGBTQ+ community. LEGO® went beyond the normal Pride flag and included the colors of the transgender flag and a drag queen figurine. (They're still available). It was a great twist on their Lego Movie's tune about how "Everything is Awesome." It gave a quick nostalgia nod to the movie and it kept very on brand for other lego figurines they have made in the past. It was packaged to look like a regular Lego products, although the colors were definitely Pride-centric, all of Lego's bricks are colorful, so it felt congruent, and it included assembly instructions, just like every other Lego set does. And it was very On-Brand for the company, which already had a very good rep for inclusiveness and diversity: https://www.lego.com/en-za/sustainability/diversity-and-inclusion

Tree Sequoia, a legend in the NYC gay bar scene for nearly 6 decades, shares his memories of The Ninth Circle, Julius' and The Stonewall Inn. https://youtu.be/D1dJJzRukI0 #gayNYC #ilovegaybars #GayBarchives MORE ABOUT TREE: Tree Sequoia (Fredd E. Sequoia) is a legendary bartender at The Stonewall Inn and a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising. A 6'5.5" queer elder and NYC icon, he has worked at the landmarked bar for over 22 years, acting as a living witness to the birth of the modern LGBTQ+ rights #stonewallinn #stonewall