You’ve heard about our mission to rescue children from the painful and fatal strangle of starvation.

You’ve heard about Feed The Children making us an official partner with their organization.

You’ve heard about our involvement in tackling hunger, which the United Nations has declared their primary Millennium Development Goal.

Of course there was one problem; we didn’t have any granola!……Until today.

Today is the day we hope you have all been waiting for. We know we have. We have spent the last few months in the trenches of minutiae involved with launching a food product. But we didn’t start this company to fill out paperwork, talk to lawyers, and file million dollar product liability insurance policies…

We started Impact Foods to save children’s lives. Today we can finally do that – and you can help.

Visit our site, tell your friends, and give us feedback.

Impact’s mission is not some bold yet empty statement. It’s a promise – a promise Blaine and I intend to keep. The promise we made to each other, to eradicate hunger, was not a promise between two entrepreneurs – it is a promise we made to the millions of people affected.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your patience. This is only the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Join us:

http://www.impactfoods.com

- Benjamin

Email: ben@impactfoods.com

Knowing how to spend money is important, but knowing how not to spend money is critical to success for the early stage venture. Additionally, knowing what you don’t have to spend money on is also important; knowing your skill set can help you save tons of money.  We learned this lesson yesterday with an important part of our granola project: brand identity.

We know that we need a trustworthy, attractive, and impactful brand for our granola product.  Neither Ben nor I claim to be excellent graphic artists or creative geniuses.  However, I know my way around Adobe Photoshop and have found a little success in creating attractive websites.

Yesterday, I launched a search for the right brand identity partner.  I thought we should spend some money, bring in some professionals, and do the brand the right way.  Ben quickly brought me back down to earth: “No, this is the fun part, solving problems.”

So I loaded up with some coffee, Estima Blend from Starbucks, and launched Photoshop.  A couple of hours later, a brand emerged.  Impact Foods, a Dare To Give company, launching a gourmet granola product, Winter 2009.

Challenge yourself: do you really have to go hire the professionals to bring you closer to launching your startup?  Do you really have to bring in consultants to find ways to boost sales?  Do you really have to pay an identity firm to get your brand up and running?  I’m not doubting the abilities of these firms, I’m just asking you, do you really need it?  Right now?  For that much money?

- Blaine

So our recipe is finalized. The granola is absolutely delicious. Ben and I have both tasted it in various applications – on top of yogurt, with milk in the morning, over ice cream, and just on its own. Oh yeah, and we were (barely) able to get some granola to a group of friends and family members to test. It went fast. Everyone loved it. Our final recipe is toasted golden brown with a delicious sweet and salty balance. It’s not too rich, and it is waistline-friendly. We’re positive that you’ll love it.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be launching a pre-order website, allowing you to be the first in line to have a bag or two of your own. Actually, we won’t restrict you to just two bags, we’ll ship you as many as you’d like. The more bags we can pre-order, the more children we can feed in the next couple of months through Feed The Children.

We are also offering advance orders for corporate gifts for the holiday season. It’s better to give than to receive, and we challenge you to be philanthropic in your giving this holiday season. Remember, each bag you give as a gift will still feed a hungry child for an entire day. If you or your company would like to order special holiday granola for gifts this holiday season, please contact us at granola @ daretogive.com.

Did you order one of our t-shirts a few months ago? Don’t forget, you’ll receive a free bag of granola as soon as we have it ready to ship.  We want to thank you for your support early on and keep you updated with our granola project.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks.  If you’d like more information, please feel free to leave your comments below, or send us an email.  We’d love to hear from you.

- Blaine

The operative words there are without action. You see, without action; motivation is hollow – it carries no substance.

However, coupled with action, that motivation can be the catlyst that helps you begin to move mountains.

What does that have to do with today’s post? Absolutely nothing. Except for the fact that one of the authors of those motivational books, Jim Rohn, has one of my favorite quotes of all time regarding using other people’s words:

“Don’t be afraid to borrow if someone else has said it well. Winston Churchill said, ‘The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.’ That’s so well said. You could stay up all night and not think of that.”

In that spirit, this blog post is going to direct you to someone else’s words. Tim Ferriss has a great post on becoming a “Karmic Capitalist.” It explains, with more eloquence and efficiency than I ever could, why Blaine and I have chosen to make Dare To Give our life’s purpose:

Click Here to Read Tim’s Post!

(If you’re not already a fan of Tim’s, spend some time on his site. He has a great entrepreneurial story and always puts out valuable content)

- Benjamin

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine earlier this week telling me about an organization he’s been working with for the past few months.  He got involved with the East Dallas Boys & Girls Club through the consulting firm he works for, and has stepped up to the plate to help manage their junior golf program.  He dedicates time every week to take a group of kids to the driving range to teach them about the game of golf and the life skills that go hand in hand with the sport: courtesy, respect, sportsmanship, etc.

To raise money for the junior golf program, my friend has arranged to have 15% of the day’s sales on Tuesday, October 6th at Half Shells Oyster Bar and Grill to go directly to the junior golf program.  Half Shells is a great restaurant itself, and you can have lunch or dinner there as you normally would while contributing to a great cause.  The restaurant is located at 6617 Snider Plaza, Dallas, TX 75205.

So if you’re looking for a way to give back, this is an excellent way to do it.  You have to eat anyway, right?  Head over to Half Shells and give back to the East Dallas Boys & Girls Club at the same time.

- Blaine

Ok, so math isn’t my forte. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth, well – it’s worth watching.

If you gain nothing else from this video, understand this:

YOU have the time to make a difference. 

YOU have the skills to make a difference

YOU are one choice…..ONE choice away from doing just that. 

If you are reading this, then my out-on-a-limb assumptions are that (1) You have a computer and (2) You can read. Those two things place you head and shoulders above human beings who have previously changed the course of this planet. 

You don’t have to start a business. Support one that makes a difference. Work for one. Don’t know where to start? Ask us – we talk to these folks on a daily basis and want nothing more than to help you. Yes, you.

I’ll shut up now. After all, if a video is worth a gazilllllion words, then maybe I don’t need to type that many…

-Benjamin

I’ve always liked being connected. Before the end of each workday, my iPhone’s battery is drained and my email has probably been refreshed at least 200 times.  Even though much of what I do is dependent upon technology, I feel as though I use my phone and computer more than most people.  Ok, I’ll admit it: I’m addicted.

This weekend, however, I made myself detach and take a break.  I am so used to being available by phone and email all the time, and I wanted to disconnect for a few days.

What’s so amazing about this weekend is that my pursuit of technology independence really helped me refocus and understand the challenges and opportunities I am facing in my professional life.  Dare To Give achieved some major business plan progress, although I didn’t pull out my computer to record thoughts in the working document.  I became closer to the problem we are trying to solve, although I didn’t search Google for the latest world hunger statistics.

It’s important to disconnect for a day or two every now and then.  In entrepreneur-land, I wouldn’t suggest disconnecting for a long time – there is certainly a balance.  However, if you’re facing a large challenge and have lofty goals, it may not hurt to take some time away from things to refocus and bring clarity to your mission.  This week, I’m refreshed and ready to hit the ground running in the quest to build a successful business and solve world hunger.

- Blaine

    They make an existing product better, eliminate a headache, or make it cheaper. Once in a while someone comes along and solves problems we didn’t even know we had. Even high-priced items like designer jeans and luxury cars solve problems such as disease exposures due to lack of clothing, or the inefficiencies created by not having automobile transportation.

 If this is the case (and it is), that problem creates opportunity – let’s examine where the most opportunity exists in our world.

    The United Nations has compiled a list of “Millennium Development Goals.” These are time-bound, quantifiable goals to be addressed by the UN (and society), in order of their gravity.  Among the list are problems of epic proportions such as universal education, HIV/AIDS, and Environmental Sustainability.

 ….But what is the NUMBER ONE problem to be addressed according to the UN….?

 1)   “Eradicate Poverty and Hunger”

 To me, this is beyond exciting.

 ……..Exciting? Yes, exciting! Just as entrepreneurs look to transform problems into opportunities – we must ALL see this as a window of opportunity.

 For Dare To Give, the beauty of this opportunity is two-fold:

 1)   Remember: Problem = Opportunity = Enterprise.

Enterprise creates jobs. Enterprise provides health benefits. Enterprise pays taxes. 

• I won’t go into detail, but those three sentences are imperative to understanding why private enterprise is the answer to most of the problems Washington can’t seem to figure out……with a heavy emphasis on PRIVATE…

2)   In Dare To Give’s case, eradicating hunger represents so much more than a business opportunity. We have at our fingertips the ability, passion, and resources to make a significant impact on the leading global crisis. That is profound.  Doctors go to school for decades, and may save a few thousand lives over the course of their practice. Enterprise with a philanthropic focus represents an opportunity to change the lives of millions of individuals. This is why we will not stop until success is  achieved.

 A quick note on eradicating poverty:

   On the surface it seems that Dare To Give only addresses the hunger part of the Millennium Development #1 Goal, but these issues tend to work in parallel. When a family can sustain life and grow food, it may then grow a surplus, which can be traded/sold and provide financial stability. This is why it is important for Dare To Give not simply to provide food, but to provide resources and education as well. Giving cups of food is generous but not sustainable……However, planting fruit trees in villages and educating families on agricultural technique is – and Dare To Give is dedicated to these sustainability efforts as well.

    Also….we would probably suck at eradicating just poverty. I know I would. There are a lot of numbers involved and Mr. numbers and I have just never gotten along.

    But if you are interested in companies that are acutely focused on eradicating poverty, there are some incredible institutions out there for you to become involved with. The two I recommend are both in the area of micro-finance.

 Grameen Bank: Grameen is a micro-lending bank started by Muhammad Yunus, who has since won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts

 Kiva: Kiva is also a micro-lending platform that allows you to give loans (of various amounts) to emerging entrepreneurs: “Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur, empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”

    That’s all for today. Keep up the good work team! And remember…

Problem = Opportunity = Enterprise

Enterprise = wealth + jobs + health + taxes

And as more and more companies like Dare To Give begin:

Enterprise = Making a Difference

 - Benjamin

As college students prepare to return to class, we feel it is important to renew our mission of philanthropy in the college t-shirt project that helped us launch Dare To Give. Today, we are excited to make a continued effort to go to market within the college communities to encourage Greek organizations and campus groups to buy from philanthropic vendors.

We started at SMU, producing t-shirts for several Greek organizations and other charitable campus-based groups. While we only did a couple of orders, we donated over $300 to deserving charities. This semester, we hope to continue giving through our t-shirt sales. If your fraternity, sorority, or campus group is looking for promotional or fund-raising t-shirts, please send us an email at shirts@daretogive.com. Remember that for every shirt you buy, we donate $1 to the charity of your choice.

- Blaine

This is the statistic that haunts me. Every 5 seconds a child dies from starvation.

It’s an unacceptable number that we can change. No, it’s something we will change. Dare To Give will do whatever it takes to make this problem go away. The reason our company exists, the reason I get up in the morning – is to eradicate world hunger. Period.

We made good progress this week @ DTG. We are close to officially launching the Dare To Give Foundation, our foundation that enhances the mission of our company, Dare To Give LLC.

Thanks for the love and support – the messages that have been pouring in really keep us going. I will keep you updated on the progress of the granola as we get ready to launch in stores. Right now we are in the process of some compliance/procedural due diligence such as FDA standards and nutritional analysis. These steps are necessary, but EXTREMELY frustrating when I think about the “Every 5 Seconds” stat. For those of you who share my impatience and want to help today – don’t forget to use the free resources mentioned in the last post. Those clicks DO make a difference. We can, and we will make an impact.

- Benjamin