Leadership: Lessons from an Inauguration of a Chancellor

I had the opportunity to take in the inauguration of University of Wisoncin Milwaukee's (UWM) new chancellor, Michael Lovell a few weeks back. It was truly an inspiring and first class event. There was an impressive list of speakers (including Senator Herb Kohl) that provided some good background and insight to the new chancellor. During the ceremony, I was able to take down four leadership lessons that I was especially inspired by.

First, I want to provide a quick background on Chancellor Michael Lovell.  He came to UWM from the University of Pittsburg (Pitt) in 2008 as the Dean of Engineering.  When Chancellor Carlos Santiago left UWM in 2010, Michael Lovell was promoted to interim chancellor. Since then he has created a loyal following on campus and his incredible popularity was palpable during the ceremony.

Vision

One of the speakers at the event was Harvey S. Borovetz, the Chair of the Department of Bio-engineering at Pitt.  He told a story of why everyone should believe in the vision that Chancellor Michael Lovell has laid out.  When at Pitt, Lovell gave a speech at North Carolina A&T.  After the speech he was approached by the A&T staff to see if he was interested in collaborating on a future project.  Chancellor Lovell decided to apply for a National Science Foundation grant that is extremely difficult to receive and requires a rigorous process.  Though a challenging task, Chancellor Lovell was not discouraged and pushed the department to apply for the grant.  After rounds of submissions, countless trips to NC A&T and interviews, they received an $18.5 million grant.  So Chancellor Lovell had a vision and set his team forth to put a plan in place that would achieve it.  Without his vision, determination and strong leadership skills, this grant would never have been earned.

Symbolism

During the installation ceremony, a video of the making of the new chancellor medallion was shown.  Every chancellor wears a medallion at graduations and other formal events.  The new medallion is an amazing work of engineering and craftsmanship.  It was handmade and designed by UWM students. The original medallion was a simple, one dimensional, single color medallion.  The new medallion is a three dimensional, colorful and creative work of art.  Chancellor Lovell discussed how this new medallion symbolizes how the school is transforming from one without much of an identity to a serious regional center in the community.  I love how the chancellor foresaw the inauguration as an opportunity to use the medallion as a symbol of the change that is happening on the UWM campus.

Click HERE to view the neat video that was produced on the making of the medallion.

Partnerships

On his second day as acting Dean of Engineering at UWM, Chacellor Lovell approached Johnson Controls - a local Fortune 500 company based in engineering - in an effort to create a closer partnership.  He showed leadership to the direction that he wanted to take the school by working to create partnerships with local leaders in the community.  This seems like an obvious partnership yet it had not been done by his predecessors.  Partnering with key organizations/departments/companies can accelerate growth and leverage strengths.  Chancellor Lovell showed great leadership by working to strike key partnerships right off the bat at UWM.

Humility

I was struck by how humble Chancellor Michael Lovell is. This genuine humility brings you closer to him and makes you want to root for his success.  A lot was made of how young he is annd because of this, he has often not been the logical choice.  Due to his age, my mind began to wonder, with how quick he is risen to this post, he might not be at UWM for too long.  I have seen others promoted quickly to powerful positions at a young age and it was seen as a stepping stone.  However it seems with Chancellor Lovell it is different.  First, he is upfront that he has never had the ambition to be a chancellor, the opportunity presented itself.  He seems extremely appreciative of this opportunity and is embracing it fully.  I believe he loves his new role, the challenge of transforming UWM and wants to carry out his vision.  His humility draws people closer to him, which I think makes him more effective.  When people think you are approachable and genuine, you are more likely to get them to work closely with you to work towards a common goal.  I view Chancellor Lovell’s humility as an asset and will serve him well as he works to build the school in accordance with his vision.

I wish Chancellor Michael Lovell the best of luck and look forward to seeing him fulfill his vision

Michael Wolaver | Owner of Magellan Collegiate Promotions

Being healthy and living an active lifestyle play a key role in affecting a person's happiness. When your are happy, you work harder and longer, you get along with people better, and you just have a more positive attitude towards things overall. However, although most people aspire to live a healthy lifestyle, sometimes the motivation to get up and exercise just is not always there.

Because we know that generally, a healthy employee is a happy employee, and a happy employee is a hard-working employee, we have put together a list of four health and wellness products and ideas that will help inspire just about anyone to get up and be active! It does not take much to get the ball rolling and even the slightest bit of motivation can inspire someone.

1. Sunscreen/Lip Balm Combo

This handy little item is a 2-in-1 SPF 15 sunscreen spray/pepperming flavored lip balm is perfect for those of us who burn easily, but often forget to bring along our big tube of sunscreen. It measures in at only 5 3/4" W x 5/8" D and would easily fit into a purse or sports bag, or even a pocket without taking up much room. So plan a company outing -- go hiking or biking and give this to all of those who participate! Having this little sunscree/lip balm combo in their purse or bag might then inspire them to get up and be active at a later date! 

2. Women's Yoga Zip-up and Pants

Right now, yoga and yoga-related workouts are a very popular way to exersice. Not only is yoga a great way to exercise and stay in shape, it can also act as a meditative release that relaxes both your mind and body. This Women's Fitness Jacket and Pant suit are comfortable and stylish. They can be worn to yoga class, on a walk or jog, or on any exercising adventure.  

Available individually, both jacket and pants are made of moisture wicking stretchable polyester/spandex fabric. Both items are made with tagless labels to ensure comfort and are also available in girls' sizes. They are great items to put a company logo or emblem on and will surely be worn by all who receive them!

3. The Versatile Yoga Mat

 The yoga mat is another great accessory that can promote health and wellness! This versatile mat is not just limited to yoga. It can be used to a variety of different workout exercises such as, pilates, core workouts, stretching, aerobics, and so much more! The mat measures in at 68" h x 24" w and comes with a black mesh drawstring carrying bag. It is available in blue or purple and is a great gift for both men and women!

4. A Great Little Exercise Accessory

We all know that mustering up the motivation to get ready and go to the gym to work out is not always the easiest thing. However, with this little exercise band, you can get a solid workout in within the comfort and privacy of your own home! Using the band's resistance, you can strengthen and tone on your own time. These exercise bands have black foam grips that make them easy to handel, and are available in green, red, and blue.

No matter what your workout level, knowledge, or budget is, these four products and ideas have hopefully offered you a range knowlege to help you start your own health and wellness initiative. So get up, get out, and get moving with our awesome exercise-inspired prducts!

It is well known that one of the most effective ways to generating new business is through referrals.  Referrals are key to generating new business for the following three reasons;

1. Provide instant credibility and trust (of the biggest obstacles to getting new business)
2. Can help you sell deeper within a company, industry
3. Low cost (your referral sources generate the leads)!

I recently attended a seminar put on by Tony Rubleski, a best selling author on marketing and sales, and one of the topics he discussed was referrals.  Tony stressed that to maximize referrals, your company must have a formal plan.  Here are three aspects of a good referral plan should have in order to be successful;

1. Formalized plan for how and when company representatives asks for referrals
2. Advertise the plan to all potential referral sources  on a continual basis
3. Reward referral sources to thank them and give them an incentive to continue referring

For a referral program to be successful for the long term, all three of these aspects covered.  As a promotional product company, we have help come up with a plan to appropriately reward referral sources.  From food and candy to BBQ kits and music download cards, we have a wide variety of products that we can provide to reward these important your ambassadors.  There are two main benefits of using a promotional product to reward your referral sources instead of standard gift cards.

1. Promotional products are useful items, so you can provide products that your referral sources will appreciate and have a need for.
2. Since promotional products have an extended ad period, the referral source will be reminded of your company and the rewards of referring your company for a long time.

There are several ways we can put together a referral program for your company.  One unique option is we can set up an on-line company store of blank or logoed products so your ambassadors can pick out which product they would like to have.

To give you an example of a referral reward program, referrals to Magellan Promotions that turn into business receives a tasty tin of chocolate and yogurt covered pretzels.

So when you want to take full advantage of using referrals to build your business, we would be happy to discuss options with you.

Under Armour, arguably the hottest athletic brand in America, is now available in the promotional product industry. Founded in 1996 by former Maryland football player Kevin Plank, Under Armour is made to keep athletes cool, dry and light during practice, games or workouts.  The brand started with technical t-shirts and has quickly expanded the product line.

For the last couple of years we have been getting the question "can you decorate any Under Armour garments" and until now we had no access to the product.  However that recently changed and now we custom decorate a select amount of Under Armour apparel.  The apparel options include long and short sleeve t-shirts (including compression t-shirts), polo shirts, hoodies, jackets and sweats.  To view the complete list, click on the link below.  Custom decorated Under Armour is great for health and wellness campaigns, employee gifts, athletic coaches and teams and anyone else that wants to invest in one of the most popular brands going.

To view the complete list of available styles, click HERE.

To discuss how we can help get your office/team/organization outfitted, contact Magellan Promotions today.    

Tired of carrying around a clunky water bottle all day?  Consider the new flat, foldable bottle for your organization's next promotional product.  This product stacks up to the drink ware industry within all elements.  BPA Free, this 24oz bottle is the standard size of most other bottles in the industry.

When filled the bottle forms to the current mold of the liquid within and once emptied it folds flat for easy travel and storage.  The bottle is made out of polypropylene making it durable for long lasting usability.

One of the problems with drinkware orders is the tremendous shipping costs due to the awkward sizing of the products.  This foldable bottle makes shipping a breeze, as each unit packs flat providing much more room available and the ability to pack more in less.

Pricing for this product starts below $2.40.

To order and discuss options, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or via phone at 414.831.0184.

Looking to boost web traffic, generate leads, or simply looking to inform your consumer of your message?  Try with the gift of a promotional music card.  At the size of a standard credit card, these promotions offer music downloads and ringtones from one of the largest databases around, Puretracks.  This partner of ours provides music available in MP3 format enabling customers to easily download songs directly to their PC or Mac computer then transfer to their iPod, iPhone, MP3 player or other compatible device.  With over 3 million songs to choose from, and thousands of ringtones available, the consumer should be more than satisfied. 

These cards are not only a great promotional product to consumers, but they also serve as useful marketing tools to gather critical information.  When setting up these cards, employers can choose to insert a quick customer survey before consumers are allowed to access their music download.  These surveys are easy to manage and manipulate reports from.  For example, these cards can be distributed to potential incoming freshman at a school's Open House.  When these potential freshman look to receive their free music download, they first are asked to enter their basic demographic area including street address, phone, email, and high school information.  This information can then be manipulated by marketers to see who exactly attended the open house session and where areas of improvement may be.  Survey questions are completely customizable by cardholders for any situation.

This customer survey can also be displayed through the organization's personal website.  When looking to redeem music downloads, consumers can be directed towards the personal website of choice and then proceed with download steps.  This can provide further traffic into the organization's website without the consumer even realizing.  In addition, after the survey consumers will be directed to the custom landing page providing further instructions to download the music/ringtones. This page will leave the lasting impression on the consumer and can be completely customized as well. 

Looking for a bigger incentive?  These cards may also serve as an instant win promotion in conjunction with the music download.  When consumers look to obtain their music download, they can also be notified as to whether or not they won an additional prize from your organization.  For example, a company can have a promotion at a trade show and hand out promotional music cards which contain big giveaway items to a certain number of consumers while the remaining cards hold smaller giveaway items. This is a quick way to gain excitement towards the organization.

The music download cards can be decorated full color artwork on the front of the card.  Cards are available with multiple download credits to be customized at the time of purchase.  Starting at around $2 each for a one song/ringtone download, these cards are a great product to be utilized by any organization. 

If you have any questions and/or want to discuss this idea further, contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 414.831.0184.

With the growth of the iPad, netbooks, and smaller notebook computers, carrying cases and sleeves are becoming ever more popular.  These electronic devices are meant to be transported and thus need the required protection while in transit.  Carrying cases for these products serve as a great spot to insert your company, or organizations logo for maximum visibility.  There are many different styles to choose from, and below we highlight some of our most popular options.

The first traveler media sleeve is a sturdy padded sleeve including a front zipper pocket with great room for imprinting logos.  This sleeve fits the Netbook, iPad, and the Kindle.  With its sturdy frame and strong handle on top, this sleeve is sure to transport your latest electronic device safely, and stylishly.  Priced begins at under $5.00 per sleeve.

 Click the video below to see more product details.

Looking for an iPad case only?  This new product was designed strictly for the iPad, ensuring it's success.  The all leather case was constructed to reinforce certain high-stress areas to help protect the device in its most weakest points.  The elastic security strap keeps the case closed when not in use, and is light enough to eliminate any damages that might take place.  Two adjustable folding techniques make this product unique when looking to view and work on the iPad.  Overall this product serves as a secure case for transport, while providing a useful docking station when the product is in use.The iPad case runs as low as $12.95 per case.   

Lastly, the neoprene laptop and netbook sleeves serve as the most popular sleeve on the market today.  The possibilities are endless with this product through the colors, sizes, and closure options available.  This product is a great way to customize any carrying case for laptops up to 17.3" all the way to the netbooks with 10" screens, Kindle DX, and the iPad.  This lightweight carrying case will provide the protection your electronic device requires.  Pricing for the smallest case 11.5"x8" in size is as low as $7.44. 

If you would like more information on any of the above products or other options for carrying cases please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 414.831.0184. 

QR Codes are quickly becoming a new means for companies, schools and organizations to advertise and provide information.  So we wanted to explain what QR Codes are and how they can be used in conjunction with promotional products.

What are QR Codes?

QR (Quick Response) codes are printed two-dimensional bar codes that are encoded with text, URL or other data that is obtained through scanning with a smartphone.  QR codes were originally developed by a Toyota subsidiary in 1994 for the purpose of tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing.  With the ability to scan the barcodes with smartphones (phones either come with this software or the software can be downloaded for free on the internet), QR codes can direct users to a website, video, or simple text that be continuosly changed and updated at any time.  Barcode designs are free to own and create, making them yours forever.  

QR barcode generators are available online, where after entering simply data, your code is produced. The codes are small in size and can be printed on anything.  Already popular in Japan, QR codes are gaining attention in the United States, Europe and Canada. Organizations use QR code technology for marketing/advertising, loyalty points programs, inform and engage in real-time.  

With the explosive growth of smartphones, the use of QR codes will continue to grow and evolve. 

How Promotional Products Can Be Used With QR Codes

QR codes can be printed on paper or any other type of surface.  One way to get extended life out of a QR code campaign is to have the code printed on a tangible, longlasting and useful promotional product.  QR codes can be printed on everything from folders, magnets, bags, coolers, luggage tags and much, much more.  Here are some ideas to incorporate QR codes into marketing campaigns. 

Ideas - College Market

Since college students are heavy users of smartphones and are always up on the latest technology, QR code marketing is a perfect fit for this audience.  Here are a couple of ideas.

• Have a QR code printed on a folder given at a open house that goes to a site that shows a promotional video.
• Freshman Orientation has a QR code on a microfiber cleaning cloth that is given out on the first day that links to a calendar of events for the week. 
• The bookstore hands out a pizza cutter with a QR code that highlights current specials.   

Ideas - Businesses

Businesses and organizations can make great use of QR codes to keep clients/prospects informed, including providing information on specials, pricing and events.  Here are some sample ideas.   

• A mortgage company provides a post-it note with a QR code that shows the latest rates.
• A restaurant provides a magnet with a QR code that highlights upcoming specials. 
• A business attending a tradeshow hands out a jotter that has the QR code that would link back to their website for the user to learn more about the company.

There are numerous ways that QR codes can and will be used as the growth of this technology continues to grow.  So if you want to be seen as a leader and be able to provide information to users in real-time, consider incorporating QR codes into your next marketing campaign. 

Special thanks to Jason Stromberg ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) from First Edge Solutions, an innovative printing company, who helped us with research on QR codes.   If you are looking for printed paper products to take advantage of QR code technology, Jason and First Edge are a great resource. 

Columbia, a leader in innovative outdoor apparel, has introduced a jacket lining called Omni-Heat. Omni-Heat technology allows the user to wear a lighter weight jacket but keep warm like they are wearing a heavyweight parka!  The Omni-Heat material maintains (and not lose) the natural body heat, thus keeping the wearer warmer!  The jackets have been shown to boost heat retention by up to 20%!

Omni-Heat works by using thermal reflective technology (the silver lining that is shown in the picture) that regulates your temperature by reflecting the warmth your body generates, while dissipating moisture and excess heat to keep you comfortable.  The lining not only provides heat retention, but it has a high level of breathability to reduce excess heat and moisture.  Omni-Heat has proven to be the highest per gram heat retention of synthetic insulation in the industry.  The material has a soft hand and is eco-friendly with 50% recycled content.

The Omni-Heat jacket pictured is a soft shell.  Those who are familiar with soft shells know that they are lighter weight jackets that protect against the wind and rain.  While they are warm jackets, the Omni-Heat technology takes it to a whole new level.

To learn more about Omni-Heat, click HERE to go to Columbia's website.  They have some fun videos of people showing off how the jacket warms them up in the cruelest of conditions.

To discuss how we can help your company get outfitted in this jacket, contact us at' ); document.write( addy54424 ); document.write( '<\/a>' ); //--> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ?ml=1" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #5e9ad2;"> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or at 414.831.0184.