To get me on 4 Ferries, 2 busses, a sky train, 5 planes and 2 taxi’s, all in 72 hours, there has to be something pretty awesome waiting for me at the end.
Getting from Salt Spring to ANYWHERE can be a challenge, but when that “anywhere” is Greenville, South Carolina, and the home of Ryobi Outdoors. . . a gal just has to give it a shot.
Ryobi Outdoors University is a blogger program in it’s first year (which meant we were kind of lab rats!) and to be included with this gaggle of amazing bloggers was a honour!
The first night the Ryobi (TTI tools) team took us on a progressive dinner throughout Greenville. The filled out bellies while chatting informally and getting to know everyone. Much like speed dating, the tables shifted at each new stop and conversations flowed. The Ryobi team were fun, and passionate about what they do, and it kinda built up the excitement for day 2.
And as always, getting to know other bloggers, especially ones you will be working a program with for the next 6 months is always fun, and then when you find the ones that you totally CLICK with, well, that just takes the cake. These two gals wormed their way into my heart , and didn’t hold my love of chickens against me! My “almost New York, OMG I need design help” girl, and my “Girl, why did you have to get here late?” Both of these bloggers have a style I will never achieve (even if they DO end up dragging me to Haven with them)
Our main time with Ryobi was spent at the TTI headquarters, chatting with the team who thinks up, designs, markets and falls in love with their tool line. From the hushed corridors of the engineering department to the totally creative hub of activity in the onsite marketing zone, Ryobi’s team is passionate and committed to creating innovative product, AND FAST!
Diving into hands on use with the outdoor line, what has stuck in my mind the most was hearing a fellow ooze amazement as he shared a trimmer with us. He said, 18 months ago this was a sketch on a table, and in two weeks 100,000 people will have it. . . THAT, is amazing!
We dig, we chainsawed, we laughed and sprayed. We got to see that the Ryobi group isn’t just a team, it is a family. And as their “gaggle of bloggers” for the next 6 months, they invited us into their family, and it worked.
I “get” it now, their passion behind their brand. I understand, and I agree and as a blogger when we get the chance to get up close and personal and understand the workings of a brand, and the reasons behind the brands success, it helps us to have a closer relationship with the products we share.
Ryobi University wasn’t all about using the tools (cause this mama can already work a chainsaw like nobodies business) it was about getting to the heart and soul of the company and understanding it’s commitment to excellence. It was about welcoming us to the family.
And trust me, it worked. My husband will tell you, the little facts that stuck in my brain that I spewed willy nilly at him all weekend as we worked on the chicken coop – those don’t stick in a persons brain for any reason other than interest and loyalty.
I survived, nay, THRIVED at Ryobi University, and I can’t wait to start sharing what I learned through images, and videos!
Yes. . video!