Rose City Label is not your typical company to attend #WDS2017 – we are a traditional, brick and mortar specialty print shop. We have been in continuous operation since 1928 – we don’t fit the profile for new media, location independent entrepreneurship at WDS. Still, we love the vibe and enjoy the amazing speaker. And, even though we are more of a ‘traditional’ business, we have been blogging for over 8 years and have small followings on Facebook and YouTube. We are trying to apply the lessons of WDS to our traditional business and these new tools are helping us grow and win. June 0f 2017 was the best month in our 89 year history!
Community – Adventure – Service
These are the core values of WDS. This conference is in its 7th year and literally brings people from around the world to our hometown of Portland, Oregon. People are very supportive and friendly – many are very successful in their online businesses, some are just getting started, and others are still dreaming of leaving their day jobs behind. Regardless of their station in life business, this is a very supportive community. Many – if not most – have some charitable component to their business. Some of the attendees are providing support to overworked doctors and nurses, some are using music therapy to help disabled people, and still others are maintaining a database of the human rights violations in Iran. They take on tough problems with passion and zeal. This is an inspirational, friendly group. Here are a few of the highlights of the 9 (yes, nine!) outstanding main stage speakers during the weekend.
Scott Harrison – Charity Water
Scott told a very personal, raw story of his journey through youth into the very fast paced, unhealthy world of the New York night club scene. He was on top of the world with money, girls, cars, and A-list access. But inside, he was a shell of a human. He realized this and made a radical change, volunteering on a medical ship in Africa. Through this experience, he came to see the horror of 663 MILLION people on the planet that don’t have access to clean drinking water. What started as a one year ‘cleanse’ or personal penance for his previous bad behavior became his life’s mission and calling. Because he was an outsider, he didn’t know the rules of running a charitable foundation. He broke most of the rules and made everything better in the process:
Give 100% to Charity
Because he saw that his potential donors were mistrustful of charitable organizations, he set up a separate organization to fund his administrative expenses. All staff, overhead, and promotional expenses are covered separately so 100% of donations help build wells!
https://www.charitywater.org/about/
Rich Roll – Vegan Extreme Athlete
Rich did a great job of inspiring the crowd with his boundary pushing examples. Just because people tell you something can’t be done – don’t believe it! Go out and test your assumptions and self imposed limitations! Try it for yourself and see how good you can really be. Test the waters and push the limits – you may be surprised what you can achieve.
Want Great Labels? Call us Today!
What does all this have to do with Rose City Label? Yes, we are an established brick and mortar business. Yes, we have machines and people and a factory in SE Portland. We are not a location-independent internet based business – we are a ‘real’ business. But, we can learn from the lessons of modern business. We can meet our customers where the are and delight them with exceptional, 21st century service! We can apply the lessons of love, charity, and giving to our daily operations. We are old enough to be established and reliable, but also nimble enough to grow and adapt. Want to work with a great company that lives in both the traditional and modern worlds? Call us today.