I need your help with my secret plan :)

Hi SparkFriends

Today I will share part of a secret plan. I'm so passionate about this project because it could help millions of people so I finally want to share it and ask for your help.

SparkPeople is doing projects with amazing partners. For example, we run the website for fan health and fitness challenges for two major professional sports teams in large US cities.

We also have a program called SparkPittsburgh with a group of top partners in Pittsburgh. Partners in different ways include:

• Babb, Inc. -- Since 1929, Babb, Inc. has been creating safer work places and healthier populations while providing top-notch insurance products
• Innovative Wellness Solutions -- a top regional corporate wellness company
• WTAE -- ABC-Pittsburgh -- the area's largest media outlet
• The United Way
• Live Well Allegheny -- improving the health and wellness of Allegheny County residents.
• Several others coming on board

So many passionate leaders and partners are coming on board that it's not really my plan any more -- it's now a collective plan that is moving forward every day.

Last year we did a beta-test for SparkPittsburgh that was a Company Steps Challenge with leaderboards that ranked companies based on steps by their employees in different categories by company size. There were many success stories from individuals involved in the program. This energized the partners to work even harder on this project.

This year we are doing a company steps challenge again, but will also keep SparkPittsburgh alive making it a year-round challenge platform with many types of challenges.

Today's news is that we have interest from another large partner in helping us launch SparkCleveland and possibly SparkCincinnati.

Here is a blurb we included in a pitch to one major possible partner that has locations in almost every state in the US:

**
This program is a perfect fit for city programs across the country and our national platform. The program helps people get healthy and fit as a base. But this is not only a health and fitness program. Instead, with the inclusion of goal setting and behavioral psychology, this is also a leadership development program. Next, because of the additional energy gained from improved health and fitness plus the leadership skills, imagine large numbers of people passionate and energized to become Healthy Leaders being a Positive Force on their friends, family, co-workers, and community.

This will lead to major impact on cities across America and XXXXXXX could be right in the center of this important program.
**

Does this story sound familiar? Just like the SparkPeople Fuel for Improvement 4 Cornerstones program? :)

Our big goal is to launch this as a global/national program by integrating:

1. A "Bottom-up" strategy with partners in cities all over America and eventually the world.
2. A "Top-down" strategy with national/international partners. These types of partners may provide additional benefits on SparkPeople for all of you. For example, we signed a partnership agreement with a superstar today that will lead to great content for you soon.
3. YOU! Our most important partner in this program is SparkPeople members who can lead the way.

Here is the overall naming hierarchy (these are examples; not all of these are activated yet):

1. Global: SparkEarth
2. Countries: SparkAmerica, SparkCanada, SparkUK, SparkAustralia, etc.
3. Cities: SparkMinneapolis, SparkPittsburgh, SparkLA, SparkLondon, SparkToronto, etc.

We are starting in our home country of the US because we already have many business connections here. But honestly this could go anywhere that we find great partners who are interested in providing either sponsorship, large additional traffic to the campaign, or other major benefits. For example, the reason we started in Pittsburgh is because of a great partner on the ground there who made this happen (thanks Jordan)!

Everyone Can Participate in this Program!

A big big big point from this announcement is that it doesn't matter where you live or whether we have something "official" going on in your city/country YET. That is because we DO have something "official" going on right here as part of SparkPeople. Some members have already pointed this out by saying they call SparkPeople "SparkWorld." The most important point is that we can all be Healthy Leaders here as a community and then spread the spark wherever we live to family, friends, co-workers, and community. I will start using this email, my facebook page, and the Small Goals Commitment Challenge team as a way to keep you updated. I'll have more to share about this soon.

So if you hear me use the term "SparkAmerica" -- realize that we're just as interested in sparking everyone, we just have to start somewhere and build partners because we can't do this alone and that sounds better than using the name "SparkEarth" :).

It won't surprise me if member interest in different locations could help us figure out where to put more effort.

The top two ways you can participate are:

1. Continue working hard to reach your own big goals one small goal at a time. I hope that the opportunity to play a leading role in something REALLY BIG will serve as an extra motivator to help people reach their goals.
   
   
2. Spread the spark to be a Healthy Leader for your friends, family, co-workers, and community. This could be leading by example, or by shouting from the rooftops -- there are all types of leadership styles!

A big goal is to become the greatest and most impactful challenge ever in the areas of fitness & health, leadership development, and community service. One type of challenge will be ranking cities and countries based on fitness minutes and SparkPoints from SparkPeople members.

Soon I will publish a more in-depth overview of this program for anyone interested. Here is a response from SparkPeople member Jan who read this overview: "This stokes me even more to reach my attainable goals that I have set ...... and proceed with fire and passion and live to share it with the community far and wide!!"

What are your thoughts on this project? Will you help us with this project? Let me know in the comments section of this blog.

SparkCheers!

Chris "SparkGuy" Downie



Chris (SparkGuy)

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