Want to Generate Value? Look Upstream!

At Eclipse Awards we are always exploring creative ways to generate more value. Our baseline value proposition is this: we will design and make beautifully handcrafted, bespoke awards that amplify your message of recognition, while also delivering them to you safely and on time. This is our starting point, the very least that you can expect from us, and from there we continually add layers of more value. These additional “layers of value” might fall anywhere along a wide spectrum that includes building community, generating social capital, regenerating the environment, creating happiness and celebrating the human spirit.

Wide ranging initiatives such as our Regenerative Marketing, donating awards to community organizations, using solar energy to power our company, building community gardens, planting trees (51,183 and counting!), working with local artisans, or running programs like The Awesome Awards - each adds to the total value that we contribute to society as we operate and grow. So when you purchase from Eclipse Awards, you’re making it possible for more of these things to happen; you’re voting with your dollars and confirming that these things matter.

So whenever people ask about creating value, I always tell them to “look upstream”. In other words, look up your value chain and explore the source of the reasons for doing the things you’re doing. By example, here is our journey of heading upstream over the past 25 years.

Making Beautiful Awards >> in the beginning, we started off making beautiful awards that people loved, and we were happy.

Happiness Delivered >> as time went on and we looked upstream, we realized that we weren’t just making beautiful awards, we were actually making people happy. We were creating awards, but we were delivering happiness!

Building Community >> over time, we realized that we were making people happy because we were helping them feel appreciated and valued by their community. It doesn't matter if your community is your company, your department, your team or your association, being recognized and celebrated by your community is empowering, energizing and transformational. Being recognized is like a big warm hug from your community!

Celebrating the Human Spirit! >> today we understand that recognition is ultimately about celebrating the human spirit! Yes, it’s still about beautiful awards, creating happiness and strengthening communities, and it’s also about rejoicing in the special qualities that make us human! The essence of recognition is feeling reassured, appreciated and valued.

So we can discover a lot of value and direction when we look upstream to explore the source of our passions. Indeed, as our economy evolves, this ability will become increasingly important as organizations work to survive and thrive. How will you create value in the future? How will your organization look upstream and to the future? We’d love to hear your ideas!