Diamond Minds

SIGND,

Sealed & Delivered

Imagine Ottis “OJ” Anderson, former NY Giant great and Super Bowl winner, wishing your husband a happy birthday— while signing a football for him. Or NJ Devil great, and three time Stanley Cup winner, Ken Daneyko sending a shout out to your daughter—while autographing a hockey puck. SIGND delivers the most unique gift for any celebration. Think birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or for any gift occasion.

This month I sat down with Howard Margolies, the founder of SIGND. His company offers personalized experiences through dozens of New Jersey/New York sports and entertainment Icons and beyond.

Barry Farber: How would you explain to someone what SIGND is?

Howard Margolies: We are a unique memorabilia experience that combines three different components. An unboxing experience, custom memorabilia, and a personalized video. Any one of those individually is a great gift by itself. We have all seen videos on the Internet of people unboxing, signing memorabilia and getting personal videos. When you combine all three of these…that is SIGND.

BF: So it’s a great gift idea for all occasions?

HM: Yes and think of corporate gifts. How many edible arrangements can you get in a year? How many times can you send stacked boxes of chocolate to the same client every year. This is something that they will have forever and ever. Usually you send something and then a few weeks after you and your employees have rummaged through it, and now it’s gone. With SIGND, you send something and they have it forever.

BF: What inspired you to come up with this idea and vision?

HM: I was inspired by three specific constituents in mind. One is the icons and the gap in the fan and icon activity. The other is the fan in creating that memory or bringing back that memory of a famous game, concert or event they went to with someone they care about. And the third, which pretty much drives everything we do, is charity. We want to help give back and help the less fortunate. A lot of that starts with some of the ex athletes. A lot of the alumni associations of which we partnered with look out for some of the alumni players who may have fallen on tough times and not have some of the means to support themselves both for medical bills, a roof over their head or God for bid even a funeral. BF: That’s a great part of your vision.

HM: One of the first charities we’re getting behind is Michelle Akers horse rescue in Florida. She had to move her farm and her rescue horses are at risk and she needs funds. We are looking forward to helping her.

BF: Any other ideas that drive you to keep going through any obstacles while building this business?

HM: I thought it would be really fun if a consumer had the opportunity to be a “Disney Director” for 250 characters. First they’re a casting Director and find out who they want the message to be from. Then they’re the writer and director because they tell them what they want them to say. Then they’re the ultimate gift giver because they’re going to go through that activity and provide such a unique experience for the person they love and that’s the Hallmark experience. We’ve seen small kids to grown men cry. One person got something from a New York Giant, Ottis Anderson, and he almost dropped it and said he has to call his father. This is a grown man screaming he has to call his father to tell him he has this! That moved me.

What motivates me every day is hearing great stories from amazing icons whether they are musicians and sharing their tough roads that they had to take. Playing in dive bars until they finally got a break. Or a baseball player telling me how many minor-league buses he sat on before he got his break. Or someone in the WNBA who were told they would never play professional sports because they didn’t have those opportunities for women. And Sheryl Swoopes was the first person who signed and so proud that she broke ground there. That’s what motivates me everyday.

BF: Thank you Howard. On a side note I had a chance to speak with one of your icons, Dean Tolson, who played in the NBA for the Seattle Supersonics in 1974-1978 and transformed himself from illiteracy to a masters degree Magna Cum Laude in education and turned his life around. I was extremely inspired by his story. His championship was in the classroom. Stay tuned for that story coming soon to Diamond Minds.

Barry Farber is a best-selling author, an award winning radio and television host as well as an agent and marketing consultant for corporations, professional athletes, and entertainers. He’s also the creator and marketer of the FoldzFlat® Pens. His latest release is an inspirational children’s book “In search of the magic tree” available at www.barryfarber.com