If you’ve ever seen me in person you know I wear a white bracelet around my right wrist.  You can certainly see it in almost every picture of me within the last year.  The bracelet reads, “sTAY strong”.  I often get asked what this means and I haven’t yet gotten good at a concise answer.  It’s a challenge for me to quickly say how it connects to me – it’s even more of a challenge to tell people how deep that emotional connection is.  I figured I’d write my answer here and see where it goes…

Taylor Rivera, a beautifully charming teenager faced a very rare childhood cancer and found herself in and out of treatment for several years.  She had a very close friendship with my friend Kennedy.  Amanda Peebles, the cancer girl I got the closest to (as you can read here) also looked up to Taylor.  It was a close group of kids fighting cancer.

When Taylor passed, at her funeral I was given a bracelet by one of her family members.  I was able to attend the funeral with Amanda (one of the last events I got to spend with her outside the hospital).  Taylor’s theme was sTAY strong.  TAY is for Taylor.  It’s a phrase that to this day keeps the community going when it gets tough.  We have a hard time imagining the strength it must take to endure the long-term battle of childhood cancer – certainly even worse when you consider the daily symptoms.  The strength the kids pull from is beyond anything I’ve ever seen or exemplified in my life.  It’s almost impossible for me to imagine the strength.

I wear this because every time I look at it, it reminds me of these two girls, Amanda & Taylor.  Together they fought and they passed within months of each other.  I vowed to always wear it to remind me to keep fighting the same way these girls did – to do all I can to make their sacrifice help other kids who are fighting.  It’s what reminds me of my duty in this lifetime to make their memory one that saves others.

Now you can imagine how hard this is to explain quickly, right? I have a humble sacredness to Amanda’s and Taylor’s story, and their memory is inspiring to me every single day.

So, in honor of Taylor and Amanda, wake-up every day and sTAY strong.

OK, sorry for the lame title – but how else do I describe the incredible experiences brought about by my good friend Brian Parker?  Brian and I met through the Miracle Party years ago and since then we’ve established a great business partnership and friendship.  He was flown out to San Diego on official SpireWave business and true to our word – we worked and played hard.

We manged to get booked on a 4 hour whale watching sailing trip out of the San Diego Harbor.  It was provided by Next Level Sailing and wow, these guys know how to run a great business.  I was absolutely impressed by the whole package.  We set sail and cruised 9+ miles outside of San Diego straddling the Mexico border and found the first Gray Whales of the season migrating north.  On our way back into port – we sailed right through hundreds of fast-swimming dolphins flipping next to the boat.

One of the yacht’s crew stuck an underwater camera beneath the water to show the dolphins and I’ve included the video below:

Brian is an expert at branding and he’s since become one of our top consultants at SpireWave.  Right now, SpireWave is undergoing a re-branding initiative and will soon launch a major web project.

Evidence of our work was seen written on the glass doors of the hotel balcony overlooking the San Diego Airport where we could chew on our thoughts while watching airplanes.

Thanks Brian for a productive and exciting weekend – sure do love San Diego!

After an exciting holiday and before I left Denver I received a phone call from Donavan inviting me to a Denver Nuggets game in the Make-A-Wish suite. Donavan (on the left in the photo above) is my good friend who has battled childhood cancer for the past several years and is now doing exceptionally well. I met Donavan through Amanda Peebles as they were boyfriend and girlfriend when Amanda was going through the worst time of her treatment. Donavan has inspired me and has become one of my closest friends. The smile in his eyes is one that you will always remember and appreciate. He is looking great and starting to feel better. This past year was his first year back in school. I am so proud of him and his family for their ability to thrive through this crisis.

A special thank you to Make-A-Wish Colorado who provides this kind of entertainment often for kids and their families, they truly are an incredible organization.

I consider myself so lucky to know these heroes. I can’t help but share with you all. Below are a few pictures from the game – Donavan, thanks man. Can’t thank you enough for the friendship and the time.

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Hollywood is obsessed with the glamour of the special operator, you know, the one who carries a full battle-rattle vest of special tools, weapons, armor, and gadgets – the man who jumps off moving trains, blows up vehicles, and saves the day…that guy. If Hollywood can be obsessed with him, which doesn’t really exist, I think I can be obsessed with the real guys. Hidden in the back corner of Barnes & Noble is a shelf with a few books written about them, a few of the books written by the men who actually were there. In the Army, they refer to themselves as the quiet professionals. I can’t tell you how much I respect this model of thinking. You go through years of the worlds most intense training – learn skills that few people can even think of doing, and go save the world on missions that nobody will even admit took place unless they are a failure. Why? Why would someone give so much and risk it all for little to no credit – no recognition and no fame? This trait, and this trait alone I find to be so incredible.

There are quiet professions all around us. I’m not just talking about the commando (although they are a perfect example to make my point). I am talking about the small business leader – the infantry soldier, the school teacher, the mentor, the doctor, the one who chooses to take on more in life and does it for little or no recognition. They see that their life exists to help others, leave a legacy, and make their journey mean something.

I wake up everyday and beat myself up about getting better – being better. My business partner and I have spent days, weeks, even months training trying to fix our broken selves, to improve who we are, and learn to do it better. You would think that the road less traveled that is significantly more challenging would be the undesirable choice. But so many of my role models chose that road – they are on it willingly and as far as I know, very few people even know they have chosen it. I can’t tell you what about them chooses this, but I can tell you I respect them.

I just hope to be like them – to mean more to life than what we are given, to leave more than when we started. It’s a movement I hope to see more in our culture. It’s just so cool to see people give so much and work so hard for so little. My brother Darrin will be going to Ranger school in about a month and I can’t tell you how much I respect him – his lessons don’t come easy, there were a million other paths he could have chosen but he didn’t.

So, here’s to the quiet professional.

As 2012 really gains momentum, I really want to say something about Lighting Advisors on my blog. Last August I met with my good friend Shane Lembke and together we decided it was time to officially launch our own stage and event lighting company. We’ve sub-contracted for large events and tours for quite a while and have done some spectacular projects. As many of you know, this is a total change of pace compared to my other business ventures!

The result of this partnership between Shane and me was Lighting Advisors – the pitch is, we help events, businesses, and organizations get the latest and greatest in stage lighting technology which includes intelligent moving lights and LEDs.

This company to me feels like an outlet of passion; since age 11 I was really into the backstage of a concert or show. I really do consider myself a stage lighting enthusiast and that’s why I think Lighting Advisors hit at a great time in my life.

Explore and learn more at http://www.lightingadvisors.com and follow our journey! We shall see what it brings. Happy 2012!

2011 was a challenging year – a great year. For me it was a time of transition, growth, and phenomenal relationships. I feel like when you sit down and reflect on what the past year brought, you‘re able to clearly aim your direction into the next year.

I separated my experiences into three areas (cause there are too many to write):

Transition – West Point Graduation

My brother Darrin reached a peak in his young life by graduating class of 2011 from the USMA at West Point. I was fortunate to be very close to Darrin during his four year journey on the Hudson and let me tell you, it was a hard one. The investment one must make to graduate West Point is incredible and Darrin, I believe, knocked it out of the park. I was proud and honored to be there.

This teaches me how significant transitions are in our lives. Darrin became an Officer in the US Army and is now commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.  He will go from 4 years of academic study and physical training to be a platoon leader in the 2nd Infantry Division (quite a change) – most likely looking at a deployment to Afghanistan this year.

Transition is in all of our lives, and how we handle transition can really define who we are.

Growth – SpireWave & Lighting Advisors

Well I’ve made some decisions as to where my career should take me and SpireWave was a direct result of that honest assessment. It’s important for me to always stay within my passion; because I believe it’s the key to achievement as a business owner. SpireWave was a shift in the name and game of the old SMG (Strategic Media Group) and for us it was a refreshing change.  SpireWave helps businesses build and apply new media tools and strategies.

I was also fortunate to start a concert and event lighting company with my good friend Shane Lembke called Lighting Advisors. It has been a fun adventure so far!

Relationships – Family, Donavan and Friends

I was fortunate this year to spend a lot of time with my brother and his new wife.  This was an excellent part of 2011.

I was also able to get to know Donavan more – Donavan is a cancer kid who was Amanda Peebles boyfriend. He is so incredible and getting to know him more meant the world to me!

What better than to finish off 2011 than a vacation with friends. Darrin, Shane, and Nate made our Holiday trip this year a perfect climax of the year.

Through reflection we see ourselves. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn and grow. I hope that 2012 is equally as rewarding as 2011.

After literally almost a year in silence as to what I am working on in the Childhood Cancer space, I am finally ready to make it public – and I’m excited!

When thousands of children every year are diagnosed with childhood cancer across the United States they are thrown into a battle for survival.  Their families are faced with a whirlwind of decisions to make for treatment, financial logistics, and emotional support.  All too often they find a lack of information.

For years the major players within childhood cancer non-profits have attempted to form coalitions and alliances to unite the childhood cancer community – both on message and on initiatives.  Many of these efforts have failed, but a few are finally starting to gain momentum.

I happen to believe that a national united effort can be empowered when it’s supported by statewide or regional coalitions; and it turns out I wasn’t alone.  I have joined efforts with a team of people who are helping to unite the childhood cancer community by helping build statewide coalitions.  This project, entitled Gold Force is focused on helping locate resources and recruiting people to create statewide coalitions.

Gold Force is an independent project (separate from any 501c3) that offers structure, advisors, and support for volunteers in each state who are dedicated to building collaborations in their area.

This is a huge undertaking – especially for states like California or Texas (the size of the state and number of resources) but I believe that by following Colorado and Tennessee (who have already setup coalitions similar to this successfully) that it can be done and the results are most impressive.  The best thing we can offer the children and families facing childhood cancer is a coordinated hub of information and established relationships that can provide this vital information.

Although this project might separate me from the connection with the kids and families (because literally I will be hiding behind a mountain of paperwork, conference calls, and online logistics) a bit more than I’d like, I know it will serve a greater purpose and the largest amount of kiddos!

If you can help or get involved, please contact me! We need the help.

Wow, what a holiday season!   I’m fresh off another wonderful vacation provided by one of my favorite companies, Royal Caribbean.  I don’t get away often but was able to organize a great vacation with friends and family and in doing so, met some amazing people.

I love cruising because you literally know your needs are met – to a “T”.  You have 5 star dining for free every evening, multiple theatrical performances that rival Broadway tours, and of course the island destinations.

I met a few of our fellow cruisers that really infused some excitement and intrigue.  I met one girl who literally changed my entire perspective on the world and people – she was one in a million.  It’s so humbling how some people can magically appear in your life, at no effort of your own, and just impress you on every level.

I was joined on the open seas by my brother Darrin (West Point Graduate and US Army Infantry Officer), Nathan Hart (my business partner and long time friend), and Shane Lembke (my partner at Lighting Advisors and long time friend).

It was a week to remember.  I am now in Denver, Colorado and will enjoy a few more weeks on the road before returning to San Diego.

Regardless of where you are in life or what challenges you face, I fully recommend a therapy session from our good folks at Royal Caribbean.  You never know who you’ll meet.

The holidays in December are one of the rare times throughout the year that people seem to be less focused on their job, money, and themselves.

When you see your friends, family, or even strangers it’s sometimes hard to imagine what is facing them in their life.  It’s hard to understand what their challenges are, what may be going well, or what burdens they might be carrying. So when you see people this holiday season, pause and just ask…ask how they are, what’s going on in their life and learn what realities they are facing.  I personally struggle with this and am trying to do it more often.

I am fortunate to be surrounded by some great examples.  A close family friend recently went through her mom’s passing and asked my business partner how he was doing and expressed concern about his life. When he asked her how she could possibly ask how he was doing considering what she was going through she said, “Everyone has their own challenges they are facing every day.”  We are all a mixed bag – when someone steps in and expresses care, it really does help.

So, just ask. You will be surprised how happy people are when someone steps into their life and just cares.

Merry Christmas everybody; have a great holiday season.

www.JeremyBliler.com has a fresh new look and it’s game on.  Thanks to very little help of my own (thank you Mr. Brian), I now have a much clearer brand, site design, and image. I feel….like a new man. I’ve completed my “web makeover”. Which leads to my next point – with all that said, I hope ya like it!

I’m on a mission… to (a) connect with new people, and (b) to raise awareness for the philanthropy I work on. My blog and site are here to do that. If any of you have any suggestions, comments, typos or other heinous mistakes, please, please contact me! I am thankful for all the support.

**At this time, blogging will return to it’s normal schedule!**