Every Brand Needs a Logo...

We returned from our first trip to the Amazon full of inspiration and low on cash. Knowing that our new company was in need of a logo, a dear friend of ours introduced us to two of his talented buddies one a DJ, the other a DJ and graffiti artist; both, self-taught graphic designers.

We spent some time with the dynamic duo recounting stories of our journey through Brazil and did our best to convey the ephemeral aspects of the Amazon and newfound obsession with açaí.

We explained that while on a tour through the Amazon forest we learned that sales of açaí fruit were more profitable to its inhabitants than selling less sustainable forest goods and that we’d decided to name the company SAMBAZON to memorialize our intention, i.e., the Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon via market driven conservation.

Although we’d decided on a name (albeit long and somewhat tricky to pronounce), we offered the guys little more than the two adjectives: mystery & power. After several iterations, the Sambazon logo was born.

We’ve come to view the warrior in our logo as the protector of the forest. His stoic expression reminds us to remain steadfast through challenges and the beams of light emanating from around him represent the light that shines within each of us.


With Love & Devotion,

-skanda

Real Deal Açaí

It’s beautiful to observe the growing importance that we as consumers are placing on the source and authenticity of our food. Movies like Food Inc. are helping to make us aware of the injustices within the food industry so we can shape positive change through our purchasing decisions.

Since bringing açaí to market, we’ve witnessed how subtle inaccuracies around açaí in the marketplace evolved into pervasive misinformation as companies both large and small raced to jump on the açaí bandwagon.

It’s become apparent that açaí scams of one form or another have become all too pervasive; and so, we’ve taken it as our duty to lift the veil and let the truth be known, a campaign we call our Real Deal Açaí series.

The goal for this new educational campaign is to provide a simple means by which people can determine the amount of ‘whole food açaí’ in a given product. In an effort to remain as objective as possible, we’ve posted the lab results of some relevant açaí products as examples of what to look out for.

The Real Deal Açaí series will come to you in the form of blogs, newsletters and messaging on our products’ labels as well from the Real Deal Açaí page of our website.

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with this new resource so you too can become a source of Açaí truth:

http://www.sambazon.com/realdeal


Yours in all things Açaí,

-skanda

The Power of Good Vibes

"Love your Acai berry juice!!! Top-notch product, great price, good taste. Feel a lot better using it!!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Bless you all,
Customer: M. Franson – San Diego, CA"


This recent email sent to info@sambazon.com served as a potent reminder of the power of gratitude & appreciation. It transported me to a time when my yoga teacher (who was critiquing my teaching style at the time), reminded me that I’d forgotten to convey to the class the importance of cultivating deep feelings of love & gratitude during our practice. He explained that every emotion has a corresponding affect on the physical body and that to experience the full healing potential of yoga, one should strive to remain continually aware of such positive emotions; a phenomenon I enjoyed directly while reading the grateful words of Mr. Franson.

As we strive to experience higher degrees of health and vitality through our diet, it’s easy to forget the importance of taking a moment each day to let go of negative feelings and replace them with feelings of love, acceptance & gratitude.


With Love & Devotion,
Skanda

Defeat Autism Now (D.A.N.); The Yogi MD & Acai

Not long ago, a dear friend of Sambazon introduced us to Doctor Andrew Levinson, an incredible individual who’s made it his mission to help defeat autism by supercharging his medical practice with kindness, love and the heightened intuition acquired through over 15 years of intensive yogic practice.

As a fan of Sambazon Acai for both himself and his patients, Dr. Levinson graciously invited us to share a booth with him at the Baltimore Defeat Autism Now (D.A.N) Conference.

Let me start by saying, wow… what an eye-opening event… Did you know that 1 in 100 children in the US are now born with autism? And 1 in 60 boys, as the disease is disproportionate to the male gender. We also learned about the many parallels that lie between the incidence of autism and environmental toxins.

We were honored to have the opportunity to serve our products to such a committed and compassionate group and overjoyed to see how well they were received. Gluten and casein are two things in food that are generally considered no-nos for autistic kids; the texture of food is said to be a potential hurdle as well. Being gluten & casein free with a smooth and creamy texture made our Original Blend açaí sorbet and juices a real hit. We also learned that practitioners and parents are having a lot of success in simply stirring Sambazon’s Powerscoop (pure açaí powder) in with apple sauce- yum!

It was truly inspirational to spend time with our fellow D.A.N. attendees and a great reminder of how powerful a movement becomes when people work together to achieve a common goal.

Cheers to Dr. Levinson and The D.A.N. family!

Blessings,
Skanda

We’re consumers too…

You know, I was just thinking… Before Sambazon, what was it that drew me to a given brand and what is it that’s kept me loyal to certain brands all the years I’ve been grocery shopping.

A couple things come to mind when I think about brands I love like Traditional Medicinals herbal heath products and New Chapter supplements. Firstly, I learned about the brands through people whom I respect greatly. Secondly, like a good friend the brands are reliable - consistently potent and effective from the day I began buying them.

Now when I look at these beloved brands through the eyes of my experience with Sambazon, I have more respect for them than ever. I’ve come to learn first-hand how incredibly challenging it is to consistently produce products of the highest quality. It takes professionalism and a high degree of organization for sure but more impressively; it takes burning passion and a truly intense commitment to manifest a vision.

Whole Foods Market has a saying, ‘vote with your dollars’. I guess the saying is pretty much self-explanatory but it’s become particularly personal to me. Now when I shop, I use my intuition to try to sense what a given brand’s motivations are, what their guiding principles are, knowing that each of my purchases has a direct effect on shaping product trends.

It’s really cool to see how the natural foods movement has exploded as savvy shoppers increasingly choose products they feel are respecting the health of themselves and their families. I have to smile each time I walk into a conventional supermarket and am able to find Traditional Medicinals’ products - Pharmacopoeial potency herbs just an isle down from sprayable cheeses… are you kidding me?


Onward & Upward,

-skanda

Skanda’s Açaí EFA Smoothie

Fat…not only is it one of the major sources of deliciousness in food, it’s also the densest form of energy of all macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates). Understanding how they work in the human body empowers us to use them to our body’s advantage.

Over 60% of açaí’s total fatty acids come from the Omega 9 fatty acid, Oleic Acid. Oleic Acid is the predominant fatty acid in heart healthy Olive oil.

With this in mind, I thought I’d share one of my favorite acai smoothie recipes (always buy organic – vote with your dollars!).

8oz water
1 pack Sambazon Pure Fuzion Açaí frozen smoothie pack (combination of Açai and Vitamin C rich Acerola)
1 tablespoon raw, unsalted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons, Manitoba Harvest shelled hemp seed
1 tablespoon raw, unsalted almonds
1 ripe banana
1 tablespoon Amazing Grass Green Superfood

* The Açaí in this smoothie delivers the monounsaturated Omega 9 foundation while polyunsaturated Omega 3 rich nuts & seeds ensure that my body’s EFA (essential fatty acid) needs are taken care of.

Note: Each of us has ancestors who evolved with different diets and so each of our bodies will respond a little differently to fats. Health-wise, there are few things more important than understanding how our own bodies react to fats. So get your cholesterol checked and choose the fats you intake wisely. Your body will thank you!

Happy Blending,
Skanda

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 6 - Something for Everybody

Last month I had the pleasure of sampling out some of our new products at Denver’s first ‘Greenfest’. As I stood in front of the booth to make sure our display was dialed in, I couldn’t help but smile to myself about how many awesome products we now have available and how far we’ve come. It all started with our Original Acai Rio Blend and Amazon Cherry frozen smoothie packs in the summer of 2000. Up and down the coast of Southern California, Juice bars, cafés and restaurants made a variety of smoothies and acai bowls using these frozen smoothie packs. People loved the smoothies made from these products and it didn’t take long for the acai bowl experience to catch on too. The success of the frozen smoothie packs in rootsy SoCal eateries led to them being picked up by Whole Foods Market and many of the natural foods stores across the nation.

Thanks to the popularity of the original frozen smoothie packs in natural foods markets, we were able to expand our acai offerings to bottled juices, sorbet pints and freeze dried acai supplements. Now we even offer a line of 32oz (family sized) acai beverages that folks just can’t seem to get enough of the 32oz bottles. I wish my family had a 32oz bottle of acai juice on the breakfast table when I was kid!

In addition to the buzz around the new 32oz, family sized acai beverages; I was amazed at the overwhelmingly positive feedback from our 3 organic energy drinks . Energy drink lovers at Denver Greenfest were so happy to see that they can now look to Sambazon for delicious energy drinks that not only work but are actually organic too! Checkout the new Jungle Love, packed full of aphrodisiac herbs and Diet Amazon Energy which was created utilizing the natural, low calorie sweetener stevia.

I had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of people at Denver Greenfest and it was seriously cool to have ‘something for everybody’. Keep your eyes peeled for even more variety cuz it doesn’t stop here. And now you can find Sambazon products at a rapidly increasing number of conventional supermarkets too! Click here to search our retailer finder for a list of stores near you . Look for more new Sambazon products in 2010. I actually just sampled a couple new top secret products and they were insanely awesome – yeah! And, if you can’t seem to find the Sambazon products you love in the stores where you shop – don’t hesitate to ask the store managers to start stocking our stuff! Let us know if you have any success getting it on the shelf in your local stores, and we’ll send you a little ‘thank you’ just from us!


Your Friend,

-Skanda

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 5 - Sambazon Versus the Competition

Ok, so here’s the deal... It goes without saying that there are an incredible amount of companies in the açaí game these days. Naturally, each new company does their best to differentiate their açaí product and market its advantages. News articles on Monavie have pointed out that it only contains 20% açaí and is a blend of a large variety of fruit juices. We’ve also learned that one, individual 100g Sambazon smoothie pack (avg. retail price $1.25), has more açaí than an entire $40 bottle of Monavie. The fact of the matter is the more we look into other açaí products, the more we find that this kind of thing isn’t unusual. We’ve of course become familiar with the claims being made by Monavie and others around potency too...

We fell so deeply in love with açaí that we went to the Amazon to find the freshest, most delicious and potent açaí in the world – a kind of pilgrimage to the fruit’s source. When we learned locals made more money selling açaí than non-renewable forest products, we became obsessed by the pursuit of bringing the highest quality açaí products to the world and have spent the last 9 years dialing in our quality driven processing protocols and growing our conservation project. In 2006 we finished building the most beautiful, tricked out, stainless steal açaí factory you can imagine (really, it’s that insanely awesome), in a super remote town, right on the equator, in the middle of the açaí harvest. The factory has more certifications than a Harvard scholar and was built right on the river. The fruit is delivered by boat right to the factory’s dock and immediately processed. Sambazon Açaí products are always completely Organic = no artificial colors, preservatives or GMOs, Fair Trade, Gluten free, Dairy free and Kosher. We offer a wide range of premium açaí products including our Pure Açaí (sugar free) frozen smoothie packs. Rest assured, there is a method to our madness and we’re constantly thinking of ways to increase the value of our customer’s purchase. Please tell us what products you really want us to make for you by contacting us at info@sambazon.com.

NOTE: ALL CANADIANS – Firstly, you guys are cool. Secondly GOOD NEWS, our frozen smoothie packs can be obtained from any natural foods store in Canada. Here’s how: There are two major distributors of natural foods in Canada from which pretty much every natural foods store in Canada orders. Both of these distributors carry Sambazon Açaí smoothie packs. And so, all you have to do is call the natural foods store that is closest to you and tell them you’d like them to order Sambazon Açaí smoothie packs for you. The store may even be willing to pass on a discount to you if you choose to buy by the case! The names of the two distributors are Horizon out of Vancouver and ONFC out of Ontario. Did you know our frozen smoothie packs are the most potent source of açaí of any açaí product available – It’s true! And they’re our favorite way to make real deal açaí bowls and smoothies too!


Your Friend,

-Skanda

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 3 – The Rio Diet

Get with the Rio Diet ™

Rio de Janiero... A land of beautiful beaches and even more beautiful bodies. What makes the people of Rio so attractive? Their passion for life and rich culture for sure! However, spend enough time in Rio and you’ll begin to understand that the Rio glow is a result of more than just positive attitude... Their diet consists of light, energizing and inspiring foods that help sustain an active, healthy lifestyle.

The Rio Diet™ has several simple but key components. Each one reinforces the other. First, eat fresh, nutrient dense foods like organic fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains - avoiding refined sugars, processed foods and artificial additives. Secondly, eat light. When you’re eating nutrient dense foods a little goes a long way. Third, find a source of exercise you truly love and play daily.

It’s no wonder Açaí is Rio’s #1 superfood and a daily staple in their diet thanks to it’s dense nutrients (antioxidants, healthy omegas) and it’s super easy to digest (doesn’t weigh you down). You’ll find people eating an açaí bowl or drinking an açaí smoothie for breakfast, after a workout or as a healthy snack. An Açaí lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle.

Following the lead of our friends in Rio will certainly help you look and feel your best.

Here’s a Rio Diet™ inspired superfoood smoothie for ya. Keep your eyes peeled for more Rio Diet™ related tips and recipes – coming soon!

10oz Coconut Water
1 Pack Sambazon Pure Acai
1 Organic Banana
3/4 cup frozen, Organic Mango
Manitoba Harvest brand Hemp Protein Powder


Your Friend,

-skanda

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part 2 - What does Açaí do Anyways?

How quickly can I expect to start losing weight after taking açaí? What dose should I be taking? I’ve been taking açaí for a week now and I still can’t fly - What’s up with that!?!

It’s a little crazy to see how açaí is being perceived these days. Either, out of misconception or simply as an attempt to differentiate their product from others in the marketplace, companies marketing açaí products have created a lot of confusion around what açaí brings to the table.

Açaí’s most notable strength is it’s potent source of anthocyanins (powerful antioxidants- the red and blue pigments known for their anti-inflammatory and free-radical scavenging effects). But it doesn’t stop there. Açaí also contains phytosterols (plant compounds thought to provide numerous benefits to the human body, most notably the reduction of LDL blood cholesterol levels) as well as a unique micronutrient concentration which helps replenish our body’s electrolytes.

To break it down even further, açaí’s nutritionally robust macronutrient profile is: : 50% fat, 30% fiber, 15% protein and around 5% minerals/micronutrient. Like olive oil, the fat of açaí is ideal for maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels. An abundance of fiber helps support healthy cardiovascular and digestive systems. Açaí’s protein component is made up of a nice balance of essential amino acids to help build and repair tissue.

So what can we expect açaí to do for us? Can it make you loose weight? Perhaps; If your metabolism is bogged down as a result of an overabundance of refined food in your diet, açaí can certainly help stoke your furnace, similar to how the intensity of a fire increases when we put a piece of dense wood on top of fast burning tinder.

Will açaí make me look younger? Overnight… probably not. However, eating açaí regularly over time is a fantastic strategy towards helping you age gracefully and may even help you avoid diseases associated with nutritional deficiency.

You see where I’m going with this… Açaí is indeed a true gift of nature without a doubt! Consistent açaí consumption over time in conjunction with a balanced lifestyle and positive attitude WILL yield great results for any/everyone! As with all things in life, the effect is cumulative and dynamic.

Preservation of our precious Amazonian ecosystems through purchase of Sambazon Açaí yields tangible health benefits for all.


Your Friend,

-skanda

The Real Deal Açaí Blog Series is a new posting series written by Ed Nichols nicknamed Skanda, Sambazon Co-Founder and Director of Consumer Relations. Check back every second Tuesday of the month for the latest and greatest insights from Skanda.

Real Deal Açaí Blog Series: Part I - The Scammers

Açaí Spam Scams.

Ok, so this whole thing has officially become weird - Just kidding… ok, not really. Are you guys receiving a bunch of uninvited emails from websites offering a FREE TRIAL on açaí supplements that tout weight loss or cleansing benefits? Anyone who’s cultivated a close relationship with açaí knows it’s all about dense nutrition and phytonutrients. To market açaí simply for weight loss is counterintuitive to put it lightly.

Over the last several months’ people have been contacting us asking us to, ‘please stop charging my credit card’. We’ve come to learn of a number of companies who are luring folks into giving them their credit card info under the guise of a free trial. Unbeknownst to the customer, they’re signing themselves up to have their credit card charged for regular, automatic shipments of the product. To make matters worse, un-enrolling from the program can apparently be less than a cakewalk.

* The good news: A thoughtful customer contacted us a few weeks back to tell us that after much time and energy she finally discovered how to un-enroll from the auto-ship program she’d singed up for. She was successfully able to un-enroll via: www.gohelpnow.com.

Although this website worked for one customer, it may not for all. We’ve been gathering information about these companies since this phenomenon began and greatly appreciate any insights you’d be willing to share with us.

• To share your own experience with açaí spam scams, please send an email to me at ed@sambazon.com with a subject line which reads ‘açaí spam scam’. You can also file a complaint with the FTC (fair trade commission) via: http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/cmplanding.shtm


Your Friend,

- e.skanda


The Real Deal Açaí Blog Series is a new posting series written by Ed Nichols nicknamed Skanda, Sambazon Co-Founder and Director of Consumer Relations. Check back every second Tuesday of the month for the latest and greatest insights from Skanda.

Sustainability – What does it mean?

Written by Ed Nichols (Skanda), co-founder


Holy cow! Am I the only one who’s blown away with how much talk I hear of sustainability? Words like recyclable, compostable, and sustainabily have become serious buzzwords. How awesome is that? Have you ever wondered what sustainability is really about?

If you look the word up, sustainability in the general context is about the degree to which a given system can maintain productivity for an indefinite amount of time. Such a cool concept, eh? Makes me think of things like cold fusion and perpetual motion magnetic motors. Perhaps it’s idealistic optimism but I really think we’re starting to figure some things out. I just saw something the other day about a newly invented paint that somehow cleans polluted air and yet another paint technology which uses nano-solar cells to produce solar energy from sufaces. Imagine combing these two technologies… Producing energy and cleaning the air via the paint on the walls and roofs of our buildings and roads! It’s going to be fun and fascinating to see how innovations like these are applied and integrated into our everyday lives.

* The industrial age was certainly an important era in human evolution but I think the sustainable age will be downright blissful! Here’s to balance, harmony, love, compassion, acceptance, peace and effortlessness power!

Your Friend,
Skanda

What makes a great company, Part 2?

Written by Ed Nichols (Skanda), co-founder

We all experience inspiration from time to time. Be it from reading about the stories of others successes or simply observing small acts of selflessness amongst our fellow man. In continuing our exploration of what makes a great company great, I’d like to explore the concept of inspiration and aspiration.

During our maiden trip to Brasil in the month of December in the year 2000, we were overwhelmed with Brasil’s richness of spirit. The people, the food, the lifestyle were all so deeply laden with a deep sense of passion. Brasil’s richness of spirit inspired us more and more deeply as our month long vacation unfolded.

How does inspiration work? Anything which awakens our heart and instills passion and motivation to evolve and grow.

What is aspiration? The resulting longing of the soul towards something greater as a result of inspiration.

Some related words and subjective elaborations born of direct experience are offered for further contemplation of this blog’s primary topic of inspiration/aspiration:

• Dharma – The practical manner in which one’s aspirations take shape. The path one takes as a result of their aspiration.
• Karma Yoga – When ones’ work is motivated by a sincere aspiration and is exercised in a spirit of selfless service.
• Miracles – It has been said that when your aspirations transcend selfish motivations and align with nature’s own flow, they cease to be illusive and happen spontaneously.

Your friend,

Skanda

Skanda Blog #1 – What makes a great company, Part 1?

With our day to day work continually evolving towards greater complexity, it’s easy to loose sight of our original guiding principals. I’d like to take a moment to reflect upon and explore the concept of Vision.

Sambazon was born of a sincere passion to share what we considered to be a true gift of nature. In our case this “gift of nature” was an exotic Brazilian palm fruit called Acai. This passion evolved from a simple passion to share our love of a special fruit into a vision to commercialize the fruit, utilizing it as a vehicle to drive preservation while providing the American consumer with a potent source of nutritional attributes to aid the preservation and sustainability of their own wellbeing.

The importance of Vision – We’re all blessed with great ideas from time to time. How many times in your life do you have “Ah-ha” moments, those great epiphanies, and moments of intense clarity? What prevents us from manifesting/actualizing these visions? A great yogi once explained to me that a visionary is simply “one who nurtures his/her vision”. Yogis strengthen their ability to visualize through specific visualization exercises and meditate to surrender their subconscious’ preoccupations to create an inner state of receptiveness.

It seems like every day science and the self-help community awakens a bit more to what is really a very simple concept: Energy follows consciousness and consciousness follows energy. In other words, re-occurring thoughts eventually lead to action, actions repeated become patterns, patterns become habits and the sum of all our patterns and habits become our character. To put it even more simply, what happens in our life happens first in our head.

So how do we prevent great ideas from falling to the wayside? Nurture your vision! See it from every angle. Experience your vision with all your senses. When your vision is firmly rooted in your consciousness, the energies necessary to manifest it will align in front of you. Not such a different concept to a law of nature which most question little, I.e., for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a practical affirmation to support you in your practice to nurture your own visions: “if you don’t give up, you’re bound to succeed”.

Your friend,
Skanda