For the Ladies - Stay Safe on the Road

Taking simple safety steps could help keep you safe when shopping or running errands on your own.

It is not uncommon for women to travel alone in the car to drive to work, run errands or go shopping. Unfortunately, women who are unaccompanied are targets for robbery and assault. You may think you're prepared should anything happen, but everything you learn may escape you if you actually find yourself in a situation. If you travel by yourself regularly, we encourage you to implement protective measures and should have a plan in the event they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Selective parking: Whether it’s an outdoor parking lot or a covered garage, make sure the lot and space you are parking in is well lit. Avoid parking away from other cars, and be aware of parking beside commercial vans without glass side panels where potential attackers could be hiding. When you return to your car, quickly survey your surroundings including under your vehicle and the back seat.

Have your keys in hand: Before you leave the store, take the time to find your keys and have them in hand as you walk to your car. Women who rummage in their purses once they get to their cars, are leaving themselves open to a potential attack. If you are faced with a dangerous situation, the keys in your hand can also be used as a weapon against your assailant.

Avoid Playing Good Samaritan: While your heart might be in the right place, it’s not a good idea to stop to help someone when you are by yourself, especially if you are in a remote area. It is best to call 9-1-1 and let the dispatcher know the location of the person who is stranded.

Use your car’s safety and security features: Take the time to familiarize yourself with the safety and security features of your car. Does your car have a GPS? Is there a feature that will alert emergency personnel if you are involved in a car accident?  Automatic car starters are a good feature because they could save you critical time if you are in a bad situation. 

Keep your vehicle serviced: A poorly maintained vehicle could cause you problems at the worst possible times. Check your tires for wear and rotate them on a regular basis. A good rule to follow is to rotate your tires every other oil change.  Have your battery checked. Check the battery for corrosion and make sure there is the appropriate amount of water in it, and that it holds a charge. Check your fluids and get your oil changed. Using synthetic oil like Royal Purple is a great way to extend the life of your car and save money. Synthetic motor oils can usually run longer than traditional motor oils depending on the wear and tear you put on your vehicle.

Have a plan if trouble arises:  Do you know what you would do if you were confronted by a potential abductor or carjacker? Panicking is not the answer. If you are approached by a person in or around your car, drop your bags, run and make a lot of noise that will draw attention to you. Stay in control of the situation. Whatever you do, do not go with the person to another location regardless of promises that you won’t be hurt.  If you feel you’re being followed by another car, call 911, and drive to a police station or hospital.

Five Tips for Safe Cyber Shopping

The holiday season is all about convenience especially if you don't like to deal with the people and crowds at the mall. That's where Cyber Shopping comes in. According the National Cyber Security Alliance this year's online retail shopping sales figures are projected to be over $68 billion. Royal Purple even got on board this year and ran a Cyber Monday special!

Throughout the remainder of the holiday season retailers will continue to run online and social media promotions to entice the shopper to spend at their store. But with the convenience comes the risk of exposing yourself to cyber criminals via your home computer, laptop or mobile device. Here are a few tips to keep your personal information safe and your holiday season Merry.

• Safe and secure shopping - Install security software or apps on your device. In the last six months over 60% smart phone owners who shopped online have not safeguarded their device from viruses or malware. For computers and laptops this can programs from companies such as Norton, Symantec and Kapersky. Some internet providers will offer free security software as part of their service. Most computer security software is also available for mobile. Lookout and BullGuard are also good for tablets, etc.
• How accessible are you? - You have everything you need at your fingertips or at the push of a button, but how much are you risking? Cyber criminals are out there seeking personal and business records to access. According to a study conducted by the NCSA, 57% using mobile devices keep a list of personal contacts on their unsecured device unwittingly allowing access to not only you, but your circle of friends and business acquaintances.
•  The best deal ever! - We all love a good deal, but if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be particularly wary of deals sent via social media and mobile that doesn't allow you to hover over the link to see where it directs before you click on it.
• Use Wi-Fi wisely - If you can avoid it, do not use public Wi-Fi when shopping online.  This includes unsecured wireless networks and hotspots. Cyber criminals know that nearly 60 percent of Wi Fi users access unsecured hotspots via their mobile devices. If you must use an open network, be sure you are using "Private Browsing" on your device. Using a 3G/4G connection to access the web directly on your phone is safer than an unsecured wireless network when on your mobile device. 

• You're SOL if it's not SSL - Before you buy make sure the site you are shopping on has an URL address that begins with http or https. This indicates that the purchase is encrypted and secure. The lack of SSL is a sure sign that the store is not a reputable one. 

Have you had any Cyber shopping negative or positive you want to share with us? Anything from hassle free returns, favorite sites to shop or if your information was compromised by a cybercriminal? How did you handle it and what advice would you give to others?

Stay Safe During the Holiday Shopping Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year! The sights and sounds of the holidays are everywhere and you have shopping to do! With the extended shopping hours and daily specials now through Dec. 25, there are precautions you should take. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous people out there who are waiting for the chance to take advantage of the busy shopper. Keep the following tips in mind when you head out this holiday season.

• Shop during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must shop at night, go with a friend or family member.
• Dress casually and comfortably.
• Avoid wearing expensive jewelry.
• Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
• Always carry your driver's license or identification along with necessary cash, checks and/or a credit card you expect to use.
• Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Pay for purchases with a check or credit card when possible.
• Keep cash in your front pocket.
• Notify the credit card issuer immediately if your credit card is lost, stolen or misused.
• Keep a record of all of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home.
• Be extra careful if you do carry a wallet or purse. They are the prime targets of criminals in crowded shopping areas, transportation terminals, bus stops, on buses and other public means of transit.
• Avoid overloading yourself with packages. It is important to have clear visibility and freedom of motion to avoid mishaps.
• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason. At this time of year, con-artists may try various methods of distracting you with the intention of taking your money or belongings.

Pink Is Not Just For Girls

“Tuff men wear pink”, said Terry Arnold, Executive Director of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, as she addressed almost 400 Bassmaster Weekend Series anglers from the South Central division. Arnold was a surprise guest at the opening dinner for the Regional Championship that was  held in Texarkana, TX, Oct. 11-13. 

Her opening statement stemmed from the sea of anglers who had donned pink to show support for their tournament crew member, Denise Trimble, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in the spring of this year. Trimble sat speechless as tears streamed down her face, overwhelmed by the love and kindness these anglers had shown her and her husband, Porter Trimble, the South Central Tournament Manager. “Faith, hope, and courage will carry you through your journey as you dig deep to find your inner strength”, said Arnold addressing Trimble. “I know you’re a strong woman, and with all these people supporting you, you will beat this”, she said. 

Royal Purple is a “Tour Level” sponsor of the Bassmaster Weekend Series and both Denise and her husband, Porter, have promoted those products at each of their events for the past six years.  

During a routine mammogram, it was discovered that Denise had a mast in one of her breast. The tumor was small and undetectable with self examinations. After consulting with her doctor she elected to have a lumpectomy vs. a mastectomy and pathology would determine the next steps. The surgeon removed the mast (which actually turned out to be three masts) and four lymph nodes for pathology. The report showed one of the lymph nodes to have cancer cells and it was determined that is was the ‘HER II’ form of breast cancer, which is a very aggressive type. The course of action was then determined to be chemotherapy followed by radiation. During all of this entire process, Denise, being the strong person she is, remained optimistic and gathered as much information as she could, concerning her condition and treatment. 

Denise began her chemotherapy treatments which would last for five months-- with the first eight weeks being the toughest, both physically, and mentally. During all of this, she insisted on continuing to work as a paralegal during the week, and traveling with the South Central Region Bassmaster Weekend Series crew on weekends - only missing one event which, in fact, was the only event she’s missed in six years. The fishermen in the South Central Region continually check on her and give her well wishes and prayers, which is an inspiration for Denise, and gives her the motivation to continue on with a positive attitude. She has said many times that the positive attitude she has comes from the support of her friends and family.

As she completes her chemo and looks to the next phase, Denise became involved with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and formed a team named that was featured in the Komen weekly newsletter because of the success of the team’s local campaign raising awareness and funds. She is an inspiration to all, and continues to be an advocate for other women to get routine mammograms, knowing that early detection is the key.

"I believe that everything happens for a reason and never once have I questioned 'why me,'" said Trimble. "I’ve also been heard saying that there is a blessing in all of this, and blessings have flowed my way from the very beginning.  Such as the evening of our Bassmaster Weekend Series Regional Championship registration in Texarkana, TX, when I was embraced with enormous love, support and encouragement from our anglers (which I refer to as my extended family) with the “Team Denise” campaign. The support by our anglers has been there from the beginning. For example, at one of our events all the anglers wore pink bracelets, and at another event a couple of anglers donated rods for auction (with proceeds going to the Komen Foundation in my honor), and there have been many other gestures of love and kindness from them. Then, there’s been the outpouring of support for our Susan G. Komen team (named “Cenla’s Breast Friends for the Cure”)  in which our team has maintained from the onset, the highest amount of donations and team members. for an individually run team in my community. There have been special bonds and friendships formed, not only for me personally, but also for my loved ones. It’s not just my life that has changed forever, but also the lives of so many around me through love and compassion", she continued.  

 

"In all I have learned and taken the position that there a few survival “must haves” for which the primary is support," she said. "The support, love and compassion has provided me with such great fuel, strength and energy to fight this disease. This has come from family, friends, my employers and co-workers, support groups and even the medical staff that I frequently visit. Falling behind that, is faith in our Lord and a positive attitude (which also stems from the love and support of family and friends), and while there have been a couple of “episodes” of sadness (brought on as one of the side effects of chemotherapy), I quickly snapped out of them by reminding myself just how blessed I am and that such sadness just simply hurts too much  … both emotionally and physically.  And the third “must have” is keeping active.  I thank God that I am able to continue to work am able to maintain (albeit low) some form of activity. Those couple of episodes of sadness resulted in me being house-bound for several days, which in turn made the physical side effects of the chemo ten-fold painful. Too bad it took the second episode before I discovered this, otherwise there would not have been a second episode. Maintaining some sort of physical activity is crucial, both physically and emotional", said Trimble.    

"We have made enormous leaps forward in the fight against breast cancer, but it remains to be the number one cause of death of women for cancer, and there must be more done. Until just a few years ago, women with HER2 breast cancer (the form of cancer I have which represents approximately 15-20% of breast cancers), women simply did not survive it.  But through research, a drug was developed and approved by the FDA a few years ago, called Herceptin, that is now extending the lives of us with HER2 breast cancer. And, while it’s not a cure, women are living longer because of the drug. I hope and pray, and have faith that someday it will happen, that with appropriate funding and through research, there will be a cure for breast cancer and all other forms of cancer. For the time being, I remain blessed, embrace life to the fullest, and I am a survivor", said Trimble with a resounding voice.   

Royal Purple Ladies would like to thank Denise Trimble and Debra Talley for sharing Denise's story. We wish her strength and healing as she continues her journey.

Coolest Wristband You'll Ever Wear!

Hot off the presses, these awesome Royal Purple Ladies wristbands are heading to The SEMA Show at the end of the month, but we want to send one to you, our first fans on our Royal Purple Ladies Facebook Fan page!

Send me your request with your mailing address to msolomon@royalpurple.com with RP Ladies in the subject line.

What do Royal Purple Ladies Drive?

At the end of July I traded in my BMW 328i and bought a Fiat 500c Lounge.

No one could believe I traded in my Beemer for a Fiat, but I had my reasons.

• For one thing I got a good deal from Fiat because it was the end of the month and 2013 models would be rolling out soon. 
• I would have never bought it unless it was a convertible. It's priceless to say I drove around topless to see the expression on people's faces. 
• I get an average of 32 MPG which is important because my commute to and from the Royal Purple offices is 63.4 miles round trip, five days a week.
• The Bluetooth quality is amazing and I'm in love with hands free driving. It drives me crazy when I get behind men and women who are driving erratically because they are talking on the phone. Even worse is women who feel the need to put their makeup on in the car, but that's a whole other blog topic.

Here she is - affectionately known as the Spice Girl or Little Tomato.

The point of all of this is? What do you drive?

I invite you to post a picture to our RP Ladies Facebook page, send it as a message or email it to me at msolomon@royalpurple.com. I've created a Pinterest board where I'll post what you submit. Daily driver, project car, truck, motorcycle, something unique that a guy would say, "no way a woman drives that!" We want to know what the Royal Purple Ladies drive!

Geared Up & Gorgeous

In the Beginning - One afternoon my Royal Purple social media "Partner in Crime" Kyle and I were talking about our Facebook Fan Page insights. Our Facebook presence began in 2011 with the introduction of the webisode series The Forum Wars. Since then, we have been fortunate to have grown the main Royal Purple Facebook Fan page to over 265,000 fans.

As we reviewed our page insights, Kyle said to me, "What about the ladies?" and so the brainstorming began. When I initially submitted my page proposal to my supervisors, they responded that they didn't believe that it would be a benefit to separate the ladies from our already established community.

Go with Your Gut - I had a feeling about our ladies' page, and someone once told me you should go with your gut because your first instinct is usually the right one. After careful consideration and research, I sent an email that said I respectfully disagreed with their decision. We discussed the ladies' Facebook page further and here we are!

The Facts - While it is no surprise that women in the automotive aftermarket industry are a minority, it doesn't change the fact that women account for 85% of all consumer purchases including autos. (she-conomy.com) Is brand awareness important? Yes - 92% pass along information about deals or finds to others and 80% would solidify their brand loyalty. Even more important to me is this statistic - 74% feel misunderstood by automotive marketers.

What is Royal Purple Ladies? - Our mission is to inform, educate and celebrate. 

Inform and educate - If you're not an automotive expert and you rely on your service department, mechanic to maintain your vehicle, we want you ask questions and make good decisions. There is nothing worse than feeling like you've been taken advantage of after you've paid the bill. There are simple steps to make sure you'll be safe on the road throughout the year and ways you can save on car costs and be "green" at the same time!

Celebrate! There are so many ladies in the automotive aftermarket who influence and inspire us. Business owners, magazine writers and editors, spokespeople, experts in the automotive field, entrepreneurs, car builders, celebrities, leaders, and everyday gearheads who are also mothers, wives, sisters, aunts and daughters. I'll be looking for photos of your cool rides to post on the page and guest bloggers down the road.

Thank you for joining us on this journey! 

Royal Purple Ladies - We're Geared Up & Gorgeous and ready to go!  

- Marlena (& Kyle)

Royal Purple Ladies Launches Oct. 1

The new Royal Purple Ladies Facebook Community Page is up, but will officially be active Oct. 1, 2012 when Purple Goes Pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Like our Community Page on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/RoyalPurpleLadies.