Dear friends,
I hope your 2009 is amazing so far. At Sweet, we’re celebrating our first year in business. And, wow, what a year! We made a ton of new friends (yeah, I’m talking about you). Thank you all for your enthusiasm and energy. With friends like you, the sky is the limit.
We’re a new company so naturally folks are a little skeptical about whether we can succeed in this challenging economy. I can answer that question unequivocally: Yes we can. Yes, we’re setting sail on the largest lesbian cruise ever in November 2009. Yes, you can join us (you deserve it). Yes, we can have a blast and make the world a better place simultaneously. At Sweet, we’re building a company for the long-term. We’re extraordinarily fortunate to have smart and patient investors who believe Sweet will set a new standard for business in the coming years.
We’ve assembled an amazing team with a wealth of travel experience to deliver top-notch vacations at affordable prices. We’re particularly proud of the expertise of our director of travel Nicoll Quinn, who has been organizing large group travel for over 10 years. Learn more about our team.
I know Sweet is on the right path because when you’re on the right path, difficult things become easy and fun. While launching Sweet has been a huge endeavor, we’re having the time of our lives. We can’t stop singing that “Zippity Doo Dah” song. Especially when respected, mainstream companies take notice of Sweet in big ways. A few days ago, we inked a deal with Southwest Airlines to be our exclusive domestic airline for the Sweet Caribbean Cruise. In addition to unmatched customer service, low fares and no hidden fees, Southwest will be offering Sweet guests faresaver rates roundtrip to New Orleans. We love saving you money! “My oh my, what a wonderful day.”
Some of our accomplishments this first year appear rather mundane at first glance, like Sweet becoming a Registered Seller of Travel in the State of California, being accredited by the Better Business Bureau or joining the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). Of course, when you understand how this protects you as a consumer, I think you’ll be joining the “zippity doo dah” chorus.
Giving back is an integral part of Sweet. In 2008, Sweet donated in cash and in-kind contributions as well as fundraised over $100,000 for Equality California, No on 8, National Center for Lesbian Rights, LA Gay and Lesbian Center, AquaGirl Foundation, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Horizon Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, Seattle Scores and more. I rode in the AIDS LifeCycle as part of a Sweet-sponsored team. Jen, Nicoll, Flavia and I were joined by 21 Sweet supporters to form a team for the SF AIDS Walk. We’re proud of our fund-raising and philanthropy. We look forward to topping it in 2009. Nicoll is organizing a Sweet team to walk for breast cancer this year. We’ll let you know how to sign up soon. “Plenty of sunshine heading my way.”
In media news, Sweet is sponsoring the adventures of AfterEllen.com vloggers Natalie Garcia and Meghan Hall. The new vlog is called “Nat & Meg’s Sweet Adventures.” This week, Nat & Meg interview the founder of the world’s largest girl party and Sweet advisory board member Mariah Hanson. “Mr. Bluebird’s on my shoulder.”
Stay tuned, we’re announcing four DJs and our theme nights for our Sweet Caribbean Cruise, Nov. 8-15, 2009, in the next weeks. By popular demand, we’ll have Sweet message boards up next month, so you can meet each other. We’ll debut our new live action Sweet commercials in mid-February, too. “It’s the truth, it’s actual, everything in satisfactual.”
Please join Sweet on MySpace and Facebook, if you’re members. It’s a great way to follow our daily adventures and interact with us.
On the vacation front, we launched our Sweet Kenyan Safari, Feb. 7-16, 2010, and space is filling quickly on our Sweet Salmon River Rafting, Aug. 16-21, 2009.
Thank you for sharing in our “zippity doo dah” year.
To infinity and beyond,
ceo and founding partner
Tags: meet Sweet, Shannon Wentworth, Sweet
02/18/09
9:25 pm
Happy Birthday from New Orleans!