Introducing Lumos
Hello and welcome to Lumos' very own blog! Lumos, as you may know, is a JACO company sponsored by BMO creating the DreamCloud. The Dream Cloud is an aesthetic, LED, colour-changing, cloud lamp that is sure to light up your scene wherever you put it. One may also consider it a blend between both a regular and a technological product!
For all you interested shoppers, this is the place to get all your info. Of course you can visit and keep updated on our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat pages but this is where the real inside scoop is on the latest happenings on the ins and outs of our company. On this page you can get to know our family and see the stages we pass and the obstacles we overcome, plus some tips for lighting up your world (without the DreamCloud). So without further ado, welcome to Lumos!
For all you interested shoppers, this is the place to get all your info. Of course you can visit and keep updated on our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat pages but this is where the real inside scoop is on the latest happenings on the ins and outs of our company. On this page you can get to know our family and see the stages we pass and the obstacles we overcome, plus some tips for lighting up your world (without the DreamCloud). So without further ado, welcome to Lumos!
Week 7: Tradeshow!
Last Thursday, Lumos had the immense pleasure of of attending the third JACP Annual Tradeshow! We hope that you had a chance to check us out at First Canadian Place but no worries if you are still hoping to get your hands on a Dream Cloud DM us on any of our social media pages or email us at [email protected].
We had 3 Lumos members represent us at Tradeshow and made us proud, Vanathi, our president, Linda,our VP of Sales, and Isabel, our Social Media Manager. The whole day was jam-packed starting with a DSA presented Sales Workshop, followed by a 3 hour selling period. The sales workshop, helped all 50+ JA companies to understand that a sales pitch consists of as well as approaching different potential customers. Key points included the answering 5W's + H, being direct, and knowing exactly what you're going to say.
Linda our VP of Sales also has her very own method to acing your sales with the elevator pitch:
1. State the Problem: Address the problem your potential customer is facing. This could be a university student not knowing how to "amp" up their dorm room or an adult not knowing what to get for their friend's birthday. Either way it clear the path for you to solve with your product.
2. State your Solution: YOUR PRODUCT!
3. Target Audience: Talk about the features and how this will benefit your customer specifically, its this point that is specifically tailored to who you're talking to.
4. Competitive Advantage: Discuss how your product is better than the one's that already exist, why is yours better
5. The ASK: Leave the customer with a question that will make them want to purchase your product. If they are already eager to purchase your product this can be something like, "what're you waiting for? Get your Dream Cloud now"
Here are some pictures from our Tradeshow! Thank you to whoever came and we hope that you enjoyed seeing us!
We had 3 Lumos members represent us at Tradeshow and made us proud, Vanathi, our president, Linda,our VP of Sales, and Isabel, our Social Media Manager. The whole day was jam-packed starting with a DSA presented Sales Workshop, followed by a 3 hour selling period. The sales workshop, helped all 50+ JA companies to understand that a sales pitch consists of as well as approaching different potential customers. Key points included the answering 5W's + H, being direct, and knowing exactly what you're going to say.
Linda our VP of Sales also has her very own method to acing your sales with the elevator pitch:
1. State the Problem: Address the problem your potential customer is facing. This could be a university student not knowing how to "amp" up their dorm room or an adult not knowing what to get for their friend's birthday. Either way it clear the path for you to solve with your product.
2. State your Solution: YOUR PRODUCT!
3. Target Audience: Talk about the features and how this will benefit your customer specifically, its this point that is specifically tailored to who you're talking to.
4. Competitive Advantage: Discuss how your product is better than the one's that already exist, why is yours better
5. The ASK: Leave the customer with a question that will make them want to purchase your product. If they are already eager to purchase your product this can be something like, "what're you waiting for? Get your Dream Cloud now"
Here are some pictures from our Tradeshow! Thank you to whoever came and we hope that you enjoyed seeing us!
Week 6: Creativity
Creativity (n) - the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work.
What does it mean to be creative? How can people benefit from using their "creative side"? Why is creativity important? Let's find out:
To be creative means to be able to turn ideas into a tangible object, often art. Creativity requires bringing something to life which means being committed and visionary. These qualities are often needed to be an entrepreneur. Creativity can allow entrepreneurs to be unique in the way they create products or services and in how they carry out the processes required to build a startup. This creates the opportunity for entrepreneurs to think outside of the box and find innovative ways to improve already existing products as well as connecting two unrelated things and making them work cohesively together, which in turn could make people think, "Oh, that's really fascinating. I wish I could've thought of that." Creativity can be learned. As you grow it is important to ensure that you experiment, explore, question, and analyze information. Think of ABCD - Always Be Connecting Dots.
Use your creativity to come up with an idea and use an opportunity to let your idea take off. Opportunity is the execution and there are 5 steps from turning an idea into an opportunity:
1. Strategic Fit: To understand what the market needs and realistically take account of capabilities you have to be able to provide it.
2. Business Plan: The process of writing a business plan actually helps develop an idea into an opportunity. It forces you to ask and answer hard questions and explore your options.
3. Team: An idea rarely becomes an opportunity without a team. No individual has all the knowledge and skills necessary to make the transformation.
4. Leadership: Once you have a team, the right leadership is essential to guide the development from idea to opportunity.
5. Resources: The planning process will give you a good idea of the resources that will be required to turn your idea into an opportunity.
In other news, the JACP Annual Tradeshow is this Thursday, March 15, at First Canadian Place from 11:30-2:30PM! Don't worry you don't have to register, you just have to show up and we would love to see you there! Also, just in case you missed it on our social media, submit a picture of your Dreamcloud for a chance to be featured on our Instagram and Facebook page! Here are a few of the submissions we've received:
What does it mean to be creative? How can people benefit from using their "creative side"? Why is creativity important? Let's find out:
To be creative means to be able to turn ideas into a tangible object, often art. Creativity requires bringing something to life which means being committed and visionary. These qualities are often needed to be an entrepreneur. Creativity can allow entrepreneurs to be unique in the way they create products or services and in how they carry out the processes required to build a startup. This creates the opportunity for entrepreneurs to think outside of the box and find innovative ways to improve already existing products as well as connecting two unrelated things and making them work cohesively together, which in turn could make people think, "Oh, that's really fascinating. I wish I could've thought of that." Creativity can be learned. As you grow it is important to ensure that you experiment, explore, question, and analyze information. Think of ABCD - Always Be Connecting Dots.
Use your creativity to come up with an idea and use an opportunity to let your idea take off. Opportunity is the execution and there are 5 steps from turning an idea into an opportunity:
1. Strategic Fit: To understand what the market needs and realistically take account of capabilities you have to be able to provide it.
2. Business Plan: The process of writing a business plan actually helps develop an idea into an opportunity. It forces you to ask and answer hard questions and explore your options.
3. Team: An idea rarely becomes an opportunity without a team. No individual has all the knowledge and skills necessary to make the transformation.
4. Leadership: Once you have a team, the right leadership is essential to guide the development from idea to opportunity.
5. Resources: The planning process will give you a good idea of the resources that will be required to turn your idea into an opportunity.
In other news, the JACP Annual Tradeshow is this Thursday, March 15, at First Canadian Place from 11:30-2:30PM! Don't worry you don't have to register, you just have to show up and we would love to see you there! Also, just in case you missed it on our social media, submit a picture of your Dreamcloud for a chance to be featured on our Instagram and Facebook page! Here are a few of the submissions we've received:
Week 5: How Leaders can Inspire People
The Dreamcloud was created by Lumos to inspire imagination, however it can be used and interpreted in many different ways. Inspiration can come in many different forms like something you see as you walk to school or work, something that someone may tell you, or even from someone else's piece of work. Whatever inspires you can drive you to accomplish your goals which is why it's so important in everyday life, especially in the workplace. Today, I'm breaking down 3 different ways a leader can help inspire people.
#1 - MOTIVATION: To help inspire people and create company success, you first have to figure out what motivates them. Do they have a passion? Is there incentive? Figure out what is meaningful to people, whether they appreciate the way they are treated in the workplace. Make sure that people know what the end goal is, how to get there, and what they can do to help. Realize potential and make sure that certain strengths go hand in hand with the tasks needed to complete so that effort isn't wasted. Support people when they need it, don't leave them out to dry. Make sure that while you're motivating people that you share the same passions. People won't want to work when they see that their own leader doesn't have the same interests.
#2 - INDEPENDENCE: Employees know how to do their job, otherwise they wouldn't have been selected to do it. They may need some assistance along the way but they know what they know. Hovering over people will just make them more stressed out, resulting in a poorer performance. If you want to know what's going on, create opportunities for communication to flow smoothly. Check up every few weeks, talk to people during breaks or before and after meetings, stay connected and keep the line of communication open and available. Every couple of months create employee surveys to figure out what's going on and use it to see what is good and what needs to change.
#3 - PRINCIPLED: As a leader, people look to you for guidance, they need you to be conscientious and ensure that the company presents an ethical and integral view to the public. People want to work towards a cause that is important but also ethical and just. Rather than hiding failures, take responsibility of it, even if it wasn't yours but someone in your company. Learn from it and move forward. Don't be afraid of making unpopular decisions. If companies choose to take the unethical route because it's easier don't follow it to be the same. Take the longer route, which can be tiresome but will pay off in the end and allows the public to see that you don't cross lines that don't need to be crossed.
Hopefully by reading this you took something away from it and can now apply it to your everyday life. You may not be a leader but you can still inspire those around you like friends and family and create some positive energy wherever you go! If you need some more tips check out this article by Forbes Magazine: www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2013/05/20/everything-counts-the-6-ways-to-inspire-and-motivate-top-performance/#481c7a1e25e1
#1 - MOTIVATION: To help inspire people and create company success, you first have to figure out what motivates them. Do they have a passion? Is there incentive? Figure out what is meaningful to people, whether they appreciate the way they are treated in the workplace. Make sure that people know what the end goal is, how to get there, and what they can do to help. Realize potential and make sure that certain strengths go hand in hand with the tasks needed to complete so that effort isn't wasted. Support people when they need it, don't leave them out to dry. Make sure that while you're motivating people that you share the same passions. People won't want to work when they see that their own leader doesn't have the same interests.
#2 - INDEPENDENCE: Employees know how to do their job, otherwise they wouldn't have been selected to do it. They may need some assistance along the way but they know what they know. Hovering over people will just make them more stressed out, resulting in a poorer performance. If you want to know what's going on, create opportunities for communication to flow smoothly. Check up every few weeks, talk to people during breaks or before and after meetings, stay connected and keep the line of communication open and available. Every couple of months create employee surveys to figure out what's going on and use it to see what is good and what needs to change.
#3 - PRINCIPLED: As a leader, people look to you for guidance, they need you to be conscientious and ensure that the company presents an ethical and integral view to the public. People want to work towards a cause that is important but also ethical and just. Rather than hiding failures, take responsibility of it, even if it wasn't yours but someone in your company. Learn from it and move forward. Don't be afraid of making unpopular decisions. If companies choose to take the unethical route because it's easier don't follow it to be the same. Take the longer route, which can be tiresome but will pay off in the end and allows the public to see that you don't cross lines that don't need to be crossed.
Hopefully by reading this you took something away from it and can now apply it to your everyday life. You may not be a leader but you can still inspire those around you like friends and family and create some positive energy wherever you go! If you need some more tips check out this article by Forbes Magazine: www.forbes.com/sites/joefolkman/2013/05/20/everything-counts-the-6-ways-to-inspire-and-motivate-top-performance/#481c7a1e25e1
Week 4: Small Updates
Since you're here, reading this, you now know that the Lumos website is up and running! Credits go to William our VP of Technology for doing such a great job with it. This website was designed to ensure that our customers know all about our company, the members, and of course the Dreamcloud. It is reflective of what we at Lumos stand for with its inspiring aesthetics and colourful backgrounds. The website also includes FAQ's, fun facts, our mission, and information on our partnership with 360Kids.
This week was also special because Lumos had its social at LaserQuest. Organized by Michael, Ashley, and Devarsh from the HR Department, our social encouraged and fostered new connections between team members (not to mention that Joshua and Michael were evidently well trained for this event!)
This week was also special because Lumos had its social at LaserQuest. Organized by Michael, Ashley, and Devarsh from the HR Department, our social encouraged and fostered new connections between team members (not to mention that Joshua and Michael were evidently well trained for this event!)
In case you missed it on our Facebook page, we have also introduced a new series-"Lumos Snippets"-the first topic on how we got the name Lumos and how our logo was made:
Week 3: Mark Goh and Lesley Tulipano
Last Wednesday, Lumos had the privilege of having two featured speakers: ChargeSpot co-founder and CEO, Mark Goh, and JACO program director Lesley Tulipano, to come in and add an extra touch of motivation to the team!
Mark took the stage first, asking us if we had thought about and know what exactly we would do after graduating, to which everyone raised their hands. Then he asked if anyone thought that their plans would be executed perfectly, to which nobody raised their hands. "The only certainty you have is uncertainty," he said.
He then went on to talk about the three key components needed for a business to exist:
1) Production: Knowing how your product will be manufactured and delivered
2) Acquisition - knowing how to sell your product and set measurable goals
3) Finance - knowing what you need to manufacture and sell your product
as well as some extra tips on taking Lumos to new heights. During the talk, we also discussed some of the challenges we're facing and how to overcome that, what goals to set and how we can reach them, and what else we could improve upon. To learn more about Mark's company, ChargeSpot, please visit https://www.chargespot.com
After the break, Leslie reminded us of the looming tradeshow, Interview Night, and VentureOn ceremony. She briefly went through the basics of maintaining a brand, and reminded us of the key factors in a successful JA venture.
Overall, the entire team at Lumos were very fortunate to hear from Mark and Leslie and I'm sure that their advice and information will help us in the upcoming weeks as we look to prepare for tradeshow!
Mark took the stage first, asking us if we had thought about and know what exactly we would do after graduating, to which everyone raised their hands. Then he asked if anyone thought that their plans would be executed perfectly, to which nobody raised their hands. "The only certainty you have is uncertainty," he said.
He then went on to talk about the three key components needed for a business to exist:
1) Production: Knowing how your product will be manufactured and delivered
2) Acquisition - knowing how to sell your product and set measurable goals
3) Finance - knowing what you need to manufacture and sell your product
as well as some extra tips on taking Lumos to new heights. During the talk, we also discussed some of the challenges we're facing and how to overcome that, what goals to set and how we can reach them, and what else we could improve upon. To learn more about Mark's company, ChargeSpot, please visit https://www.chargespot.com
After the break, Leslie reminded us of the looming tradeshow, Interview Night, and VentureOn ceremony. She briefly went through the basics of maintaining a brand, and reminded us of the key factors in a successful JA venture.
Overall, the entire team at Lumos were very fortunate to hear from Mark and Leslie and I'm sure that their advice and information will help us in the upcoming weeks as we look to prepare for tradeshow!
Week 2: Interviews!
Wondering how Lumos started? Who the people behind it are? Or simply what goes into having an 18 week company program? Well your answers are here! I interviewed several members of Lumos to get an insight on their thoughts, opinions, likes, dislikes, and more! Here's the inside scoop:
Q1: What is your role in Lumos and do you enjoy it?
Charmaine: I am the Director of Public Relations, and am responsible for building the clientele with the marketing department and establishing connections with different potential sponsors and customers. Yes I like my role, I like my team and the work I do which is why JA is so beneficial to teenagers.
Devarsh: My role is the Human Resources Manager, I love it because I get to see what goes on in the company.
Q2: What do you enjoy about working at Lumos?
Devarsh: The people I work with, the environment,the expertise we have to help guide us like the advisors, and of course the product because it's something really unique.
Q3: Why would you purchase the DreamCloud?
Charmaine: I would buy the DreamCloud because personally I really enjoy things that look cool and have different features to it, and this is really affordable and we put a lot of manual labour to it so it is a really good product to invest in and it's a great way to spice up your room.
Q4: What does Lumos mean to you?
Charmaine: It means fun and inspiring. I feel driven by the conversations and discussions we have in meetings.
Devarsh: Lumos means family to me, wonderful people, multicultural people, and new friends.
There you have it - a quick inside look to Lumos! Come back next week for more updates. :)
Q1: What is your role in Lumos and do you enjoy it?
Charmaine: I am the Director of Public Relations, and am responsible for building the clientele with the marketing department and establishing connections with different potential sponsors and customers. Yes I like my role, I like my team and the work I do which is why JA is so beneficial to teenagers.
Devarsh: My role is the Human Resources Manager, I love it because I get to see what goes on in the company.
Q2: What do you enjoy about working at Lumos?
Devarsh: The people I work with, the environment,the expertise we have to help guide us like the advisors, and of course the product because it's something really unique.
Q3: Why would you purchase the DreamCloud?
Charmaine: I would buy the DreamCloud because personally I really enjoy things that look cool and have different features to it, and this is really affordable and we put a lot of manual labour to it so it is a really good product to invest in and it's a great way to spice up your room.
Q4: What does Lumos mean to you?
Charmaine: It means fun and inspiring. I feel driven by the conversations and discussions we have in meetings.
Devarsh: Lumos means family to me, wonderful people, multicultural people, and new friends.
There you have it - a quick inside look to Lumos! Come back next week for more updates. :)
Week 1: Lumos + 360Kids = A Brighter Future
Lumos' mission is to inspire imagination and bring light to those who need it. But to who are we inspiring and how are we bringing light to them? Our answer: 360Kids. Thanks to our wonderful (and extremely large) Corporate Social Responsibility team of two, the Lumos family is excited to announce our partnership with 360Kids, an organization in Toronto with a mission to help homeless youth overcome crisis and transition to a state of safety and stability. Our central purpose at Lumos is to help those who are less privileged than we are and to create more opportunities and possibilities for them. To accomplish this, we will donate 10% of our profits to 360Kids, giving youth the freedom and choice to leave their past behind, focus on their future, and accomplish their goals.
A special thanks to our sponsorship coordinator, Joshua Ye, and our VP of CSR, Flora Huang, for working so effortlessly in sealing the deal! Please look out for more updates on their part in the future!
A special thanks to our sponsorship coordinator, Joshua Ye, and our VP of CSR, Flora Huang, for working so effortlessly in sealing the deal! Please look out for more updates on their part in the future!