fbpx

Category: New Product

Exciting New GP Picture Products!

We finally get to put up actual pictures that Scarlett took in the Galapagos on products!

There are so many reasons why putting up products with our actual pictures takes so long. I’m still new to editing and to be honest, I’m not sure which is more difficult for me, editing pictures or creating graphics from pictures.

So much needs to be done in efforts to protect work. There are many reasons for why you see graphics come out faster on our products compared to pictures. One of our main concerns is that animals, including penguins, get misnamed. Of course pictures are often stolen, meta data is changed, no credit is given, etc. But the worse is when someone puts a up picture of an African penguin that belongs to someone else and references it as an Emperor penguin, as an example. Or uses that picture to share Emperor Penguin facts. Of course most of you reading this know there’s differences amongst species but not everyone does so the wrong information paired with the wrong picture is misleading. This irks me.

When we went to the Galapagos the penguin merch was so sparse, I was ecstatic when I found anything penguin related. I bought a magnet that had a penguin on it and branding of a Galapagos national wildlife association. It even said Galapagos penguin on it. I bought it immediately and took it home. When I placed it on the fridge, I felt like a real doofus. It was a picture of an African penguin. Super upsetting.

There’s a lot to know about protecting art of every sort and pictures especially. Did you know it’s illegal to remove or crop out a watermark? Everything a person makes is automatically their property and copyrighted but getting the images copyright registered with the copyright office is what makes it possible for people to leverage their work in court when people or companies use a photo without permission.

After a ton of research and knowing about sad stories of stolen work, I’m not sure if I’ll ever be fully comfortable putting up a design or picture without it being on a product. I worry that’ll make us unpopular. Maybe I shouldn’t be worried? But better safe than sorry?

Anyways, thanks for your patience everyone! We hope you all love the new products! If you want to see them featured on any other products, please let us know!

We’re on the News!

https://www.cbs8.com/video/money/business/small-business/shop-local-surrounded-by-penguins/509-e2dc8a6f-a5ec-4729-b489-76633d801316

We were featured on the local news for LGBTQIA+ Pride month!

I kinda wish I said different things but I still think I did really well considering. Plus CBS8 did really good by us. Thanks CBS8! Especially Mario Escovado. Aly and Cheryl at SBDC too. I had the big sick at the time this was recorded. I’m proud that I pulled it together to do the interview. The night before I practiced a script, none of that is in the short clip but the whole process took all of me still. I tapped up exactly where the furniture, laptop, myself had to be placed for the shoot. After, I knew I over did it.

https://www.cbs8.com/video/money/business/small-business/shop-local-surrounded-by-penguins/509-e2dc8a6f-a5ec-4729-b489-76633d801316

What I really love about penguins is that they’re unique. They’ve been around for around 60 million years and are designed like no other birds. They are an anomaly that doesn’t make sense yet they’ve been around thriving for a very long time. They’re easy to connect to in an emotional way because we can relate to them.

What I love is that they also mentioned the Birch Aquarium Little Blue Penguins too!

I love a lot about penguins, sure what I mentioned in the clip is true but especially fit LGBTQIA+ month I wish I pointed out that penguins definitely are the queer birds that keep things simple without much fluff. They definitely may be odd but they got all the right stuff.

#lgbtbusiness #lgbtqi #lgbt #lgbtq #penguins #penguin #pride #lgbtproducts #smallbusinessowner #pridepenguins #happypride #ecoconscious #ecoconsciousproducts #penguinfan #cutepenguin #cutepenguins #penguinproducts #penguinstickers #pridestickers  #gratitude #thankyoueveryone
#surroundedbypenguins
#shoptherapy #newproducts #penguingifts #penguinproducts #penguinfans #cutepenguins #giftsforpenguinlovers #giftideas #giftideasforpenguinlovers
#surroundedbypenguins

https://www.cbs8.com/video/money/business/small-business/shop-local-surrounded-by-penguins/509-e2dc8a6f-a5ec-4729-b489-76633d801316

International Women’s Day

I believe it’s purposefully hard to tell the gender of penguins. They’ve evolved so much that being able to distinguish between their sex is nearly impossible, even under careful observation. Penguins have been around much much longer than humans and seem to be all knowing so gender inequality isn’t a thing for them at all. But until we evolve to be as smart and all the things that penguins are, we acknowledge that within the human species many women are not treated equally. Today, I was motivated to make products in honor of Women’s Day and Surrounded By Penguins Anniversary. Although I, Executive Penguin, much like penguins, look more androgynous than a definite male or female, I know that not long ago I would not be allowed to have a business because my chromosomes and some of my body parts say I’m female. I’m not wanting to take advantage or make light of today being Women’s Day, but I do want to acknowledge the person in me that is an energetic woman that needed to make products and show ownership of a business, because we can… and sadly others cannot.


An essential scoop shirt with the danger style sign reminder that it’s okay to be a little blue. You don’t have to smile if you don’t want to.

Tank tops and a mouse pad with gamer stuff around it because our customer of the year @kattgoddes is an awesome gamer and inspiration. She’s an Engineer, bought an Alfa Romeo, and appreciated me bringing to light the word “folx” as a word to include all despite their pronouns or lack of pronoun identification.

Boxer briefs, because that’s what I’m comfortable wearing.

And a backpack because sometimes a purse, murse, side bag, clutch, butch bag, e.t.c. doesn’t have enough space to carry everything movers and shakers need to change the world.

Google and other shop developments

As some of you know, I, the Executive Penguin am not very knowable when it comes to the online business stuff. I waddle around at a penguins pace, slipping and falling often while navigating what it takes to run a business online. But I’m learning and getting good at so much. The nice thing is that usually the processes and fixes can be so arduous that I only need to go over it once to get it. A lot while dealing with products is redundant too which is very helpful.

After taking some free business classes offered online San Diego SBDC, I learned how to get Google to show Surrounded By Penguins as a business in Google searches for “Surrounded By Penguins”. This is huge for us! I already put up 106 pictures and although I have yet to figure out how to fix the errors associated with attempting to put products on Google, it is soooo awesome that people can see us as a business, see pictures of products, and Google allows in one click to get to this website.

For you business owners out there, I think registering for your local or international SBDC (Small Business Development Center) through The International Rescue Committee is a must. They offer sooo much help for free! I have only done some of the Zoom class, but they have so much to offer. Here’s a little information about them.

https://www-rescue-org.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.rescue.org/announcement/irc-small-business-development-center-sbdc?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&amp&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16420639577457&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rescue.org%2Fannouncement%2Firc-small-business-development-center-sbdc

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helps local small businesses prosper by delivering no-cost business assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs through in-language technical assistance, training, and access to microloans to support entrepreneurs to start or expand their business.

The San Diego & Imperial SBDC Network is an accredited member of the
Association of Small Business Development Centers
Funded in part through a Grant with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development

Funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business.

In addition, I’ve also learned how to put up individual products that lead to external sites connected to fulfillment businesses such as Redbubble and TeeSpring. That means, we get to feature more products!

Surrounded By Penguins now offers hundreds of different products but I do have some favorites I’m excited to see for myself.

We now offer dresses with the Galapagos Penguin graphic! Now I usually stray away from white, but I am really tempted to make an outfit for myself from the Galapagos Penguin White A Line Dress and the Galapagos Pengin shoes…. What do you all think? Too much matchy matchy? Too many penguins in one outfit? Should I get the Galapagos Penguin on the front or back of the dress?! Ahhh too many choices!

Shoes, Backpacks, Youth Shirts and more!

Can you believe it?! We designed shoes! Never thought that would happen!

New Product Release!
The Executive Penguin has been hard at work making sooo many products with the Galapagos Penguin graphic! Everything from backpacks to shoes to bath towels and kids shirts! What do you think?!

I’m most impressed by the shoes. Shooooes! There so cute even though they’re all white! I think I might need me a pair or two.

Special Requests, Diversity, and Inclusivity

Here at Surrounded By Penguins we encourage people to take the opportunity to be part of the product creation process. We want to make products that you will love and cherish. So when aq31.12 on Instagram took the time to message us to suggest that we place the new Galapagos penguin design on a shirt that was a different style, how could we not oblige?

Now we wanted to place the design exactly where the original is placed. As of last night, this cannot be done unless we place it on a shirt that allows for wrap around printing. This drove up the cost of the shirt by over $20usd and put the shirt in the new materials category instead of using recycled materials. So we reached out the aq13.12 again and asked for input about the shirt you see featured here. To quote aq13.12 that hearted the image… “I think the middle looks great”. Approved! Awesome.

Thanks so much aq13.12 for the suggestion!

Have a suggestion? Please feel free to let us know what it is! No pressure! All suggestions that are not spam will be considered.