Z-Buzz - The Z-CoiL Quartarly Magazine (Winter 05)

Z-BuzzSM is a Magazine for Z-CoiL® Footwear Lovers Everywhere

What’s in Z-Issue

Page 1 The Art of Pain Relief: Eye-Catching Footwear is Catching On
Page 1 Adventures Await - in Z-Coil Shoes
Page 2 Adventures Await - in Z-Coil Shoes
Page 3 A New Leg To Stand On
Page 3 Customer Care Tip
Page 3 Small Victory for Postal Workers in Pain
Page 4 Sore Feet Take a Hike
Page 4 Remembering the Man Who Inspired Us
Page 5 The Art of Pain Relief:Getting Personal
Page 6 Our Incredible Footwear

Click Title to Read (Format: PDF)

Testimonial: Bill F. Jones

For years I have had recurrent pain in my right hip. During a trip to Germany, my wife had a fall and fractured her kneecap, leaving me to push her around in a wheelchair on those cobblestone streets. In the process I developed plantar fasciitis, which my HMO treated with indifferent success when I returned.

I saw an ad for Z-CoiL shoes in the newspaper and went to the store to try them out. I was astounded! As soon as I first put them on and took a few steps, I found my back pain was completely gone! Needless to say, I bought a pair and found that not only did the back pain not come back, but the plantar fasciitis also went away. Instead of the usual quarter-mile, which was all I could manage before, I could now walk until I got tired.

People often question me about the shoes, and I have been happy to share my experience with them and give them the local Z-CoiL dealer's address and phone number. My doctor and chiropractor are very interested, and I find they are recommending them to other patients. I have two pairs-the "standard model" and the same one with the enclosed heel.

I prefer the standard, but the enclosed heel is useful when there is the possibility of catching the heel on something. My wife says she thinks I like them because they make me look taller, and maybe she's right. Thanks for a very useful and practical solution to my back and foot problems.

Bill F. Jones
Orange, CA

Testimonial: Wendy O'Kray Mother Of Twins

I used to run cross-country in middle school and high school. I frequently got a "tearing" feeling in my arch area. Since no other pain ever came of it, I never thought about it again.

Now I am the mother of active 3-year-old fraternal twin girls. They were born full term, and the regular weight of normal single babies. Ever since they were born, my left foot has suffered, right at the heel. I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in my left foot, probably caused by the extra weight I carried and the loosening of tendons and muscles that comes with pregnancy.

I tried using a flat heel insert in the left shoe, like the doctor suggested, but to no avail. I then fell back on my pseudo-"birkies," as keeping my toes up to keep the sandals on seemed to help. The pain in my left foot continued to get worse, to the point where I was limping and in constant pain. One day one of my friends came in wearing these weird shoes with a spring on the bottom. (She's an Emergency Medical Technician and on her feet quite a bit.) She recommended these shoes and said they make it easy to be on your feet for a long time.

I went online and found the Z-CoiL Web site and, lo and behold, there was a retailer in Wisconsin! I got the address and told myself I would get there the next chance I got. Finally, I made it into the store and was able to try on a pair (as my twin girls ran around, but behaved). It was AMAZING! I could almost feel the heel pain melt away the longer I had the hiking boots on! It only took me a minute to make my decision-only Z-CoiL shoes on my feet from now on. I look forward to getting my second pair, the clogs, and in the Spring getting a pair of sandals. I plan to get my twin girls the same type of shoes once they get to their adult size, as they will probably have the same problems.


Thank you, Z-CoiL! You will be staying with our family for years to come!

Wendy O'Kray
Milwaukee, WI

News in Science - The tale of the v-v-v-vibrating shoes - 27/01/2005

News in Science - The tale of the v-v-v-vibrating shoes - 27/01/2005: "Shoes that vibrate to signal a rise or fall in share price have been created by Australian scientists.

Researchers at National ICT Australia, a consortium of universities and government departments, created the size-10 brogues to demonstrate alternative computing interfaces.

'We're using the shoes as a bit of fun but also to show people that we can output information from a computer in other ways than through a screen,' says Professor Peter Eades.

Scientists fitted the shoes with mobile phone vibrators to create a haptic interface, where the sense of touch provides feedback to the user.

'We could have used heat; we could have even created them to release different scents,' says Eades, although the researchers concentrate on visualisation, speech and gesture for computer interaction.

"In 10 years the wall will become your screen. Information will be in your clothing, in your furniture," says Eades."

click title for more

Hmmm? ABC News in the pants?

Celebrity Diabetics: Halle Berry - The Diabetes Weblog

Celebrity Diabetics: Halle Berry - The Diabetes Weblog:

"I never would have guessed superstar actress Halle Berry has diabetics. But she does. Not only that, she attributes the disease to her success. Without it, she's convinced she'd never have become an OSCAR-winning actress." (click title for more)

Halle has an excellent multimedia website. It is fun to navigate and very deep in informational content. She has a page devoted to coping and living with diabetes.

This morning I sent Halle an e-mail offering her a pair of Z-CoiLs.

Yesterday, I sent the editors of the Diabetes Weblog the November press release, Can Z-CoiL® Footwear Reduce Diabetics’ Impact?. Apparently, they don't think their audience should be made aware of the bouncy shoes that help diabetics.

The Diabetes Weblog - www.thediabetesblog.com

The Diabetes Weblog - www.thediabetesblog.com

The focus of the diabete’s blog is two-fold:
-To provide comprehensive information on advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes
-To provide educational resources for people with diabetes, their families, health professionals and the public



RSS Newsfeed

PRESS RELEASE: Z-CoiL Unveils Six New Springy Soled Shoe Styles

PRESS RELEASE: Z-CoiL Unveils Six New Springy Soled Shoe Styles

Now There Are More Fashion Choices In Getting a Spring In Your Step

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) January 27, 2005 -- Today, EZ-Shoes, an independent Z-CoiL pain relief footwear dealer, is happy to announce that they are one of the first retail outlets in the country to offer six new stylish springy soled shoes to individuals that suffer from back, leg or foot pain in the South Bay Area.

Several of the styles (Taos Zip, the Bone SideWinder Sandal, the Taos Strap and the Zueco Strap) were produced to test their marketability - meaning that if customers buy them and provide positive feedback, they will be put into the full line of production.

The brown/tan Men's SideWinder Sandal and the Women’s Lo-Cut Dress boot (photo) are a Limited Edition – the pain relief footwear will not be offered again once these styles sell out.

"We have had a great demand for a more dressy style for both men and women and Z-CoiL Corporate listened!" said Caesar Snee, owner of the authorized Z-CoiL San Jose store. "We have had great reception of the new styles. The "Mary Jane" style for the women fits well and holds onto the heel better than the traditional clog. It also is cut lower in the front for people who have a high instep and can't fit into other styles."

click title for more

Testimonial: Kim Lunsford - Staunton, Va.

CloudFeet, FLJust wanted to let you know how the Z-Coil's are doing for me. I had a little getting used to them for the first couple of days but was able to wear them all day. By the third day I was used to them and they felt great. The secretary where I work said that she could not hear me coming the way that she used to, when my right foot would just flop down when I walked.

I have worn the Z-Coils every day since I have been home and I put on my other shoes because it was wet outside and I did not want to get the coils dirty, and my old shoes really hurt my feet. I am standing and walking better that I have in 24 years (car accident 02-02-79) and thank you very much for letting me try the z-Coils while in Tavernier this weekend. A special thank you for getting me to try them without my personalized orthodics. My orthodics were my security blanket and I would never have believed that I could walk without them again. Also, my feet have not been as tired or hurt like they normally do.

I have had people stop and ask me about the shoes and have had a lot of people that are very interested in the shoes because you can look at my walk and tell the difference.

Please share my success with these shoes with others because I know what it is like to try to find shoes for problem feet!

Thanks so much,
Kim Lunsford
Staunton, Virginia

P.S. Since this writing Kim has opened her own Z-Coil store, Z-Happy Feet, in Virginia...


Cloudfeet, Oceanside Tavernier, Fl

Press Release - Knoty Boy Asymmetiric Laces Good Fit For Z-CoiL Footwear Dealers

Knoty Boy - Press Release:

Knoty Boy Asymmetiric Laces Good Fit For Z-CoiL Footwear Dealers

#1 3rd Party Lace 4 Revolutionary Spring Soled Shoe: Conforms Lace-Up Footwear 2 Normal & Sensitive Feet

i-Newswire, 2005-01-25 - Denver, CO - Knoty Boy introduces Asymmetiric laces - an elastic shoelace that allows lace shoes to become slip-ons yet maintain even tension throughout the entire foot. The high tech elastic laces are the number one third party accessory sold by Z-CoiL dealers nationwide.

Z-Coil Footwear Dealer Feedback

I sell Knoty boy shoelaces with almost every pair of
lace up shoes that go out the door. My customers love
them for many reasons but the main reason is the ease
that they can put on their shoe and the comfort the
lace affords. I have been told many times how amazed
they are that they never realized just how much time
they spent re-tying their shoes throughout the day
because they came untied or they were tight or loose.
I am also told how they love how secure their shoe
feels without being tight.

There was an article in a newspaper that I read about
how the younger generation are causing themselves many
foot problems because they leave their shoelaces
untied or very loosly tied so they can slip their
shoes on and off. Many of my customers also buy laces
for their children to aleviate this problem not to
mention that the Knoty boy is so much safer for an
active child. Cannot get caught in the bicycle, will
not come loose while they are climbing, skateboarding
or playing games such as football, baseball, socker or
tennis.

Donna Rabbitt
Footopia

click title for more

Knoty Boy: Dealer Feedback - Your2Feet Seattle, WA

Welcome to The Ultimate Shoe Lace


The knotty boy shoelaces are an innovative approach to solving several issues facing those of us wearing lace shoes.

1. You no longer have to lace the lace shoes-the elastic shoelace
maintains a tied fit, yet you just open up the shoe and slip it on.

2. You have a large selection of great colors to dress up a new or old lace shoe-some of my younger customers even do dual colors tying them both on top and "inside" on the same shoe.

3. You don't have to bend down so long or so far for those suffering with a sore back or hip.

4. Those with sore fingers get relief from tying, yet get the benefits of a tied shoe.

5. The asymmetric benefits of this shoelace can be an adjunct for
fitting shoes on different foot types-especially those with a rolling
arch, a flatfoot, or a pronator. By using extra tension while tying on one side of the shoe, you can get added correction by offsetting the tension on the other side.

6. Thank-you Knotty boy for listening to us Z-coil dealers and adding a shoelace to fit our pint sized customers, and to fit the high desert hiker smaller eyelets.

I will keep providing feedback whenever needed.

Lotchie Kerch, D.P.M.
Your2Feet
Seattle, WA

PostalMag.com! Uniforms - Comment Forum

PostalMag.com! Uniforms: I bought a pair but they have cloth in them so they aren't legal footwear for the post office anyway but management is saying that they are unsafe - no ifs, ands, or buts.

I know that with these shoes available across America and with 800,000 postal employees someone has to be wearing these shoes at work. I was wondering if any of my fellow postal workers are wearing these and if they are where they are located and what they did to have them approved. I am going to challenge this all the way. - Karen Stanford, karenstanford1@comcast.net

your2feet: Panama's Canopy Tower : THE TOWER

your2feet: Panama's Canopy Tower : THE TOWER:


Dr. Kerch in her Z-CoiLs at the top of Panama's Canopy Tower. January 2005.

The Canopy Tower is located on top of Semaphore Hill, in a well preserved semideciduous tall forest in the heart of Soberania National Park. It is at an altitude of 900 feet above sea level, and from its roof you can see the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and the skyline of Panama City, just 30 minutes away.

Click Title For More

Z-CoiL Footwear : New Styles Available!

Z-CoiL Footwear : New Styles Available!: "Several new styles have been introduced this month.

Some are in a test market, meaning if they have a good reception and the shoes fit people well, they will be put into the full line of production. These include the Taos Zip, the Bone SideWinder Sandal, the Taos Strap and the Zueco Strap.

Others are in a Limited Edition status, which means that they will not be reproduced, so get them while you can! These include the brown/tan Men's SideWinder Sandal and the Lo-Cut Dress boot for the ladies.

Here's just one example - the new Zueco Strap!"



Click here to view all the new styles!

Caesar Snee
EZ-Shoes
San Jose, CA

Add the EZ-Shoes Blog to your RSS reader.

KUNM 89.9 { news | Archives: 3/29/2004 - Z-Coil Disputes Ban By U.S. Postal Service (Radio Report)

KUNM 89.9 { news | Archives: 3/29/2004 - Z-Coil Shoes Comapany... }: KUNM Radio reporter Lisa Nance broadcased this story March 29, 2004 after the United States Postal Service banned Z-Coil Shoes. Click Title to hear (Requires: Real Audio, 2 minutes).

Z-CoiL Footwear : Hand Painted Designer Z's now at EZ Shoes!!

Z-CoiL Footwear : Hand Painted Designer Z's now at EZ Shoes!!


Hand painted Taos Clogs by Allison Snee. See more pictures of Allison's bright and fun wearable art.

Adidas 1 - Popular Science Story & Forum

Adidas 1 - Popular ScienceDuring a THREE-mile run, the average guy’s feet smack the ground 5,400 times and endure a collective 1,200 tons of pressure—but that weight isn’t evenly distributed over every stride. “When runners become tired, they hit the ground harder,” explains Christian DiBenedetto, leader of Adidas’s Intelligent Product Team. “And when they transition from a road to a trail, their cushioning needs change.”

In 2001 DiBenedetto and two engineers began investigating technologies to replace passive cushioning. Dreaming of a shoe that would adapt itself to its wearer and to changing surface conditions, they considered a range of exotic materials, from shape-memory alloys to magnetorheological fluids (which solidify into a pasty consistency when subjected to a magnetic field), ultimately landing on a mechanical solution—a motor-driven cable system.

By Trevor Thieme
Popular Science

Forum Comment
At 3:51 PM, David Coyle said: For honest-to-God runner pain relief, check out Z-CoiLs (www.zcoil.com) with an actual spring under the heel, a built-in orthotic, and 3/4 inch of padding under the metatarsals. Has been around for 6-7 years and really works.


Gregor Halenda; styling by Marissa Gimeno for Halley Resources

i-Newswire.com - Press Release Distribution - Z-Coil Footwear: Customer Testimonials - Fitness & Weight Loss

Springy Soled Shoe With The Built-in Adjustable Orthotic Provides Support For The Out-Of-Shape And Over Weight - Listen To Online Unedited Interviews

i-Newswire, 2005-01-11 - PORT TOWNSEND, WA (January 12, 2005) – Your2Feet, an independent Z-Coil pain relief footwear retail dealer in Seattle, WA, has published unedited, auto-starting audio interviews with customers on their website ( http://www.your2feet.com ) and blog ( http://your2feet.blogspot.com ). If you are a broadband Internet user, click on one of the links and a customer testimonial will automatically play immediately. Remember to turn your speakers on.

(NOTE: dial up users may have to wait up to five minutes for the 1 megabyte wav file to load - but there is plenty of information to read during the delay.)

Fitness Interview (your2feet.com, Front Page)
Kathy Batson, a Jazzercise instructor and kindergarten teacher, is on her feet all the time and has been diagnosed with plantar fascitis…

Weight Loss Interview (your2feet.blogspot.com, Nov. 15th)
Since wearing Z-CoiLs, Carrie lost 85lbs, started walking and stopped talking her diabetes meds…

Your2Feet

"Z-CoiL pain relief footwear is changing the way I am practicing medicine." Dr. Lotchie Kerch, a Seattle podiatric physician, foot surgeon and Your2Feet owner. "Impact can now be reduced by 50 percent or more when using the Z-CoiL footwear. This impact reduction dramatically relieves pain in such conditions as plantar fasciitis (heel spars) and arthritis. I have been a practicing podiatrist for over twenty years and I have never seen anything as effective in footwear. I'm seeing people who have been living with intolerable pain relieved by this phenomenal technology."

Z-CoiL Pain Relief Footwear

The unique patented design of Z-CoiL Footwear, combining a large coil under the heel with a rigid, ¾-length orthotic, is the invention of Z-Tech's Founder and Chairman of the Board, Al Gallegos. Al realized the many injuries he endured as an avid runner were caused by impact. His quest to develop shoes that would reduce the force of impact, while providing proper support, resulted in Z-CoiL Pain Relief Footwear.

###

Customer Testimonial - Step Above Footwear

I have worn the Z-coil shoes for about three months.

I find the black Freedom 2000 very comfortable - no jarring on the heel when running slowly.

People comment that I look taller.

I appreciate how well made they are, which indicates they will last a long time.

The owner of A Step Above in Santa Rosa really knows her shoes.
She adjusted mine in less that five minutes because one of my feet were pointing inward. I have "hammer toes" and got a size larger. They have felt fine ever since. I wear them hiking and walking in town.

Three of my friends with foot problems bought them after I told them how comfortable they were.

Robert Coulombe
Santa Rosa, CA

Top Products At CES 2005

Top Products At CES 2005This year's Consumer Electronics Show gave us the annual sneak peak at what new products and technologies to watch out for in the upcoming year. There was aisle after aisle of loudspeakers, flat TVs, and a dizzying array of doo-dads and gadgets. However, a few products rose above the masses.

Posted by Brian Mitchell

Z-CoiL Footwear : Doctor Referrals

Z-CoiL Footwear : Doctor Referrals: "We are starting to get more and more doctor referrals. When we first opened our doors, we did several mass mailings to various types of doctors, including podiatrists, neurosurgeons, chiropractors and sports medicine physicians, with little results. I believe that the doctors just threw the information away thinking it was a fad or a hoax.

What we find happening is that patients are going into their doctors after wearing Z-CoiL's and telling them their success stories and also telling them that they no longer need to see them and no longer need their cortisone shots! This is making the doctors take notice of the benefits that Z-CoiL's are providing.

Take one case in particular... we had a podiatrist who started referring maybe one patient every couple of months. I called them his 'hopeless cases', the ones that he had run out of routine treatment for. "

Caesar Snee
EZ-Shoes
San Jose, CA

PRESS RELEASE: Z-CoiL/Adidas 1 Footwear - Future or Fad? Feel The Pulse Via Z-Blog RSS Feed In 2005

PRESS RELEASE: Z-CoiL/Adidas 1 Footwear - Future or Fad? Feel The Pulse Via Z-Blog RSS Feed In 2005: "Is the springy pain relief shoe or the changeable computer chipped sole the future of footwear?

Port Townsend, WA (PRWEB) January 4, 2005 -- January is the official month personal high technology pundits’ gaze into their crystal balls to deliver sermons on lifestyle changes. Over the years, their focus has been on palm and pocket portable products. But this year the industry tapestry has changed with the announcement last May by Adidas regarding their adaptable $250 (250 Euros) computer chip soled "smart shoe", The Adidas 1.

In July, Al Gallegos, Z-CoiL pain relief footwear inventor, stated in a Baltimore Sun article that he is working with Sandia labs to develop coiled footwear that could harvest kinetic energy from the spring action to heat boots, run lights or power a cell phone while walking mountain trails or trade show aisles. Over the next twelve months, the Z-Blog Reporter, as it did during the last quarter of 2004, will continue to publish articles and unedited customer commentary on Z-CoiL footwear. Are the wacky looking soled shoes the footwear of the future or simply a passing fad? Time will tell. Click Title To Read More

Active Low-Carber Forums: my shins hurt sooo bad

my shins hurt sooo bad : Beginner/Low Intensity Forum : Active Low-Carber Forums: "I have a lot of past experience with shin splints I suggest icing them down and also strengthen the muscles by standing with your feet flat and then lifting yourself up on your heels or walking on your heels. Even sitting around and flexing your feet will help strengthen the muscle. Avoid hills for a while and make sure to stretch and put ice AFTER a workout and warm up a bit before the workout.

www.z-coil.com The shoes look horrible, but I hear they can help with all kinds of things from heel spurs to stress fractures and back pain. I suppose its worth a shot if you can get over how they look."

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Segway dealer is sold on productivity merits

The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Segway dealer is sold on productivity merits LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The stand-up, two-wheel Segway scooter might look like a toy or a novelty, but David Wilson sees it as a tool.

The Segway "can be used to be more productive every day," Wilson said.

Because the devices can go about 12 mph, Wilson, a Segway dealer, said warehouse employees could use it to finish rounds faster. In factory settings, supervisors could cover more floor space and maintenance workers could get from repair to repair faster.

In many industrial workplaces, golf carts, forklifts and other devices handle such tasks.



Troy Stockwell, a meter reader with Seattle Public Utilities, uses a Segway scooter in the Montlake neighborhood. Six meter readers are logging the scooter's performance on their routes.

Z-CoiL Testimonial of the Month: January

I just want to say thank you so much for making such wonderful shoes. I am 50 years old and broke my right knee in 1979. I just had a partial knee replacement last year, and I had been taking 20 mg. of Bextra® every day since my last surgery.

I bought a pair of Cloudwalkers about three weeks ago from Gary Grubbs of Z Kicks and I have not had one pill since then.

These shoes really work. I will have to have a full knee replacement in about 10 years, but now with these shoes I hope that it will be later than that. The only time my leg hurts now is when I get home, take my shoes off, and go barefooted around the house on concrete floors. I plan on buying a pair of clogs to wear around the house. So thanks again for what you have done for me and for others.

It has been years since I have stood on one foot, but I am now standing on my bad knee/leg thanks to Z-CoiL.

Danny Blackwell
Laurel, MS
December 2, 2004

Blog Readership Surged 58 Percent in 2004

Blog Readership Surged 58 Percent in 2004: "If 2004 was, among other things, the Year of the Blog, that development occurred in terra incognita for most online Americans, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Pew found blog readership increased sharply, up 58 percent, between February and November 2004. This, despite the fact 62 percent of adult American Internet users still have no clear idea what a blog actually is.

'The story is, blogs are catching on,' said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & Amercian Life Project, 'Not just on the creator side, but also on the demand side. Blog readership took off in 2004.'


The Pew report was based on two nationwide phone surveys conducted in November. The first polled 1,324 Internet users; the second involved interviews with 537 users.

The report found as of November, 27 percent of the 120 million adult Internet users in the U.S. read blogs, up from 17 percent recorded only 9 months earlier. This means that by the end of 2004, approximately 32 million Americans were blog readers. "

By Rob McGann

CBS News | 'Smart Shoe' Adapts To You

CBS News 'Smart Shoe' Adapts To You: "May 2004: Adidas says it has created the world's first 'smart shoe' by mating it with a computer chip that adapts its cushioning level to a runner's size and stride.

The Adidas 1 (MSRP: $250) is the product of a three-year secret project the German company developed at its U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore. (Adidas 1 Online Ad Site)

"This is the first intelligent shoe ever," said Erich Stamminger, global marketing director for Adidas. "It senses, understands and adapts."

The microprocessor is located in the arch of the shoe, and drives a tiny screw and cable system that adjusts the heel cushion depending on the signals sent back by an electric sensor coupled to a magnet.

It is powered by a battery that conserves power by adjusting the shoe while it is in the air during a runner's stride, avoiding resistance from the ground."

The Hindu : Bloggers rise to the occasion : ABC News - Person of the Year

The Hindu : Front Page : Bloggers rise to the occasion: "CHENNAI, DEC. 31. When ABC News decided to knight the blogging community as the `Person of the Year,' they had just witnessed the overwhelming performance of the group to secure relief for victims of the tsunami. And contributing in no mean measure were the bloggers of Tamil Nadu and in particular, Chennai.

Be it information on the latest death toll, names of missing persons, aid agencies, which are accepting funds or links to various sites which provided constantly updated news about relief and rescue missions, the bloggers had it all. Information about the tsunami came up almost immediately after the seismic waves hit the shores, simultaneously as news broke over news channels.

In the report, the ABC News correspondent has credited bloggers with a readily apparent influence. 'Dozens of bloggers have been filing firsthand reports from the areas devastated by South Asia's deadly tsunamis... Bloggers around the world have made themselves useful, encouraging donations to relief groups, posting the names of the missing and expressing sympathy for the victims.' "

Click Title For More

Learning Blogger: Free Online Video Series

Learning Blogger: "Learning Blogger with Molly E. Holzschlag is a movie-based workshop for audiences new to blogging and to the newly revamped Blogger weblog service, a free service from Google.

Begin by learning what blogs are and the various ways they can be used. You'll quickly get into setting up your weblog, adding specialty features such as comment systems and news-feeds, working with and customizing templates, and even creating team blogs and audio blogs. The included exercise files, articles, and resources enhance the title, allowing you to follow along with the movies and learn at your own pace."

Testimonials