The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.

Never heard of Spirit Clips? Well, you are in for a treat! Robert N. Fried, who founded the project, believes that the world wants – and needs – more thoughtful, uplifting visual content. SpiritClips.com is a subscription website (free and premium memberships) that allow members to not only view ad-free, uplifting stories, but also share them as “film cards.”

Given that Rob is an is an Academy-award winning  producer in Los Angeles, CA, it should come as no surprise that Spirit Clips is quickly establishing itself as the benchmark in this niche of the film/social media industry. In addition to its recent Mom’s Choice Award, Spirit Clips also earned two First Place Silver awards at the 30th Annual Telly Awards.

Please welcome Robert Fried to the Spotlight.

MCA: Rob, thanks for joining us today. Can you please tell us about the inspiration for SpiritClips?

Rob: In 2002, a friend sent me a touching email story about a little girl seeking to purchase a miracle to save her younger brother who was very ill. It occurred to me at the time that this beautiful story could make a terrific animated short film – one that would not only entertain, but also inspire. In 2006, I went back to that idea and when the Internet boom hit, I saw an opportunity to form a venture devoted to sharing the messages of such stories through film. SpiritClips.com is that endeavor, and “The Price of Miracles” is the SpiritClips film based upon that email.

Over the past 25 years, I have been fortunate to work on numerous Hollywood films, including the inspirational sports-themed feature films “Rudy” and “Hoosiers.” I have also very much enjoyed making shorts films and was fortunate to win an Academy Award for one I produced called “Session Man.” I have always believed that it was possible to create the magic of full length film in a series of 2 to 5 minutes films. Spiritclips is that endeavor.

MCA: What are your goals for your online resource in the next year?
Rob: SpiritClips endeavors to create high-quality moving short films and video cards. In addition to making our films available online, we are expanding into retail DVD distribution and educational/religious study materials.

MCA: If someone gave you air time for a 15-second commercial, how would you entice people to visit the SpiritClips site?
Rob: I’d show highlights from the SpiritClips collection.

MCA: You started with an idea and now have a successful, award-winning website. Looking back on your journey, what was the easiest part? The hardest? What surprised you the most?

Rob: Although it is time consuming to put in the attention to detail that is our standard, creating great films is probably the easiest part of the process. The hardest part is coordinating film production with website development. The other challenge is one that most emerging products feel, which is to get the word out about our great films and site.

Thankfully in addition to our own efforts, our members and fans help us do that every day. The most surprising part has been has been the universal appeal of our films. In February 2010, for example, we had site visitors from 164 countries/territories!

MCA: Wow, that’s amazing. Since launching SpiritClips, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?
Rob: The most rewarding thing has been the impact our films have made on the lives of our viewers. We receive daily emails from members thanking us for inspiring them or giving them hope or perspective. It is very gratifying.

MCA: Could you please tell us why you chose the Mom’s Choice Awards® program in seeking recognition for SpiritClips?

Rob: Our members are idealistic people who like to see the positive in life and deal with life’s tribulations with strong spirit and hope– basically, good moms. We are glad that there is an entity devoted to helping mom’s make good choices as moms.

MCA: What does it mean to you to be a Mom’s Choice Awards® alumnus?

Rob: My proudest achievement is being a parent. So to be honored by a parent-focused award means a great deal to me. My wife and I have two wonderful children, now ages 12 and 8. Together, we spend each day striving to teach them consistent values, provide meaning to their lives, and inspire them as they grow up. We hope that the messages about character and strength of human spirit that embody SpiritClips reflect the behaviors and attitudes towards life that our kids – and kids everywhere – might choose to emulate.

MCA: What did you learn about yourself in the process of creating your award-winning informational resource?
Rob: Like so many things in life, the joy of creating is about the journey, not simply the destination. This is very true at SpiritClips.

MCA: Would you recommend the Mom’s Choice Awards® to other entrepreneurs? If so, why?
Rob: I would recommend the Mom’s Choice Awards to entrepreneurs who believe that the values reflected in good parenting are consistent with the values of their endeavor.

MCA: How have you and Spirit EMX benefited by being a Mom’s Choice Awards® honoree? Do you have any tangible examples?
Rob: Having only recently won the award, we have just begun to benefit from being a recognized Mom’s Choice Gold Award winner. We look forward to meeting other alumni in person at future Mom’s Choice represented conventions. There’s one coming up this summer in St. Louis that is already marked on our calendar!

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

2010 – Gold, Online Resources