Re-Branded

Yesterday was filled with the color red. Well Coca Cola red to be exact. You see that is the color of the new logo we chose for our company and yesterday was launch day. The actual website goes live today but since we have people in offices in all three major segments of the world we had to do a bit of time zone planning. In the morning we had a global conference call in which our CEO gave a speech and introduced the new new look. We covered the basics of brand pillars and messaging and got some early reactions. Later in the day we had a celebration brining out some cake, beer and the new collateral. We handed out some new logo gear and stuff to get everyone into the change. Internationally, dinners or end of day drinks followed the speech so that everyone got a chance to take a bit of time to reflect and enjoy where we are as a company.

It was a great day all around. Now comes the hard part.

Yes, it was difficult getting agreement on all the words, pictures and colors that make up our new public image. In fact it took us near on nine months and two outside agencies to the all the research, development, design and editing done. In the end it was a bit of a scramble but nothing the team couldn't handle. In reality though, it's what we do from here on that truly determines is the rebranding will be successful. From this day forward we need all 150 or so people in the company to adopt a new language, a new confidence and a new sense of commitment to the core values we represent.

Brand is not so much about the color as it is what the color represents. I believe brand is about culture. It seems the best are created by people of passion who are able to get a large enough group of people to follow them like a savior into a land of high values and commitment to standards. Have you ever seen how clean Disney parks are? Have you held an iPhone or typed on an iPad?. What about wearing a pair of Levi jeans or eating Dunkin Donuts. These are companies in which the entire team adopted the standards of excellence put forward by the founders. Over time new managers came through the ranks and held true to the original values. Even as the companies grew, each level of management held to the culture. As team members are added they are instilled with the cultural elements that make the brand part of every person's day. Tis is the secret sauce.

So as I said, today the hard work starts. It is up to us to instill this sense of confidence and reflect the values in everything we do. It's a bright, sunny Friday. I'm in a suit to make a sale. It's a good start to the first day of what I hope is the first day of another level of success.

And that makes me happy.

Turkish Empires and Turkish Get Ups

Sometimes focusing on doing just one thing well is the key to a successful day. Over the weekend we spent several hours plowing through the details of dynasties across the Asian continent. And while my subject today is jumping the gun a bit as we will get to the Ottomans next, it fit with my theme so we are going with it. We were focused. We set aside the time and spent it on this one subject pushing through all the details of dates and names and places that made up the rise of the nations we know today as China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and others. We worked through the Mongol leaders and all of their conquests. We reviewed the samurai code and their changing loyalties over time. We talked about the construction of Angor Wat and other temples. In all we reviewed about a thousand years pulling put all those terms and titles that would likely be the subjects of matching questions on D3's test. Though she was just I the other room last night, I got a text message from her showing a screen shot from the high school grading portal. A minus.

Just after getting the good news I began my workout for the day. With the warm weather, finally, I decided to head to the porch since the requirement for the day was a simple, one exercise go. We were required to set our timers for 20 minutes and proceed with the completion of as many Turkish Get Ups as possible. I'm pretty certain I have described this exercise before as it is a bit complicated in its movements but simple in its design. Without much rehash, you lie on the ground holding a weight up above your chest in one hand and then you get up. When standing the weight is over your head. Then you lie back down with the weight returning to its original position. Switch arms, or not, and do it again. Stand up and lie down, that's all it is. Just that one thing. We get up and lie down every day of our lives, how hard could it be.

Turns out that this exercise taxes virtually every part of your body. After the first five on one side your arm, wrist and shoulder ache. After about ten you are into a full on cardio workout. As you plow through your twenty minutes you lose speed due to the need to focus more attention on not dropping the weight on your head, or falling backwards, or pulling your arm out of its socket. Your legs begin to tire at about 20 reps and by 30 you are feeling it in your core. You just realized how much of a twisting motion is involved in moving from hand on the ground to kneeling on one knee. ALso at about this time you find it hard to control your descent to lying flat. Your Ab and back muscles that supported this part of the movement in a controlled fashion early on are now toast so you just hope your arm holds out and crash a bit to finish each rep.

After twenty minutes and about 45 reps the workout of the day is over. One exercise, 100% focus, full body result. Just like studying one subject until you get it right. Put your mind to a single task and you can be great.

And that makes me happy.