Everyone should have that one particular aspect of their job in which they find great satisfaction. Doctors get to go home knowing they healed the sick and injured; school teachers get to inspire their students to strive for fulfilling careers; and carnival clowns find great humor in the pure terror they instill in our youth after a long night laughing it up. Me, when I'm not suffering from coulrophobia, I feel most accomplished with Rusty Dog Studio when a project wraps up, my designs are displayed for all to see, and my customer is able to use and gain from the marketing materials I've provided them. Earlier this summer I had the unique opportunity to work with...
Dear Diary, I'm a Business Owner
FACT: After reading this blog post, 47% of you will convert from Democrat to Republican; 32% - Republican to Democrat. FACT: 17% of my readers will unregister to vote - yes, you can do that. FACT: The remaining 12% of you have already moved to Canada.* What I cannot guarantee is that anyone will check my math or legitimacy in these reports.
Will Work for Birthday Wishes
Did you know that cat urine is commonly mistaken for the smell of smoke? Join a volunteer fire department and you'll learn fun facts like this at 2:40 in the morning. For actual fire emergencies you'll also learn the concept of working smarter, not harder. With about 60 lbs. of equipment on your back, heavy tools, difficult breathing conditions and the dexterous movements needed to complete a multitude of tasks - you'll quickly realize that brains trump brawn in most situations.
The Dave Matthews Brand
Anyone who appreciates music can probably say that they have a favorite artist. Not the artist of a song you currently dig. A group/band/artist/performer that maybe you connect with on a more personal level. For me, it's The Dave Matthews Band. I know. Shut up. Don't care.
Mad Cavemen
The following is a story of failure and eventual triumph brought to you through Image Branding; a practice that business owners and professionals need, but few invest in. The term 'image branding' is fairly modern, but the idea of a branded image has been around for ages. As much an achievement as inventing the wheel was, soon enough emerging markets of wheel carving cavemen rose up. Some were better than others. But as long as it was round and rolled, these things sold like hot giraffe liver cakes. So how could a single caveman distinguish his products, services and general salescavemanship from the rest?
Not-So-Smooth Operator
So do you remember the game Operator? Not the creepy Hasbro board game Operation which, by the way, has given untold millions of children the false sense of confidence to become surgeons and ultimately confused our nation's entire healthcare system. $150 for Water on the Knee? Come on Obama!
Battle of the Self (Employment)
Overcoming a challenge can be an incredible sensation. Some challenges, though, are drawn out and lack that finish line we need to achieve a certain high. Self employment, more specifically Rusty Dog Studio, has been that unending feat I've been fighting (and enjoying) for the past year or so.