Role reversal

It's not easy being account manager in any size firm.  It is a delicate balancing act of client approval and expectation management mixed with in-house loyalty and honesty.  In other words, account managers work all day not to tick anyone off.

Recently, however, I went from account manager to client here at Mindsalt with my suddenly booming side gig -- Little Treasures Kid's Sale.  We needed re-branding from top to bottom and of course, I trusted no one but Mindsalt.  You must understand that I am a PR person here, but Little Treasures is my baby.  We've grown this business from as small and insignificant as you can imagine to now regionally recognized and drawing people in from 4 states.  

So that being said, I now have a much greater appreciation for what it's like to be in the client seat.  We have to trust branding professionals, designers and the like with truly knowing our business from the inside-out so that it can be captured across all mediums.  

I'll have to say, I'm 100% satisfied with my client experience at Mindsalt.  It was somewhat difficult to muster up the courage to ask my employee for some tweaks here and there (as the client).  But in the end, we were all happy with the result...designers, client (me) and account manager (me).  Check it out:  www.littletreasuressale.com.  Response to the new brand is excellent.

Convenience

It was on a recent trip to France and Italy that I realized how far behind America is in reducing its footprint in the world. What do these two country's do that we don't? The simple design of convenience. The convenience in having recycling bins on the street next to garbage cans. The choice to do the right thing and throw your plastic and paper in a recycling bin rather than a garbage can that gets sent to a landfill. Businesses use larger bins that were placed on the street to recycle wine bottles and plastic. Come on America, take a cue from France and Italy.