Balcom Agency

Sure we have a group of people that work on interactive projects, and that’s important. But we don’t have an interactive department.

I’m proud that every person in the agency has worked on interactive projects. Everyone from Daddy Warbucks (our CFO), who checks stats on our social weather project iMapWeather every day, to our Champion of Wow (our Creative Director) who is constantly thinking of ways to increase the global presence of our clients’ brands.

Not everyone is as nerdy as me, but everyone understands the web and its importance in our ever-changing media landscape. For the nerdery to happen, we have a group of people that specialize in the interactive space, but I would hardly call us a department (which Webster define as “a division of...”). I don’t like divisions. That means there is something potentially blocking the best idea. That’s important to look for in an agency - people that specialize in the medium, but aren’t separate.

Our interactive team is nowhere close to being separate. Look at Mix Master Mac (an Interactive Designer), not only does he do some amazing web design but he also created award-winning print work for Texas Health Resources.

I’ve struggled with where I stand on the topic since this year’s SXSW lead by Click Here’s Pete Lerma. Click Here is the separate business entity to the Richards Group. They work in the same building but bill and work independently.

The more we’ve grown, the more I love our integrated approach. I can’t begin to number the times a “traditional” member of our agency has improved our digital strategy, concept or design and vice versa. Enough with the company culture pep talks, what does this mean for our clients? It is one of the many ways we offer the best solution to each and every client we serve. After all, you don’t hire a department, you hire the agency.

Find a client who begins your first meeting by asking for a website that touches hearts as well as heads -- and hugs you when you leave.

Visit a school garden and discover that a tower of stones wrapped in chicken wire is a “lizard hotel.” See one of the “residents” welcome you by running across your shoe. Try not to squeal.

Interview a second grader about his garden journal. Admire the drawings and poems. Point to his sketch of a cocoon. Ask what it is. Be amazed when he says, “That’s the chrysalis.” (Look up the spelling of chrysalis when you write about it later.)

Go to a teaching workshop and sit in on the Sunflower Session. Learn all about the plant’s teachable moments. Discover that sunflower plants can be taller than you, and a little scary with the roots still attached.

Listen to teachers describe how rainwater collection saves as many students as raindrops, how pepper plants bring parents to school and how helping things grow stops kids from tearing each other down.

Work with a team of designers, developers, writers, illustrators and animators who set the bar at brilliant. Steady the bar when it wobbles.

Show the website to the client for the first time. Watch them start to cry. Try not to squeal.

See a video about the project: http://www.balcomagency.com/our-work/portfolio/clients/real-school-gardens/ADDY

Visit the site: www.realschoolgardens.org

I just finished a 7-day trip to the “happiest place on earth” and figured I'd share a little bit about my experiences and hopefully help someone considering or planning a trip.

• If possible, travel in non-peak times. During these times it's VERY easy to do most everything at each park in one day. We never waited more than 20 mins for anything.
• Take advantage of the fastpass, but use it wisely. During non-peak times, it's worthless at shows - even though it's available.
• Always hit the big rides at the first and the end of day. See shows during the middle to avoid waiting.
• When considering to stay at a Disney resort or off property, weigh all of your options. Currently, Disney is offering free meal plans to resort guests. However, we were a large party (10 plus a baby) and renting a house was the most economical option. Parking, food, rental cars and transportation all add up, so keep that in mind.
• Be flexible with everything. It's nice to have a general plan (we want to ride X and Y, and see A and B) but things change - rides close, a show if full, etc.
• Consider getting the Unofficial Guide. We had one of these in the rental house and it explains what rides move fast, what order to hit the rides, etc.

Here are my must-sees from the trip:

1. Everest Expedition: Is a thrilling roller coaster in Animal Kingdom, my favorite ride in all of Disney. It is a unique take on the roller coaster and even has a great story to go with it.
2. Tower of Terror: The dropping elevator in Disney's California Studios. This ride never gets old - we rode it four times during our stay. Each drop is random - so it’s never the same.
3. Finding Nemo: The Musical: If you've seen the broadway Lion King show and liked it, you'll love this. This show features innovative costumes, set design and catchy tunes.
4. Toy Story's Midway Mania: A great 3D ride/game in Disney’s California Studios. You rboard a car the rotates around while you shoot a cannon to get points. This ride is VERY addictive and it will make you want to ride it over and over again. We rode it four times, try and beat my score of 148,000. Tip: Ride FIRST thing and get a fastpass first thing. Fastpasses run out by 11 on non-peak days.
5. It's Tough Being a Bug: A GREAT 4D show in Animal Kingdom. The best yet. Watch out for the Bees and Beetles.
6. Mickey's Philharmagic: Another great 4D show in Magic Kingdom.
7. Test Track: A creative ride in EPCOT that runs you through various testing conditions. It’s the longest and fastest ride in Disney.

If you're heading to the house of the Mouse, have fun!

It's possible that when we first started blogging that I should've started with a, "Hello, Internets. It's nice to meet you." I should've told you a little bit about myself rather than running at you with my favorite industry facts. If you'll recall, though – that's not how things happened.

I thought up Fact Friday as way for me to introduce you to me. Here, you'll meet the girl behind the blog and learn things that you wouldn't necessarily know by shaking my hand or talking to me on the phone.

I keep a list of cupcake bakeries in my Blackberry so that, on the off chance I'm visiting a particular city, I will know where the local cupcake store is. My favorites include Magnolia Bakery in New York City and Sugar Mama's Bakeshop in Austin. The cupcake above is from Sugar Mama's.

Tattoos can be a controversial subject. Are they tacky or artistic? Foolish or symbolic? Did you get one thinking it'd be a great only to be later filled with regret?

At this agency, I am the black sheep. I am a PC lover in a Mac world. I am a Blackberry user in a sea of iPhones. I am the only girl on a team of six people. There are plenty of reasons for me to feel out of place, but rather than shy away from my differences, I embrace them. In the words of someone I used to know: you just gotta own it.

I think Google Wave is fantastic! I really do. It's pure genius.

My blog title might fool you, but I agree with my esteemed colleague, Chip Hanna.

Google Wave will revolutionize the way we use email and communicate with friends, family, co-workers and clients. In a nutshell it gives the user a real-time connection with other users to share text (think instant messages), photos, links, you name it. AND, they accomplish it all with a very user-friendly and intuitive interface. Plus, they made it free and open-source. Brilliant! Our very own John Robinson can't wait to sink his claws into it.

Watch the video (at least the first 20-30 minutes as Chip pointed out) and see for yourself.

Now, back to the title.

Why would I say Google Wave might take away your life? While I do feel that sometimes technology can go too far, Google Wave will actually help me in my day-to-day life, and I welcome it. The problem is that it makes it even easier for me to sit in front of my trusty Macbook Pro, click a few keys and tell...

Tom, I'm sorry :(

Dick, no thanks :/

Harry, you bet! :)

...When what I should have done was walk over to Tom, Dick and Harry and tell them in person. But in todays world everything travels at the speed of light, and we have to do whatever we can to keep up, or we're toast. And I'm cool with that.

I just wish I was able to slow down. Just a little bit. Leave the iPhone at home. Walk on over to Harry and say,

"YOU BET!"

One of the biggest complaints I get in the interactive space is "There's too much for me to keep up with!" Of course. You've got email, your Twitter account, LinkedIn, Facebook, Flickr, blogs, the list goes on and on. I agree, and I believe Google Wave will change a lot of that.

The internet, as connected as it's supposed to be, isn't very connected. Imagine if you had your own real time "dashboard" that allowed you to keep up with everything. While the idea seems simple, it's ingenious. The video is worth the watch (at least the first 25 mins) to get the point, but soon you'll see how revolutionary the idea is.

Not only does Wave connect everything, it will also change email. Email is a very antiquated system designed before the internet even existed, and it needs some change. In Wave, it transforms emails into a dynamic, real-time environment that is track-able and easy to use. It's hard to explain in words, but watch the video.

Wave is completely open source, meaning anyone can improve it and develop on it.

So, why is Google doing this? Their biggest slam in the past couple of months was regarding Twitter and their real-time search capabilities. Pundits have argued Google doesn't have a solution. With Wave, they do and it will blow Twitter away. Everything in Wave is real-time, and therefore Google will have access to everything in real-time (email, "tweets," photos, blog comments, etc.). Once they have that, you better bet your bottom dollar they will use it for advertising. It will be pretty powerful.

I still think Google Wave has a couple of big obstacles:

1. It relies on HTML5 - which isn't widely available, yet. Hopefully this will force users to get off of Internet Explorer (especially 6), but it might be a stretch for some corporations.
2. It's web-based - some individuals and corporations can't imagine why you'd want anything web based and it can be a tough sell.
3. It's a new form of communication - Introducing a new way to communicate is never easy, especially when you are trying to change the way email works. It's going to work for those where everyone is using it, but I have a hard time imagining some of our clients adopting.

I'm excited. I think this is a great, next step in the web. I'll be signing up as soon as I can.

By the way, our very own John Robinson has already signed up for a developer account. If you want a head start on development on the next hot platform, let me know.

While some people will soon be clocking out, dolling up and painting the town, I'm about to throw on shorts, slide into flip flops and hang out on the patio at the ranch with my closest friends.

See, even when you can't afford big vacations or blocks of time away from the office, you can at least squeeze in some time out at the ranch. For me, it's the only place where worry can't find me. It carries some of my best memories and happiest moments. It's my very favorite place to go.

While ranch trips are not uncommon, I appreciate them more in the summer. Everyone seems to stay a little longer and laugh a little harder.

Here's hoping that we fill tonight with happiness, remembering the nearest and dearest who aren't able to join us.

Enjoy your weekend, friends. I'll see you on Monday.