Balcom Agency

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.

We're having trouble with my blog and Twitter playing nicely together. While we work out the kinks, I'll use this time to tell you something random.

I like skim milk, and I drink it straight from the carton. Thankfully, I don't live with anybody else, so this isn't an issue.

Let's say, for sake of argument, that you're a web designer. One assumes that since your business card reads "Web Designer" that you can design a website. Such a title implies that you are more than capable of this task.

Everyone has a pet peeve. If you're like me, you might have a lot several. One of the biggest for me, though, is anxious versus eager. People use the two synonymously, and they are far from the same. Someone I used to know very well said that he "is getting anxious to meet his baby girl." I know this guy. He's not anxious. He's eager.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, according to The Mayo Clinic’s Katherine Zeratsky, RD, LD.

“A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes your blood sugar (glucose), giving you the energy necessary to start a new day. In addition, a growing body of evidence indicates that breakfast is good for both your physical and mental health. Studies show that people who eat breakfast — especially a healthy breakfast — are more likely to:

• Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol during the day

• Have better concentration and be more productive throughout the morning

• Control their weight

• Have more strength and endurance

• Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease” 1

While eating breakfast is important for all ages, breakfast is especially important for advertising agency employees. According to the American Dietetic Association, Balcom Production Department, children art directors who eat breakfast are more likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They may also be more alert and creative, and less likely to miss days of school work.

We like Breakfast Tacos. From Taco Cabana.  With the brown and green sauces.

1 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119

Such a simple question when posed by a print buyer towards a print seller. Yet I continue to be amused, and appalled, by how often the answer is wrong. 

You see, when you put ink on paper, there are four basic colors:  cyan, magenta, yellow and black.  Mixed in various combinations, these hues can make all the colors of the rainbow (or a reasonable facsimile thereof).  They are the very building blocks for the printing trade.  And so one would reasonably expect a printing salesperson to be able to tell me what each color looks like.  It is a minimum basis of expertise that we demand – especially in today’s very competitive printing arena.

I first asked this of a color separation salesman early in my career, as a way to make conversation. He told me that cyan was a shade of hot pink. He finally admitted that he didn’t know much about color but could sell me the expertise of his firm. He was never allowed in the office again.

Over the years, it’s become a joke question.  Almost.  I still use it as a quick barometer of a company’s commitment to their craft.

What are the quick barometers that YOU use to judge the expertise of the vendor/partners that you work with?  Right or wrong, first impressions count.  So go ahead – ask Balcom Agency the question.  We’re ready to give you the right answer.

And cyan?  It’s a beautiful shade of blue.

The Saudi Royal Family has commissioned an architecture firm to redesign the city of Mecca, Islam's holiest of cities.

Many deaths have occured over the years due to the massive overcrowding. This redesign attempts to solve that terrible problem, while honoring the ancient architecture of Mecca.

Take a few moments and watch the video. It is very well done, and I think the architects propose a fantastic solution for the redesign of Mecca. Be sure and watch the entire video to see the concept come to life at the end.

Do you think it's a good solution? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I was giving blood the other day (willingly I mean...no vampire activity involved) and I struck up a conversation with Janelle, the nice lady stabbing my arm with a needle. I told her I worked in advertising, and she was immediately impressed. "My goodness! That must be exciting. On Bewitched, Darrin was in advertising."

After recovering from the timely cultural reference, I smiled and said "Yes ma'am, and that's exactly what advertising is like."

Advertising is a romanticized profession. Hollywood portrays advertising as a fast-paced, sexy profession and people like to picture it that way. So, I'm officially bringing the 'sexy' back to advertising. From now on, I'm gonna wear suits to the office everyday. I'm gonna drink scotch at lunch and scream at my imaginary assistant to take letters as I dictate.

So, dear coworkers, when you smell the cigar smoke from downstairs, I hope you give a little smile and remember, Scott's bringing it back.

You're dismissed.

I am Tandi’s lack of creativity.

The left side of my brain wants to blog about something important or factual to appear as though I follow trends or politics or something of the like. But, the right side of my brain is pointing and laughing hysterically because it knows the truth. I’m more of a random, intuitive and subjective thought processor. I look at things as ‘whole parts’ rather than trying to break them down to be analyzed. I’m your typical daydreamer. This is my head in a nutshell, and below are my random thoughts.

Eleventy-two is my favorite made-up number.

Laughing makes everything better.

That goofy bear from the Jungle Book REALLY gets on my nerves.

I’ve always wanted to go to the moon.

Jack and the Beanstalk was my favorite childhood story. (My daddy told it the best!)

My son’s intelligence amazes me.

My daughter’s facial expressions crack me UP.

I really don’t like to cook.

I’m very interested in learning how to Salsa.

I will never own another PC.

Traffic ticks me off!!

I don’t know how I ever functioned before I bought my iPhone.

Tulips make me smile.

Blogs make me nervous.

The end.

Have you ever walked down the laundry detergent aisle and looked at the bottles? Not just your bottle (it seems that most everyone has a particular kind that they buy) but all of the bottles? It's a huge aisle!! How are you supposed to pick the "right" kind?!