My new title: Dad²

Becoming a father changes you forever! I might have waited until my mid 30’s to become a father but it doesn’t really matter what age you are. Well, I guess being too old to help out with the 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. feedings (yes, feedings, plural because we had twins) would take something away from it, not to mention my wife would put me in a choke hold in my sleep (what sleep?).

The best way I can describe becoming a Dad is it’s the best day of your life but also the scariest. It is the greatest challenge but the best challenge. My sons Trevor and Caleb were born on May 5th, yes, Cinco de Mayo. At least we’ll have festive birthday parties and we can use the same decorations year after year and not worry about different party themes. And it gives me a great excuse to rent the ever-so-wanted margarita machine!

Becoming a father is nothing short of a miracle and the experience changed my life forever in a split second. Very few things have brought me to my knees in life but when you hear that first cry (or cries in my situation) – you can’t help but feel the jello in your knees.

I have a whole new respect for all mothers and fathers out there. I’m thrilled to be part of the “club” now. And the respect I have for my wife is untouchable. She is a miracle. I’m truly a blessed husband and a proud papa. It gives you a whole new purpose in life when you have children.

My Top 10 lessons and learns for the first week of being a father, and husband:
1. You quickly learn how to hold a baby and try to keep one hand free at all times
2. Stick to a feeding schedule as long as you can
3. Eat when you can – or it is a good diet the first two weeks
4. Sleep when they sleep
5. Do whatever your wife asks of you, no questions…she has been through way more than you
6. Pay someone to do your lawn and grab a cold beer instead
7. Get Pampers instead of Huggies and you can tear the wipes in half to conserve
8. Take a lot of pictures and get a FlipVideo camera ($100-$150 on Amazon)
9. If you don’t have one - get an iPhone before the birth for emailing quick photos
10. There is nothing better in life than having your baby sleep on your chest!!!
*Bonus learn: Changing a boys diaper can be challenging…”the fountain”

Congratulations to Ernest Health! – Hospitals named Top 10% in the U.S.

Congratulations to Ernest Health's (EHI) inpatient rehabilitation facilities - Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico (RHSNM), Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital (NCRH), South Texas Rehabilitation Hospital (STRH), Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (MVRRH), Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (GRRH) and Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital (EVRH) - for being ranked in the top 10% of 813 inpatient rehabilitation facilities in the IRF database of Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (UDSMR) in 2008.

For the third consecutive year, Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico (RHSNM), Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital (NCRH) and South Texas Rehabilitation Hospital (STRH) were cited for care that is effective, efficient, timely and patient-centered. Mountain Valley Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (MVRRH) has been recognized for the past two years and, EHI's newest facilities, Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital (GRRH) and Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital (EVRH) were both recognized during their first year of operation.

Congratulations to the dedicated staff of all facilities for achieving this recognition!

So, Did I Hear You Correctly?

In the past three days I’ve had two clients tell me horror stories of agencies not listening to them. This really got me thinking about the art of listening. We here at mundayMorning tout that we listen, we approach every client and project with a blank sheet and that our Discovery & Analysis process sets us apart. That is great and I take great pride in touting that part of our personality but it is not the process so much as the art. The art of listening is where so many people go wrong.

Now do not get me wrong, some people just flat out suck at listening period. Three years ago, I was tasked by my wife to buy the family a mini-van. After fighting this idea and the last move to try and domesticate me forever, I finally gave in to the “request.” She knew exactly what she wanted and had done every bit of investigation and research one human can do on this topic. She was the Albert Einstein of mini-van knowledge. This was a no brainer for me. Even I could not screw this up. I walked in, sat with a New Car Sales Representative and said to the man, “Sir, this is going to be the easiest sale you will make today. I need a Honda Odyssey Touring Edition with Black exterior, Tan interior, a DVD system and Navigation.” The man listened and then said back to me, “Jeff, lets go over the features of the Odyssey and figure out what you really want.” Dude! Did you not just hear the specific list of exactly what my wife told me to come here and buy? I just handed it you on a silver platter. I simply got out of my chair and walked out.

The art of listening is more than regurgitation. It is more than trying to say, “I hear you.” It is hearing what lies beneath. Why is this client telling me this? What is the real pain point they are asking me to solve? What is their real vision they are trying to convey to me? What are they absolutely stating to me in black and white and does not need my spin on it? Deciphering all of those things sets the listeners you want to do business with apart from the ones you just want to get out of your chair and walk out.

mundayMorning welcomes a new client

We are proud and thrilled here at mundayMorning to announce a new client Reflect Systems, Inc. Reflect came to us looking for a comprehensive brand positioning plan along with many other things. Reflect is a leading provider of digital signage software and services in the enterprise space. We are excited to be working with such an innovative company. You can learn more about Reflect Systems at www.reflectsystems.com.

Star Wars and Brand Loyalty

The art of brand loyalty was shoved into my face by my 5 year-old son while on vacation last week. We took the kids to Disney World, and all that my son cared about was that there was a Star Wars ride. You see, Star Wars holds a special place in my life as I probably saw Star Wars 100 times in the theater while I was a small tot. I acted like Han Solo (Luke whined too much for my 5-yr-old taste) and wanted to believe that Chewbacca really existed.

I grew up into an adult Star Wars nerd that loves the original 3 films, and I have tried to pass that love onto my son. Here’s where brand loyalty and my Star Wars love became hotly contested. Much to my frustration, my son loves the newest 3 Star Wars movies made by Lucas. He loves all the cool action, Anakin Skywalker turning into a young Darth Vader, and yes, he even loves Jar Jar Binks. This is blasphemy to purists like me. How could my son have wandered off the purist path so far at such a young age? While at Disney he ended up not liking the ride because none of the new “cool” characters are part of it. His brand loyalty was tested. Are you kidding me? Do you know what I would have given to virtually fly through space with C-3PO and R2-D2 when I was 5?

This is what happens with brands. There is an emotional connection that consumers have to that brand that is personal when done correctly. My connection to the Star Wars brand is the same as my son’s; the love we have developed for the movies at such young ages. Mine is now a memory or a feeling I get when watching the original movies that reminds me of my childhood. For my son it is the connection he has to them right now.

Great brands make personal connections and weave themselves into the fabric of their consumers. Those brands then consistently look for ways to connect with new generations of consumers and give the same opportunity to connect as they gave to past consumers. That might mean changing, evolving, listening and engaging more with what the new generation needs. For my son it’s wild action with lots of computer generated coolness, while for me it was some guy dressed up like an enormous Wookie and the old-fashioned illusion of another world created and put on a big screen for me to bask in its cinematic glory.

As much as it pains me to say, Disney needs to update the ride to better reflect what the brand means to the new generation and not just cater to old Star Wars Nerds like me.

Yes, I said it. Wow that hurt.

Which generation of Star Wars are you?

Client Update: AESS Logo Design

Auto Equipment Sales & Service (AESS) was looking to enhance their brand image and Website design. They didn't have a logo design that communicated the sophistication of their services and they were primarily relying on their Website to drive sales. The new ownership realized they had to do something to make them standout in their industry and create a trustworthy feel with their prospective buyers. It was important to keep in mind the target audience: mechanics, automotive shops and small family-owned brake repair shops. This logo screams their industry of course but when you catch the A and E in the bug of the logo it has that touch of smartness the client was looking for.