Mission: Logo

I finally did it. After several months of hand-wringing over what I wanted my company logo to look like, I finally settled on a design. I wanted something classic, that my clients and potential clients would remember...something that paid tribute to the Bay that I loved and stayed true to the classic product I produced. I didn’t want trendy. I wanted universal.
I think we accomplished that task very well.

With special thanks to the talents of graphic artists Karen Arrington who executed perfectly what I wanted...and graphic artist Jodie Morris, who helped me get my brain around a vision, this is it. Then the first run of labels came off the Nebel Printing presses in Rockville, Md., I wanted to cry. A long-time vision was realized.

I’ve spent the last few weeks immersed in Russell Simmon’s book, “Do You: 12 Laws To Access The Power In You To Achieve Happiness And Success,” an excellent primer on making your business reflect your values and personal mission statement.

While I have not been a fan of hip-hop music by any stretch of the imagination, I have been impressed with how Simmons transformed his Phat Farm brand into a fashion powerhouse – and by extension the Baby Phat and KLS brands run by his diva-licious ex-wife Kimora Lee Simmons, all of which rival the major design houses in both the United States and Europe. He latched into an untapped market for urban haute couture and made, quite literally, billions of dollars.

While most of us who run kitchen table businesses may not realistically reach the heights that Simmons has with his company in terms of revenue generation, but certainly many of his philosophies are worth attention. What really caught my attention was his advice that one has to listen to what they think is good and true about their product and translate that message to their customers. Listening to people who have no idea of what your vision is, and who, if allowed to, can sully it – sometimes irreparably.

A brand is a reflection of the person who owns it. It can represent one’s views on the environment, children, hunger, housing, health, well-being, spirit, religion...the list is endless. This is most evident with kitchen table businesses. As much as some of the larger conglomerates believe that their brand stands for something, by the time it reaches the consumer by way of a poor product and dismal service, then its message is distilled and ultimately ineffectual.


Kathy A. Gambrell
Founder
ChesapeakeBayBathandBody.com

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