Category Archives: New Work

posted by Julie

Nov 29, 2012 @ 12:55pm

Leadership, Leventis style.

You don’t often you find yourself face to face with a bona fide community icon. Even more interesting, I found myself at this particular community icon’s kitchen table. Invited.

This summer, I was given an interesting writing assignment. I was to do four interviews with Jim Leventis, one of the founders of First Community Bank, to fuel a blog series about leadership. As a mostly-native Columbian I knew of Jim, but I really didn’t know much about him. So, in the days leading up to the first interview, I absorbed a lot of information about the many, many career and community service accomplishments of Jim Leventis.

The son, political candidate, USC graduate, entrepreneur, Eagle Scout, fraternity brother and all around hard worker had a career that launched with the Brennen Elementary School Safety Patrol and actually never ended, even though he formally retired in 2009. By the time I learned about the blue bandana, his backyard farming aspirations and the stand-up desk, it was clear. I was delving into the memories and experiences of a Midlands legend. Not only that, I had to organize those hours of great stories, opinions and experiences, and then share them with the rest of the world.

I learned so much in those hours of interviewing this summer. I would often find myself swimming in his stories, listening rather than taking notes or formulating follow-up questions. I enjoyed getting to know him, his wife Laura and, in one later interview, their daughter Laurie, one of their four accomplished children. That I got to experience his earnest honesty, homespun pluck and mindful drive first hand are gifts I will forever cherish.

The series, called Lessons in Leadership, has much to offer whether you approach it as a manager, employer, dreamer, parent, activist or community volunteer. Six posts strong already, the series will continue on into the next year.

I now understand Jim Leventis is a rare breed, both a community and business leader. His methods of achieving success — both personally and professionally — are simple and effective. Listening intently. Working diligently. Caring for fellow community members. Inspiring others. Showing, not just saying.

These lessons aren’t being shared to glorify him or his legacy. It’s actually far simpler than that. Lessons in Leadership is for the up-and-coming generation of community volunteers, business people and community members that will work to leave Columbia better than they found it.

That single, noble goal is the purpose shared by generation after generation of Leventises. Isn’t it a goal we all could stand to embrace a little tighter?

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posted by Kevin

Nov 14, 2012 @ 11:59am

New Work: St. Lawrence Place

St. Lawrence Place is a 30-home community where homeless families can find skills and shelter that foster independence and free them from the grip of poverty. We recently helped them update their brand with a new brand platform, an enhanced case for support, a new logo and identity package and the launch of an easy-to-use website that appropriately explains the “why” to donors and the “how” to those seeking assistance. Check out their new look below and then head over to www.stlawrenceplace.org to see the work they are doing to help break the cycle of poverty.


 

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posted by Julie

Sep 17, 2012 @ 8:59am

A power-packed website for a powerhouse brand.

I’ve written websites before. Plenty of websites. Never, however, have I written one quite on par with one recently launched by design-build powerhouse Haskell, www.haskell.com.

The site was planned, designed and implemented by truematter — my fellow WECO mates and all-around usability hotshots. All of their Interweb magic spun off of some great brand platform development work done by the fine folks at Riggs Partners. Me? I threw in a handful or a thousand of words and followed those truematterian character counts to a tee.

Haskell’s new website was a labor of love so big it crossed weeks, months and a couple of seasons. One of the big constants throughout the massive project? A fantastic client. Throughout the project, Haskell folks researched, listened, debated, trusted, edited and, in the end, grew their brand on a level where too few companies have the chutzpah to tread.

We were thrilled to launch the website to great success a few weeks ago. But last week we were called down to Jacksonville for something brand teams don’t get to do a lot of any more: celebrate.

During the trip, our client team shared a few highlights that have come to pass since the site went live. As a whole, the company was proud. The new website was the talk of the elevators, cafeteria, jobsites and countless inboxes. We also learned it had already been a very effective lead development tool. Within hours of the launch, a new business lead. Within days, yet another.

The launch of a useful website carries a great feeling of pride. Doing it on a level that’s this polished and usable, just ratchets up the awesome factor. What’s best, though, is that the entire project was a best-practice lesson in teamwork.

We believed what we were doing mattered. And sometimes that’s the best sauce of all.

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