Rewind Wednesday: Paperwork Hell

After reading this post, I have a renewed interest in a goal that I set out to accomplish two years ago. Reading has always been a favorite pastime of mine, and reading at least twenty books on that list will be accomplished soon. Looking back, I was so much more optimistic about my future as a MBA grad. Considering I did eventually take classes (which ultimately didn’t transfer) overseas, I was so ambitious about earning the degree vs. gaining valuable experience. One thing I have learned is that life has this funny way of teaching us things…

Enjoy!

Paperwork Hell…

February 17, 2005

Well, things are slowing down here (both with the war and my unit) so there is not too much more to report of. I still plan on sitting down and going over my typical day, so stay tuned. This past week I have been on tower duty (basically guarding the perimeter of this base) so I have not done anything too exciting. We (and SGT Kevin, I will just try to use first names) were in the tower and we did not see anything at all out of the ordinary which is of course a good thing. Other than that, things are still the same here.

I am still in the process of applying to take some graduate courses at American Military University (to fill in the core course of the Master’s degree that I am pursuing through Capital University ) and it is very difficult. Not being able to contact people and institutions directly does place somewhat of a strain on myself, but I think everything will work out fine. The military is slated to pay 100% of the education, but it seems that they want me to jump through 10,000 hoops to get there so it is at times frustrating.

In other news I have added another goal to my already ambitious lists (can never have too many goals). I am going to set out to read at least twenty of the books from this list (I already have four) and ten books from the non-fiction list. I guess knowledge is power, and I want to empower myself to the fullest potential.

On the American front, it seems that we are facing very scary times. With the “axis of evil” in the news everyday, I often worry about how long it will be until we launch our next pre-emptive attack on one of these countries. I just pray that our leaders are making the right decisions, I just wish all war could go away. I definitely would like to study more about war (on the theoretical side) just to understand why it becomes necessary, and what is usually resolved (since the policy has moved away from “war” and more towards “police actions”. Oh well, enough rambling for now, better get back to work!

Naming Your Child For Success

As a parent, you can never under-estimate your ability to influence you child’s life. Decisions that are made today will have an effect on the child’s entire life. The first major decision parents face is what to name their child and this decision could have a large impact on your child’s future success.

This is the most basic lesson in personal branding, but many people largely take it for granted. Recently, Neil Patel a blogger at Quick Sprout, posed the question to his readers How Do You Name A Baby For Success? There were a number of responses and it became clear that your name is a large part of your brand.

Think about some of the biggest names in the media today, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton, Brad Pitt, Angelia Jolie have strong names that separate them from the pack. I would argue that a large part of their success comes from a strong name that stands out. Of course, similar boring names have also achieved great success, Will Smith in particular, comes to mind. The question, however, is how important is your name for success?

Would you remember Mark Twain if he was just Samuel Clemens? Would you laugh at Whoopi Goldberg if her name was Caryn Johnson? These two icons realized the importance of a name that communicated their personal brands. According to the Social Security Administration, the top baby names of 2007 are Jacob and Emily. In 1907 John and Mary were the most popular names names in America (James was number three in 1907, and out of the top 20 in 2007, go figure). A great name can go along way in what you end up becoming.

While your name alone will not guarantee your success, it will go a long way as your child grows to become a professional. Parents should keep this in mind when naming their children. What name would best reflect this person in the future? Will naming your child Apple or Seven actually improve the chances of your child succeeding? Probably not. A strong name, however, can be the first building block of developing the personal brand of your child. Just ask my son, James Seay Jr. (-:

Rewind Wednesday: Trying To Adjust

Every Wednesday, I examine a post from the past and try to make sense of exactly what I was thinking at the moment. This post was written in early 2005 after being in Iraq just under one month. Up until actually arriving in Baghdad, I was scared out of my mind. Images from television, books, and movies formed everything I knew about fighting for my country in a foreign land. After a few weeks, however, my innermost fears where far from reality. Believe it or not, I worked in an office setting and had Seattle’s Best coffee powering my day. The war, however, still raged outside of the comfy confines of Camp Liberty.

After actually realizing what war is (moments of shear excitement, followed by long periods of boredom) I was surprised to FOX News reporting about the heavy attacks on my base, while I watched explosions on TV. Now in my position, we were the first to know about attacks on our base, but Geraldo was telling us, on live TV, that the attacks were coming as revolt to the elections that were taking place. The elections came and went, and over the course of a year in Iraq very little changed, go figure. Since that moment, however, I have been highly suspcious of any reporting done by FOX News, CNN, or even MSNBC. Unfortunately, these outlets are trying to sell a product and in the meantime the real news slips by.

Today, the daily happenings in Iraq or Afghanistan take a back page to Paris Hilton’s latests exploit or the dumbest slip-up by John McCain or Barack Obama. Still, there are men and women putting their lives on the line to help make America a better place. They deserve much better from the media, and American public.

Time turn back the clock to January 26, 2005…….

Trying to adjust…

No, I have not been slacking on writing, but it has been difficult trying to adjust. We are in the middle of trying to replace a unit that is now leaving, and I guess it will take a few more days. In the meantime, I am currently working a twelve hour shift – everyday. They say things will slow down, but we shall see!

Anyways, Iraq is a lot different than what I thought it would be. For instance, it is very cold and has rained for three days straight (it is extremely muddy). The city is in very poor shape (obviously). On this morning, around three o’clock (a.m.) I got another reason to hate our media. In the Tactical Operations Center (where I work) there is a satellite television (for intel purposes). So usually the television is on FOX News, and Geraldo Riveria was reporting live from Camp Liberty (the base that I am at in South Baghdad). So I guess as he was giving his report illumination rounds went off (not the kind that kill, they just light up the sky) and he was just going ballistic as to give the impression that we were getting attacked. Nonetheless, that very image can be misconstrewed in the states to look like an attack (we speculated that FOX News, and all there sensationalism called for the rounds), but really things are not that bad here. Still we are taking special precautions (can’t go into detail for obvious reasons) for the up coming elections. I just hope all goes well!

Branding Disaster – The Worst Company in America

Have you ever dealt with a firm that you believed to be the worst company in America? In branding circles, we often cite companies that are branded well; Google, Disney, Harley-Davidson, and Nike are a few companies that may come to mind when you think of a good brand (company). What companies come to mind when you think of the worst company in America? Well, there is no need to fret as the people at The Consumerist have provided tournament to decide which company is the worst in America.

Who is the worst company in America?

The worst companies were initially picked by the websites readers and each week the worst company advances. Similar to the NCAA’s March Madness, it started off with 64 companies (why didn’t they have the play-in?) that were assigned ranks by the number of votes they received. After many months of companies “battling” it out, four companies have risen (or fell) to the final four; Walmart, Comcast, Countrywide, and Diebold. It will be interesting to see which company will earn the title of the “Worst Company in America” (and the infamous golden “dog pile” award). One thing is for certain, each company has suffered massive branding disasters. As time progresses, it will be interesting to see which of these companies will continue to survive. Walmart has already begun the process of shedding its image with rebranding, what about the other companies?

What is the worst company in the world to you?

How You Can Change the World

How would you like to completely change the world? As a child, I often dreamed about making a difference in the world. My dreams always centered around me ruling the world with an iron fist. This view change when my professor challenged me to change the world one person at a time. While world domination would be nice, I have discovered another way to change the world, with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) has been in existence for over 100 and has one mission, to improve the lives of youth through mentoring. The value proposition is simple, people connect and lives are enhanced. According to the BBBS website, your time directly contributes to the development of America’s future:

• More confident in their schoolwork performance
• Able to get along better with their families
• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
• 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
• 52% less likely to skip school.

The organization has helped power many youth to more successful, fulfilling lives and it is much easier than world domination.

My time with BBBS in the past was very fulfilling, and I am looking forward to connecting with a Columbus area 8th grader through a new BBBS program called Project Mentor.

Don’t follow my foolish dreams of the past, world domination is so not cool. I encourage you to change the world by dedicating your spare time to our future, the youth.

Volunteer with BBBS

Volunteer with Project Mentor

Watch Video about Project Mentor

Dr. Helen L. Brown — American Hero

No words can express the love and compassion Dr. Brown has had for people everywhere. To know her is to love her. She will be greatly missed. My heart is heavy but I know the praise in heaven is reigning out, a true warrior of God has come home. Thank you Dr. Brown for living a life of sacrifice so we all can have another example of what true holy living is all about. My life will never be the same from knowing Dr. Helen L. Brown

-Lionel Dwayne Brock

On Friday, July 3rd my Grandmother, Dr. Helen L. Brown took her rightful place in heaven. Although many have (and will) mourn her passing, she truly made the world a better place while she was here. Over the span of 80 years, she established herself as a faithful servant to God and those who came into contact with her. Dr. Brown embodied many of the traits that are found in a successful leader; strength, compassion, and mercy. Yet, her personal brand is rooted in two words, faith and love.

Faith is defined on “belief that is not based on proof” and my Grandmother lived her life based on her faith in God. This faith, however, was not for the pulpit alone. It extended to many, many people across the globe. Her faith in God lead her to change the lives of people who lacked faith and hope.

Love is one of the most confusing words in the English language. With such a wide variety of meaning, it is difficult to understand what love really is, unless you knew my Grandmother. Not many people glow with love, but Dr. Brown did. As Lionel mentioned, to know her is to love her and many people felt the same.

I am proud to have been in the presence of Dr. Helen L. Brown in my short time on Earth. Her faith and love serve as a wonderful example of an American hero. I will always miss her smile, her advice, and her touch. You will always be in my heart, and I know you are looking down smiling on me. I love you Grandma.

Obituary from The Toledo Blade

Dr. Helen L. (Harris) , age 80, of Toledo, departed this life July 3, 2008. She was born March 9, 1928, to the union of William and Henrietta (Boyle) Harris. She graduated from Jesup W. Scott High School and she then went on to graduate from nursing school. She received her Doctorate of Divinity from Christian Bible Center Institute of New Jersey. Dr. Brown’s spiritual background includes over 24 years of youth ministry and evangelism at Trinity Faith Tabernacle where she became pastor in 1988. She was known throughout the world as an anointed, spirit-filled prophetess and dynamic woman of God who believed in preaching and teaching true holiness. She believed in staying before the Lord in prayer. Dr. Brown carried a great love for people and she established many outreach programs. No matter where she went, everyone fell in love with her. To know her was to love her. Dr. Brown was married to the late Elder William Brown for over 50 years and within this marriage (4) beautiful children were born: son, William (Christine) Brown II; daughters, Katherine (Joe) McKinney, Patricia (Bobby) Smith; brother, Herbert Johnson. She had (5) daughters who lived in her home and with guidance and love she helped rear; 35 grandchildren and 25 great-grand-children. She was preceded in eternal life by her daughter, Emma (Cliff) Woodward and 11 siblings. Memorial Visitation will be on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 from 6-8 p.m., viewing will be 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 9, 2008, funeral service to follow at 11:30 a.m., all at Trinity Faith Tabernacle, 1302 N. Huron St. Assistant Pastor Earnest Morton, Dr. Eloise Young, Eulogist. Interment, Historic Woodlawn Cemetery.

Sign/View her guest book

Wal-Mart is Changing It’s Logo, So What!?

The people at Wal-Mart (now Walmart) can either be considered as geniuses or plum crazy. Depending on your perspective, the new logo for Walmart could signal a more focused brand image for the huge retailer. According to the Wall Street Journal, Walmart is rebranding itself as a wide spread strategy to shed it’s old image.

The logo has gone through numerous changes since it’s humble beginnings. Check out the history as found on Brand New.

Most people might see this change as overkill, but in my opinion it makes a lot of sense for the retail giant to continue it’s dominance for two reasons strategic leadership and differentiation.

Strategic Leadership

One of Walmart’s major competitors, Target, has done a very good job branding the company as of late. The famous bull-eye and bold red color have done wonders to separate the Target brand from other major retailers. The redesign of stores offers discount prices in a more “upscale” store setting. This has been a weakness for Walmart for a while. Many people do enjoy Walmart’s low prices, but what else does Walmart actually offer customers? Poor customer service, low quality products, and HUGE stores. The logo change could be the beginning of a more focused Walmart. While the store will probably offer the same superstores, the new Walmart logo could be applied more widely. I can see it already, the Walmart “sunbrust” on newly brand smaller supermarkets or pet stores. Creating a master brand could make it easier for Walmart to strategically put it’s stamp on other business ventures.

Differentiation

The new logo is different and the color are much more vibrant. Have you ever seen blue and thought Walmart? With the new color scheme and symbol, over time you just connect similar imagery to Walmart. Once again, this is something that Target has done very well with it’s red visuals and bulls-eye. Arguably, the new design is something that is a little different from what you will see from other companies. I was in a Walmart store tonight, and I am already starting to see the Walmart “sunburst” throughout the store.

Overall, the logo change is probably a little bit late considering Target’s re-branding efforts. Walmart, however, will soon be able to use it’s “sunburst” for strategic leadership and differentiation. With the wealth of resources that Walmart has at it’s disposal, it will be a matter of time before people begin to recognize the “sunburst” with Walmart the new and improved branding effort. While the jury is still out on the “sunburst” as the symbol, its a welcome start to secure dominance in the ever changing market place.