BUSINESS CARD IDEA, PART 1: There are countless creative freelancers out there trying to get attention, I had to stand out and carve an individual space for myself in a cluttered industry. Basically, the same problem many of my clients face. “Doctor heal thyself!” To get some inspiration I began to sort through the hundreds of business cards I’ve accumulated over the years. If the eyes are the window into your the soul, then business cards are the window into your business. I sifted through the piles of generic looking cards - many of which were from leading global ad and media companies. Dreadfully unimaginative - why would I trust any of these people to develop game changing ideas for my business? At the end of my session I had three piles: great cards, good cards and forgettable cards. The great cards had strong personalities, communicated the service offering and were of high quality. Ultimately, it’s a physical thing and has to feel right in the hand as well as look the part. I kept going back to Olson’s cards, an agency I met while working on Unilever business in Chicago. Their cards were simple, well produced, smaller than normal and a lovely weight. They just had a certain “something.” I knew if I could get the card right, the rest of my “brand” and business spiel would follow on naturally. Early drafts I wanted something minimal. My industry suffers from a glut of over blown, blow hard job titles. In the USA every one is a VP, I’d imagine this is a vain attempt to impress clients. I always liked my Cunning NYC job title: Head Creative Bloke. It communicated what I offered, my seniority and gave a cheeky nod to our British origins and irreverent agency culture. Clients seemed to enjoy it and it was a good ice breaker. For my own gig, I wasn’t keen on having a title but I did need communicate the following: My name What I do for clients Where to reach me Where to find more info / case studies etc Here is a picture of the first draft. Email on one side, on the other, the word, “Ideas.” The blue was taken using an app that extracts RGB from photos. I took a photo of the sky and this is the deep blue of a past summer in the Catskills. The minimal vibe was working but it was boring with it. No story, forgettable. I chucked the whole run in the recycle and went back to the drawing board…

BUSINESS CARD IDEA, PART 1:

There are countless creative freelancers out there trying to get attention, I had to stand out and carve an individual space for myself in a cluttered industry. Basically, the same problem many of my clients face. “Doctor heal thyself!”

To get some inspiration I began to sort through the hundreds of business cards I’ve accumulated over the years. If the eyes are the window into your the soul, then business cards are the window into your business.

I sifted through the piles of generic looking cards - many of which were from leading global ad and media companies. Dreadfully unimaginative - why would I trust any of these people to develop game changing ideas for my business?

At the end of my session I had three piles: great cards, good cards and forgettable cards.

The great cards had strong personalities, communicated the service offering and were of high quality.

Ultimately, it’s a physical thing and has to feel right in the hand as well as look the part.

I kept going back to Olson’s cards, an agency I met while working on Unilever business in Chicago. Their cards were simple, well produced, smaller than normal and a lovely weight. They just had a certain “something.”

I knew if I could get the card right, the rest of my “brand” and business spiel would follow on naturally.

Early drafts

I wanted something minimal.

My industry suffers from a glut of over blown, blow hard job titles. In the USA every one is a VP, I’d imagine this is a vain attempt to impress clients.

I always liked my Cunning NYC job title: Head Creative Bloke. It communicated what I offered, my seniority and gave a cheeky nod to our British origins and irreverent agency culture. Clients seemed to enjoy it and it was a good ice breaker.

For my own gig, I wasn’t keen on having a title but I did need communicate the following:

My name What I do for clients Where to reach me Where to find more info / case studies etc

Here is a picture of the first draft. Email on one side, on the other, the word, “Ideas.”

The blue was taken using an app that extracts RGB from photos. I took a photo of the sky and this is the deep blue of a past summer in the Catskills.

The minimal vibe was working but it was boring with it. No story, forgettable.

I chucked the whole run in the recycle and went back to the drawing board…

PACKAGING IDEA: Been going to a ton of meetings over the past week. I’m trying to avoid boardrooms and instead meet folk for sunny lunches or afternoon cocktails. Business with pleasure - that’s what you get with me :) Met a fantastic woman from an extraordinary interactive agency during Internet week. We had a glass of wine and sat on a lovey roof deck as the sun began to dip below the Hudson. Sat next to us were these suave French tourists. They were smoking elegant skinny cigarettes that came in this beautiful packaging. Not as beautiful as my new business cards but not bad…

PACKAGING IDEA: Been going to a ton of meetings over the past week. I’m trying to avoid boardrooms and instead meet folk for sunny lunches or afternoon cocktails. Business with pleasure - that’s what you get with me :)

Met a fantastic woman from an extraordinary interactive agency during Internet week.

We had a glass of wine and sat on a lovey roof deck as the sun began to dip below the Hudson.

Sat next to us were these suave French tourists. They were smoking elegant skinny cigarettes that came in this beautiful packaging.

Not as beautiful as my new business cards but not bad…

POSTER IDEA: Slapped on a wall in China Town, NYC . Artist unknown.

POSTER IDEA: Slapped on a wall in China Town, NYC . Artist unknown.

CSR SLOGAN IDEA: Many moons before google appeared along with its “don’t be evil” mantra, this sign hung in a newcastle bar called the Trent house. I spent my formative working years there. Proper sweating at the end of day kind of work too. These days I moan about aching fingers from too much typing. Poor me :( A decade and a bit later, the bar is being sold and the owner, my former boss and friend Tom offered to ship any memento I fancied from the bar to NYC. A week later this arrived. It spent a few years adoring the walls of cunning NYC and is now in my bathroom hall way. Im mostly nice to people but this serves well as a good morning reminder for my daily business interactions and “corporate social responsibility”’ touch stone.

CSR SLOGAN IDEA: Many moons before google appeared along with its “don’t be evil” mantra, this sign hung in a newcastle bar called the Trent house.

I spent my formative working years there. Proper sweating at the end of day kind of work too. These days I moan about aching fingers from too much typing. Poor me :(

A decade and a bit later, the bar is being sold and the owner, my former boss and friend Tom offered to ship any memento I fancied from the bar to NYC. A week later this arrived.

It spent a few years adoring the walls of cunning NYC and is now in my bathroom hall way. Im mostly nice to people but this serves well as a good morning reminder for my daily business interactions and “corporate social responsibility”’ touch stone.

LIVE WINDOW DISPLAY IDEA: Bunny rabbit in the window of a SoHo clothing store. Watched a lot of people check it out but no people go in. The store succeeded in the first rule of advertising : get attention but failed to engage or spur action of any kind. That said, I overheard someone say they were calling PETA. The rabbit looked perfectly happy to me.

LIVE WINDOW DISPLAY IDEA: Bunny rabbit in the window of a SoHo clothing store.

Watched a lot of people check it out but no people go in.

The store succeeded in the first rule of advertising : get attention but failed to engage or spur action of any kind.

That said, I overheard someone say they were calling PETA.

The rabbit looked perfectly happy to me.

NEW CAREER IDEA Part 2: Wow. I didn’t quite expect a response like that for the launch of my own thing yesterday. A sincere ‘thank you’ for all your messages of support, meeting offers and helpful advice. Spent the past 48 hours dealing with emails and organizing meetings. I really can’t wait for the next few weeks. I took a break today to march through the driving New York April rain with a ton of different paper stock to meet the business card printer. I can’t wait to see how they turn out on Friday. Anyway, thanks again. New email is: Ideas@FloydHayes.com

NEW CAREER IDEA Part 2: Wow. I didn’t quite expect a response like that for the launch of my own thing yesterday.

A sincere ‘thank you’ for all your messages of support, meeting offers and helpful advice.

Spent the past 48 hours dealing with emails and organizing meetings. I really can’t wait for the next few weeks.

I took a break today to march through the driving New York April rain with a ton of different paper stock to meet the business card printer. I can’t wait to see how they turn out on Friday.

Anyway, thanks again.

New email is: Ideas@FloydHayes.com

NEW CAREER IDEA: I’ve resigned from Cunning after 14 years! Yowza. Six amazing years in London creating everything from mad cap PR stunts through to the world’s most successful small car launch for MINI Cooper. In 2004 I came to NYC to continue the Cunning story, creating award-winning work for Syfy, Unilever, HSBC amongst others. Now it is time to do my own thing. Today is the launch of my own marketing consulting gig: Floyd Hayes Consulting LLC. An overview of what I do can be found here: http://www.FloydHayes.com/bio My new email address is: Ideas@FloydHayes.com The email address is going to be the working name of the business, hence the snazzy new logo (pictured). I’ll report on my trials and tribulations here on the blog. Today is day one. I’m dressed, out of the house, things are going well!

NEW CAREER IDEA: I’ve resigned from Cunning after 14 years!

Yowza. Six amazing years in London creating everything from mad cap PR stunts through to the world’s most successful small car launch for MINI Cooper.

In 2004 I came to NYC to continue the Cunning story, creating award-winning work for Syfy, Unilever, HSBC amongst others.

Now it is time to do my own thing.

Today is the launch of my own marketing consulting gig: Floyd Hayes Consulting LLC.

An overview of what I do can be found here: http://www.FloydHayes.com/bio

My new email address is: Ideas@FloydHayes.com

The email address is going to be the working name of the business, hence the snazzy new logo (pictured).

I’ll report on my trials and tribulations here on the blog.

Today is day one. I’m dressed, out of the house, things are going well!

LOCAL HISTORY RESEARCH IDEA: I’m sitting on my fire escape in Brooklyn. I look over at a building that houses a drug clinic of some sort. Never any bother. Etched into the stone you can just about make out, “Rubel Coal and Ice Corp.” Intriguing elemental juxtaposition. Quick google and this fantastic character, Mr.Rubel emerged: “Samuel Rubel (1881-1949) was an immigrant from Russia in 1904. In the 1920 U. S. Census his occupation is described as “Coal Miner & Ice Retailer.” Quoting the New York Times (12 May 1949, p. 33) “Mr. Rubel emigrated to this country in 1904 from Riga, Latvia, at the age of 21. He started his career selling coal and ice with a horse-drawn wagon in the tenements in the East New York section of Brooklyn.” From his obituary in the New York Times (30 Apr 1949, p. 13): “The career of Samuel Rubel verged on the fabulous… His first route was the north side of Watkins Street, in the East New York section. He covered it with a horse and wagon… Up the tenement stoops Mr. Rubel personally carried his cakes of ice and bags of coal. His next move was to a coal platform, with an office on Pitkin Avenue. ‘That year I started selling to other peddlers,’ he said later… In 1925 he bought the majority stock of the Ice Service Corporation and also two other firms… Two years later his firm was merged with the Commonwealth Fuel Company and the Putnam Coal and Ice Company. The new concern, the Rubel Corporation, of which he became head, then had thirty-five coal pickets, forty ice factories and fifty coal and ice stations in the greater city. The same year Mr. Rubel bought the Ebling Brewery then in trouble with prohibition authorities for the manufacture and sale of beer. He planned to convert it into an ice-cream factory.” Rubel was still president of Ebling Brewery at the time of his death (undoubtedly it reverted to legal production of beer with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933) and his net worth was estimated at $8,000,000. A 32-room home in Roslyn, Long Island, was destroyed by fire in 1946. Rubel died at a later mansion called Sunset Hall in Ridgefield, Conn. The Rubel contents of Sunset Hall were sold at auction by the Parke-Bernet Galleries, 980 Madison Ave., Oct. 1950. An interesting history of Sunset Hall can be found at acorn-online.net. Apparently it was once considered as a site for the United Nations headquarters. Most biographies of Rubel give his year of immigration as 1904, but this one in the New York Times, 12 Feb. 1927, p. 27, gives a slightly different account: “Coming here as an immigrant from Russia in 1906, he was working for $3 a week in a Brooklyn stovepipe factory when he quit because of his inability to get a half dollar weekly raise, and started peddling coal from a sack in the tenement district. By the next season he was able to buy a pushcart to sell ice. In 1910 he was able to buy a full carload of coal and by 1912 had started his first coal and ice yard.” Yet another version appears in an earlier Times story, 20 Jan. 1927, p. 1: “Samuel Rubel, who began is career as a peddler of coal and ice in 1902 and who took his first carload of coal from a siding in 1910, will be President of the corporation” (speaking of the newly consolidated Rubel Corp. of Jan. 1927). Throughout his life Rubel was involved in what seems like an endless round of lawsuits, accusations and other legal difficulties. None, however, seems more interesting than an early matter involving an employee of his coal and ice company. In Feb. 1912 Rubel appeared in court to press charges of forgery and grand larceny against Dora Nachumowitz of 573 Blake Ave., Brownsville, Brooklyn. According to the New York Times, 4 Feb. 1912, p. 4, “Miss Nachumowitz was formerly bookkeeper for the company. It developed at the hearing that Rubel had promised to marry her, but the engagement had been broken. She then sued him for breach of promise. The suit is still pending.” Miss Nachumowitz was accused of indorsing a check for $50 payable to the company, then not entering the payment on the company books. She was held for a grand jury, but was released on providing $1000 bail. What happened to the case later I do not know, but subsequently Miss Dora Nachumowitz became Mrs. Samuel Rubel. She was still his wife at the time of his death, and was the primary beneficiary of his estate. Two daughters shared with her the $3,726,859 left after taxes. Dora N. Rubel re-married in 1959 (to Louis Daitch of the Daitch Supermarket Chain).”

LOCAL HISTORY RESEARCH IDEA: I’m sitting on my fire escape in Brooklyn. I look over at a building that houses a drug clinic of some sort. Never any bother.

Etched into the stone you can just about make out, “Rubel Coal and Ice Corp.” Intriguing elemental juxtaposition. Quick google and this fantastic character, Mr.Rubel emerged:

“Samuel Rubel (1881-1949) was an immigrant from Russia in 1904. In the 1920 U. S. Census his occupation is described as “Coal Miner & Ice Retailer.” Quoting the New York Times (12 May 1949, p. 33) “Mr. Rubel emigrated to this country in 1904 from Riga, Latvia, at the age of 21. He started his career selling coal and ice with a horse-drawn wagon in the tenements in the East New York section of Brooklyn.”

From his obituary in the New York Times (30 Apr 1949, p. 13): “The career of Samuel Rubel verged on the fabulous… His first route was the north side of Watkins Street, in the East New York section. He covered it with a horse and wagon… Up the tenement stoops Mr. Rubel personally carried his cakes of ice and bags of coal. His next move was to a coal platform, with an office on Pitkin Avenue. ‘That year I started selling to other peddlers,’ he said later… In 1925 he bought the majority stock of the Ice Service Corporation and also two other firms… Two years later his firm was merged with the Commonwealth Fuel Company and the Putnam Coal and Ice Company. The new concern, the Rubel Corporation, of which he became head, then had thirty-five coal pickets, forty ice factories and fifty coal and ice stations in the greater city. The same year Mr. Rubel bought the Ebling Brewery then in trouble with prohibition authorities for the manufacture and sale of beer. He planned to convert it into an ice-cream factory.”

Rubel was still president of Ebling Brewery at the time of his death (undoubtedly it reverted to legal production of beer with the repeal of Prohibition in 1933) and his net worth was estimated at $8,000,000. A 32-room home in Roslyn, Long Island, was destroyed by fire in 1946. Rubel died at a later mansion called Sunset Hall in Ridgefield, Conn. The Rubel contents of Sunset Hall were sold at auction by the Parke-Bernet Galleries, 980 Madison Ave., Oct. 1950. An interesting history of Sunset Hall can be found at acorn-online.net. Apparently it was once considered as a site for the United Nations headquarters.

Most biographies of Rubel give his year of immigration as 1904, but this one in the New York Times, 12 Feb. 1927, p. 27, gives a slightly different account: “Coming here as an immigrant from Russia in 1906, he was working for $3 a week in a Brooklyn stovepipe factory when he quit because of his inability to get a half dollar weekly raise, and started peddling coal from a sack in the tenement district. By the next season he was able to buy a pushcart to sell ice. In 1910 he was able to buy a full carload of coal and by 1912 had started his first coal and ice yard.” Yet another version appears in an earlier Times story, 20 Jan. 1927, p. 1: “Samuel Rubel, who began is career as a peddler of coal and ice in 1902 and who took his first carload of coal from a siding in 1910, will be President of the corporation” (speaking of the newly consolidated Rubel Corp. of Jan. 1927).

Throughout his life Rubel was involved in what seems like an endless round of lawsuits, accusations and other legal difficulties. None, however, seems more interesting than an early matter involving an employee of his coal and ice company. In Feb. 1912 Rubel appeared in court to press charges of forgery and grand larceny against Dora Nachumowitz of 573 Blake Ave., Brownsville, Brooklyn. According to the New York Times, 4 Feb. 1912, p. 4, “Miss Nachumowitz was formerly bookkeeper for the company. It developed at the hearing that Rubel had promised to marry her, but the engagement had been broken. She then sued him for breach of promise. The suit is still pending.” Miss Nachumowitz was accused of indorsing a check for $50 payable to the company, then not entering the payment on the company books. She was held for a grand jury, but was released on providing $1000 bail. What happened to the case later I do not know, but subsequently Miss Dora Nachumowitz became Mrs. Samuel Rubel. She was still his wife at the time of his death, and was the primary beneficiary of his estate. Two daughters shared with her the $3,726,859 left after taxes. Dora N. Rubel re-married in 1959 (to Louis Daitch of the Daitch Supermarket Chain).”

WORK SPACE IDEA: Scrubbing 2 years worth of mouse poo out from the shed AKA The Studio. It’s all glamour in this game…

WORK SPACE IDEA: Scrubbing 2 years worth of mouse poo out from the shed AKA The Studio.

It’s all glamour in this game…

RETAIL IDEA: Picture of Pete from the recent tasting at Newcastle’s first coffee roastary, Ouseburn Coffee Co. I brought back a bag of The Foundary blend. Good stuff, easily able to take on the local Joe. I’m looking forward to ordering the Coffee Johnny blend, produced to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the song-inspiring Blaydon Races. http://ouseburncoffee.wordpress.com/

RETAIL IDEA: Picture of Pete from the recent tasting at Newcastle’s first coffee roastary, Ouseburn Coffee Co.

I brought back a bag of The Foundary blend. Good stuff, easily able to take on the local Joe.

I’m looking forward to ordering the Coffee Johnny blend, produced to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the song-inspiring Blaydon Races.

http://ouseburncoffee.wordpress.com/

RETAIL IDEA: Noticed one or two of these floor stencils outside shops in my ‘hood. It siginifies the store’s participation in Shop Your Values Week (may 3-10) and supports business who consider local, ethical and sustainable agendas. http://www.shopyourvaluesweek.com/

RETAIL IDEA: Noticed one or two of these floor stencils outside shops in my ‘hood.

It siginifies the store’s participation in Shop Your Values Week (may 3-10) and supports business who consider local, ethical and sustainable agendas.

http://www.shopyourvaluesweek.com/

GAME IDEA: Windowsill is a remarkable game. I say game but it’s more like a digital toy. It’s a joy to play with, gently challenging and beautiful to look at. I’m not a fan of iOS gaming but this has shown me there are some developers out there who are pushing the imaginative boundaries of touchscreen games. Highly recommended my only wish there was more.

GAME IDEA: Windowsill is a remarkable game. I say game but it’s more like a digital toy. It’s a joy to play with, gently challenging and beautiful to look at.

I’m not a fan of iOS gaming but this has shown me there are some developers out there who are pushing the imaginative boundaries of touchscreen games.

Highly recommended my only wish there was more.

1978 COMPETITION IDEA: One of my Newcastle Rituals is to root through all the old stuff I’ve left at my grandparent’s house. Echoes from young child hood, teen years and beyond… This picture was taken from the 1978 Swap Shop annual. A reference perhaps 10 of my readers will get. No matter, look at this wicked cool calculator! Sinclair also appeared later in my life in 1982 with the release of the Sinclair Spectrum, home computer (mentioned a few posts ago). I was a proud nerd in those days. Waaaaaay before it was hip :). I actually had a picture of Sir Clive Sinclair on my wall. Most boys at that age would rather have football players or Sam Fox (google her). Ah. Good times.

1978 COMPETITION IDEA: One of my Newcastle Rituals is to root through all the old stuff I’ve left at my grandparent’s house. Echoes from young child hood, teen years and beyond…

This picture was taken from the 1978 Swap Shop annual. A reference perhaps 10 of my readers will get. No matter, look at this wicked cool calculator!

Sinclair also appeared later in my life in 1982 with the release of the Sinclair Spectrum, home computer (mentioned a few posts ago). I was a proud nerd in those days. Waaaaaay before it was hip :).

I actually had a picture of Sir Clive Sinclair on my wall. Most boys at that age would rather have football players or Sam Fox (google her). Ah. Good times.

STREET ART IDEA: Bast in Byker. Quite a surprise, he certainly gets about.

STREET ART IDEA: Bast in Byker. Quite a surprise, he certainly gets about.

ART IDEA: Local words of wisdom. Snapped in Newcastle.

ART IDEA: Local words of wisdom. Snapped in Newcastle.