Horsing around, but not really

Friday finds my delightful biz partner and I busy developing some serious strategy for a project with considerable scope and nuance. On the list of tasks, there's little I'd rather be doing! And the great thing about strategizing is that, well, you can do it just about anywhere, provided your brains are all systems go! So we decided to take advantage of a crisp, beautiful morning to take a little field trip, and so, we chatted while we drove.

The destination? None other than Chez Chase, aka Dream Acres Farm, the home of my darling (and extremely spoiled) pony. Erin's horse crazy daughter has longed for ages to meet a real live equine (Is he a Pegasus?, she asks!) and today the stars and our schedules aligned to make precisely such a trip possible. So with our Wellies on, we drove to the countryside, coming up with strategy all the while. The payoff? One very happy young lady, one very happy and apple-fed Welsh pony, and two business partners refreshed, recharged, and in possession of some (we think) pretty dang good ideas.

Serendipity strikes again, too, because today's fanmail — all the way from Geneva, Switzerland — ties right into the day's activities. Perfect! Happy weekend, one and all!

Appearances are (not always) deceiving

The Mailhouse Powers That Be have presented us the perfect postcard to accompany today's topic. It comes from a dear friend and loyal reader currently based in Chicago, and it hails from none other than the Marc Jacobs' Chicago store address. (Let us pause here to reflect on the joys of good fashion.)

I'll admit it: Couture, like chocolate and chess, is one of my incurable vices. I think it's often hard for society to reconcile intellect, ambition, and gritty determination with a genuine passion for fashion, but then, I've always liked to buck convention. The truth is, though many like to pretend the contrary, appearances do say something about who you are and what matters to you. You can walk into a boardroom with the best ideas, preparation, and presentation, but if you're in your pajamas, you probably won't make it to the projector. How you present yourself provides clues to who you are — it's as simple as that.

Fortunately there are styles to suit every personality and persuasion, and the trick lies in finding a look that authentically reflects your character. The same, interestingly enough, is true for communications and marketing materials. When it comes to advertising, clients tend to get the need for a splashy look — it's an ad, after all, they figure. But making the case for an elegantly presented brochure, annual report, or newsletter is often more challenging.

These pieces are fact-based, many think. They need to carry a substantive message. They're content-driven. ....Well, yes, all of these things are technically true. Believe me, you don't need to sell a writer on the importance of content! But at the same time, it's critical (especially when conveying key information) that the piece itself look good, appear compelling to read and engaging to peruse. Just as with personal style, it's who you are that ultimately counts, but it's the way you present yourself that'll get you in the door.

And, on that sartorial note, I am off to drool over Marc's latest confections ... as soon as we finish blocking out a sweet annual report that will combine style and substance for one of our fantastic clients, that is!

The Magic of Mail

Is there anything more innately satisfying than opening your mailbox and finding several pieces of handwritten mail? I think not. (Exhibit A: A postcard from Finland, one of several we found in our mailbox this morning!)

Now, certainly, this reaction would be a lofty, unattainable even, goal for direct mail to inspire. A clever promotion, no matter how flawlessly executed, cannot hold a candle to a personal note scribbled in ink. (And a sidenote here to my dear communications colleagues: Please, for the love of God, stop with the "handwritten" fonts. Either put in the time to truly handwrite something or use a real font. /marketing rant)

But I do think that the small moment of simple joy in receiving mail does offer communications professionals a guidepost to keep in mind as we craft direct mail campaigns. The right concept, delivered to the right audience, stands out among the junk mail crowd. When we truly know our audience, and speak to them accordingly, we create an emotional connection of its own right. This is the magic of direct mail. (And pssst, it's key to inspiring action on the part of readers, as well!)

Streaming Live, From Minneapolis

First and foremost, to our national and international readers who so kindly checked in with us after reading yesterday's news bulletins: Yes, there were tornadoes in Minneapolis — near our HQs, actually! But we're just fine, no worries: a little bit of sickly green sky and eardrum-shattering sirens just added to the week's excitement quotient!

We do indeed have a lot to be excited about. In addition to securing some fantastic new projects, we're getting just about ready to reveal our official Crazy Savvy graphic identity. Let me tell you, ladies & gents ... it's been well worth the wait! We're busy ordering business cards, putting the finishing touches on our website, and developing our stationery system, document templates, and (yes!) blog and Twitter backgrounds .... Soon! Very soon!

Since we're already in the correspondence stream, how about we end today's post with another bit o' fan mail? Today's letter comes from Minnesota's scenic North Shore, home to grey wolves, rocky vistas, really cold winters, and lots of lutefisk. (I'm only guessing at that last bit. I'm not brave enough to try Sven & Ole's legendary pizza to verify ... ) Keep the fanmail coming, and we promise to keep you posted (so to speak!) too.

California Dreaming / Island Vibes

We've got mail! The inaugural Crazy Savvy postcard, from one of our wonderful fans, has just arrived, and it comes from sunny California — wine country, to be exact. (Mmmmmm ..... nice.) We'll post it below for your viewing pleasure! Thanks, M, and glad you had such a lovely trip.

Also, Yours Truly just returned from a wonderful weekend getaway on Madeline Island. I am embarrassed to confess that, after many promises to my wonderful biz partner, I forgot to send us a postcard .... tsk, tsk. (Guess this just means I'm going to have to go on another vacation sometime soon to make amends, huh?! Ha!) It was splendid to get out of the city and go for ferry rides, swim in the lake, play on sandy beaches, and even take my maiden voyage on a moped! It was terrifying at first (to be fair, probably more for those around me than for me myself!), but I quickly got the hang of it and was zipping around the island like a pro. Hm .... kind of makes me want to get a Vespa now .... pink, natch!

But after a great weekend, it was nice to get back in town and settle down to the week's business — which includes many exciting opportunities and adventures! Stay tuned ...

The dog days of summer?

Summer, it seems, has finally come to Minneapolis.

Around here, you see, summer is fleeting. Something to be savored. So it is only fitting that my lovely business partner heads off today on a well-earned mini-vacation to frolic — if only for a few days — in sunshine and water.

I'm inclined to do the same, albeit closer to home, after wrapping up a few projects. I'm itching to get on my bike before the heat hits in full force.

And what of you, dear reader? What would you do if you were playing hooky this afternoon?

Painting the town

I'll admit it: when it comes to organization, I'm somewhat obsessed. (And "somewhat" is being pretty generous, truth be told.) I like order, I like categorization, I like neatness (except when it comes to the backseat of my car, which is a pathetic mix of high fashion, equestrian gear, books, and muddy paw prints). So it comes as no surprise to anyone that the filing side of the business is left to me.

But in order to have a logical filing system, one must first have a functional filing cabinet. Erin, the goddess of good deals, procured a suitable model for a winning price. The only problem was ... aesthetics. Not that there's anything wrong with corporate grey or anything, but at Crazy Savvy, Inc., we thought that even our office supplies should reflect our company character. So it was decided that we'd spray paint our filing cabinet a more suitable color.

Pink.

(Some of us may have lobbied for this color more ardently than others ....)

Today was the Big Day. After childhood memories that involved being told by my (understandably) concerned parents that perhaps it was best to leave the flammable materials side of science projects to steadier hands ... I was excited to finally play with spray paint. Pink spray paint, no less!

Even with a nearly 100 degree heat index, I was pleased as punch, spray painting away in Erin's gorgeous backyard. (Now made more gorgeous by the addition of some technicolor pink grass, might I add!) We unlock our creativity in all sorts of ways here at Crazy Savvy, and this was just one more example of (how we are not quite) business as usual.

We interrupt regularly scheduled programming ...

OK, slight amendment to our post office box info .... The US Postal Service would MUCH prefer it, apparently, if we listed our address accordingly:

Crazy Savvy, Inc.

PO Box 19317

Minneapolis, MN 55419

After some serious looking Sharpie underlining and a few passive aggressive stickers from the Postmaster General on our latest mail, taking us to task for truncating a few (unnecessary) numbers from the addy -- well, we've decided not to alienate the Postal Powers That Be. So, update your address books, folks! (Any mail previously sent will arrive just fine ... it's a bureaucratic issue, not an issue of fact!)

Looking forward to your fanmail, postcards, and love letters.

A pictorial tour of movers and shakers

I do believe it's time for a brief pictorial tour of Crazy Savvy's world HQ and just a few of the frequent visitors we encounter during the course of our day.

Naturally, we have a war room (note the sparring technology!):

And like any major organization, we have mascots. Up first is Milo (aka Trouble). Don't trust the sleepy innocence. It's an act.

And then we have Milo's sweet sister, Stripey, also captured at the height of indolence:

But of course Crazy Savvy does not restrict itself to feline companions. Another frequent contributor to our creative process is Pushkin, Sheltie extraordinaire:

And while he hasn't had the opportunity to graze in my back yard yet, I would be remiss to not include Jen's amazing Welsh pony, Chasing My Tail. Check them out in full cross-country action!

And last but certainly not least, we sometimes have gifts bestowed upon us by two enthusiastic young entrepreneurs. (They come bearing a most impressive potato harvest, yes?)

In sum, truly the best working environment I've ever had!

Going Postal

Only an entrepreneur completely enamored of her company would be this excited to check the PO Box for the very first time and receive ... junk mail.

Yeah. Amazing, huh? I guess I’m just easily amused.

But seriously, it was pretty exciting to finally get our official Crazy Savvy post office box. We are now ready for mail, and can be reached at:

Crazy Savvy, Inc.

PO Box 19317

Minneapolis, MN 55419

So crack out your fountain pens and get writing! We love to get letters. But we really love to get postcards ... In fact, we’re placing an open call for your postcards from around the world. Send us the coolest, artiest, most interesting postcards you can find -- notes optional! (Or, if you’re one of those super-duper crafty creative people, make us a postcard! Even better!)

Each month, we’ll choose the best of these and publish them on our blog. They’ll also, of course, earn a spot of honor on the official Crazy Savvy Bulletin Board. At the end of the calendar year, we may even pick a grand winner. There could be ... prizes! So get writing, kiddos.