another blam anniversary

Most of the readers of this little blog know my real job is running blam creative - my one-person advertising/design company. This blog post was originally going to talk about giving blamcreative.com a much needed sprucing up. Then it just hit me. I missed the 10-year anniversary of staring the company (early August 1998). That's supposed to be kind of big deal, right? Then again, maybe not.

When I started the company - I thought it would be a great idea to name the company something unique and clever and simple. I succeeded with unique and simple. Clever - not so much. I remember calling my radio producer/director buddy Bill West to tell him about my new name. I don't know if we had a bad connection or if I had a bologna sandwich in my mouth, but Bill said "Why would you name your company Balm?" I laughed. Bill laughed. And that's been the reaction of most clients ever since. The original idea was rooted in the moment when, after much pain and agony, a beautifully simple and elegant idea just pops in your head. Out of nowhere. Blam! In the early years, I'd tell clients where the name came from - they'd nod and act like they understood what I was saying. I'm certain, now, they thought I was crazy. But I stuck with the silly name, and thankfully, I'm still around to tell the story. I'm not alone in the silly name category. UK banks include names like Egg, Smile and Cahoot. How about web faves Yahoo, GoDaddy, Google, Wikipedia, Skype, Bebo, Meebo, Odeo and Zoho? And then there's Apple. Maybe I should have gone with a fruit.

Okay, back to my original post idea. The blam web site looks refreshed again. Some new work and other new stuff will show up in the coming days (maybe). My favorite addition to the site is a quote from my fave funny man - George Carlin. "Always do whatever's next." That's my new company and life mantra. I'm not sure I've ever won over potential clients or attracted new business with my website. That's okay. For me, it's a fun reminder of clients and projects and friends along my 10-year journey. Happy Anniversary to blam.