​I get it. As a designer, I love a beautiful mark as much as anyone. But...

Well, maybe I am being a little dramatic but I ask that question to put things into perspective.

​A business owner often places so much weight on the logo of their brand that they neglect the actual "soul" of it. 

You see, a brand is a lot like a tree. A logo, website, product/service, store front are the visible elements - like the trunk, the leaves, the branches, the fruit.

​But a tree doesn't stay upright because of the visible. It survives because of a healthy root system planted in fertile soil. The invisible.

In my coaching philosophy, the roots and soil are your "Why" (aka purpose). They are your core values, your discipline, and your history. If your roots are shallow, the first storm of market change will knock you over, no matter how pretty your "canopy" looks.

I believe in this so deeply that I recently decided to make my philosophy permanent. I got a tattoo on my arm of a tree and its root system. To me, it’s a blueprint of how I view both brand-building and life. 

But there’s a backstory story too; one that connects two places that couldn't be further apart: Singapore and Oklahoma.

My connection to Oklahoma started long before I ever set foot on its red soil.

I remember being in Singapore, watching the "live" news broadcast of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19th, 1995. I was thousands of miles away, but I remember feeling moved. I saw a community that cared for each other in a way that stayed with me.

Fast forward to July 3rd, 2000. I moved to Oklahoma to finish my senior year at Oklahoma City University. I hadn't even connected the dots between the city I was moving to and the tragedy I had watched on the news years prior. 

That realization of "endurance" followed me onto the pavement. I fell in love with long-distance running because of the OKC Memorial Marathon.

When I am close to the finishing line, I am not thinking about the finisher medal or a decent finish-line photo. I am appreciating the simple, vital things; the ability to move, to stay on track, and just to breathe.

While running is an activity one can do alone, the friendships formed with fellow land runners (also the name of one of the running clubs in OKC) between training for marathons/half-marathons, traveling to different states for races, and running the races, enriched my experience.

Running taught me that the "fuel" for your journey isn't a one-time spark. What keeps you on track are the steady flame of your core values and the loyalty of your advocates (both consumers and employees).

Brand development is a marathon, not a sprint. Brand identity is living and breathing, not just a logo. ​

Back to putting-my-ink-where-my-mouth-is, I wanted the tattoo art to reflect two things: my "Okieporean" identity and the heart of my branding philosophy.

​My tattoo artist got creative and shaped the root system of the Survival Tree to look like the outline of the island country of Singapore.

It’s a permanent reminder that while my growth and my understanding of resilience were nurtured in Oklahoma, my foundation started in Singapore.

My personal brand is a mix of both—just like your brand is a mix of your history, your daily discipline, and your ultimate vision.  

So, when we work together, I can definitely design for you a "pretty" logo. But we’re going to spend a lot more time in the dirt, looking at your roots and soil.

Let’s make sure your brand is built to do more than just look good. Let's make sure it's meaningful (and that you may ultimately get that logo tattooed on your skin).

In an interview by Karina Michel Feld of Authority Magazine, I was asked several thought-provoking questions as part of a series called "How I Was Able to Pivot to a New Exciting Opportunity because of the Pandemic". 

There are two particular questions that resonated with what I believe is my core value; one of five things I talk about in the upcoming book. Here are the excerpt from Karina's interview:
​

It’s the film “Into the Wild”, adapted from a book of the same title. It tells the story of Christopher McCandless who abandoned all his possessions, burned the cash he had on him, hitchhiked across America, and found momentary contentment with isolation and living off the land.

He kept a diary of his thoughts as he survived for more than 110 days on rice, edible plants, and any wild animals he could hunt with a .22-caliber rifle. While there are varying theories as to the cause of his death in the back country near Denali in 1992, what struck me is one of Christopher’s diary entries, “Happiness is only real when shared.”

Christopher took two years to reach that revelation but did not get to live out the happiness he sought for. Carine McCandless later revealed that her brother’s behavior and sudden departure stemmed from domestic violence and abuse while growing up.

I watched that film in Singapore while visiting my parents right when COVID-19 hit Asia. I recalled sitting in silence as the film credits rolled over my reflection on the TV screen. My childhood pales in comparison to the McCandless but memories of the fear of being hurt by loan sharks flooded my mind. There was no memory of happiness during that time in my life and I remember hating my father.
​
The decision to leave Singapore in 2000 to finish my last year in college as a full-time student was partly triggered by a desire to find my own happiness. I am thankful to be able to say this, that happiness has and will continue to be real because of the people I am sharing it with, which includes my parents.
​

Many people are trying to find happiness in the wrong places; from buying and accumulating material things to seeking acceptance or affection from every person they meet. Uncovering one’s personal brand is, at the end of the day, all about discovering one’s unique path to happiness.

I want to motivate and walk alongside someone to identify their ultimate purpose and value in life, which will help them align the necessary relationships (eg. family, friends, co-workers, mentors, customers, clients) and behaviors (eg. career, hobby, processes, habits) in the same direction.

​And as they seek alignment between their purpose, values, relationships, and behaviors, they can bring along with them another person and do the same. Happiness is not the destination, it is the journey. And that journey should be a fun road trip; one that we call life!

​It was two months before COVID-19 turn the world upside down and a localized, but equally devastating situation was turning the world of Ecuadorians upside down. President Lenin Moreno had just decided to remove a four-decade-old fuel subsidies, which crippled the nation straddling the equator as protestors block roads and highways. 

During the time spent with ADSE and the community she is in, we uncovered three core values that I believe stem from the legacy of five missionaries; Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Peter Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian. Their martyrdom in 1956 in the hands of the Waodani tribe triggered a wave of evangelistic efforts into the Amazon jungles. ​

The Mission Aviation Fellowship, through Nate Saint as her first missionary in Shell, had been bringing the Gospel and life-sustaining resources into the jungle through flights, communications, and other logistics since 1948. The work of supporting missionaries, local churches, and villages continues with ADSE since 1986. While the pandemic may have affected and slowed down the organization, I believe that the work God started has not ceased.

Working with ADSE during the civil unrest has been an eye-opener. As I walked the line dividing different cultures, I learn the importance of contextualizing the universal concept of branding for local relevancy. I love the process of learning about ADSE and figuring out the best way to communicate the discovery and strategy to the leaders and staff who are mostly from a different culture. 

I have always enjoyed working one-on-one with business owners as we develop or redefine their brands. Pivoting my approach, many thanks to the pandemic, I want to extend my reach through coaching groups within companies (beyond just the owners) and helping them understand that a powerful and memorable brand is built from within and as a team.
​

Revisit the B.R.A.N.D. Freeze moments with ADSE in PART 1 and PART 2.

The plan was simple: (1) We have a starting point, which is Aurora Illinois. (2) We have an ending point, which is Tapachula Chiapas where my friend will continue on to South America and I fly back to the U.S. (3) We have a car which promises good fuel efficiency. She is a Toyota Yaris, which inspired us to name her Yasmin.

Our trip hit a major roadblock in Texas when we were warned that driving into Mexico with a temporary vehicle tag will spell trouble for two foreigners. It was the weekend and we had to stay on U.S. soil while waiting for Yasmin's permanent license plate to arrive on Monday.

Let me remind you that our plan was simple and low-budget. We were ready to pitch a tent, stay in a cheap hostel, or sleep in Yasmin. After knocking on the doors of a local church and a fire station, we were graciously offered free lodging by Father Jim at a Roman Catholic church called Our Lady of Refuge.
​
That's where we got to know our beloved nun, sister Maria. Between projects we volunteered to help her with and conversations about our crazy road trip through Mexico, she ultimately entrusted us with gifts for her family in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi.

Since we don't have a specific route, Sister Maria's assignment gave us an excuse for a pitstop after Yasmin got adorned with her new bling.

I come from the land of the 'Crazy Rich Asians' but I am not rich by definition of the movie. The many decisions I have made, including traveling across time zones and making Oklahoma City a second home, are considered by some ‘crazy’.

However, I have embraced those decisions and learned that it is more important that our day-to-day actions point towards our ultimate purpose in life. I am rich but in a different sense of the word. I am the Crazy Rich Okieporean.

Watch this introduction video before continuing below.

This is one of many stories I have been telling for as long as I have been in the U.S. and navigating the country's immigration system from an international student to an immigrant worker to now, a permanent resident (ie. green card holder). Watch this introduction video before continuing below.

Shortly after I graduated from college early 2000, I found my first love. I had a good feeling. She is committed and I am committed. We can build a life together! We even have a ring (aka green card application) being customized at the shop.

However, she got very sick during the global financial crisis of 2007 & 2008. I wasn't by her side when she told the news to many of our mutual friends behind closed doors. We got to say our goodbyes when I spent the last few days watching her drift away.

As I tried to pick up the pieces of my life, another person came into the picture. I have known her for many years prior to my first marriage and our evolving relationship felt like a rebound. A whirlwind of activities followed as my new and exciting life with my second love started to take shape.

With new documents proofing our relationship in hand, I returned to my home country to visit my aging parents. And like always, I would go to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore to apply for a re-entry permit in my passport.

"You cannot return to the U.S. and need to reapply after a year," an immigration officer told me at the embassy. I stared at the stone-faced officer as the hopes of returning to my life in the U.S. greyed out like the memory wall of an evicted Big Brother houseguest. No ifs-and-or-buts.

One month turned to three as I kept in touch with my second love, explaining the ordeal and assuring her that I will find my way back home to her. After some legal services and congressional activities, I got approved to re-enter the U.S.!

However, she has been cheating on me; or at least that's how I felt. Two weeks before my return, she told me on the phone that I am not coming back to a job. I was in shock. I pleaded for an answer, for more time, or at least, for us to talk about it after I return to the U.S.

The moment I set foot on U.S. soil, I called her. I needed answers to the growing list of questions flooding my mind during the 20+ hours of transcontinental flight between Singapore and the U.S.

"I don't want to talk about it," was all I can remember her saying. It hurts man. After almost being robbed of a chance to return to my home in the U.S., I was faced with another possibility of uprooting my life.

While licking my wounds, I quickly jumped back into the dating scene. Yes, I was desperate and I was not ready to give up on love. Third time's the charm, some say, and my third love couldn't have come at a better time.

I wanted to say that I got wiser. We both agreed on a verbal equivalent of a prenup and started a mutually beneficial relationship. Granted like in any relationship, we have our ups and downs, but it was a blast! I have forgotten about our agreement... until the ring showed up four years later.

In case you have not already figured out, the love affairs are really three employee-employer relationships during the first 15 years spent in the U.S. between graduating from college to starting my own business. 

​This is not a story of love affairs at work. It’s my love story in relation to work in the U.S. as an immigrant. And like any human relationship, hearts will be broken as much as lifted up when your legal status as an immigrant is at the mercy of your employers. But I know that I am not defeated as long as I still have breath in my lungs and passion in my heart. 

Ryan Ellis is a friend I got to know in college when I decided to complete my senior year on the campus of Oklahoma City University. Shortly after we graduated, Ryan got more involved in marathons and triathlons and started excelling in endurance sports.  

As a former All-American Collegiate golfer, Ryan combined his competitive spirit with his newfound love in nutrition and coaching, and Conquer Training was born.

We have both come a long way since; from my approach to brand design to Ryan's philosophy in running a business. When I was interviewing him for my upcoming book "The One Game Changer to Boost your Business", we walked down memory lane about corporate logo since we had worked on the ones for Conquer Training.  

"No," Ryan answered matter-of-factly when I asked him if every company needs a logo. "The only person that really cares about a logo is the business owner." 

​This is not to discredit the work of professional logo designers ('cause I am one of them) but more of a reminder to business owners that we shouldn't get too hung up on needing a swoosh or some golden arches.

"Understanding the difference between branding and marketing​ was challenging at first," Ryan admitted but is now able to make the distinction.

While Conquer Training and Ellis Endurance Lab are promoted (ie. marketing) differently because of the variations in products, services, and customers, Ryan's brand as an expert in the endurance community carries across his two businesses.

Ryan is always about living a healthy and active lifestyle, which allows him to resonate with his customers; whether they come to him wanting to break a personal record at the next Ironman (eg. a desired condition) or with a road bike that is not providing the most comfortable ride (eg. a pain point). Ryan's interest and knowledge in endurance sports are thus, part of his personal and business brands. 

That's an important place to start when considering starting a business. Are you passionate about the industry you are going to be in? Are you interested in it enough to continue learning and growing in your knowledge about it?

One might wonder why a grocery store has a nautical theme even though seafood is not her primary product. Between the ringing of ship bells and employees known as crew members, mates, and captains, Trader Joe's seafaring culture can be traced back to her founder Joe Coulombe (1939 - 2020).

While Trader Joe's has always been tight-lipped about her business model, you can easily find wave upon wave of information from her school of avid fans in the digital ocean.

​In this B.R.A.N.D. Freeze moment, I would like to first tap into the personal brand of Joe Coulombe to gain insights into the making of a memorable brand.

The goal of defining one's personal brand is not always about creating a celebrity-persona like that of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Elon Musk (Tesla), Ellen DeGeneres, or Martha Stewart.

As a founder/owner, you don't have to be the face of your company, but you have to be the spirit behind its culture. Your physical presence is limited by time and space, but a brand-centric culture will last for generations.

Tracing his career back to 1958 when Coulombe was tasked by his then-employer Rexall Drugs to launch a chain of convenience stores to compete with 7-Eleven, we saw the maiden voyage of this trader on the culinary seas.

Coulombe was said to have worked without pay at Pronto Markets, the new chain he helped started, so that he can learn the business. When 7-Eleven became too big to compete against, Rexall’s decision to liquidate the stores opened the door for Coulombe to buy out the business which he renamed Trader Joe’s in 1967.

If you have an end in sight, there is no other way around hard work to get there. It doesn't matter if your goal is short- or long-term, big or small; have a goal. Coulombe did not want to compete with the bigger giants in the convenience store business and knew he had to be different.

From his interview with Perfect Business, it was also clear that Coulombe’s business savviness came from a lot of reading. 

He read about the anticipated launch of Boeing 747 and figured that cheaper international air travel will wet the appetite of people for food from different parts of the world. Trader Joe's, to this day, is known for her selection of food from all over the globe.

Inspired by an article on Biosphere in the Scientific American along with subscription to multiple whole food related publications, Coulombe also steered Trader Joe's towards the natural and organic food route.

After Coulombe's retirement in 1989, he remained the voice of Trader Joe's in a LA radio show "Food and Wine Minute''. Listeners would join him on his visits to the world's wine regions with interesting insights into food. Subscribe or pick up a copy of the Fearless Flyer and you will get a taste of his legacy.

As for the maritime theme, Joe drew his inspiration for Trader Joe’s unique look-&-feel from Frederick O'Brien's White Shadows in the South Seas and the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. ​​

As a founder and leader of your business, you are ultimately responsible for weaving the fabric of the human organization you are establishing. How are you achieving that? How tightly woven is your personal B.R.A.N.D. to the business B.R.A.N.D.?

Click to read Part 2

RESOURCES:

• https://www.npr.org/2020/02/29/810693474/joe-coulombe-founder-and-namesake-of-trader-joes-dies-at-89
• https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/4884608002
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Coulombe
• https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/business/joe-coulombe-dead.amp.html
• https://www.traderjoes.com/our-story

Big Bird from Sesame Street was invited to orbit the earth onboard NASA’s Challenger in 1986 when the mission went horribly wrong and claimed the lives of seven passengers.

Caroll Spinney, the man underneath the yellow feathery costume, has made Big Bird quite a celebrity when NASA invited him on that mission to get children interested in space. 

Dillon James, a spiritual cowboy and a country Post Malone as Katy calls him, is chasing his singing dream and wanting to turn his life around after battling drug and alcohol addiction. “I love him like I almost lost him... and I am not letting go,“ Dillion’s mom Lindy talked about her prodigal son. Dillion in the same segment revealed his motivation, “I want to be your son. I want to be your brother.” 

Just Sam, a New York City subway performer, is wanting to show her grandma that someone from the projects can also have their dreams come true. She was very emotional during her first audition in front of the judges and asked to “do the train thing” to get comfortable. During Hollywood Week, she brought out her ‘lucky’ tip box which later received cash from the three judges. “I came out here to have fun and I made some money doing what I do everyday,” Just Sam tearfully said after that performance.

While many may dismiss all these sob stories as scripted and intended to increase viewership, that's not the purpose of this post. The goal is for you to examine the driving force behind everything you do in life and in business.

Identifying what drives you involves digging deep into what you value. Our core values are personal code of conduct and when aligned with that of your business, you will find greater fulfillment. It will guide your hiring process, excite your team, inspire marketing decisions, and ultimately form a solid foundation for your brand.

Other than that, I love a good story and I like a good cry. Judge me.

Review the components of this B.R.A.N.D. Freeze.

• Part 1 - What are you in the BUSINESS of selling?
• Part 2 - Who are you trying to REACH?
• Part 3 - How should you ACT every day?
• Part 4 - What is your NICHE in the market?

Check out "Making of an Idol B.R.A.N.D." Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Continue with Part 5

Missed "Making of an Idol B.R.A.N.D." Part 1 and Part 2?
​Continue with Part 4.

Seeing these contestants in their “natural” environment (eg. garage, patio, backyard, living room, or bedroom), surrounded by familiar household items (eg. photos, decorations, recliners, bookshelves) made them more human. There is no doubt some level of production and staging (eg. multiple cameras for different perspectives, specific placement of lights) but seeing the typical clutter you see around your own home, made these artists relatable.

UPDATED: As of Episode 16 (ie. the Grand Finale featuring the top 5), Lowe's got in on the action and provided the various furnishings and decorations for the contestants' at-home backdrop and stage. They even supplied the manpower to help with the setup. “Each of the contestants put their DIY skills into action and expressed their individual styles with the help of Lowe’s products in easy, affordable ways.” said Marisa Thalberg, Lowe’s executive vice president, chief brand and marketing officer. That's a timely marketing strategy taken by Lowe's as a home improvement store.

And instead of an audience of mostly strangers, their family and friends are in the same room with them. Franklin Boone’s daughter was holding a “Go Daddy” sign with mom. Olivia Ximines’ family was watching from the kitchen and rushed in for a hug after her song. DeWayne Crocker Jr’s nieces and nephews were dancing as their uncle sang “I Feel Good” by James Brown. All these are “beautiful to watch”, commented Luke Bryan. 

Do you see your customers as people or just financial transactions in your books? Can your customers (which should also include your employees) relate to you as a person or is your company just a paycheck or an email address? Find the opportunity to reveal a little about your personal life (where appropriate) via a video message communicating actions your company is taking during COVID-19. Put a face to the name of your spouse and/or kids when your staff and you are having a video conference. ​