Fuze Blog | © Bryan Landaburu (aka Willie Vega) | Reno-Sparks-Nevada Blogger

Airline musings. March edition.

Things are a little hectic around the Fuze camp. Primarily because I have been jetsetting like a madman. I just realized I am sitting across from David LaPlante from Twelve Horses on this flight. It was nice to catch up a bit since we've been trying for months to schedule a meal together. Anyway, I am heading out now on my 3rd venture to San Diego in 6 weeks. Lots going on down here. I am nearing speaking paralysis these days. I haven't done a slide count but I believe I have prepared about 200+ Powerpoint slides for various events in the last few weeks. I just wrapped up at SMX West and the Miva Developers conferences last week. This week is NFRA. See other posts for show wrapups.

The hive is buzzin with things to do. I think Calder and I (mostly Calder) have done an excellent job of positioning ourselves within the ad space in northern nevada which is keeping him, dan and the other artists plenty busy. David is hangin tough on the interactive side and is really becoming loved by the clients. Our development crew's plate is pretty full for the remainder of the quarter and our pipeline also looks good. That seems to be common among my peers in the space as well. Things seem steady on the web side. We've expanded our relationships and service offering with our email marketing providers, commerce platforms, testing platforms, and our analytics providers, further strengthening a line up that was already pretty strong. My charter remains to continue to cart our course to a diverse client mix that is industry & geo balanced. So far so good. We have also revamped our client review and project management processes to be much more systematic. We have formalized all our internal procedures - many of which were just in need of evolution vs. revolution. So anna our agency coordinator has her work cut out in order to keep all of us on track. We have added media strategy and media buying to our business, out of necessity mainly, but Fong is very capably manning that ship. Finally we have extended our services even further by adding full-service Public Relations through our partnership with RKPR who are helping us win, and manage these great new, and existing accounts.

We added the following new clients in Q1:

• Clearstar Credit Union - agency of record
• Magiko Carson Valley - agency of record
• NNDA (the other white meat in the Econ.Dev space) - agency of record
• Reno Tahoe Blues Fest - agency of record
• Lazaro SoHo - for email marketing
• Food Bank of Northern Nevada - interactive agency
• Cashill Law - agency of record
• True Blue Gaming - agency of record
• The Gaming Standards Association - agency of record
• Legends Reno Tahoe Open - while not a new client, we have formalized our relationship with the tournament and will take on all interactive Agency tasks in 2008
• Titan Construction Supply - agency of record
• JP Menante Real Estate - interactive agency

We have completed site launches for:

• The Entrust Group
• University Health System
• Boyd Gaming
• You Name It Events
• Fennell and Associates
• those are off the top of my head...there are probably others.

If you're wondering how we get it all done? Its with a team of about 15 folks who are dedicated to their craft and making big shit happen. We are also getting ready for another round of hiring, though the positions are already spoken for (in our heads). There is a lot on the plan for the remainder of 2008. We WILL launch a new website(s) to better represnt who the hell we are. Its brewin'. Trust me its brewin'. But, as most are aware, we are not big on exploiting our work, so in the meantime you probably won't see things like:

"Fuze awarded a website job", or "Fuze chosen to build an ad" in the business journal, awards events, or the local fishwrap. Those items are hardly newsworthy.

We rather enjoy our underground status...it let's me write from the cuff, typos and all, and simply let the work speak for itself.

Thanks to all who have helped get our 2008 off to a great start. Come on baseball season...opening day countdown. T minus 4 weeks...

BL


(another treo post...sorry for the typos)

Talk about grass roots!

Ok, so why in the world would someone write one post, let alone two about a Gyro stand in NYC?  Because I am cool, and I am right thats why.  Way back when I wrote a post describing the best street-side Gyro stand in New York...well apparently I am not alone.  This weekend I was catching up on a pile of magazines from the last month [or two] and I was reading our June 25th New York Magazine with an interesting article on iGod Steve Jobs...but more interesting, this big-time weekly pub featured my little gyro stand as #17 of the Concrete Elite - a ranking of New York's twenty best food carts. 

In addition to this recognition, I found that the cart has a fan supported support website as well.

So, my story has been proven true, and my theory is correct that this the best in NYC. Take the challenge if you are ever in the city - just DON'T CUT IN LINE - its not good for your health.

White-sauce, hot-sauce please...

WBV

Su Lou Blue - SoHo NYC

While in NYC this spring, i was lucky enough to catch a show by Anna Palma - a photographer who'se images capture a spectacular vision of childhood and simplicity.  The show was held in SoHo.  Here is a link to some of my phone cam images.  I will try to load some better resolution images soon.  (FYI - I had permission to shoot these.)

Enjoy...

WBV

Chasing Childhood.

I think I finally figured out what it is that I strive for and what I desire to do with myself. I call it "chasing childhood".

Typical of all trips, the hassle getting from A to B is a challenge. We (I) lug pounds of computer bags, cabels, cameras, magazines, cd's and work I probably won't do, etc. Every trip I dream of a time I can leave the house with nothing but my ID in hand, get on a plane and go. No tether back to the office. No thoughts of what isn't getting done...just the overpowering thoughts of what ride to hit first at Disneyland, or does the hotel pool have a slide?

I am a kid at heart but its WAY down inside there these days. So until I catch up with my inner self, my pursuit will be to continue Chasing Childhood until I find it again.

WBV

5 minutes to myself.

 

Today I am in one of my very favorite cities again...San Francisco. I am enjoying what feels like the first 5 minutes to myself in some time. I am enjoying a glass of what the waitress referred to as 'earthy red'. I love my baby and my wife and miss them both but at this moment, simply staring out at the busy street is beyond therapeutic for me. A few minutes of clear thought.

Monday marks a new beginning for Fuze.  We are moving from our infancy into our adolescent phase with more people, more and nicer space, and a first quarter that stands to be our biggest ever. A superstitious person would probably say...don't jinx it, but I don't believe in superstition any more than I believe in Santa Claus. We're ready for this.

So raise a glass with me...take in some live music...eat plenty...this will be a monumental year for us and for our terrific clients.

Until then...

WBV

Madison Avenue...

It's a beautiful day here in NYC...supposed to be 65 degrees...in late November no less! Waking up today and looking out onto Madison Avenue is a creative inspiring thing.  In our industry...this is our Mecca and where it ALL goes down. Cole's happy to be here on his first of many visits to the city. Every time I get here i am energized with creativity and business ideas.  Design is everywhere here, and the pace of business is insane.  It's all ripe with opportunity. In spite of the 800 sq. ft. you get for $1.5mil, the expensive transportation, high crime, and New York attitudes, this place does it for me.

Like any time we are here...we will live as New Yorkers...walk over to the park, sip some coffee...and take some time with a clear head to be thankful for what we have that allows us to experience this. It is exciting to let my son experience this at such a young age.  While he won't remember this particular trip, I am hopeful he will grow to appreciate how much the Big Blue Marble has to offer him.

Simple post.  Simple day. 

Never forget...

WBV

Importance...(revised: Responsibility)

Disclaimer: Let me start by saying that this post is graphic, frank, rambles, ties two seemingly unrelated thoughts together, and has nothing to do with design, advertising, or business at all. it was typed on my Treo so there are likely typo's. Still with me? Read on humans...

The last few days/weeks I have been feeling a little overwhelmed by life. To start, I've been on the road for the better part of the last 8 weeks. Our business is exploding, our clients are growing, my baby is growing...all good things. Many times I hear the answer..."oh you know, just busy" uttered in response to the obligatory question "how'z things goin?". When I hear this, I often wonder to myself...do you have any idea what busy means? Inside ourselves, we make our lives and our problems more significant than the person next to us. This has become human nature. I am currently at a point where I am feeling pressure from all sides and it is making me claustrophobic. The problem...I bring all of it on myself.

Weekend
As I laid awake this weekend for the 2nd night in a row...7am rolled around and on queue, my baby Cole woke up in his usual happy mood...he is so excited that another day is here to learn and experience everything for the first time. It's hard not to set your mind aside and get lost in his. The simplicity of his existence and his needs. Just a little attention, love, food, and some clean drawers. That's all he needs to put an ear to ear grin on. It's beautiful. What, or where along the way, do our perspectives change?

Flight to Atlanta
I had another epiphany today on my flight to Atlanta. A young guy, maybe 20's is on my flight and he is sick...not sure what from or why, but he is ill...really ill. The attendant moved him from the back of the plane up to my row in Poor-man's first class (the exit row) because the middle seat opposite mine was open. Immediately I am watching the reactions of the people around this poor kid. They get uncomfortable...adjust their seats...request a seat change...yet, nobody's first reaction is compassion of any kind. I imagine how uncomfortable it must be to be plunked down between 2 strangers with a barf bag in your hand and no sign of relief, comfort, etc. in sight. It's really a sad moment. He is alone, clutching a bag of ice to his chest, and his hands are trembling. He's very well mannered, shy, polite, very simple appearing. Ask me on any given Monday what my reaction to someone throwing up next to me on a flight would be and I would probably say, disgusting, but today I don't feel this at all. Maybe I feel like, what if it was my little boy sick, or maybe I realize that this guy would certainly not choose to feel the way he does if given the option. I really feel for him.  All I know is that I am thankful it isnt me.

The Moral (so to speak) - and some business relevance...
After posting this, I came across this ad that not only caught my attention because it's great, but also illustrated exactly what I was feeling in at least part of my rambling scenario here. This is an excellent spot for Liberty Mutual - deveoped by Hill | Holiday:

This situation, like waking up to my son smiling and laughing in his crib snap things into focus for me. I don't know what it is that makes us lose sight of our childlike instincts, to be more carefree, but at the same time care for someone, or show them the respect/consideration to ask how they are. I don't know what drives us to the point of stress, illness, oblivion...for the sake of success. Of course by we/us, I mean me. So today I am going to make some life changes. Something every human has the right to do.

 WBV