Why we do what we do
I’m
often asked why, when I launched Brand
Acceleration, I decided to focus on the economic development
and construction (AEC) industries.
It’s quite simple, I guess.
In
response, I tell the story of my Dad, a self-employed electrician who wired
countless homes during a building boom in my home town. At the age of about
twelve, I often worked weekends for him, pulling wire, installing outlets and
switches and doing finish work around job sites. I loved the atmosphere and the
people. Dad’s employees were salt-of-the-earth individuals who treated me with
great respect. They were more like family than Dad’s employees. They taught me
a lot, especially the meaning of hard work. That’s one of the many reasons I
have such an affinity for the construction industry.
Once
the home wiring work dried up, my Dad took a job as an electrician in a local
factory where ice chests and other products were made. For several years, his
work was fairly steady, allowing him to put food on the table for our family of
eight. It was a tough lifestyle that further exposed me to the blue collar
ideals that hard work and male bravado was what it took to get ahead.
His was
a union job, which meant that every three years the workers would go on strike,
seeking pay raises and improved benefits. We didn’t concern ourselves with strikes.
They were so common that, to us, they seemed more like a vacation for Dad. After
a few days, the strike would end and everyone would go back to work.
One
time however, things were different. After a prolonged strike, which included
threats by management to close the plant, Dad came home and announced that they
had closed the plant and fired all of the workers. Management had followed
through on their threats.
That’s
when things got really rough. Nearly three hundred people in a town of fewer
than 12,000 were out of work. Small businesses saw a noticeable decline in
sales and families were hurting. Many of the kids at school were noticeably
struggling to mask the pain and fear that agonized families throughout the
area.
At
home, things were especially tough. I watched in horror as a strange main came
to our home and drove off with Dad’s truck. The bank, it seemed, could no
longer wait for another payment. As a child, I couldn’t understand such things
and the pain on my Dad’s face was obvious.
Too
proud to go on welfare, Dad hunted, fished, trapped and gardened to feed the
family. His pride was hurt and tensions were very high. Our family was in
distress.
In his
late fifties, Dad decided to retire. With a local economy that offered him
little hope, he saw no other option but to live off a greatly reduced public
pension. Since this was a time when many women didn’t work outside the home, my
stepmother was a stay-at-home parent with no job history and even fewer work
prospects. Times were very tough.
Years
later, when I decided to start Brand
Acceleration, a marketing
communications and public relations firm, I wanted to follow a focused
business model, opting to specialize and grow a company that would become the
go-to experts in a very short list of industries. Thinking back to my youth, I
remembered my fondness for construction sites and the turbulent times
surrounding my Dad’s job loss.
That’s
when it hit me! I wanted to be in a business that would find, help create and
grow jobs. I wanted to be on the other side of the economic picture – the side
where jobs came to town and families were helped. I wanted to do my part, no
matter how small, in helping communities grow and thrive.
So, for
me, it’s all about the jobs. I’ve come to believe that if Brand Acceleration thrives and grows,
creating jobs and prosperity for our team and their families, it’s because we’re
helping others find jobs, prosperity and family support.
Recently,
my wife and I were visiting her mother who lives in a very small town. One
evening, as we sat on her front porch, we saw a group of young children playing
on the next street over. It was such a wonderful sight. As they ran, laughed
and played, I couldn’t help but think, “That’s what childhood should be like.”
I’d
love to hear from you, too. Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences
below.
Have a
great week,
Jim Walton
CEO
Brand Acceleration, Inc.
Branding // Marketing Communications // Public
Relations
Indianapolis: 317.536.6255
Charlotte: 704:230:0394
Fax: 317.222.1425
Cell: 317.523.7380
Brand
Acceleration is a full-service marketing communications, brand management and
public relations firm with a focus on economic development, architecture,
engineering and construction.
