Wednesday, September 19, 2012

My Logo

Soon after purchasing Balanced Care, I looked at all the marketing materials that were given to me as part of the sale.     They were all very well done and beautiful,  however they were all different.     The website was different than the business cards.     Promotional items closely resembled the website, however, it was still different.     Balanced Care had a presence and was well known in the community, however, if people that never heard of Balanced Care before went looking either online or at the website, I feared they would wonder if they had found the right business.   

While an employee for Balanced Care, I never really realized this.    I did my job and didn't have to  worry about the website or any other marketing for that matter.     Once owning the company, things changed and changed quickly.     I looked into website costs, marketing materials, logos, etc.     It became obvious to me that the change wasn't going to happen overnight.     I gave myself a year to get things done and started working on keeping everything the same.    

The first thing that I did was to review what I liked and didn't like.     Obviously, I didn't like that things were different and not branded.     I didn't have a logo and really wasn't sure if I needed one.    On the business card was a person practicing yoga at a beach.     She was balanced on a rock and I did really love it.   Unfortunately, what happened was people thought the business was a yoga studio even though the name of the business was on the card.    

With everything coming at me at once, I decided to step back and look at the business as a client.     What does a person really want when they purchase health insurance or any other type of insurance for that matter?    Peace of mind is what continually kept coming to me and so I looked at ways that provided me peace of mind.     I immediately thought of the ocean.      I've always loved the ocean especially in the evening with fresh air hitting my skin and the smell of the salt water.     I love picking up seashells and walking on the rocks.     Just thinking about it helps me to relax.    

Once I realized that I knew I wanted the ocean as part of my brand, I hired Don Chick of Chick Photography to do a business portrait for me.    He suggested that we go to the beach and take the photo:


This photo was really the beginning of why I chose my logo.       I thought about adding something to do with the ocean for a logo and couldn't think of anything.    That is until I looked up the word, "Balanced" and "ocean" and found that the Sand Dollar has a meaning of balance as well as a biblical meaning.     Let me explain the Legend of The Sand Dollar:

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

There's a lovely little legend
that I would like to tell,
of the birth and death of Jesus,
found in this lowly shell.

If you examine closely,
you'll see that you find here,
four nail holes and a fifth one,
made by a Roman's spear.


On one side the Easter lily,
its center is the star,
that appeared unto the shepherds
and led them from afar.

The Christmas Poinsettia
etched on the other side,
reminds us of His birthday,
our happy Christmastide.

Now break the center open,
and here you will release,
the five white doves awaiting,
to spread Good Will and Peace.

This simple little symbol,
Christ left for you and me,
to help us spread His Gospel,
through all Eternity.


Author Unknown
 
All along, I really wanted to find something that would give thanks to the one who has blessed me with a business that I love while at the same time not be disrespectful of other point of views.      The sand dollar went right along with my "beach" brand, but also made me thank God everyday as I looked at it.     Amy Spainhower of Wedgewood Design is the one who designed my logo and has helped me with my business cards, my website, and my Facebook business page.   
 
So, today as you look at my logo, I will be thanking God for this business and thanking him for every person that I have the priviledge of providing peace of mind too.     
 
 


 

2 comments:

  1. Very nicely done Terri! I enjoy the stories behind a business name or logo...great story. I feel blessed to have met you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Tami. It felt good to share it! I hope we will see each other soon.

      Delete