December 13. Tuesday Night.

Hi Journey.

Good morning run but no new snow. I can't explain why it is an absolute rush to run when it's barely above zero outside. The challenge, I suppose. I'm never going to go on a polar trek or race the Iditarod, so I just settle for 40 minutes with a towel over my mouth and my sweatshirt hood tied tight under my chin. Plus I'm heavy-footed, and the snow underneath, even if it is muddled over with the tracks of the pedestrians, it just sounds so crisp as my feet staccato against it.

This afternoon Allison Henworth brought in a new Yellow Pages ad for her bed business, Cloud Eleven. She had a printout of it all mocked up complete with faint yellow background and different typestyles and sizes. It looked pretty accurate.

I like Allison. She started her own business from scratch, too. I think she has a bout a two year head start on me. She told me she picked me to help with her ad because she admires our shop's marketing and wanted my marketing opinion.

Dad's training came in handy: I kept Stoic while my ego bounced from the ceiling to the floor and back. First I was incredulous that she would think our marketing was good, then I was full of pride.

We completely redid Allison's townhouse kitchen two summers ago. She fell in love with every idea Shelly had; I thought it looked a bit kitschy, myself, but as long as the client's happy and tells her friends—and Allison has a ton—then who cares.

But her YP ad was just all wrong. First, the honey she is using is just going to attract a bunch of bargain hunters thicker than flies. I know that wasn't her intent, but that's what will happen, no doubt.

Cloud Eleven sells high-end headboards and mattresses. Expensive—I don't think you can lug a bed out of there for under $2,500. They might have a stowaway airbed you can stash in a side closet and turn into a mini guest room, but I bet even the cheapest of those still runs at least $500. I bet if Allison and I compared Rolodexes we'd have a half-dozen customers in common.

But her whole ad screamed: “Cloud Eleven—Best Price in Town for the Best Sleep of Your Life.” She even had an icon of a dollar sign with the little circle and slash through it hogging up the bottom third of the ad. Talk about Brand dissonance!

On thing I remember from working with her before; she is direct. No pulling punches with her when it came to what we wanted to do with her kitchen. Same today. I flat told her that her ad was lousy.

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