We are pleased to announce the launch of the completely redesigned Santa Barbara Adventure Company website. SBAC owners Suzanne & Michael Cohen are long time friends of May’s Founder, Garth Humbert and it was great to be working with them again.
Fresh out of college (UCSB), Suzanne and Garth launched Print Lab Design Bureau in 1998. When Suzanne married Michael and got involved in SBAC’s daily operations, she hired Garth to launch the company’s original website. Needless to say, that was awhile ago, and SBAC approached May last fall to help revamp their online presence – complete with full force social media integration, beautiful design, and full control Wordpress content management.
Here’s some before & after screenshots to show the evolution.
We look forward to many more years of working together and can not wait to celebrate our one year anniversary of May this summer with a team building adventure outing courtesy of SBAC! It’s gonna be epic!
What was expected to be an average Friday workday turned into an exhilarating real-life episode of CSI this morning at May HQ. Garth pulled up to the office to what could have been doomsday – a brick through the front window, as well as the front window of the unit next to ours.
With thousands of dollars of computer equipment, drawers full of irreplaceable client files, and racks of inventory (RedisWhite) we were immediately relieved to see everything intact and our office untouched. The “locksmith” next to us however, didn’t get away so lucky.
After racking our brains why they wouldn’t care to touch our valuables, we starting sleuthing around, putting together the pieces, and discovered the remnants of pot plants and (what we thought was) dog food in the back alley. Ah ha! Evidently the bandits knew exactly what they were after, and mistook our office unit (with no signage out front) for the underground growing operation next door. That explained why our neighbors never actually appeared to be doing any real work (he claimed to have won the business in a high stakes poker game), and why they’d sometimes leave their barking american bulldog there for long periods at a time. Mystery solved.
What was expected to be an average Friday workday turned into an exhilarating real-life episode of CSI this morning at May HQ. Garth pulled up to the office to what could have been doomsday – a brick through the front window, as well as the front window of the unit next to ours.
With thousands of dollars of computer equipment, drawers full of irreplaceable client files, and racks of inventory (RedisWhite) we were immediately relieved to see everything intact and our office untouched. The “locksmith” next to us however, didn’t get away so lucky.
After racking our brains why they wouldn’t care to touch our valuables, we starting sleuthing around, putting together the pieces, and discovered the remnants of pot plants and (what we thought was) dog food in the back alley. Ah ha! Evidently the bandits knew exactly what they were after, and mistook our office unit (with no signage out front) for the underground growing operation next door. That explained why our neighbors never actually appeared to be doing any real work (he claimed to have won the business in a high stakes poker game), and why they’d sometimes leave their barking american bulldog there for long periods at a time. Mystery solved.
Given the opportunity to reflect back, we are extremely blessed that we can continue on with business as usual. However, a couple huge lessons learned: 1) Backup all your files off-site immediately. Services like Mozy, Carbonite, and Dropbox are great places to store your files. Google Docs now lets you upload any files to their servers for free. Most project management tools like Basecamp and Intervals also support online document storage. There really is no excuse to not backup. 2) Insure your property and equipment. If you work from home, make sure your homeowners insurance is enough to cover any loss. If it seems like you can’t afford insurance, then you REALLY can’t afford for your equipment to get jacked, so just do it. 3) Finally, get to know your neighbors. Your livelihood may depend on it.
One last positive – we now have a really cool brick paper weight as a reminder of today’s events.
We launched http://hellomay.com earlier this month and have been pleasantly surprised with the outpouring of luv from the design/code community. A hearty thank you to the following list of gallery sites who have included us. We appreciate you :)
Thanks again and if you see our site in any other galleries, let us know.
I recently returned from the two day Global Leadership Summit in Chicago, Illinois–what an amazing and inspiring time. Over 5000 people joined an additional 55,000 people (via live broadcast) to experience emerging thoughts, best practices and provoking examples of New Leaders.
With the recent launch of my new design firm May, this conference offered a timely opportunity to glean some valuable knowledge from high profile business, spiritual, and industry leaders. The two packed days did not disappoint. Of the many great tips and lessons, three main principles hit home and I’ll be working hard to implement them in my life and business.
1. Employee Best Practices
A vital part of having and keeping quality employees is an open, ongoing dialogue about company policies, employee (and employer) performance, and expectations. Regular evaluations (monthly, quarterly, yearly) allow praise to be showered, encouragement to be applied, and short-comings to be caught early. Be open, honest, and transparent to dispel any uncertainty. It’s also important to solicit employee feedback regarding communication, project workload, and any workplace questions? To sum it up: Have Candor. Use Care. Be Clear.
2. Democracy in the Workplace
Many innovative companies are bucking the traditional management systems of the past and are practicing new workplace ideals and strategies to foster community and promote innovation. Businesses are embracing change and encouraging co-creation/collaboration which allow employees to mobilize, connect, and support each other. Ideas and opportunities flourish as team members band together under a common purpose. Companies practicing democracy and a decentralized workplace are reaping the benefits. WorldBlu is a non-profit organization dedicated to highlighting such companies and providing practical resources, tools, and information for your company. To delve deeper into democratic principles, check out Gary Hamel’s book The Future of Management.
3. Giving Back / Helping Others
The final point that I came away with was the importance of being a part of something bigger than yourself/company. You can teach/share your ideas and experiences through blogs, conferences and podcasts. You can donate a portion of your profits to the environment, a noble cause, or a non-profit that helps the less fortunate. Jessica Jackley, founder of Kiva, gave an inspiring interview at the GLS about having a passion to help others and actually stepping out and doing something about it. A few short years later they’re (micro)loaning $5 million dollars a month to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Pelago, maker of Intervals, is a proud member of 1% For the Planet, partnering to create a healthy planet. Pick something to get involved in to remind yourself and/or your company that there’s a bigger picture out there.
Chicago and Willow Creek provided an amazing two days that spoke to me on a business, personal, and spiritual level. I would highly recommend attending next years Global Leadership Summit (there are many satellite locations nationwide) to anyone interested in growing in the area of leadership. Let me know if you’re going—we’ll meetup :)
Art: Kyle Steed
