"branding is in my dna."

I grew up working in a family business surrounded by branding, advertising and the customer experience. My grandfather and father started an Army Navy store in 1964 and my father ended up taking it over in the early 80's. The family business was always part of my childhood and I started working there when I was 13 years old. I'd do odd jobs and take out the trash and learn about the business from observing. One of the things that always stuck out to me was the advertising we would do in the local newspaper and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. My dad would create the layouts and designs with clip art and pencil and marker. Looking back, I can now tell this had a big impact on me. Branding and advertising were a big part of the business. My dad would explain who we were, what made us different from our competition and what we needed to do to survive. Looking back today makes me appreciate the things I learned at a young age. I was able to see how customers felt when they came into our building, how they felt we waited on them and how they felt when they purchased and used the products we sold. I didn't know it back then, but the experience they were having was our brand.

Seeing how customers felt, watching the advertising work and being proud of the business cards, letterhead, and shipping labels we used has stayed with me. The ten years I worked with my family at this business helped me see the impact all this can make on the success of a business. We are a small operation making a big impact on our customers. I was able to meet so many different people and share the brand with them in so many ways. I met Veterans who jumped out of planes in WWII to fight for the Germans in Holland. I met collectors and historians who purchased memorabilia for museums and movies.