Today was a good day

A Pleasant Surprise from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune

This morning, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune business columnist Dick Youngblood wrote a very favorable column about our business here in Red Wing. It was a lot of fun getting to know Dick over several conversations and meetings, and I really didn't know what to expect. Needless to say, I was very happy and a bit embarrassed by the attention.

But it was the sub-headline on the second page of the hard-copy article that really made me smile. For many years, I thought I was a "washed-up sales rep" when, in fact, I was only a "burned-out sales rep." Imagine my relief.

You gotta love it. 😊

The article can be found here.

Thanks for the article, Dick, and thanks for the support, Dave Murphy from Red Wing Shoes.

Hometime...yet again (ver. 2009)

Hometime Episode Re-Broadcast

The Hometime episode we were involved with last year is being re-broadcast over the next several weeks, beginning this past Saturday (01-24-09). Locally, it will be shown on Saturday, February 14, 2009, at 5:30 pm (TPT, channel 2).

What a terrific opportunity this has been for us, and I am thankful for being so fortunate. We have met many people and had a blast being involved.

One of the more interesting aspects for me was the challenge from an operational standpoint. Extremely tight (and rigid) deadlines required us to essentially close the shop for two days to conduct filming. If I remember right, it was six, 18-hour days in a row. There were a flub or two (or three) along the way, but nothing that couldn't be fixed (or reprinted).

Web traffic has been significantly heavier this year. I think it's because Hometime has a much better schedule this year on PBS (they typically block it right before "This Old House"), and search engines have had a full year to digest and sort relevant inquiries. Consequently, the search listings are more favorable.

Catching Up: The Move, Hometime, and Other Business Updates

Catching Up: The Move, Hometime, and New Beginnings

This will be a humble attempt to get you up to speed in one entry.

The Move: It deserves capital letters to convey its impact. I have a habit of thinking that if I live long enough (say, 200 years), I'll find a use for nearly everything. Consequently, I don't throw much out. This isn't an issue if you have the space to stash all your stuff, but when moving into a space that requires storage discipline, life can get, well, stressful.

The bottom line is that we have moved, and the new space is awesome (photos coming soon). I think my thumbs are only sprained, not broken. I'm still renting half of my old space (saw room, portrait studio, and more stored items), which is my way of not throwing things out.

The photo above was taken last Sunday from Barn Bluff. It gives you an idea of where we are located among the other buildings in Red Wing. The people waving in the inset (squint hard) are my wife and my older brother (who is celebrating his birthday today).

Hometime Summary: 'Amazing' seems like an appropriate adjective.

The Hometime show was originally broadcast a month ago and is typically shown at different PBS affiliates across the US every Saturday or Sunday, moving from East Coast to West Coast. I think some of the major markets in California will broadcast it this weekend.

We've made a lot of new friends from all over the country, and the added business has been very nice. I feel very fortunate to have had this level of visibility, and there are several interesting opportunities and partnerships that have emerged from the Hometime project. I should have something more concrete to share soon. Good stuff.

I want to thank Dean Johnson and his entire crew for thinking of us.

Other Business-Related Updates: We are fully operational in the new location. We're still straddling two locations, so that requires a bit more forethought and planning. The new neighborhood is fantastic—much more jogger and baby-buggy friendly. The intention is to use the outside of the building itself as a gallery. This will make more sense when we do it, rather than trying to explain it.

And finally: A video study group is forming in Red Wing, with the eventual goal of showcasing independent video projects. The AV Club of Red Wing. Every member will be required to have white tape on the bridge of their glasses. Email me if you need more information. In the meantime, "Save the Chief."

Hometime

Hometime Episode Recap

Last year, the PBS television show Hometime came to our shop to film an episode. This episode is part of a season-long project that involved completely building out a luxury townhome. Our job was to scan, print, stretch, and install custom-designed art. Hometime has been broadcast nationwide for 22 years and has a very loyal following.

It wasn't until the last month that we received final confirmation of the Hometime episode we participated in. PBS has a unique way of scheduling compared to other networks, allowing local affiliates to schedule at will, often around fundraising activities they might have going on.

So, the bottom line is that our episode (#2206, Townhome: Finale) will be broadcast nationwide on March 8th and in the Red Wing area (TPT, Channel 2) on March 15th at 9 am.

What can we expect? I have no idea. Hometime is carried by 240 PBS stations and is broadcast 340 times per week. The typical episode is seen by about 1 million households and 1.2 million viewers.

Bill Gibb, the producer/director for our episode, mentioned that it typically takes 8 hours of filmed tape to produce 8 minutes of on-air footage. I saw our episode, and there are about 7 minutes of dedicated air-time discussing our portion, with the art visible in the background throughout most of the show. One of the best parts for me was the shots taken of the Red Wing community at large. Bill followed up on a suggestion to take some footage from Memorial Park and captured some terrific footage of Downtown Red Wing.

I have several tools in place to try and measure the impact the show will have, and I promise to share the results as they unfold.