Wednesday, February 26, 2014

City of Marshall, we hope you like your new windows!

As I'm typing this from within the core of the frozen tundra, it's a whopping 1 degree out, a temperature I'm just grateful has no negative sign attached to it.

In local talk, it's actually quite balmy. 

But let me take you back last week. Remember those couple days of paradise? When the temperature was up near 50 degrees? It was a pretty big thrill, and not just because you could bare you skin without feeling pain. 

For us, it was a thrill because we got a chance to do this: 


This is the newest project from Lifewall for Business, and one of my personal favorites to date. Where is it? Let me back up.


That's city hall here in Marshall, MN, and it's located right on Main Street. The project consists of windows that are 8.5 feet tall, which officially makes this the largest window project we've ever done, using a total of 155 square feet of material. To put it in perspective a little bit, remember this window project at the Marshall Aquatic Center we did last May?


The square foot count for those windows rang in at about 93 square feet, which makes the City of Marshall project some huge percentage amount larger -- something we are definitely excited about.

The origins for this one actually stretch back quite a bit, when I had the chance to talk to Cathy from the City of Marshall several months ago at one of our speaking events. She had in mind -- you guessed it -- a vision that we would have the opportunity to develop. All we started out with were some simple ideas... windows... something cool... unique...

After communicating with Cathy back & forth the next several weeks, brainstorming, and sharing some possible concepts, we ended up with something that's custom-tuned to the City of Marshall.


We think this display showcases some pretty meaningful things to the Marshall community. In particular, two big things:

First, a shot of the Mrs. Whitney statue that was erected last summer. The statues honors Mary Whitney, wife of Charles Whitney, who ran the post office in the area many, many, many years ago. She's widely credited for naming the community after the name of her husband's post office, which was named after Gov. William Marshall.

Second, a picture from Memorial Park just down the road, which features the 9/11 Memorial, a beam taken from the World Trade Center wreckage in NYC, which notably tilts in the direction of Ground Zero.

Just as with all of our other window projects, this display is visible from the outside, but see-through from the inside. This means employees & visitors can still see out the windows, and they're not cloaked in darkness.

Interestingly, as we were installing these prints, people from the inside were convinced we were putting up some sort of film over the windows -- UV protectant, something -- because they couldn't see the design printed on the outside.

But once they walked out the doors, these people were hit with a severe case of WOW fever.

If you're in Marshall and want check out the windows for yourself, we encourage you to do so! A huge thanks goes out to the city for working on this project with us. We had a blast of a time, and we hope you enjoy everything! 

Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall for Business? Like us on Facebook. 


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Our New Work at Geske Home Improvement

If you haven't heard it yet, the mission of Lifewall for Business is this: transform business leaders' visions into reality on their walls. 

Pursuing that central goal answers a whole set of questions along the way, including: 

What does my business do? 
What does my business' values? 
What does my business promise to deliver? 
... and a whole lot more! 

Just as we began launching Lifewall for Business, Matt from Geske Home Improvement stopped by with a project in mind -- refacing a series of six 24"x24" display boards that hang on the wall in their store. I'm talking about these. (This is the before picture.)


We were super excited to get started on this, and right from the beginning, we started to ask ourselves modified versions of those same questions. And at the end of the project, we wanted to be able to answer things like:

Is it clear what Geske Home Improvement can do?
Is it clear what they can promise and deliver on?
Is it clear who they are?

That's the thought process that drove us to create this:


Yes, that is the same wall. Just a different angle and souped-up wall prints. Let's dig into some details.

Like I said, the six panels themselves were provided by Matt -- we simply designed, printed, and applied new peel & stick prints on top. Matt provided some great picture resources, and so the process went pretty smoothly. We wanted to show customers the wowing capabilities of Geske's siding & window services, as well as more clearly state the benefits in text.


As you can see, the color of the panels largely complements the color of Geske's logo, which is what we put above them all. It's made with our peel & stick StickIt material, and was installed with little hassle.

We wanted this logo to be one of the first, eye-catching things people see when they enter the doors, and I think we accomplished just that.


A huge thanks goes out to Matt from Geske Home Improvement for trusting us with his vision. We really enjoyed the opportunity to turn it into reality on Geske's walls, and we're confident the feedback from customers will be positive!

Stay tuned for more projects along the way -- you never know what we're gonna create!

Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall for Business? Like us on Facebook. 


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Monday, February 17, 2014

We've picked a winner! Here's our quirkiest couple!

Wow, this was not easy! 

For the past couple of weeks, we've been drowning in some incredible quirky cuteness. Our Facebook page was sprinkled with so many different forms of quirk, all amazing in their own ways. As Jacob was deciding which one would walk away with the FREE 16"x12" canvas print, we were all struggling/chuckling/giggling with him. 

That said, THANK YOU for making this contest so much fun! Before we get to the winner, we have something special to give EVERYONE who entered the contest: 50% off one 16"x12" canvas print. 


We don't give out half off deals too often, so take it as a huge 'thanks' for making this contest so great! For the math nerds: regular price is $59.99, so you'll be saving about $30 on this print. Just stop in, email us, call us, and we'll start helping out with that. 

Ok, we can't delay it any longer. Here's the winner of the free 16"x12" canvas print, and the champ of our Quirky Couple Photo Contest: 

*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*
*drumroll*

Macey Lendt!


For some reason, this photo especially tickled the quirky sensor in Jacob's left cerebral hemisphere, and he just had to go with it. We loved the outfits, the setting, the attitude -- everything. Congrats, Macey -- stay quirky!

Thanks again to everyone for participating! You made this more awesome than we could've expected!


Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Like us on Facebook, head to yourlifewall.com, or subscribe to our blog.


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Brick Wall Cutouts at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

A few months ago, we did something we've never done before -- a big mural on a brick wall at Marshall High School, made with a thin vinyl intended for rough surfaces. It applies with heat guns, and has a painted texture/feel when it's finished. If you missed that project, check it out here. 

Anyway, we've done a couple of other brick wall/rough surface projects since then, but nothing like THIS. 


These are cutout brick wall figures, all heat-gunned to a series of brick walls in the part of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church where Sunday School classes are held. 

Credit for the idea, yet again, can't be claimed by us. That goes to Sheila, who came to us with a simple vision a while ago. After speaking with her for a while about how she envisions things turning out, we ran with it, and began putting together some ideas for the space. 

What makes this project so cool is the central message behind it. It's not meant to be just a series of kids in a hallway. The centerpiece is exactly Who it should be: Jesus. The rest of the kids are all faced toward Him, with many running toward Him. And above Jesus is the classic verse, Matthew 19:14: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."



In putting this together, we did have to overcome one challenge: the grooves of the wall were rather deep and sharp, meaning we couldn't just heat gun the material into them because it would break. 

So, we had to get creative.

The solution: clear caulk stuff. 

As we installed the prints, we used caulk to fill in the grooves, and then applied the prints right over them. It took a bit more time, but the result turned out amazingly. Couldn't have been more pleased!


This project so perfectly complements our recent launch of Lifewall for Business. Sure, Good Shepherd Lutheran isn't "business" in the common sense of the word, but it does have a mission, values, and a purpose behind how it operates as an organization. With our L4B goal being to bring vision to life on walls, the whole process fit perfectly into what L4B does best. 

Sheila came to us with a vision, and we made it into reality. 

Thanks to Sheila & Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for allowing us to work with you on this! It was a blast!

Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall for Business? Like us on Facebook. 


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Growth Causes Complexity That Requires Clarity

On May 9th of this year, the annual Leadercast event, sponsored by companies including Chic-Fil-A, Coca Cola, Delta, and TOMS, will give us some amazing teaching on leadership. In celebration of the upcoming event, I wanted to revisit an idea from last year, delivered by Andy Stanley: the powerful duo of growth and clarity.

Growth is the greatest thing a business can experience. That's why it's the goal of virtually EVERY successful organization in existence.

If your business model doesn't involve growth, then you probably don't need to worry about marketing, partnerships, wise money management, or success.

Growth is the goal, the supreme finish line that never stays in one place; but with growth comes complexity and complexity is the enemy of clarity, which is the MOST important trait in any organization.

Don't believe me? You think a person would ever buy a hot dog from a stand in New York that didn't even have a mission statement, or a vision, or a brand? A stand without clarity?! NO.

Well... actually, people will probably buy a hot dog regardless of clarity or mission. But is that all you want to be? Just be a little hot dog stand your whole life?!

Not you; you're built for growth, you've got something inside you, like a seed. Cultivate it and it explodes!

Clarity is most likely what brought you growth in the first place. As you grow, don't you dare lose that clarity!

This, of course, is easier said than done. Growth causes complexity which is the enemy of clarity.

So here are three simple questions everyone in business needs to ask themselves in order to maintain clarity:

What are we doing?
Why are we doing it?
Where do I fit in?

1. What are we doing?

What are you accomplishing collectively at your work? What do you provide for people, how do you satisfy them, what is your mission? Then, put your "what" in its simplest form.

Helping leaders capture and communicate their vision is Lifewall for Business' "what".

For Apple, it was something different: "We are going to build easy-to-use computers." - Steve Jobs

Knowing the answer to this question begins to bring clarity to the whole organization.

2. Why are we doing it?

If people don't know why they are doing something, a job will become nothing more than a job and they'll just be an employee.

People need to have value added to them to remain passionate and driven. Here's Lifewall for Business' answer to that question:

"Because many business leaders have difficultly communicating their vision consistently."

Knowing why you do something forms an emotional connection in people's minds. You can know what my company does, but without the why, it doesn't seem to matter.

3. Where do I fit in?

What can only YOU can do?

What's that one thing you bring to the team that you do best? Maybe it's leadership, maybe it's creativity, personality, motivation, a technical skill, or training that no one else possesses.

If people know where they fit in, they feel desired, and more motivated to what they do well.

So, remember. Growth causes complexity that requires clarity. Maintain that clarity through asking these key questions no matter how slow or fast you find yourself growing. Want more great ideas from Andy Stanley? Follow him on Twitter. 


Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall for Business? Like us on Facebook. 


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Our Hanging Banner Displays at Wesley United Methodist Church

If there's one thing a lot of our customers are good at, it's throwing us some creatively awesome curve balls.

That's how I often feel about some of the projects we get the privilege of creating. People come in with a new, we-never-could-have-thought-of-it-ourselves idea, and we get to make it a reality.

When Dave Hoganson talked to us about a vision he had for Wesley United Methodist Church few months ago, that familiar feeling of being creatively surprised came to mind.

Before I dive in, check out the finished walls. They're at Wesley United Methodist Church here in Marshall. They're not murals, not canvas prints, but they're still quite the sight. All designed, printed, and installed by your friendly neighborhood Lifewall.

Main Entry

Back Entry

In all, the projects consisted of two displays -- same design, but different sizes, and a grand total of 14 vinyl banners (7 for each display).

Credit for this idea all goes to Dave Hoganson, who stopped by & chatted with us as we were putting up a window display at the Lyon County Museum. He had seen something similar at a church up in the Twin Cities, and thought a rendition of it would be perfect for his own church. With that simple vision in mind, we got to work on bringing it to life for Wesley United.

Up until that point, most of our projects had consisted of canvas prints or wall murals -- nothing that would be hanging technically off the wall from the ceiling. But hey. Can't box in vision. We were gonna make this project a reality with creative passion, and I'm pretty sure that's what we did.

Let me quickly take you through some progress photos:

Our first set of banners was the big one -- about 12 feet tall, with each main banner being 3 feet wide. Here's the wall before we Lifewalled it:


Much to our enjoyment, the church ceiling made for the perfect means to hang the banners, as we used the metal bar thingys that hold up light panel stuff. Sorry if that technical terminology went way over your head.

Note: I do not personally condone the method by which Jacob uses this ladder in the following picture. I guess he's just a risky bro, and sometimes, the best you can do is sit back and shake has he does what he does.


And from then on, we cruised.


The second display was a bit easier to handle. The banners were just 7 feet tall, which means no terrifying ladders to handle. Check out the wall prior to Lifewalling.


This time, the process was so quick that I failed to many pictures of us putting it up. Sorry!


We were super privileged to be a part of this project. Like I said, it's another great example of someone coming in with an impressive vision, and with our job being to make it a reality.

Know of someone with a unique vision but no means to make it a reality? Let us know! We love brainstorming new projects with visionary leaders, and we like to push the limits of what we can do as much as possible.

Don't know how to get started? Call us, visit us, or get some more info here! 

Also, if you'd like to see some more of our work with business & organizations, check out our Facebook page!

Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall for Business? Like us on Facebook. 


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Friday, February 7, 2014

"Always [don't] be the smartest person in the room." Developing effective business leadership.

Lifewall for Business supports leaders with vision, but why limit that to prints on your wall?

Some interesting thoughts on developing effective business leadership...

Have you ever heard the phrase “Always be the smartest person in the room”?

I heard this the other day, and it sounds pretty compelling, especially for leaders.

But if you really look at that statement and then compare it to how great leaders actually function, I think we see the opposite is true.

In my experience, great leaders surround themselves with people who are smarter, better and faster at different things than themselves.

We each have rooms or areas that we are in the position of leadership; let's call it “my room.”

Being the leader in “my room” means that I don’t do everything the best, I’ve hired people and gathered people who are better than me at everything so that, as a team, we can be the best.

Being young means I need to put myself in a place where I am always the dumbest person in the room. I need “my room” to be filled with people who know things I don’t know and who want to invest into other people their knowledge.

One day I might be asked to be in someone else’s room.

I might be like Daniel invited into King Nebuchadnezzar's chamber and be asked for my advice or, expertise, or my perspective.

But to even be qualified to give advice, we need to spend many years as the dumbest person in the room, and the longer you leave yourself as the dumbest person in the room, the greater impact you’ll have in those times when you're asked to be the smartest person in the room.

There are times that you may need to be the smartest person in the room, but a truly wise leader with clear vision knows that being the leader is often a position of service before a position of power.

How do you lead your business?

Always being the smartest person in the room? I hope not…

For more insight into this, read Jack Welch’s blog post "Are you the smartest person in the room? Let's hope not."


Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall for Business? Like us on Facebook. 


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Show us a quirky couple photo, & you could win a canvas print!

I don't know if you know this, but on January 4th of this year, Lifewall's Maxx Raths did something super great: 

He got married. <3

This is huge because 1) Marriage is a huge. And 2) There's not a single "single" man working at Lifewall anymore. We're all hitched, and we're all loving it.

Combine these facts with this other important fact: Valentine's Day is less than ten days away. 

To celebrate this oncoming big day, we're having some social media fun! 


From now through Valentine's day, we wanna see the quirkiest, cutest, weirdest couple photo you can find. Post it to our Facebook page, and Jacob just might pick YOU to win a FREE 16"x12" canvas print featuring whatever image you want (It doesn't have to be the quirky picture you post).

To those of you who like numbers, that's a $59.99 value!

So, let's see the quirky cuteness! Post a pic, have fun with this, and see if you're picked to win a print!

Have a LOVELY rest of the day!


Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Business Profile: Scott Williams - Bisbee P & H Mural

 

Lifewall for Business is built around capturing the vision of a business and proclaiming it to the community through murals and canvas prints.

In order to be the best, we need to invest into each business to the fullest, and truly understand what it values and envisions (It sounds pretty technical, I know). It's actually incredibly rewarding to get to know the business leaders of Marshall on such a personal level!

You may have read our feature on the Bisbee P & H murals that we put up this past summer. What you haven't heard is the "Good Stuff", why Scott wanted these murals in the first place and what these murals say about Bisbee P & H as a company.

If you don't know Scott, you should.. seriously. Scott will welcome you in, give you a firm hand shake, look you in the eye and give it to you straight. Whatever the topic is, no fluff just straight talk.

If we ever create a Lifewall hall of fame, Scott will be inducted first.

Scott loves Marshall, he loves the history and the people. Scott knew right away that he wanted a timeline of the history of Marshall to circle his whole lobby (how cool!) spanning from the late 1800's - Present. Yes, Marshall is that old!

Immediately we began work on compiling TONS, and I mean TONS of photos from every historical record we could find in Marshall. As the project unfolded, Scott would stop by and check on the progress, we would often times get caught up talking about a specific photograph and how Bisbee was involved or the story behind certain buildings like the Atlantic Hotel or the old drug stores in the mid-1900's.

The second mural that Scott knew he wanted was more personal, he wanted a wall dedicated to all his past and present employees, and I really mean ALL. Scott was much more picky about his employee wall - which is a GREAT thing - it was personal and he wanted it to be perfect!

To an unsuspecting bystander with no sense of insight, Scott's murals look like just that, murals! But, to someone who pays attention, Scott's murals are so much more. They are his values, his history, and his mission.

Talk to Scott about his murals for five minutes and it becomes evident what they mean to him. Scott believes Marshall will always be the place for Bisbee to be located; it was a promise he made to his father-in-law when he took over the business. Scott always remembers who worked for him, and they're more than people; they're friends and family, essentially what Scott's murals say is what Scott is all about. He's about history, he's about Marshall, and he's about people.

Scott's murals aren't just pictures; they're a mission statement.
Authored by . Interested in more of what's happening at Lifewall? Follow us on Facebook. , Google+, and at yourlifewall.com.