branding

what are you selling? what do you cost? every day we broadcast that information by the shoes we wear, the music we listen to, and the company we keep.  like ancient talismans we surround ourselves with trinkets to influence us – reminders of who we want to be and symbols to the world of how we want to be treated. subtle clues pile together and form a language, like ancient glyphs advertise our rules of engagement – hopes and fears, warnings and invitations in equal measure – rules of etiquette. the brands we choose, they are advertisements of ideals, requests and admonitions, they form our shell – they can protect us when we are weak, provide a story to cling to, preempt others to treat us as the person we wish to be – give us something to live up to. but the difference between a prison and a castle are smaller than you think – the walls that protect us eventually limit our growth. so build your brand, be deliberate in its construction, mercenary in its curation – understand the process of evolution, of leverage, of becoming something more. remember that everything says something, especially what goes unsaid – and nothing rings louder than a lack of truth in advertising. understand what you are selling, what it costs, and who you expect to foot the bill.

GYM JONES has always been symbol. a reminder. a challenge. belief imbues that symbol with power allowing a few simple words to conjure up memories of every drop of sweat shed, every sacrifice and every struggle, every revelation and every redefinition. my thanks to Mark, Lisa, Rob, and everyone else who stokes the flame, who has contributed to the weight of that symbol. it is an honor to add our heft to the pull, and in turn feel the push to hold a space worthy of hoisting this flag.

-the station