The Neo Barber

My friend and colleague Geff Sellers has branched out to a new business venture.
He’s starting a new service called G:Lux at Dylan’s barbershop in the Arcadia district of Phoenix. Forget what you know about Barbershops. Forget the dog-eared pin up magazines, peeling linoleum, wall calendars from 1952 and no women to be found. Instead, think Chelsea or SoHo New York, where glass and exposed brick meet modern garage doors that roll up to usher in Phoenix’s beautiful weather. Think urban hip lofty chic, where you can get a cappuccino from La Grande Orange or a glass of wine and a board of bruschetta from Postino and then stop by for more than the expected trim-and-go. Dylan’s pulls out all the stops for both men and women for everything from a quick hair cut to a lingering style consultation, cut color and style. Skincare and oxygen facials are an unexpected surprise. Or if you’re a guy, you can still expect the same affordable barber cut, style and shave.

I like things that honor tradition yet bring a new and fresh approach. Things that are beyond what is usual and better than what is expected. Congratulations to Geff and to all the entrepreneurs out there who inspire us.

Phoenix New Times – Best of List

Congratulations to our friends, clients* and colleagues who were listed to the Phoenix New Times Best of Phoenix List.

Local First’s Small Wonders Map (Kimber Lanning is our inspiration)

CenPho.TV

Nate Anderson — Ear Candy Productions

The Clarendon Hotel

Urban Cookies*

Oliver & Annie

Frances

haus Modern Living

Sinkweeds

Smeeks

Ticoz Resto-Bar*

The Parlor Pizza

Fez

Gallo Blanco Cafe’ (Tony A. eats there almost everyday)

SideBar*

Postino on Central (Troy is our favorite bartender)

Red Hot Robot (Jason we knew you would get this!)

I have the best clients…

Four Lewis and Roca attorneys were recognized by the American Bar Association for their work with the Holocaust Survivors Justice Network (HSJN).  The Pro Bono Publico Award, is the profession’s highest recognition for pro bono legal work.  The firm’s volunteer attorneys are Gabe Beckmann, Sivan Korn, Emily Gubler Clark and Caryn Tijsseling. The attorneys have devoted numerous hours of time free of charge to work with survivors on the compensation claim-filing process. The Holocaust Survivors Justice Network is an international initiative established to assist Holocaust survivors in obtaining reparation payments under a program established by the German government.

Nice to have good news, given the recent tragedy at the Holocaust Musuem in D.C. and today’s announcement that Prosecutors in Germany have formally charged alleged Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk with 27,900 counts of being an accessory to murder in World War II.

The Value of Cross-Promotion Devotion

I love it when I get to work with smart people who understand the incredible value of cross-promotion where there’s no need to ask for monetary gain or inserting speed bumps that prevent the experience from being fully celebrated.

Case in point, I approached Carrie Law at ASU Gammage auditorium about a cross-promotion with London Luxury Car, a unique (in this context the word is appropriate) limo service comprising two genuine London cabs, tricked out and named “Penny Lane” and “Abbey Road,” that service the City of Phoenix and surrounding areas.  The idea was to provide one lucky winner two free tickets to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as being transported to and from the theater by London Luxury Car.

Carrie loved the idea, and advised that they would promote the contest in their newsletter mailed to 65,000 or so of their subscribers.  She also suggested we bring the cabs to an upcoming press event and even repeat the promotion when Mary Poppins arrives at Gammage in February 2010.

We, of course, were elated.

Linking brands and creating fun promotions are what generates interest and word-of-mouth discussion among consumers.  Its power can be extraordinary. So too are the people who recognize these opportunities, seize them and honor them with the celebration they deserve.

Dryer, lint, fires … OH MY!

I have a new client, Dryer Vent Wizard of Phoenix and Brothers Chris and David Willey and I are making the rounds of TV news shows here in the Valley. Dryer Vents are more than just that hose at the back of a dryer (though most of them are illegal, like the accordion foil or plastic). You see many homes, even newer ones, have a vent that goes up through the wall and into the attic and out the roof (if you are lucky). We’re working on inspecting a few employees of a local TV station, but until then we need an example of a home that doesn’t pass inspection. Guess what? It’s mine. I was horrified to see how bad it was, even to the point that my vent doesn’t go out the roof, it ends IN THE ATTIC. And it runs next to the gas line. Yikes. Turns out, even that hose at the back can catch on fire. The air temperature back there reaches more than 200 degrees. A spark can ignite a dryer and the whole attic could be engulfed in seconds. Needless to say, I’m not doing laundry until its fixed … that’s the problem. Until we do all of the news shows, I can’t get it fixed. It’s not like we could just show up at one of their appointments and say surprise! We brought ABC-15 with us! Warning signs: It takes more than one cycle to dry clothes or you keep finding lint behind or under the dryer.

Check out the video below to see the story.