A friend of ours has invited us on a tour of Israel. Yay! In his letter to us, and in a book he wrote about the connection between "The Land" and the Bible, he points out that learning the land provides great insight into the Book. It gives it a sense of place. This makes all kinds of sense. And it seems to have a great application to branding.Retail brands, in particular, benefit from a sense of place. Some brands do great in their initial location. But, underestimating the importance of place, they whither in subsequent locations. We did some…

I am, by nature, a self-absorbed ingrate. It took me many years to figure out that the person with the best idea isn't necessarily the most important person in the room. It took me almost that long to figure out that my ideas weren't necessarily the best ideas just because they were mine. There is a Spirit dwelling in me that tells me to be thankful. But He is very polite and allows me to overrule Him. Unfortunate.I have had moments of clarity over the years. Heideggerian "coming into the clear" moments, in which I have said "Please," and walls…