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Terms & Conditions
Last updated: April 9, 2020
Please read these Terms of Use (“Terms”, “Terms of Use”) carefully before using the https://gstrayerdesign.com website (the “Service”) operated by G Strayer Design (“us”, “we”, or “our”).
Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who access or use the Service.
By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms then you may not access the Service.
Intellectual Property
The Service and its original content, features and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of G Strayer Design and its licensors.
Links To Other Web Sites
Our Service may contain links to third-party web sites or services that are not owned or controlled by G Strayer Design.
G Strayer Design has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party web sites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that G Strayer Design shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such web sites or services.
We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party web sites or services that you visit.
Termination
We may terminate or suspend access to our Service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if you breach the Terms.
All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.
Disclaimer
Your use of the Service is at your sole risk. The Service is provided on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis. The Service is provided without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement or course of performance.
Governing Law
These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of United States without regard to its conflict of law provisions.
Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Service, and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have between us regarding the Service.
Changes
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material we will try to provide at least 30 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.
By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, please stop using the Service.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us.
When Everyone Is A Leader…
No one is.
Look, I get that we want to develop people into the best they can be, but there is a reason that we value leadership. Like all valued things, it’s rare. When we try to compel people into the role of leader, we devalue, either explicitly or implicitly, the idea that there is value in being a follower.
And without those followers, there can be no real leaders.
This is similar to the points John Ratzenberger and Mike Rowe have made about the push to have college viewed as the only acceptable alternative for high school students, with skilled trades presented as second (at best) class options.
I use myself as an example. I am good at my job. Sometimes very good. But then I remember the lesson of the FedEx logo, and remember that I am not a leader in the field, and that is ok. How many A list actors would do a local-market television ad? See the point? We need people who are not leaders to do the work the leaders inspire in us. I would never have come up with the arrow in the FedEx logo, but I see it, and understand it, and can use that to inform my own choices in design.
We need people who are skilled followers too. More than ever, it seems.
Brands & Social Commentary
When is publicity bad for a brand?
Despite the old saw of their being no such thing as bad press, there is indeed such a thing, and knowing how to avoid it is increasingly paramount in today’s hot-take-driven media landscape.
But Gillette is discovering, as others have before, that taking a social commentary position has consequences. For the record, I stopped using cartridge razors back in 2013, and have only used double edged safety razors since (I use the Merkur Safety Razor and these blades), so my comments on the Gillette ad are not driven by any relationship to the company or it’s products.
Gillette is facing backlash over their ‘toxic masculinity’ ad, and that was something they could have avoided. Their parent company, Procter & Gamble, has seen their stock dip post-release. And there is a lot of chatter about switching away from Gillette products, which are a bit less than 50% of the shaving market.
So why do it? That is the question that a brand needs to answer before making a statement that can damage your market. Sometimes controversy is good – especially if you land early on the winning side. Bold statements can drive customers to you, as you show confidence and vision on an issue. This can also backfire, if you choose a position that is opposed to your customer base, or appears to be an attack on them (some analysis of the Gillette ad suggests that the tone is scolding or one of talking down to the customer).
My advice to the small business brand manager or brand decision makers is to avoid commentary on social issues at all costs. And if you feel the need, be sure to be aspirational, positive, and pick a safe topic. You won’t offend anyone by standing up for equality, but might if you choose a more fringe aspect of your issue.
The core function of business is to move a product, and make a profit. Taking social positions is not the function of a business, and has all too often caused harm. Gillette won’t be going anywhere, a 1 person shop just might.
So Your Client Hired Someone Else To Change Things…
There are few things more satisfying than landing a new client – and then getting a monthly support contract on top of it. There are also few things more demoralizing than when that client seeks outside advice to refresh their project. How do you deal with that, with the need to be professional, and still admit your personal feelings?
Well, you blog about it, of course! And in the preparation for blogging, you have to come to realize that there is literally nothing bad about this situation. Nothing at all.
First, you still landed the client. Take that win! Second, take a moment to look over the relationship with your client. Did you do all you could, within the scope of your contract, to make them happy? Did you behave in a consistently professional manner, and always remember they are the boss? Did you complete tasks in a timely fashion? There are a lot of things like this that you can look back on, and maybe see a pattern – and if you did all this, and can honestly say to yourself that you did the best you could, then you need to move to the next step, and this is the hard one.
Accept it. Be gracious. Seek to learn.
Hard to do – accepting it less so, as it is likely a done deal, but still not easy. Being gracious is not to be understood as being subservient or allowing people to walk all over you. Being gracious is part of being a team player. Even if you are no longer on the team. It may be hard, but this is the professional response. Be useful too – you know things that the new person doesn’t, and by being gracious, you also make a new contact – one who is not responsible for your client looking elsewhere. Lastly, seek to learn – we all have different skills and foci. By learning from a new person’s work, you can increase your own ability, and in the long run make yourself more marketable.
In the end, this situation happens for one reason and one reason only. Somewhere, somehow, in some manner you failed the client. You may not ever know how, it may be something happened that is wholly out of your control or influence. It may have been a miscommunication, misunderstanding, or whatever. Honestly, in the end, that isn’t so important (still worth some searching to find why, to make yourself better or to understand the situation better). You still failed in some way.
And that’s ok. Failure isn’t an option, it’s a requirement. By accepting this, you become better at your work, stronger as a candidate for future work, and you know what can happen, and what to avoid.