I’m often asked how I came up with the name “Vermilion.” Quickly followed by “and, what does it mean?” There are many influences, but one story I often share is I came across the color vermilion, a bright Chinese red, back in college when I was reading James Clavell’s Tai-Pan about the takeover of Hong … Continued
As Mother’s Day approaches, I’m flooded with memories of my younger working mom self while I navigate my newer role as a work-in-progress CEO mom. In my 27+ years of being a mom, I never wanted my work to stand in the way of being a good parent, or my motherhood to hurt my profession. … Continued
After 42 years at the helm of Vermilion, yeah, I’m excited to announce the beginning of a new chapter. I have transitioned the ownership to three longstanding leaders of the company — Susan Touchette Aust, Thaddeus Napp, and Sarah Halle. I could not be more thrilled. This transition to a new generation has been in … Continued
From natural product brands to legacy social impact organizations, a brand logo doesn’t just *waves hands wildly* appear. But it does beg the question: what type of brand-building sorcery goes on behind the curtain? There’s no curtain. Or sorcery (sorry). But there are a lot of open Google Chrome/Safari tabs and a ton of sketching … Continued
With 2020 and Vermilion’s 40th year in business in the rearview mirror, I find myself more reflective than usual. Most of us would agree it’s been a year like no other. Most of us would also agree that’s the understatement of 2020. I also hope most of us would agree that we tapped into resilience … Continued
A New York Times article wrote that during the pandemic, “the internet wants you to believe you aren’t doing enough with all that ‘extra’ time you have.” Well, Internet, we respectfully disagree. We’ve been doing this remote work thing for a while now, even before the pandemic. And while some see it as creatively stifling, … Continued
I *love* qualitative market research. It’s a rare and wonderful domain of connection. Where else do you have permission to step into a stranger’s life and explore how they experience the world? Where else can you ask “why is that important?” again and again, and instead of irritation, you get reflection? Like I said: Love. … Continued
I thought it might be fun to try and quickly figure out how to take existing brands’ bones and equity, and then reconfigure, recolor, & ‘re-love’ them to a bold and fresh design.
These days, it’s hard to enter a job interview without the conversation touching on company culture. Why do you think you’re a good culture-fit? What is it about our culture that drew you to our company? Culture is one of those strange, intangible things that most people can agree is an important part of a company … Continued
From flex days to open floor plans to standing desks, employers are creating more comfortable, healthy, and collaborative spaces to work. After all, it is where we spend most of our time. While ergonomic desks have proven health benefits, can we say the same about dog-friendly offices? Sure, there’s plenty of tail wagging and belly … Continued