Seattle Magazine Dillanos Feature

February 2010
Branding a local coffee experience.
By Tim Newcomb

Creating a local coffee brand with high-quality roasts is crucial for independent coffee retailers, says David Morris, CEO of Sumner's Dillanos Coffee Roasters.

Morris decided to enter the world of roasting after quickly moving beyond the Buckley espresso cart he opened in 1992. Now, he creates branded "coffee experiences," which include roasts ranked in the top three nationally by Roast Magazine in the last four years. He says that melding traditional Italian roasting techniques with current technology "coaxes the finest flavors out of each bean."

Along with top-notch taste, Morris gives independents the support he never received. Dillanos offers brand coaching to all its clients (75 percent of its roasts are sold under the retailer's brand), which helps them create a local experience. "It is about the branding," he says. "How it looks, everything the customer touches, feels or sees. It's an overall experience, of which coffee is a part."

Dillanos has cashed in on being from Washington. Its clients are located in all 50 states, range from small stands to 160-store chains and include, locally, Pacific-based Big Foot Java, with more than 20 locations. Dillanos pulls in $20 million in annual revenues. Across the country, building an intensely local brand is the strategy to beating out the big boys.

But Morris isn't against Starbucks. He likes the stores and credits the company with opening the door for independents. "We are all riding the coattails of Starbucks," he says. However, his focus now is beating them, with branding and the "third wave" in coffee: high quality. "People are growing to love true specialty coffee," Morris explains. "Starbucks' quality has declined and allowed locals to compete."

Morris defines "quality" as a complex cup of coffee that gives customers "pause in their day." There is room for more independents that stress the local and quality coffee, he says. Those two things create success.

"I'm watching you Dad" www.floodgateproductions.com

21 keys in my business value statement

I for the life of me can't remember where I got this. I found it in an Evernote file . But I thought it was really cool and valuable. It says to "rob and copy it" so I did.I think I am going to change a few things and make it 22 keys (my favorite number) but in the meantime I wanted to post it. Also,if anyone know where its from let me know

Here’s the 21 keys in my business values statement:

1. I am a wealth creator, and attract money every day.

2. I am a thought leader.

3. I create a winning team. I’m careful about who rides on my business bus.

4. I love people and use money, and never get those two reversed.

5. Regarding my business associates, my job is to keep them in their greatness.

6. I speak positively of others, and defend those that are absent.

7. I am never cocky, needy, or greedy.

8. I work harder on myself than I do on my business.

9. I refuse to participate in financial downturns. I create my own economy.

10. My work environment is a “no drama” zone. No gossip, no whining.

11. I don’t “spend” time. I focus on the 20% that earns 80%

12. I am a master delegator and don’t waste time on triviality.

13. In tough times, I am the first to arrive and the last to leave.

14. I respect money and use it wisely. My business is fed, not bled.

15. I do not separate my business and religion. I live my religion through my business and am a shining light and good example to others.

16. I leverage my time and resources through effective use of technology.

17. I spend a lot of time with those that share my values, and little time with those that don’t.

18. I am strictly honest, and don’t steal in any way, including music, movies, and software. I am 100% trustworthy.

19. I add more to the marketplace than I take.

20. I am an example of charitable giving in both time and money.

21. I leave my work at work. At home I am 100% husband and dad.

I keep these above my desk on a huge sticky note, and review them every morning. As you can see, it’s personal to me, but I hope you get some good ideas from this for your own statement. Feel free to “Rob and Duplicate” all you want!

Costa Rica 2010

Pay it forward

So I just got pulled over by a Washington State trooper. I was slightly speeding as I passed the cop. However I didn't notice that I was passing him cause I was tweeting on my iPhone. As we made eye contact I noticed I didn't have my seatbelt on so I put it on while driving as he looked on in amazement. Needless to say he pulled me over immediately. As he walked up to my passenger side window I rolled it down with Success Magazine's latest motivational CD blaring out of my stereo. I didn't even notice because I was a little flustered about most likely getting the book thrown at me. He motioned for me to turn it down and with a huge smile on his face said " I don't even know where to start" he graciously went on to explain to me that texting while driving make you 24 times more likely to get into an accident. Compare that with drunk driving making you 6 times more likely.
He then said that he wasn't going to write me a ticket, but it would have been several hundred dollars. He asked me to pay it forward by doing something nice for someone during this holiday season and to also tell people about these shocking texting statistics. Then he said Merry Christmas and sent me on my way. Wow! So starting this day forward I'm done screwing around on my phone while driving. We're talking some seriously dangerous stuff. It's not worth the risk. Hopefully this statistic will help other people to quit texting and driving. After this experience and the heroism of the fallen officers from last weeks coffee shop shooting I am very "Pro-Cop" right now. So thanks goes out to our men and women in blue for putting their lives on the line for our safety everyday.

Great video about Social Networking

45 Rules for Creating a Great Logo Design

1.Do not use more than three colors.
2.Get rid of everything that is not absolutely necessary.
3.Type must be easy enough for your grandma to read.
4.The logo must be recognizable.
5.Create a unique shape or layout for the logo.
6.Completely ignore what your parents and/or spouse think about the design.
7.Confirm that the logo looks appealing to more than just three (3)
individuals.
8.Do not combine elements from popular logos and claim it as original work.
9.Do not use clip-art under any circumstances.
10.The logo should look good in black and white.
11.Make sure that the logo is recognizable when inverted.
12.Make sure that the logo is recognizable when resized.
13.If the logo contains an icon or symbol, as well as text, place each so
that they complement one another.
14.Avoid recent logo design trends. Instead, make the logo look timeless.
15.Do not use special effects (including, but not limited to: gradients,
drop shadows, reflections, and light bursts).
16.Fit the logo into a square layout if possible, avoid obscure layouts.
17.Avoid intricate details.
18.Consider the different places and ways that the logo will be presented.
19.Invoke feelings of being bold and confident, never dull and weak.
20.Realize that you will not create a perfect logo.
21.Use sharp lines for sharp businesses, smooth lines for smooth businesses.
22.The logo must have some connection to what it is representing.
23.A photo does not make a logo.
24.You must surprise customers with presentation.
25.Do not use more than two fonts.
26.Each element of the logo needs to be aligned. Left, center, right, top,
or bottom.
27.The logo should look solid, with no trailing elements.
28.Know who is going to be looking at the logo before you think of ideas for
it.
29.Always choose function over innovation.
30.If the brand name is memorable, the brand name should be the logo.
31.The logo should be recognizable when mirrored.
32.Even large companies need small logos.
33.Everyone should like the logo design, not just the business that will use
it.
34.Create variations. The more variations, the more likely you are to get it
right.
35.The logo must look consistent across multiple platforms.
36.The logo must be easy to describe.
37.Do not use tag lines in the logo.
38.Sketch out ideas using paper and pencil before working on a computer.
39.Keep the design simple.
40.Do not use any "swoosh" or "globe"symbols.
41.The logo should not be distracting.
42.It should be honest in its representation.
43.The logo should be balanced visually.
44.Avoid bright, neon colors and dark, dull colors.
45.The logo must not break any of the above rules.

My source for this list can be found here http://is.gd/57WMB