New Year’s resolutions are lame. 

For the most part, anyway. They are generally some in-the-moment super important idea abandoned as quickly as a battery-less toy on Christmas morning.

But setting resolutions is fun!

At least for self-improvement nerds like us.

In looking back over more than 25 Root Sessions, 15 presentations, four BrandLabs, three Synthesis episodes, buckets of content crafting and hundreds of rich conversations this year, we are closing out the year happy … and blessedly spent!

And we’re looking forward — with a twist.

What’s on our collective minds is not what we want to do in 2018.

What’s on our collective minds is what we can do for you in 2018.

As we ponder the possibilities and opportunities of a new year, we want to make a commitment, a resolution, for you — our clients, friends and influencers.

1. We resolve to learn something from you. Each time we have a chance to serve you, we get to learn something new — about you, about your industry, about your passions, about how we can help you, about how we can improve our process in service of the company or entrepreneur in front of us.
2. We resolve to continually inspire you to go inward — to where your brand is rooted, to your heart and soul. Continually going inward will give you the grounding and confidence to continue to express your true brand to the world.
3. We resolve to continue to innovate. For far too long, marketing and branding stayed very static. If you graduated from a marketing program before 2013, much of what you learned is now obsolete. Innovation is a part of brand like it is a part of tech. We embrace innovation just as we innovate from the oldest, deepest parts of truth and knowledge, using the findings of modern science and current business realities.
4. We resolve to always add art. Most people think of the visual aspect of brand as something that comes after strategy or as something separate from strategy. We think visual creation is something that happens at the same time as strategy. We are all visual learners.
5. We resolve to bring you clarity. If we do nothing else in our work, we commit to create clarity. We do this not by prescribing, but by eliminating, focusing, listening, sifting, by challenging conventional wisdom and by loving on you.
6. We resolve to be on high alert for “brand drift” — both for ourselves and for you. We will watch for drifting away from your mission and message; for drift in your culture, in the telling of your story and in your customer experience. We will watch for any getting caught up in putting tactics in front of strategy.
7. We resolve to keep you up-to-speed on the trends, tactics and tools you should pay attention to — and to those you should just ignore. We get there’s a lot of noise and options, which lead to a nagging fear that you are missing something. We resolve that you won’t feel this way because we have made branding and marketing a source of confidence for you.
8. We resolve to hold space and time for you. In today’s chaotic world we can do most things remotely. That doesn’t mean we always should. We believe the most transformative experiences are those we have together, in person, taking time to connect and be fully present and attentive to the task at hand. In 2018, we’ll be offering more in-person Root + River experiences than ever, something we are thrilled to do.
9. We resolve to help you tell your story to more people – the people who are looking for you. The people who need to know you. Whether it’s helping you directly tell your story or through sharing insights and tips, we want your story to reach as many people as possible in 2018.
10. We resolve to continually remind you of your awesomeness, to encourage you through the dry patches and to keep you humble in the abundant seasons. You know us: these are not platitudes or lip service. This is returning you, whenever you need to, to the truth of what makes you unique and valued in the world.

Thank you for your love and support in 2017.

We are immensely grateful for you, for all we have learned from you this year, for the way you have honored us with your attention, support, comments and business.

We love each and every one of you!  We look forward to being a part of your story in 2018!

P.S. Feel free to borrow this idea — and made some heartfelt resolutions to your clients and influencers in 2018. It will be good for your brand.

Emily Soccorsy + Justin Foster are cofounders of the intrinsic branding practice known as Root + River. Together with their defiantly different clients, they uncover then articulate the foundational elements of the brand. Then, they provide brand strategy and brand coaching as the brand is rolled out internally and externally. Obsessive about language and differentiation, Emily + Justin are also authors and speakers. Follow @rootandriver @fosterthinking and @emilyatlarge.

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