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It Was 25 Years Ago Today …

June 17, 1985. At about 7:10 that Monday morning, Mark Burris unlocked a door on the top floor of a High Point, North Carolina office building. Burris Creech & Tuttle was born. Mark had taken a career diversion, leaving Thomasville Furniture, where he was regarded as something of a wunderkind, to start a small advertising agency. I remember the Sunday full-page ad in the High Point Enterprise that announced our opening: “WE STARTED WITH A FEW PROBLEMS. NOW WE WANT YOURS.”

I was 30, and had been drafted by Mark to move away from Greenville and join a crackerjack team of creative problem-solvers. On June 17, twenty-five years ago today, we were officially in “the business.” If not exactly on top of the world, we were seven stories above Main Street, with a nice view of Pilot Mtn. in the distance. Man, we were fab.

Mark Burris (left) and Mike Harrison. From a BCT newsletter gag, circa 1987.

Mark was, and will always be my mentor. He introduced me to Springsteen and Poco, two-handed backhands, Porsche 914s (2.0L), B&O speakers, Tar Heel basketball, voting for a Democrat, an appreciation for literature and the concept of punctuality (which I have still yet to master). Mark inspired me to think outside the box, before box-thinking became fashionable. He convinced me that I could write solid creative copy. Most of all, he gave me the confidence that I could be really good in this business.

He still does.

Years ago, I realized this was not an especially great business if your goal was to make a lot of money. I know so many fellows who live a much grander lifestyle than I. But few enjoy what they do like I do. Few feel the energy rush of a great idea or a well-crafted paragraph that has the potential to change everything. I owe so much of this contentment to Mark.

I’m one of hundreds who’s had the privilege of working for and with Mark over these 25 years. I believe most of us shine a little brighter, laugh a little longer, play a little harder and work a little smarter. In a way, probably a subconscious effort to be just a little like Mark.

Happy Anniversary, my Friend. Got you on my mind.

Measure Everything

Last week I interviewed Scott Millwood and Michael Elliott for a newsletter piece I’m writing for our client, wealth management firm Nachman Norwood & Parrott. Scott and Michael are founders of Greenville-based Customer Effective. In collaboration with Microsoft, Customer Effective has become a rising star in Customer Relationship Management consulting and solutions implementation, with an emphasis on the financial sector.

The two spoke about the importance of creating measurable performance metrics, not only for their clients, but for their own business, as well. According to Scott, “there’s not one aspect of Customer Effective that we don’t have metrics established to track our performance.”

It’s certainly possible to attribute some of Customer Effective’s success to being at the right place at the right time. But others have had access to Microsoft’s technology platforms, and have nothing like the client base Scott and Michael have built in less than ten years.

A lot of businesses (Harrison Kohn included) track only basic financial data and little else. Meanwhile, Customer Effective creates a robust dashboard of performance metrics that touches every associate within the company. And it’s monitored every week to be sure each little building block is getting done … and to reward the appropriate individual for his/her accomplishment.

Frustrated with the economy? Feeling anxiety because you’re stagnating? Learn from two gentlemen behind one of South Carolina’s most remarkable companies.

Measure everything!