It was amazing to visit with two outstanding alums who got back together here in Atlanta recently to catch up on their careers and lives, sharing a few Portfolio Center war tales—Alan Woodruff and Rebecca Cobb. How excited they were to see each other— seemed to me, however, they were not really that far from the very first day they first came to Portfolio Center, A theirs was a small and particularly close class. The ‘bond is always just that and the friendships— the friendship’s last forever— even as they spread out all over the globe.

For Alan and Rebecca, it is a long way since orientation day nine years ago, and since that time both have rallied their own educations to become cultural contributors, doing some celebrated worldwide global branding work.

Alan works with Coke on such amazing projects as their recent interactive media campaign, ‘Manifesto for Growth’ initiative, as well as the much talked about global ‘Values’ campaign, which was the first true global media driven conversation about the values of Coke going live amongst in over 45 countries.

And, the ever effervescent-to-brilliant Rebecca… who is a senior designer in NYC with the worldwide global branding firm Futurebrand (FutureBrand Worldwide). She was here in town working and consulting with their client, Coke. Rebecca helps companies navigate, create, and define powerful brands around the world.
When students first come to Portfolio Center, as Rebecca and Alan did, they come first come seeking to create portfolios that will get them jobs. But, as time goes along, they begin to see the value of a Portfolio Center education in a very different way… because it is an education that empowers what their lives become… it is an education like none other on earth, and what they really leave here with is, what they truly possess as their own, is the ability to change their world.

Good people make good work, and good work makes good companies, and good companies make clients profitable, and those good works ultimately transition their values into society, and when it is done as good as it can be, the world becomes a little more hospitable place because of it.

How important your educations, how important the work you are, the work you become— Viva la capitalism!

Not long ago, while reading in a history of the Renaissance master Leonardo Da Vinci, there was tucked away amongst the writing a passage he imagined- I’d not seen it before, but it struck me, how a wonderful the ideal…“Choose work which does not die when you do. Choose work which may bring you honor. Choose work which, by imitating nature, makes you worthy of what you are, that is, a grandchild of God.”

Hank

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