Numbers are funny. You see one and it communicates something right away—long before you learn the context of how it is being used.

Like the number at the top there. It means effort, right? Well, not so fast. Today I sat down at my computer to attack another week here in 2010, and 110% came to mind. Not due to effort, but because it represents my confidence level. I am 110% confident that 2010 will be our best year yet here at Firehouse. Despite the economic and geopolitical headlines, we will achieve great things in 2010. I’m certain of it.

That’s because in times like this the safe thing is often times the wrong thing. The status quo is death. And while we’d been doing a good job of pushing our clients to do new things, we also saw an opportunity to take a fresh look at our own brand. We forced ourselves to rethink who we really are and what we are really well equipped and well motivated to do. And after a thorough review in late 2009 of where we were headed, we decided something needed to change. Our Brand Promise, although thoughtful and well crafted, did not represent who we really are. It wasn’t us. Because of that we didn’t really embrace it and live it. Therefore, it wasn’t working hard enough on our behalf. It was clear to me we needed a full overhaul.

The result was several weeks of a far more inclusive, far more collaborative exercise that culminated in an agency off-site meeting this past Friday. We went down to the North Texas Food Bank, and going back all the way to starting Firehouse in 1997, this was among the best days I’ve ever had at the agency. We talked through some key changes and identified ways to refocus our efforts as an agency. It was the ideal way to bridge the best parts of what we always have done well, with what will help set us apart moving forward. And giving back and helping others was a great way to help illustrate what makes this agency unique and special.

I spent the entire weekend excited to come to work today. I am confident now that we have more oars in the water and more people pulling in the same direction than ever before. Already great people and great ideas are now better aligned. Communication that already had been improving will do so even more rapidly. Direction from managers will be more clear, more decisive and easier to interpret where it is coming from.

In short, everyone is walking around with a little better clarity, and you can see how that translates to greater confidence simply by looking at the faces of the people walking throughout the agency.

If you want to make 2010 a great year, I encourage you to shake things up. Force those around you to rethink your brand—start with yourself. Whether that brand is a CPG, a service organization or even the brand called You. Do it now, while all those around you are playing it safe and playing not to lose. I’m confident it’ll make a difference.

2010 will be a great year at this agency.

The people here have always brought great effort. And now, more than ever, I have the confidence to match.