I did it. I grew my Mo’ (that’s slang for moustache). And what a wild ride it has been. What started off as a simple gesture to support a client (PCF) and a cause (Movember for men’s cancers), became a personal test of dedication and perseverance. I know, we’re talking about some facial hair on the top of my lip at the end of the day. But as my wife often tells me, I am a vain Wain. And I do care about appearances, particularly in the work place. So with a full slate of meetings and pitches set up throughout the month of November, there was certainly some anxiety about letting my follicles run wild. And that anxiety was going into full force week one.

Can see the little fuzz just prior to catching a train to New York.

I had to travel to New York for a new prospect meeting at the Harvard Club and partner networking event at the historic New York Public Library. As my colleagues can attest, I had SERIOUS reservations about hitting both with the peach fuzz and contemplated breaking out the old trusty Gillette. But I sucked it up, got all decked out in a suit and tie, and sported the infant Mo’ for all of New York to see. All I kept thinking about on the train ride up is that the folks in my meeting would be staring at my lip and if it were me, would I really want to do business and talk to a dude with a weak attempt at growing a ‘stache? But much to my surprise and delight, I was greeted at both venues with “you’re doing Movember aren’t you?” Suddenly feeling like the guy from the Old Spice commercial I proudly replied—YES I AM!

Week two—the stubble started to turn into real hair and I was getting some serious attention. Every time a colleague would walk into my office, I would either get a smirk, a chuckle, a double take, or a full blown laughing attack (Cheryl Haar). As I posted on my Facebook page, I felt like a cross between Tom Selleck and the fictitious Dirk Diggler (see Boogie Nights). But again, I was shocked when one of our clients came in for a meeting and immediately said to me “Good for you Lance—I take it you’re doing Movember.” He told me he donates to the cause on an annual basis, but couldn’t go through with growing the Mo’. I was starting to feel proud of what I was doing and riding some serious Mo’Jo.

Ever more confident in week three, and heading into the Turkey holiday, I had to mix it up a little bring some flavor to the face.

This opened up a whole new round of critiques.

These are some of the comments that I jotted down:

From one of my friends—Fu Man Jew.
From a female colleague—OMG—Ew….
From a  male colleague—Fierce, Lance. Really fierce.
From my 5-year-old niece—You look like a man from the highway.
From my sister-in-law—I’ll give you 500 bucks to shave it off.

While the last offer was tempting, at this point, nothing was going to get in the way of me and my Mo’. In fact, I found myself looking forward to each morning to do a little trim and manicure to make it looked polished for the day.

How time flew. Yesterday was the end of the month, and just as my Mo’ has really become a part of me, the campaign came to a close.

Me and my full grown Mo’.

So what are my key takeaways from this experience?

1) I actually enjoyed being a walking billboard for Movember and raising a few bucks for men’s cancer research in the process.
2) I had no idea there was so much recognition for Movember and what a successful viral brand it has become.
3) As attached as I have become to my Mo’, I don’t believe moustaches are making a comeback anytime soon (although it’s December 2 and I still haven’t shaved).

Speaking of viral, yesterday the entire Grafik team sported fake Mo’s and surprised me with a small celebration showing their amazing support. It was hilariously touching. See for yourself.

Grafik get hairy for Lance's Movember Suprise

Prostate cancer is in my family. Both my father and my uncle are fighters and survivors. But for anyone that has been exposed to this disease for an extended period of time, they know that a sense of complacency can settle in. Let’s face it—men can be really stubborn and often ignore their own well being, even after a scare. Healthy diets, which has proven to be important in disease management, are easy to break, and procrastinating about getting follow-up PSA tests are quite common. My father, unfortunately, falls into this category. So as I thought about Grafik’s grassroots initiative to get people to “Join in the Fight,” I wanted to use this opportunity to also stress to my dad the need to CONTINUE the fight. Go get checked pops!!!

My dad Hal and I "Join the Fight!"

Follow us on Twitter @grafikdotcom and the hashtag #whatitoldhim as we talk to the special men in our lives about prostate cancer.

Sports and branding: I am passionate about the former and I love to consult with my clients on the latter. So I can’t help but be fixated on the recent buzz pertaining to LeBron James and the so-called “hit” on his brand equity ever since he made, in my opinion, the ill-advised television special to announce he was switching from his hometown team to the Miami Heat.

To set some context for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about—LeBron James, the all star player formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and probably the most celebrated basketball star since Michael Jordan, went on national television in July and announced that, as a free agent, he was leaving the team that drafted him seven years ago. In his mind, joining the Miami franchise with a few other all stars already in place, would give him the best chance to win an NBA championship.

Now I’m cool with athletes switching teams when they are free agents. Happens all the time and it is the prerogative of any free agent to go where they feel most comfortable. But the manner in which he made the announcement made headlines all over the sports world­, and it was seen by many as a selfish and backstabbing move against his home state (he grew up and attended school in nearby Akron, Ohio). Here is a brief clip of the announcement:

Shortly thereafter, the backlash started. According to Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, “LeBron’s brand will take a $1 billion hit, give or take a few bucks.” While that statement may be a slight exaggeration, a recent poll about LeBron by the Q Score company—the Q Score is a measurement of the familiarity and appeal of a brand, company, celebrity, or television show used in the United States­—shows LeBron’s popularity rating has plummeted since his announcement and is currently below the average sports celebrity. I won’t use this blog to get into the specific calculations­—see a good CNBC article for details.

But I found it really interesting to see how Nike, a key LeBron sponsor, took the opportunity to not only come to his aid in what appears to be an attempt to help him repair some of his brand image, but also make sure they are protecting one of their biggest assets. Weiden & Kennedy did the spot and I personally love it. It is somewhat bold, in your face, and guaranteed to grab attention—just like Nike always does. Take a look:

Now I can’t say that this ad will start the path to brand rating recovery (although I think it is great for Nike), but considering what other elite athletes have done over the years­—adultery, domestic violence, using banned and illicit substances—this sports fan gives LeBron credit for staying clean and living by his sponsor’s famous tag “just do it.” Yeah, he made a mistake in how he delivered his decision to move on. But I believe his success on the court will ultimately define his brand which I am sure will be memorable and plenty lucrative, to say the least.

USAToday.com article on a new report from the PEW Research Center discussing online activity for different generations.