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The latest statistics (December 2004), reveal that 15% of working Canadians are self-employed, and a staggering 97.6% of the 2.4 million businesses in Canada are small businesses (less than 100 employees). Walden is a strategic design firm that focuses on helping these businesses thrive, with smart marketing materials and advice.
This page contains general information about Walden ("Define Walden"), our business policies, our president/owner Bruce Walden, (including Bruce's resumé), and the software we use. Browse through, or click on a link to jump down to a specific section.
Define Walden:
- Teutonic (German) name meaning "mighty"
- Old English for "wooded valley"
- 21st century Canadian for "produces great marketing materials"
The primary division of Walden Productions Inc., Walden is owned and operated by Bruce Walden in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Full contact information can be found on the Contact Us page.
Walden Policies
- We know what it's like for you to make ends meet in a small business, so we only charge a consistent moderate hourly rate (far below ad agency prices) for all our services.
- We don't put big surcharges on expenses.
- We don't quote on projects, since we feel this always ends up being unfair to one of the parties in the transaction – and we always strive for win-win situations. We do provide a rough time-range estimate in advance, where possible, for budgeting purposes.
- We get the work done on time. Small projects are usually ready for proofing within 2 days.
- We stand behind our work. If something isn't perfect, we'll make it right.
- We understand that if you can depend on us to do great work, quickly, and for a reasonable fee, that you're likely to recommend us to others. That's how we grow. So that's what we do.
Questions? Contact us!
Walden President & Owner
Bruce Walden
B.Sc., B. SC. (O.T.), CBA
“If a man does not keep
pace with his companions,
perhaps it is because
he hears the beat of
a different drummer.”
from Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
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One of Bruce's award-winning
balloon sculptures
“I learned this, at least,
by my experiment;
that if one advances
confidently in the direction
of his dreams,
and endeavors to live
the life which he
has imagined,
he will meet with
a success unexpected
in common hours.”
from Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
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Some of Bruce's popular
educational videos – now on DVD
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Bruce Walden
A creative entrepreneur since childhood (selling original artwork through a local gallery), Walden's president, Bruce Walden, has had a broad education and success with a wide range of small businesses (see resumé below). His strong analytical skills and diverse background allow him to quickly understand a small company's strengths, and envision how to market them efficiently.
Bruce offers a free consultation to meet with you and discuss how Walden's small business marketing can help you find and service your customers. Contact us to set up an appointment.
Bruce's resumé
Education:
- University of Western Ontario (London, ON)
B.Sc. – Chemistry degree
B.Sc. (O.T.) – Occupational Therapy degree
- University of Toronto (Toronto, ON)
Pre-Press Certificate – Computer Graphic Design
- Ontario College of Art & Design (Toronto, ON)
Courses in copywriting, art direction & typography
- Qualatex Balloon Network (Wichita, KS)
CBA - Certified Balloon Artist designation
- Shelton School of Floral Design (Memphis, TN)
Graduate
- Ryerson Polytechnic University (Toronto, ON)
Courses in film production
- International Film Workshops (Rockport, MN)
Courses in film production
Experience & Awards:
Retail Sales & Service
- Owner, Musical Messages & Balloons To Go (Waterloo, ON)
Musical Messages was a singing telegram service and entertainment bureau. It operated from Balloons To Go, a balloon/gift store.
Awards included first place in the International Singing Telegram competition, held in Denver, CO, for a comedy act Bruce wrote and performed.
- Owner, Balloon Architects (Toronto, ON)
A corporate event decorating service providing custom-made props, balloon décor and signage. Clients included most of Toronto's major shopping centres, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, IBM, Shell, Labatt's, Skydome and Bell Canada.
Awards included top international prizes for sculpture creation, marketing materials and centerpiece design, as well as a prominent Special Events Magazine Gala Award for "Best Balloon Creation".
Writing & Education
- Freelance Writer, various balloon and floral trade magazines including Balloon Images, Florists' Review, Cut & Dried, Weddings with Style, Balloons & Parties, and PartyTimes (USA & UK).
Wrote motivational, instructional and promotional articles aimed at improving entrepreneurs' business and décor skills. Provided photography services and edited technical articles.
- Balloon Instructor, Various Conferences (worldwide)
For several years, Bruce taught business and design courses throughout North & South America, Europe, Australia and selected countries in Asia. He produced a yearly conference in Brazil and three US national touring seminars.
Awarded the prestigious Crystal Award for "Outstanding Contribution to the Industry".
- Copywriter & Layout Artist, Echo Advertising Agency (Toronto, ON)
To cement his computer design skills after his U of T training, Bruce worked for this agency while preparing his first US tour.
Product Development & Manufacturing
- President & Video/Film Producer, Walden Productions Inc. (Toronto, ON)
Wrote and produced a dozen feature-length "Balloon School" instructional videos.
This series is considered to be the most comprehensive education in the industry and was recently re-released on DVD.
Wrote and produced several promotional industry videos. Clients included Hi-Float, Pioneer Balloon Company, Premium Balloon Accessories and MagMover.
Watch the short MagMover video!
Financed and produced the feature film "976", written and directed by Darren Biggs.
Awarded "Best Canadian Film", "Best Actor" (Jonathan Purdon), "Best Supporting Actress" (Darlene Spencer), and a "Special Jury Prize" at the Planet Indie Film Festival.
- Freelance Product Inventor, Balloon Industry
Bruce worked with Conwin to produce the Dual Split- Second Sizer and the Duplicator 2, and co-developed the Premium Balloon Stems with Premium Balloon Accessories. He conceived and designed the Sculpture Drop line of balloon drop hearts and stars for BalloonPro and the entire Uplifter product line.
The Dual Split-Second Sizer has become standard equipment for balloon professionals, and Sculpture Drop is sold at party stores throughout the world.
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Software expertise:
Like most design firms, Walden works in a Macintosh environment. The primary applications we use are listed below.
- Photo Manipulation: Adobe Photoshop
- Illustration & Design: Adobe Illustrator
- Page Layout: Adobe InDesign (although we can also handle most Quark XPress files)
- Website Design: Adobe GoLive and Macromedia Dreamweaver. Note: we create Macromedia Flash Professional components, but rarely use it for navigation or home pages since the content can't be seen properly by search engines.
- Animation: Macromedia Fireworks, Adobe LiveMotion, Apple LiveType or Apple Motion
- Video Editing: Apple Final Cut Pro (although we can also handle some Adobe Premiere projects)
- Audio Editing: Apple Soundtrack and Bias Peak Express with Bias SoundSoap filter for noise removal
- DVD Authoring: Apple DVD Studio Pro
Need something done using this or other software? Contact us to discuss your project.
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