Part Scottish, part Cherokee, all Texan. That's Surnami's Denominator, Keith Waldon. He directs the company's development of names, slogans, research and launch concepts. Getting to the root of a concept and nurturing the development of a full-scale identity is his passion, some would say a gift.

The youngest of five children, Keith grew up with parents the age of grandparents and neighborhood playmates that carried AARP cards instead of school IDs. Spending his first 18 years in a small northeast Texas town, he often retreated to his own imagination on the banks of a muddy pond near his home.

Southern Methodist University did its best to add sophistication and world culture to his equation. He earned a degree in public relations there, along with a strong emphasis in statistics - a left brain/right brain combo that has repeated itself in his life many times.

Career-wise, he took the fast track. First he joined and ultimately managed a Dallas-based public relations firm, Levenson Public Relations. Next he joined the corporate staff of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts in Dallas as a marketing and public relations manager. The hotel company's founder and his friend joined him to launch a line of bath, hair and skin products next, providing what Keith now calls his version of an MBA. Next he launched his own marketing and public relations firm and relocated to the hill country of Texas between Austin and San Antonio. From his office or wraparound porch at his eclectic old farmhouse and property nicknamed “Rancho Loco,” Keith has produced what he believes is his best work, including his 12-year-old daughter, Lily.

When it comes to creating brands, Keith isn't shy about sharing his opinions. "A good brand is like a magic key that opens up the brain of a person. Many new brands sound like bad marriages that will end in divorce or disaster . . . they're merely clumsy syllables fused together out of desperation."

The Denominator's most recent branding accomplishment was the re-naming of the luxury travel industry's most powerful network, Virtuoso. He's named five-star hotels, including The Lanesborough in London, as well as retail lines like Petigree (a fashion jewelry line for pets sold at Saks Fifth Avenue), and Earth Preserv (a line of bath, hair & skin care products).

The Denominator's DNA Samples:

Favorite Meals: Mom's beef stew on a cold day . . . Santa Fe smoked chicken enchiladas at ZTejas on 6th Street in Austin . . . fried catfish on the banks of the Mississippi in Natchez . . . or beefsteak tomatoes and fresh mozzarella in the French West Indies.

Favorite Authors: Mark Twain, hands down.

Quirky Life Accomplishments: Taught macrame' during recess in the 4th grade; top-ranking military drum major in Texas in high school; double flip off the rope swing at The Blue Hole, Texas' most famous swimming hole; shook hands and chatted with the Queen of England; watched Cindy Crawford on a Stairmaster; felt Cher's head on his chest; enjoyed a private singing/dancing performance by Diana Ross; mastered cow tipping.

Favorite Transportation: until recently, his '54 Chevy pickup, but he made a pact with God to sell it and it now resides in England; nowadays he likes driving his ATV at Rancho Loco.

Dream Dinner Party For Eight: Jesus, Mark Twain, David E. Kelley, Marilyn Monroe, Cleopatra, Georgia O'Keefe and Julia Roberts.

If He Had A Tattoo: It would say "WASH HANDS BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK"

Thinks Best: When hands are in dirt or when staring into fire.

Environmental Conditions: Grew up within 40 miles of the childhood homes of Ross Perot and Bill Clinton

If He Was A Pie: Key lime . . . creamy, yet crunchy; sweet, yet tangy.

Collects: crosses and crucifixes of different mediums; old keys.

Most Valued Estate Sale Purchase: Circa 1900 Art Nouveau water heater purchased from an elderly woman who made him promise he'd take care of the relic because through its heat it kept her family close for many years.

Fuel: coffee, Diet Coke, iced tea and tequila.