Of the websites on my Bookmarks Bar, no other site gets drilled as much as MURKETING, Rob Walker’s daily blog about branding-related news and commentary. Rob’s the same fella who followed us for a year for that New York Times Magazine piece, and always offers sharp insight into the brand universe, whether it’s a Corporate America marketing gimmick or Nascar-themed Supreme jackets.

I just got done reading a really intriguing interview with Jeff Staple on his site. You may have read your share of Staple interviews in the past, but this one provides a different perspective than the everyday street’zine articles. Rob and Jeff (not that Rob and Jeff) discuss how Jeff’s stacked the business side of his creative endeavors, the sensibility of collaborations, and the entrepreneurial spirit. I guess it serves as a reminder that as much as the industry and culture are fixated on the design and creative ends of the game, the business aspects of brand-building are perhaps more indicative and determinative of success than anything else.

And when I say “success,” I mean it. Check out Jeff’s blog for pete’s sake. He goes on snowboarding trips with Hiroshi and Japanese rockstars to Planet Hoth when he’s bored. Meanwhile, I’m stuck in my apartment on Saturday nights, building my Ikea furniture backwards.

by bobbyhundreds