One thing I like about this concept is that it tells a real story, of guidance and protection. I try and avoid overused logotypes that will not allow you to stand out.
Remember if it looks cliche or familiar, it probably wont get you recognized. If it tells a story, it will stick in the memory of current and potential clients.
Really liking the shield concept. I like the road arching so it form a subtle C. Obviously the green/blue combo is the combo of choice among designers, but I wouldn't mind seeing another color combination. I am not sure which I prefer the shield on right or left.
I think the original colors you picked like in #5 #13 #9 are the best. I know you mentioned you would provided the shield both right and left. Could we also get the vertical version (#9) along with the horizontal version?
Is it possible to get versions with the "Get There" and and versions without the "Get There".
I had someone suggest that there be a tad more whitespace between the ColeFP and the Wealth Management, Inc. on #14 and #5. It appears a touch crowded, but not on #13. Perhaps have the same spacing on #14 #5 as you have on #13.
We are down to two maybe three designs, so if you could let me know about the horizontal and vertical versions with and without the "Get There" and look at the whitespace, I would appreciate it.
None of those are a problem. I generally offer all layouts to the client at no additional cost. The spacing is also an easy fix. (only the top ranked designer can make those changes during judging however, to see them live you would need to re-rank, at least temporarily)
Also a nice thing is the vector files are layered, so a print/sign/web shop can easily replace its location at any time.
So layout is almost unlimited in its placement opportunity.
So long story short, these are all simple fixes and multiple layouts will be at your disposal.
One thing I've noticed is that the flow of the path still keeps a slight resemblance to the flow of your old logo. But this gives you a clean new direction. I often caution people from using "people" logos, because they are very common and represent so many businesses nowadays. They were very popular in the past (probably when your logo in your attachment was created)
I even considered putting the "swoosh" man inside the shield, but I just did not feel it told a story. I wanted to create something that is not trendy and thus will stand through time.
Shield: Protection Path: Get There
This mantra will not only be a good tool for new business, it will also excite your staff. A good logo works from the inside out. The in house folks will believe in it, and in turn it will attract from the outside as well.
When you consider that your logo is literally often the first impression face of your business you don't want it to be to too general.