The Elevated Read
Explore our blog for valuable insights on marketing, public relations, websites, and AI search for small businesses, nonprofits, and creatives—designed to elevate your business. Subscribe to ELEVATED NEWS for featured articles in our award-winning monthly newsletter.
Scout, Verify, Decide
When a honeybee swarm outgrows its home, hundreds of scouts search, report back, and check each other’s findings until a quorum agrees. About 90% of the time, the swarm chooses the best available site. We offer three lessons from the swarm to help you make better decisions in the workplace and at the polling place.
Reputation, Reach, and Relevance: How Robots Are Redefining Results
Audiences haven't stopped caring; they've stopped looking where you've always been. From AI search powered by earned media to podcasts that need a plan more than a studio, here are six takeaways from the 2026 Southern Public Relations Federation conference that small businesses, nonprofits, and creatives can implement now.
Necessary, Not Sufficient: Lobster Fishery Management for Business
A smaller catch and a national marine sanctuary reef with no lobster sightings on our annual Florida Keys lobster trip led to an unexpected discovery. Florida and Maine both regulate their fisheries, but only one is thriving. Here's what that means for your business's environmental standards and whether you're telling that story.
Small Business Lessons From Spain's World Cup Win
Spain won the 2026 World Cup by building a team stronger than any single star, and briefly united a fractured world while doing it. Here's what small business owners can borrow from La Roja's playbook, and what it's worth to your bottom line.
Meet the Monsters Haunting Workplace Retention
Every workplace has its monsters: the Zombie, the Energy Vampire, the Ghost. But Gallup data shows employees are four times more likely to leave over culture than pay, and 42% of departures were preventable. Here are five strategies for neutralizing difficult personalities before your best people flee.
Rising Gas Prices Are a Marketing Problem, Too
Gas prices have surged 44% year-over-year, and most small businesses are making the same mistake: staying silent. The financial hit is only half the problem. How you communicate rising costs to your customers is a marketing decision — and your response right now will determine whether you emerge with customer loyalty intact.
What the Moon Taught Us About Earth
When NASA's Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific, I watched the scene unfold with awe from a restaurant in the Florida Keys with fellow patrons. The crew brought back more than mission data — they brought back a reminder that humility, shared purpose, and choosing each other never goes out of style.
Turn Google Reviews into Your Best PR Tool (Even the Ugly Ones)
Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression someone has of your organization — and how you respond to reviews shapes what 97% of future readers think of you. Here's how to handle every type of review like a PR pro.
Think Like a Journalist: A PR Guide for Emerging Entrepreneurs
Public relations isn't reserved for big brands with agency retainers. In this free resource from a recent presentation to the first Emerging Entrepreneurs cohort, Christie Solomon of Elevate Next breaks down exactly how emerging entrepreneurs can earn media coverage, pitch like a pro, and build a PR strategy that actually works.
What the Olympics Taught Us About Grit, Grace, & Resilience
For three athletes at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games, success was measured not just by medals but by strength of character and mindset. Lindsey Vonn, Alysa Liu, and Chloe Kim left the 2026 Games with enduring legacies that teach us about grit, grace, and resilience.
3 Professional Lessons From Journalism
In an era defined by AI, shrinking attention spans, and digital noise, three lessons from journalism offer powerful guidance for modern professionals. From leveraging AI wisely to acknowledging bias and practicing intentional listening, these human skills are becoming more valuable—not less.
Why Customer Service is Still the Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Marketing attracts consumers, but customer service is what keeps them coming back. This article explores how thoughtful, human-centered service isn’t just support — it’s strategy. Great customer service builds brand loyalty, fuels word-of-mouth referrals, and differentiates in competitive markets.
The New Perfect Storm
Free speech in the American workplace has been a source of legal and cultural tension since the 1970s. Dr. Randy Bobbitt examines the free speech rights—and notable exceptions—affecting public- and private-sector employees in recent years, and recommends ways public relations can help employers navigate this complex landscape.
Make Art, Not Content
Big tech may be sinking deeper into internet ‘enshittification,’ but not every platform is following that path. Patreon CEO Jack Conte argues that the internet can still be a place where creativity, community, and genuine human connection come first. By designing algorithms that fund art - not ads - and keeping humans, not engagement traps, in control, platforms can provide a healthier digital ecosystem.
Overcoming Enshittification
Digital platforms that once helped small businesses thrive have become cluttered, noisy, and profit-driven — or what Cory Doctorow calls ‘enshittified.’ But small business owners who give a damn aren’t powerless. Discover practical digital strategies to cut through the noise and keep your marketing authentic, sustainable, and human.
Disagreeing Well: Structure a Debate That Builds, Not Breaks
Preparation, awareness of logical fallacies, and respectful discourse are essential foundations for a debate that builds rather than breaks. Without these elements, disagreements rarely lead to productive outcomes.
Elevating Labor Day: Rest, Recognize, and Rethink the Future of Work
Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, symbolized by backyard barbecues and beach trips. Beyond the holiday sales and seasonal farewells on the beach, the federal holiday holds a deeper significance: it serves as a day to honor the invaluable contributions and rights of American workers.
Running a Business Like a Dive Boat: Lessons From the Red Sea
Diving in the Red Sea aboard the Aggressor IV was more than a bucket-list experience—it became a masterclass in operational excellence, teamwork, and customer experience.
The Community Advantage: How Brands That Connect Win
Building an online community transforms one-time buyers into loyal advocates, creating a ripple effect of engagement, trust, and increased visibility.
Small Budget, Big Impact: How the Right Website Pays for Itself
A great website is an investment—but it doesn’t have to be made all at once. For smaller organizations, building a site in stages is a smart, scalable strategy that helps manage costs and delivers a quicker return on investment.