Joan Bosch 9/27/22 Joan Bosch 9/27/22

3 Important Reasons to Involve HR in PR

CNN reported that a scarcity of talent was among one of the biggest human resources (HR) obstacles companies faced in 2021. Job openings reached an estimated 11 million in October of that year. Given the widespread challenge of attracting and retaining talent, the need for collaboration between HR and public relations (PR) departments is more necessary than ever.

Christie Solomon 9/6/22 Christie Solomon 9/6/22

The Merits of Monotasking

When you receive a phone call and continue working on your current project, you’re probably not doing either activity very well. Successful monotasking, or focusing on one task at a time, requires you to ignore the myriad of distractions around you.

Christie Solomon 8/7/22 Christie Solomon 8/7/22

Finding Your Ikigai

Ikigai is the Japanese word that means your purpose for living - or the reason to get up in the morning. According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai - you just need to be patient enough to find it. To do this, the authors of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life recommend several simple practices that can be employed by anyone at any stage in their career.

Christie Solomon 6/29/22 Christie Solomon 6/29/22

7 Tips to Improve Your Instagram Reels

Businesses and brands can leverage Instagram reels to reach their target audience in larger numbers than they may otherwise with regular picture posts. Read the latest blog for 7 pieces of advice for business owners to increase the exposure of their Instagram reels.

Christie Solomon 6/8/22 Christie Solomon 6/8/22

When Your Authentic Self at Work is Inappropriate

Contrary to popular thought, the Economist recently argued that "no one should actually bring their whole selves to work. People are a melange of traits, [many of which] should be kept well away from the workplace." A recent Below Deck Sailing episode provides a humorous reminder why our colleagues don’t need to know about our authentic Friday night selves.

Christie Solomon 5/18/22 Christie Solomon 5/18/22

The Women of the Suri Tribe Demonstrate 5 Leadership Traits

The Suri are a self-sufficient, agro-pastoral people rich in land and traditions. The land, which is part of the diverse Omo Valley in Ethiopia, is located in the southwest along the border with South Sudan. My impression, after a recent trek in the Suri land, is that the women are the hardest-working members of the tribe - and they represent a subtle example of strong leadership.

Christie Solomon 4/11/22 Christie Solomon 4/11/22

Comparing Google & Squarespace Analytics

If you feel overwhelmed by website analytics, you’re not alone. We regularly receive questions from our clients about the differences in the various analytics platforms. This article compares Google Analytics, as the largest analytics platform, to Squarespace Analytics, a popular website builder (and one upon which we’ve focused). We recommend that you use both platforms to derive actionable insights from website traffic.

Christie Solomon 3/27/22 Christie Solomon 3/27/22

Sled Dogs Exemplify Leadership

I recently returned from a new experience: Dogsledding and camping in Ely, Minnesota with the Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge family. It was an amazing adventure augmented by the presence of five incredible Canadian Inuit dogs pulling my sled. These working dogs were friendly, loving, and docile, but when pulling the sled down the trail they became determined machines focused on one thing: Pulling. This display of teamwork made me think about leadership, and what an example they provided!

Christie Solomon 2/17/22 Christie Solomon 2/17/22

Proactive Crisis Management in 10 Steps

Although predicting a true crisis is nearly impossible, you can mitigate the consequences of one with a proactive, forward-looking crisis management plan. Consider these 10 steps as a checklist in your crisis management plan, which includes planning for: crisis communications, business continuity, and disaster recovery for IT systems.

Christie Solomon 1/20/22 Christie Solomon 1/20/22

Connect Your Brand to a Cause & Your Target Market

Once you identify your target audience, you must create content that resonates with them at the right time in the right social channel. (Yes, a marketer's job is tough!) Small businesses can employ low-cost, cause marketing strategies to differentiate themselves from the competition and successfully achieve a high return on investment from their marketing efforts.

Christie Solomon 1/12/22 Christie Solomon 1/12/22

Developing Domain Authority & Google Search Relevancy

Domain Authority (DA) is a useful metric to indicate a site's search engine optimization (SEO) strength. So, what is Domain Authority? And to what metrics do you, as a marketing agency or small business owner focused on SEO, pay attention?

Christie Solomon 1/7/22 Christie Solomon 1/7/22

Excelling in the Long-Tail Keyword SEO Game

Long-tail keywords offer an opportunity to improve your site’s SEO for specific market niches. Identifying your company’s strategic long-tail keywords, which should complement your selection of ‘seed’ keywords, may offer a quicker return on your digital marketing investments.

Christie Solomon 12/27/21 Christie Solomon 12/27/21

Battle the Burnout Blues in 5 Steps

Have you been hit by the professional burnout bus? Learn to identify the causes and symptoms of burnout and take action with five practical steps to bring your creative side back to life.

Christie Solomon 12/10/21 Christie Solomon 12/10/21

Best Practices for Keeping Your Inventory ‘Evergreen’

Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve experienced significant disruptions in the global supply chain. No business, whether product or service-oriented, has escaped the impact of limited products or component availability and long lead times. Now is the time, more than ever, to re-think sourcing, stocking, and sales strategies.

Christie Solomon 11/13/21 Christie Solomon 11/13/21

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Enhance Organizational Resilience

Companies that intentionally pursue a more diverse, equitable and inclusive (DEI) culture are more prone to be resilient in times of crisis. In fact, these companies tend to be more proactive in responding to change, often minimizing or avoiding a crisis altogether.

Christie Solomon 11/8/21 Christie Solomon 11/8/21

Manage Your Digital Assets to Maximize Company Value

Good digital asset management (DAM) practices both protect you and allow you to leverage up on what makes your brand and business unique.

Christie Solomon 9/28/21 Christie Solomon 9/28/21

The Origins of ELEVATE NEXT

Recently, I came across a business card I saved from my very first, real career job out of college at the International Institute of St. Louis. The colleagues, volunteers, refugees, and immigrants with whom I worked at the International Institute more than a decade ago are the ones that inspired me to take a plunge and start ELEVATE NEXT.

Christie Solomon 9/19/21 Christie Solomon 9/19/21

Survey Results Highlight the Top 6 Challenges for Small Businesses

Small business owners often struggle with limited resources and their decisions how best to use their cash flow. Read the results of the survey we designed to evaluate the most pressing challenges - or pain points - facing small businesses.