A recent BBC World Service post on five ways insects make better decisions than we do prompted me to investigate democratic honeybees (because cockroaches, flies, locusts, and ants weren't as appealing, and democracy is timely). Our latest Elevated Read summarizes ways honeybees can teach us to improve our decision-making in business—and at the polls in the Nov. 3 midterms. No matter how you vote, the hive depends on you to express your choice today.
Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Destin on Oct. 9, and our community is still recovering. If you're rebuilding along the Emerald Coast, visit FloridaDisaster.org to connect with local recovery resources, including state bridge loans and federal tax-deadline relief for impacted business owners.
Thank you to Conexión Media Group for publishing our article, “Reputation and Reach: How AI Search and Podcasting Are Redefining Results,” in both English and Spanish for bilingual readers along the Gulf Coast in its October issue.
In this month's In Good Company, we celebrate our clients and partners and find upcoming events in The Elevated Experience, including my presentation at ECPRO’s Nov. 10 meeting: “From Inbox to Lantern: A Case Study in Award-Winning Public Relations.”
THE ELEVATED READ
Scout, Verify, Decide: Three Lessons From Honeybees for the Workplace and Democracy
When a honeybee swarm needs a new home, the queen has no say. Hundreds of scouts search within a radius of at least 3 miles, report back with a waggle dance of varying enthusiasm, verify one another’s findings, and move only when 15 to 30 scouts agree on a single site. The swarm picks the best available site about 90% of the time. Here are three lessons from the swarm for the workplace and the polling place.
Reputation and Reach: How AI Search and Podcasting Are Redefining Results
Published in English (y español) by Conexión Media Group, our recent article highlights two trends from the Southern Public Relations Federation’s 2026 PR Roots conference. First, AI search runs on earned media: in a Muck Rack study of more than 25 million AI citations, 84% came from earned media and just 0.3% from paid content. Second, a podcast needs a distribution plan more than an expensive studio. Together, they create the credible content AI search draws from.
IN GOOD COMPANY
Frame Gallery Gifts & Art
Photo credit: University of the South
A striking new mural on the side of Taylor’s Mercantile in downtown Sewanee, Tenn., celebrates the recently discovered wildflower: Sewanee purple phacelia (Phacelia sewaneensis). Painted by artist Megan Lingerfelt, the mural honors the wildflower's 2025 scientific discovery by Sewanee Biology Professor Jon Evans and his team in Shakerag Hollow and the South Cumberland Plateau's unique landscape.
The mural concept, funded by a grant from the State of Tennessee and administered by the nonprofit Do. More. Art., grew out of 2024 community workshops that named public art a priority for the Sewanee Village.
Harriet Runkle, owner of Frame Gallery Gifts & Art, served on the selection committee that helped bring this mural to life. "It has been great meeting Megan and David and watching the mural take shape over the last week or so,” Runkle said.
You can learn more about Phacelia sewaneensis from an exhibit inspired by the flower Runkle hosted at Frame Gallery this past March, "Sewanee Purple Through the Year." Artist Megan Lingerfelt will also be featured in an art exhibition at Frame Gallery in early 2027.
Baird Dental Business Concepts
What happens in your practice when you aren’t there? Sandy Baird, MBA, explains why practices that rely on the owner, or on one “indispensable” employee, to remember how everything works are fragile. She shows how documented, team-built operating systems keep knowledge in the practice, prevent repeat mistakes, and let the owner lead instead of constantly rescuing.
Burnout Busted: A Reboot Solution for Dentists
What if your burnout comes from how your practice runs rather than how you handle stress? Drawing on recent research, Sandy Baird, MBA, explains how the invisible mental load of practice ownership exhausts even the most capable dentists and how better systems and delegation can help. She closes with a five-minute exercise to identify what you can stop carrying today.
The Dental Associate Edge: Building Toward Ownership
Clinical skills earn a patient’s trust, but your mindset earns your team’s. In Episode 7, co-hosts Dr. Dave Striegel and Sandy Baird, MBA, walk through five mindset shifts that help dental associates think and lead like owners before they ever buy a practice.
Renee Broxson Fine Art
Renee Broxson has been painting ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree and celebrate Mardi Gras! Visit the next THIRDsday Art Walk in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., on Nov. 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. to see these and more original artworks by Renee and fellow artists at the Artists Warehouses. You can also contact Renee to arrange local pickup or shipping.
Dog-Harmony & JC’s Gourmet
Dog-Harmony celebrated Halloween with its successful 9th Annual Barktoberfest fundraiser at Grand Boulevard on Oct. 30. Food sponsor JC's Gourmet captured shots of the canine Halloween costume contestants in between serving their famous smoked Somethin' Snappy garnished with candied Jommin' Jalapeños and Poppin' Pimento cheese, which raised additional donations supporting Dog-Harmony's therapy dog-assisted educational and mental health support programs.
THE ELEVATED EXPERIENCE
A curated collection of upcoming events with our talented clients, partners, and friends
That’s this month’s ELEVATED NEWS. Whether you’re voting today or weighing another important decision, thanks for letting us land in your inbox.
And if you’re near Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on Nov. 10, come say hello at my ECPRO Lunch & Learn presentation — I’d love to share the story behind this newsletter in person.
