Solo(ish)

Reflections, tools, and truths for the self-employed life—because doing it solo doesn’t mean doing it alone.

Networking Virtually…tips for the new normal

Networking Virtually…tips for the new normal

With social distancing becoming the norm, networking has moved to online platforms, but it is still an essential tool for building relationships. To be successful, you must have the right mindset, where you focus on how you can help others, not how they can help you. This approach builds mutually beneficial relationships, which is the goal of networking. You can start by nurturing existing relationships, checking in on close friends, family, and colleagues. To meet new people, you can target specific groups or be open to random connections. Allocating just 30 minutes a day to LinkedIn can be an effective way to network online by skimming your feed, commenting on relevant articles, and sending personalized messages to your connections.

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Your Brand Needs a Purpose

Your Brand Needs a Purpose

Mission, vision, values, and positioning statements are the most widely recognized strategic tools used to define a company’s business, strategic objectives, and overall approach to reach those objectives. Another less frequently recognized strategic statement that many companies neglect to employ is the Purpose statement.

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To-Do, To-Don’t, To-Done!

To-Do, To-Don’t, To-Done!

Sometimes it feels like there’s a lot on my plate. I run my own business, sit on two boards, serve as leadership for my referral networking group, and I teach. Most importantly, I’m a husband and father. I have a lot of stuff that needs to get done every day. But I’m never overwhelmed enough to say, “my plate is overfull.”

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I Went from In-House to Consultant—Here’s What Helped Me Succeed

I Went from In-House to Consultant—Here’s What Helped Me Succeed

By the end of 2015, after nearly eight years as an in-house creative director—and over two decades in the field—I found myself self-employed for the second time in my career. Now, as I enter my fourth year as a brand and creative strategy consultant, I recognize how the lessons I learned in-house have directly contributed to my success as a business owner. Looking back, I can also see that my consulting mindset and teaching instincts played a crucial role in leading in-house creative teams effectively.

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The Changing Relationship Between In-House and Outside Agencies

The Changing Relationship Between In-House and Outside Agencies

In recent years, there has been a shift in power in the creative industry regarding who “owns” brand and creative work in corporate America. In-house creative teams have emerged as important players, producing some of the best creative work in design, advertising, photography, and video. This shift has led to corporations leveraging their in-house talent more than ever, with in-house teams taking on the responsibility of managing outside agency relationships.

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Do You Need To Rebrand Your Business?

Do You Need To Rebrand Your Business?

Business owners are more in tune with the principals of branding than ever before, some spending millions of dollars to brand or rebrand, depending on where they’re at in the business lifecycle. A brand represents everything about an organization, from its market position to company culture.

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Four Simple Strategies to Keep Your Brand Consistent

Four Simple Strategies to Keep Your Brand Consistent

Business owners are more in tune with the principals of branding than ever before, some spending millions of dollars to brand or rebrand, depending on where they’re at in the business lifecycle. A brand represents everything about an organization, from its market position to company culture.

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How Much Does Branding Cost?

How Much Does Branding Cost?

If you ask around for quotes on branding projects, you will get fees ranging anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 and even higher, and this often is just for design work. You might find a freelance designer online who says they can do it for less than $500, and you can even get a logo for as low as $5 on fiver.com. The real price of branding though, is not doing anything consistently.

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When Is It Time For A Name Change?

When Is It Time For A Name Change?

So when should a brand look at changing its name? If you want to signal a change in strategic focus, and if the name change will serve greater meaning, resonance, and value for consumers and customers, then do it.

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The Changing Relationship Between In-House and Outside Agencies

3 Career Paths: Agency, Freelance or In-House?

As a design professional with almost 25 years of experience, I have worked in various roles, including as a freelancer, in-house creative services leader, creative director, and educator. There are three career paths available to creative – agency, freelance, and in-house – and choosing which one is right for you depends on four factors: stability, money, advancement, and passion.

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The Difference Between Branding And Marketing

The Difference Between Branding And Marketing

While the branding and marketing are undoubtedly connected, there are minute differences between the two. As a business owner it is essential that you understand branding and marketing in detail, so that you can effectively utilize them together. Below is a closer look at the differences between branding and marketing.

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