I am the most unathletic person you will ever meet. If you don’t believe me, watch the video of me rollerblading—it’s on my Instagram. I’m not giving you the link, you gotta work for it. Ironically, or not ironically, I am ridiculously competitive, which directly challenges my athleticism, often with disastrous consequences. Case in point: […]
Travel is stressful enough without dealing with complete and utter...people who apparently forgot how to act in public the second they stepped into an airport.
“What on earth are you watching?” I ask Josh as I crawl onto the bed in our motorhome (in our driveway) and lie down next to Frank*, the office dog (picture below). *We brought Frank to our house for the weekend so he could run around the yard and sleep in a real bed. Josh […]
Perhaps by calling it Sharkie Poo, it was a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. All seven dogs have a nickname – Millie is Millie Vanilli, Noodle, Silly Millie…I’ll spare you the rest; you get the drift. It only felt fair and proper to give the Shark Robot a similar name; after all, he is now […]
I am not a fan of the phrase “thought leadership,” but I have yet to come up with a better term, so here we are. It’s why I titled this blog “I’m Kind of a Big Deal,” it gives off some serious narcissistic vibes. Basically, it means a person has a unique perspective and insight […]
If I asked you what your hiring process is would you say: 1. Post job to Indeed/LinkedIn or other job boards, 2. Filter through applicants, 3. Schedule interviews, 4. Interview, 5. Interview again, 6. Hire. We blew up our hiring process this past year, cause we realized it just wasn’t working and it certainly did […]
Coming back from vacation is so overwhelming that it’s tempting to just never take one. That’s basically been my approach for 2022. To state the obvious, that is not healthy. After spending time relaxing on the beach it’s ironic to come back and immediately be stressed with all you have to accomplish. So how do […]
Someone reached out to me last week needing marketing support for a new business and said the budget was $300 a month. I went back and forth on how to respond, on one hand I was like…”in what world” and on the other I was like I feel bad for telling them they’re about $4,000 […]
Coming back from a holiday weekend is kind of a nightmare. I woke up this a.m. completely overwhelmed with all the things I needed to get done and a foreboding about all the meetings my dumba** decided to line up on the day after a holiday weekend (who does that). I figured, let’s procrastinate a […]
It was time to update this blog, the original was written in 2018 and was recently trolled by someone who pointed out several spelling and grammatical errors (oops)…so I figured it was the universe telling me to bring it into the current year. Plus we’re currently hiring for several positions, and Zoom interviews are a […]
If I hear the word “unprecedented” one more time, I’m going to scream. We are being bombarded by news by the time we wake up to the time we finally put our phones down and go to bed…then we dream about it. Everyone keeps giving advice on how to weather this storm, what to spend […]
The holiday season is upon us and it comes with all the fun and stress. I’m not an expert on navigating the holidays, but I’ve survived so far and I’m pretty good at managing chaos, so here are my tips for surviving the holidays. Just as a reminder, always put your mental health first, you […]
A growing business is a blessing and a challenge. Hiring is one of the hardest endeavors, regardless of business size. When you have an entry-level position you are hiring for, you are most likely dealing with new grads or those with a year experience. I have found these roles the most challenging to fill. The […]
Am I the only one, who had never heard this saying, until recently? According to the internet, that is always right in all these types of things, the Sunday Scaries are: …the anxiety that sets in on Sunday nights with the impending return to the office, school, or work. Whether you call them The Sunday Scaries, The Sunday Blues, The Fear, […]
Ever find yourself scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn…all the photos in your phone…the latest Ann Taylor sale…basically doing anything but tackling the looming project that is due? I’m convinced it is human nature to procrastinate, it just feels natural to find reasons to not do something. It’s like we are wired to avoid emptying the […]
We are blogging maniacs at 8THIRTYFOUR, we blog twice a week or more depending on breaking industry news. That is a lot of content to create, which means we have learned a thing or two along the way. Here are some of our blogging non-negotiables. It’s all about the relationship. Readers need to feel a […]
As entrepreneurs and business owners, our days are anything but consistent. It is a word we loathe, how can we possibly be consistent when everyday is full of surprises and the unexpected. Here is the deal, when we are consistent, we see the results but it takes commitment. It is so easy to put things […]
Don’t have a heart attack, but I currently have 1,215 emails in my inbox. Are you hyperventilating? Take a deep breath, here’s a paper bag – I hear you can breath into it and it helps. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t categorize or file my emails. If I am at 1,214, […]
Dear Sarah Sanders: It’s time. No one is debating your talent, well some are, but we are all beginning to question your sanity. I mean, how much abuse can someone subject themselves to? Do you believe the stuff you are saying anymore? The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) code of ethics clearly states, “We […]
I made the decision to go see a business coach/counselor/therapist – whatever you want to call it….and it was the best. Granted, I’ve gone once but I’m clearly already cured. Jokes aside, I’ve written plenty of times about feeling alone as a business owner. It took a swift kick in the ass by my managing […]
Is gratitude lost in todays society, never to be found again? Am I jaded in thinking that younger professionals want things handed to them without first working for it? It would seem the self-worth of millennials is much higher than others perceive it to be. Is this anyone else’s experience? I want to share a […]
Negotiation is a part of every aspect of our life. In your personal life it could be trying to get your spouse to do a chore or run an errand. In your professional life it might involve a raise, increase in a client’s budget or a lease on new office space. Negotiation is a bit […]
Hello everyone seeking a job, connection, friend, mentor, advice – stop bugging everyone. Make it happen yourself. No one owes you anything. They certainly don’t owe you their time, an introduction or advice. This past week, I have received numerous emails from individuals relocating to the area. Apparently they googled and I came up, lucky […]
We are in the process of hiring our summer interns for 834 which means lots and lots of interviews. Every interview we give is treated as important as if we were interviewing the Pope, we don’t discriminate based on position. It still surprises me how unprepared individuals are, or the lack of research done before […]
No lie, this is mapped out in our standard operating procedures. I absolutely hate meetings to have meetings, you can feel the productivity just sucked out of your day. Meetings are a necessary evil of agency life; however there are ways to run a successful, methodical and short meeting that are beneficial to all parties. […]
Mondays seem to hang over our heads mocking and taunting us as we enjoy football and relaxing on Sunday before heading back to work. As a business owner, prepping for the work week is incredibly important as we are often pulled in a hundred directions first thing in the a.m. I created the following routine […]
There is no such thing as traditional PR anymore, I mean sure I can write up a press release and send to the masses and wait for my phone to ring. Or…I can be proactive, creative and smart about it. Reporters are inundated with requests hourly, if you can’t be creative with how you reach […]
We hear people say it all the time, how busy they are and how they can barely keep their head above water. Trust me, I get it. 834 is in growth mode (I am beginning to wonder when that will ever end) and it is hard to stay on top of everything, which is why […]
Does Twitter really have a place in business? Are you really going to suggest it as part of a marketing strategy? Short answer: Yes. Here is the deal, just a few short years ago (or yesterday) we were all debating the legitimacy of any social media and yet … we are all using it. So, […]
Every week, I have a Sunday night freak out. I start worrying about the coming week, the stuff I didn’t get done on the weekend, the meetings I have to attend, calls I have, networking events I am going to…you get the idea. Isn’t it time we took back control? I look at my calendar and […]
We have all gotten a little lazy with our style. Gone are the days where a suit, nylons and pencil skirt were the norm. With an influx of millennials into the job market, we are seeing a lot more individuality and expression through a person’s dress. I am sure we are all familiar with the […]
When you are managing over 30 clients, overseeing 20+ social channels and communicating with 100 or more media outlets on a monthly basis…you need to have your organizational shit down. From 834 to you, here are our top time management tips, served with a side of sarcasm and swear words. Never procrastinate. Do it NOW! […]
My sister-in-law contacted me the other day to ask me about an individual, marketing themselves as a social media guru that promised her for $247 she could increase her Instagram following. She asked me if it was worth it. I saw red, and not because of my sister-in-law, because there are idiots out there that […]
As professional, career-driven individuals we work hard and often, which doesn’t leave a lot of time for self-learning. We all understand the importance of it, but in a 12 to 14 hour day, how the hell do you fit it in? The fact is if you don’t stay on top of industry news and trends you […]
In the last week it occurred to me what a terrible job professionals do marketing themselves. Developing your personal brand and communicating your value proposition is key to success. Everything we do is tied back to sales, whether it is convincing your signifiant other to go to a steakhouse vs. an Italian restaurant or convincing […]
Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, networking is a necessary evil, unless of course you work in a cave and are required to stay in said cave and never leave. Most of us in the professional world need to attend lunches, evening soirees and breakfast events to grow our network and to build […]
