July 8, 2026
Own Your Weird
Fun fact: 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 (you have to scroll […]
April 21, 2026
Get in loser we’re going to die of dysentery
Remember Home Ec? I do. One hour of my day in high school where we learned the names of utensils, the difference between a teaspoon and tablespoon, and how to […]
May 4, 2025
I Can Do All Things Through Adderall & Shaken Espressos
“Can a person live on iced, shaken espressos only?” I texted my best friend, Sue. “Yes,” she responded. That, right there, is why Sue is my best friend. The past […]
March 24, 2025
Reality TV: The Bode Edition
Imposter syndrome won this past weekend. I think I spent most of Sunday staring at a wall, contemplating all of my failures. What a great time. Highly recommend spending your […]
July 24, 2023
Sharkie Poo: A Cautionary Tale
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 […]
February 22, 2023
Bode’s Life Lessons (From 16 Years in Business)
I started writing this blog last year, and then Imposter Syndrome took over and I killed it. So now it’s more like 17 years but who the hell is counting […]
November 2, 2022
Too Much
If I had a dime for every time someone referred to me as “too much,” I’d have a pretty decent chunk of change. Like…what does that even mean? Often-used words […]
April 15, 2022
Exhausted
I spoke to several female business owners/professionals in the past few weeks and they all have one thing in common, they’re exhausted. Just absolutely burned out. Their mental health is […]
March 4, 2022
Oh the places you’ll go and things you’ll learn.
Dear Little Bode, We’ve been watching you the past several months as you’ve dealt with loss, grief, growth, conflict and so much more. You’re gonna be alright kid, you’re tough, […]
August 10, 2020
We’re doing the best we can.
So, 2020 has been a bit of a challenge. I believe the word tossed around frequently is “unprecedented.” I’ve been talking to my small biz friends and we are all […]
May 13, 2020
Pivot! What other choice do you have?
It’s been a while since I’ve posted, been a little busy ensuring we survive this damn pandemic. Priorities, I suppose. The first week, we lost over $15,000 in revenue a […]
March 12, 2020
Small Business Hazard Ahead
As if running a small business wasn’t hard enough, now we’re dealing with a pandemic. At this point, no one has any idea what that will mean for second-stage companies […]
September 17, 2019
The business owner support group
I had an interesting convo with my therapist the other day (more people should admit they see one, helps erase the stigma), we were chatting about the stress a business […]
March 18, 2019
Get it over with, stop procrastinating
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 […]
June 25, 2018
Cultivating client relationships
The most important relationships in your business are the ones you already have. We spend so much time searching for the next big thing, new project, new client…we miss or […]
November 21, 2017
Screwing up and moving on
I failed today in setting an example, in leading, in following our core values. I let frustration and stress get the better of me. Want to know the great thing […]
November 7, 2017
It can’t be perfect
It is hard to fight perfection. We are taught that we should always pursue it, even if it isn’t attainable. Why is that? If it is a lesson in failure […]
July 20, 2017
It’s cool to be a quitter
Quitters never prosper. Don’t be a quitter. We’ve all heard it before, but when is it time to throw in the towel? As a small business owner, when do you […]
July 12, 2017
The value in speaking
To be clear, I mean public speaking not just talking out loud. Although I do excel at that regardless if I have an audience. This week, actually today, I am […]
June 26, 2017
The crazy that is small business
It will be 10 years for 834 Design & Marketing this fall. Some of those years I would like to forget, there was a lot of failure, frustration and drinking […]
April 12, 2017
A day in the life of a business owner
I was reading a recent Inc Magazine article and they interviewed multiple entrepreneurs such as Reddit, IPSY, SLACK and Shark Tank about how they spend their day. I thought, what a […]
February 20, 2017
How important is design?
We have a saying around our office, “Presentation is just as important as strategy.” What I mean by that is we could have an amazing marketing strategy that we put […]
May 10, 2016
Dear Graduate: By the numbers
Dear Graduate, What an exciting time for you! This past weekend you graduated, celebrated with friends and family and toasted the accomplishment of receiving a degree. After a 4.5 hour […]
