Communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, professionalism, time management, accountability, resilience, adaptability; these are the skills employers need, and the ones we never thought we would have to teach. If you’re sick […]
Fast Company asked twenty leaders when they recommend executive coaching, and my answer was to the point, cause it’s how I roll. Honestly? When I don’t know how to help. Getting […]
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 […]
Every major decision I’ve made in my life has come out of something traumatic. I guess it’s why I tell people: Trauma may have built you, but it doesn’t define […]
8THIRTYFOUR is hosting the Community Capital Conversation on November 19th, because enough is enough. Bring your stories. This isn’t the story about the quarter of a million embezzlement that almost […]
I have the phrase “find comfort in the uncomfortable” tattooed on my arm; it’s a reminder that growth happens in the uncomfortable, and while this is true, it’s also my […]
“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 […]
It was standing room only. Business owners packed into a room to talk about something most of us avoid like the plague: ourselves. Not our services.Not our logos.Not our team’s […]
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 […]
For years, I saw my gender as a weakness. Working in manufacturing and medical devices industries dominated by men with egos the size of Texas—I did everything I could to […]
The Great Resignation, Great Exhaustion, and Quiet Quitting – what does it mean to small businesses?
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
I had every intention of continuing this series, but several things have happened since I started it, which I will share at the end. The conclusion is a bit longer, […]
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. […]
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, […]
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 […]
Why the hell is it so hard for us to accept help? The only time we’re in it alone is when we’re too stubborn to rely on those around us. […]
Many of you reading this know I have this saying tattooed on my arm, it is my reminder that growth is never easy and requires all of us to push […]
Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate women and their achievements internationally. It’s nice we get a day, isn’t it? The 2021 theme is “Choose to challenge.” In […]
My most hated phrase of all time is, “hey do you have a second to chat?” There is never ANY good news that comes with that question. If you ask […]
We have a saying at our office, “keep the monkey.” Yeah, it’s weird, but here is the point. You’ve heard people say, “I have a monkey on my back.” They’re […]
I know we’re all sick of the word pivot, but I gotta finish the blog series so just hold on through this last part. If you’re new to this riveting […]
Let’s get back to where we left off in Part 1: Pivot!, I wanted to go into more detail about the steps we took, the organizations that stepped up in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I’ve been running a business for around 13 years, if there is one thing I hate above all else it is the questions women are asked that no one would […]
I just got back from a relaxing vacation with my girlfriends, we spent our days laying on the beach, sipping cocktails and reading. Instead of fully enjoying my vacation, I […]
One of the most important skills a person can possess is the ability to listen. In a world where phones are beeping, watches are buzzing and emails are popping up…we […]
Be comfortable with change is the best piece of advice I can offer you. Life is going to throw a lot of curve balls your way, so line up to […]
My favorite subject is small business and through the 8THIRTYFOUR Happy Hour Hustle podcast, WGVU Your Biz Your Town radio show with Shelley Irwin or this blog, I am constantly […]
Change is inevitable; we have all heard it before – but many of us seldom do anything about it. I had the opportunity to hear Josh Linkner speak last week […]
If you live in Grand Rapids, chances are you have seen the controversy surrounding the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce’s decision to endorse Republican Gubernatorial candidate, Bill Schuette. 8THIRTYFOUR, along […]
Most entrepreneurs and business owners fail terribly a leading. No one tells you when you start your business, that you will someday have to manage an entire team. At the […]
The worst bosses I ever had…were women. I know I am not alone, many share the same experiences. These experiences have driven me to be a better leader and to […]
I was labeled a pessimist the other day and my first reaction was to be defensive. Let’s be honest, pessimism is not viewed favorably; we are considered the Eeyores of […]
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 […]
If you are not writing, do you even exist? Kidding…sort of. In the world of business ownership, you have to write – emails, blogs, notes, strategies, press releases, newsletters…the list […]
At some point in the lifespan of your small business, you have to grow up. What do I mean by this? You stop living in a reactive, chaotic environment and […]
I’ve made a lot of mistakes along this small business journey and leadership is at the top. No need to rehash for the purpose of this blog, don’t worry they […]
Perhaps one of the most harmful things we can do as business owners is dwell on the past. It is hard to look forward and not backwards when we are […]
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 […]
I would never discourage anyone from starting their own business and going out on their own, but I do think it is important to have all the facts before making […]
I’ve been having a conversation with several other business owners regarding balance and finding that within your life. Can I just say, I think it is utter bullshit? When did […]
I couldn’t help rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles last night, Nick Foles’ story is just amazing and who doesn’t love a great underdog story? As everyone by now knows, Foles almost […]
When starting a business the only thing you can think of is….$$$. How will you pay bills? Hire employees? Feed your dog? Fast forward and you are now a relatively […]
Apparently 11 years is a milestone for a small business, or so I’ve been told. This week we are throwing a party to celebrate 8THIRTYFOUR’s eleventh anniversary, while also highlighting […]
“Leadership that is not deeply rooted in a foundation of truth is leadership destined to fail.” – Mike Myatt of Innovation Excellence. As a leader, you are only as good […]
The holidays, am I right? Just typing that I am exhausted. What is it about them that just mentally exhausts us and makes us ridiculously emotional? For a lot of […]
The use of social media is a hot topic around our office lately. We have a social media policy at 8THIRTYFOUR, it is all of one paragraph and states that […]
How do you stay motivated when faced with overwhelming loss? Whether it is a death, personal failure, business failure or other; motivation can seem unattainable – especially when all you […]
Back in September the news out of D.C. was the reversal of the pay gap rule put in place by the Obama administration. After reading about it, I started thinking […]
Small Biz Saturday is coming in hot on November 25th. The ‘holiday’ was created by American Express and shines a much-needed light on small businesses. Michigan small businesses employed 1.8 million people, […]
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 […]
I’m sure I have written on this before, but I don’t care. It’s my blog and I’ll write if I want to. My firm of 10 years just moved into […]
Behind closed doors and in private we are constantly thinking, worrying, fretting and planning. This is what business owners don’t tell you: The termination of an employee is not a […]
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 […]
Jerry Maguire, eat your heart out. As a business owner you need to constantly ask yourself, “is this a good investment?” or “what is the ROI?” Marketing is one of […]
Before starting a business, ask yourself the question “Do I value time away from the grind?” There is no wrong answer to this question. The fact is, we all need […]
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 […]
What do you support? Do you stay neutral? Stay out of any political discourse? Many companies choose to quietly support or not support certain organizations in their community or remain […]
Being a business owner is incredibly lonely. I am reminded of this daily, when I have no one but myself to turn to when it comes to tough decisions. No […]
Is it important to be seen? To network? The answer is quite simply, yes. 834’s Lansing partner, Vanguard Public Affairs, and I are taking in the Michigan Policy Conference on […]
Mondays, am I right? Seems like I never escape one without feeling overwhelmed, stressed and pissy. I usually go home, drink a bottle of wine and reflect on all the […]
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 […]
I met with a potential client this past week and we started talking about networking, being a connector and building valuable relationships. I know I have talked about this in […]
There is a lot in the works at 834 right now, it is exciting, thrilling, unknown and scary. But so what. Everything in life is terrifying if you think about […]
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 […]
Oh small businesses how do I love thee. I remember the early days of running 834, when it was myself, Bentley the wonder dog, my computer and a can-do attitude. […]
Why is it that guilt is an accepted and normal part of a small business owner’s life? I was taking time this past week to reflect on what I would […]
Don’t worry this isn’t another blog about resolutions that we all know you will never keep. Save yourself the trip to the gym and instead let’s focus on business diversification. […]
I suck at change, which is rather ironic when you are a small business owner. Change is the norm. Over the years, I have adapted several ‘coping’ mechanisms to offset […]
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. Since 1995, small businesses have generated 64 percent of new jobs, and paid […]
My first job was working in the facilities planning department at a university, I was a glorified assistant/secretary and it was definitely not what I went to school for. I […]
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 […]
Making difficult decisions is part of being a business owner, whether it is parting ways with a client, admitting you screwed up or having unpleasant conversations with an employee. Running […]
As I sit here writing this, I am staring out across a large body of water from my campsite in the Manistee National Forest. Seriously…look at this view! Holy shit […]
You often hear how hard the startup stage is for a new business but not a lot of people address the headaches of growth. Personally, I think the growth stage […]
Heading back to work after a long holiday weekend is tough, especially if you can’t truly unplug from your job. Part of agency life, is understanding that the work we […]
A bit morbid of a subject but something, as a business owner, you absolutely have to think about. This is especially relevant if you are the sole proprietor. After owning […]
In an effort to further support women in business and share their stories of success, failures and triumphs; I am excited to announce a new blog series called #GirlBoss. This […]
This same time every year, I question my decision to run my own business. Why? Because…taxes. When you are paying out an unGodly amount at the end of the year, […]
I remember thinking, just last week, I wish someone had a small business handbook that gave you step by step instructions on running your company. When I started 834 back […]
