As the saying goes. if you fail to plan…you plan to fail (Benjamin Franklin). When it comes to business most people are familiar with biz plans and marketing plans, but it is also important to plan out how you want to tell your story visually. Visual marketing and brand creation is part of where we are now at in our lovely age of technology and high connectivity. By having a strategy
Jessica owns The Kitchen at Middleground Farms, a culmination of her experience in the food industry, her culinary travels, her love of animals and a deep appreciation for some of the lost arts involved in cooking locally sourced ingredients. Her food “career” has come full-circle: from catering to Portland’s high-end “foodie” clientele back to picking berries, churning butter and “putting up” the harvest. Jessica is passionate about
Networking is an important part of business, but there is a right way and a wrong way. Do it the wrong way you are wasting your time. Do it the right way and you will start to create a dynamic tribe of people to call your own. Here are some tips for effective and intentional face time:
- Networking is more than face-time at meetings. Just showing up and passing out cards at networking meetings
What do you think of when you hear the words “Core Values”? Things like integrity, diversity, inspiration, community, creativity, sustainability… blah, blah, blah. While these are good and noble values that represent how quality business is done, they are really just what business owners think are the “right values” when it comes to creating this part of their brand story. What is truly lacking from these “right values” is a way to put them into
When you think of live theater, what is the first thing that pops in your head? Actors…the stage…curtains? There are many elements to theater, but one thing you will always have regardless of what production you see is a MAIN CHARACTER. There is always a central focus for the story and always changes during the course of the story. This is called A CHARACTER ARC…the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of
Content may be king….but unique content will be the one the rules them all. It does not have to be difficult or costly to create this. You can start with creating your own memes. Do you like those images with text…or better known as meme? You can easily create these with your own photos in a very simple way. Follow the three steps and you will be on your way to creating fun, inspirational and
Please, please, please….STOP shooting vertical on your phone when you are filming your LIVE or even capturing video that you will post later on social media!!!!
Why you ask? Well here are the top 3 reasons to stop shooting vertical:
ONE: When you post your video it has those annoying blurred out side bars. By shooting horizontally you are getting all the screen time.
This post is purely for fun…but is definitely a good example of what not to do!!! Using stock photography is fine at times, but be mindful of how it aligns with the story that you want to tell. That being said, unique content is always best practice, not only do you own the content…but it is something that you have created (or hired a pro to do) that truly reflects your
Who has recorded a Facebook LIVE and then when it posts you groan at the thumbnail that was chosen for the world to see (or laugh at). Sometimes these odd looking screen captures help add a curiosity point that will increase clicks…but often they are just horrible. Well you can change this (and so much more) if you did not know. It is totally worth it to make sure that you have your best foot
Like it or not selfies are now part of our culture. While originally defined as just an image of ones self…it has now morphed into being defined as any image that you take (you or a group) by your “self” with your phone or device. While it is a bit nutty to be compelled to constantly document everyday life, it is not all bad that we have the technology in the palm of our hand
Do you want to create your own branded images or memes, but are afraid to try to learn a new program like Canva? Or you do not want to invest (let alone try to master) in programs like Photoshop or Illustrator. Well this is the tutorial for you!! All you need to create simple branded images and memes is: Microsoft Word, your logo, a unique image (or legally downloaded stock image) and the
If you have video embedded on your website or you use them as part of your blog posts, you may very see what is below when the video is done playing: 
This is annoying, ugly and kind of unprofessional to be honest. It is directing visitors to your website away from your video and onto what YouTube things they may want to see
Language…what do you mean watch your language? No, I don’t mean f-bombs, I mean are you really using language that matches who you authentically are when you are writing in your social profiles, marketing content and correspondence with clients / customers (so I guess this could mean f-bombs)? So all those times you were in English class and wondered how you were ever going to use it in real life…well here is a prime
Be Authentically You
In theater class this has more to do with the character you are playing…be the character in the best possible way. As an actor you work to hone the finer points of a character to a point that you can step into the “skin” of that character each time you portray it. It happens when you can authentically be that character. This is something that can also be used in our day
You Can Say So Much Without Uttering A Word
You don’t have to hang around me long to know that I am a bit dramatic..in a good way. I enjoy stepping on stage or in front of the camera as a form of creative expression. I also enjoy using theatrics and what I have learned in theater class as I have continued to develop this craft in other areas of my life. As an actor