The holidays are a great time to sit back and strategize on your business for the coming year. The weeks leading up to Christmas are a great reprieve from email, meetings and conference calls.

So make the most of it and set your goals for 2018. Grab the spiked Eggnog, a cozy blanket, your laptop and lets get to work.

1. Before you get started, take a look at what you accomplished in 2017. Focus on the positive, what did you do well? What was the most profitable part of your business? For example, 8THIRTYFOUR grew our digital division while we saw a steady growth in public relations services as well.
2. What didn’t work this past year? Make a note of the issues the business encountered. What did you do to correct it? Do you need to add this to your plan for 2018? This past year we tackled strategic planning, which resulted in some really tough business and staff decisions. What this did, was set us up to hit our revenue goals in 2018.
3. Ok, now that you have taken stock of the past year, it’s time to look ahead. What is outside your control that can affect your business? Just recently the GOP passed their tax plan, what does this mean for your business? Will this impact your revenue? What can you do to offset it?
4. Let’s talk numbers. What are your revenue goals for 2018? Setting this will determine your plan of action, which is the next step.
5. Great, we got numbers…but how are you going to achieve them? Might, I suggest looking at the digital realm? Whatever your business might be, your potential clients are more than likely looking online to find you offer. If lead generation is a goal (isn’t it for everyone), then marketing must be a priority. And yes, it takes money to make money.
6. Good, we all agree – marketing is super important. With your tools and tactics mapped out, you need to create a roadmap or timeline. Pull your leadership team together and set the milestones to reach your goals – break it down by week, month, 90 days.
7. Looks like you are all set for 2018! Wrong. You need a ‘oh shit’ plan, because nothing ever goes according to plan. If you suddenly lose a major client, what will you do? Outline the steps you will take to protect your business.

Now that you are thoroughly buzzed up from your Eggnog…pat yourself on the back for taking this slow time to plan for the coming year. Oh, and call 8THIRTYFOUR so we can launch that lead generation strategy.

2018 is going to kickass.

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 us, it’s family dynamics and figuring out how to cope with them or not…might I suggest the latter?

Whatever it is, cut yourself some slack. This time of year is hard. If Christmas cheer isn’t radiating off of you, who cares? The expectations we have for the holidays, sets us up for disappointment.

Might I suggest that instead, pour that glass of wine, turn on Elf and be kind to yourself.

Remember, you are not alone (no one is really that happy).

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 employees are expected to engage with our brand, share our content and be good ambassadors. What it fails to get into is the type of content, posts, expectations, etc. to ensure the company brand is protected.

It is important to me that each employee feels free to express their opinions, share their personal stories and utilize social media how they want. However, as a business owner, I also have to manage and protect my brand.

When I rewrite our policy, I will be sure to include the following and I encourage you to do the same.

1. Indicate what is confidential to the company. For example, sharing information on a RFP response, client work, financial information, etc. Make sure an employee understands what content they need to ask approval on before sharing. A good rule of thumb is mirroring the content shared on the company social channels.
2. What are the consequences? It is fascinating to me the stuff people will share online without considering the ramifications. Social media does not happen in a vacuum, something you share with a few hundred friends can easily go viral. Be sure your employees are clear on the repercussions. Firing? Suspension?
3. Encourage an open dialogue. As I said earlier in this blog, we are having this discussion internally. Employees have to feel they can come to you with questions as it relates to social media.
4. Social media is a reflection of your culture. I ask employees to use their best judgment and to remember they are ambassadors of our brand. We are a progressive agency and do not shy away from uncomfortable topics, that being said inform, educate and share. Use the platform to appropriately and stop with the damn selfies.
5. Avoid the illegal. Nothing much to say about this one, except don’t do it. It is necessary for a company to state “don’t use social media for illegal activities.”

A company’s social media policy should educate employees on usage and give examples of what is and isn’t acceptable.

My advice to employees is, anything you put out there to be seen should be intelligent and well-thought out. Too often we use social media as a passive aggressive way to share our opinions. How about writing a blog and then encouraging the discussion to happen there.

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 want to do is curl up in the fetal position and cry.

This past year, I lost two of my dogs and the pain felt insurmountable. There was an emptiness, crushing sadness…but I own a business and giving into the hurt wasn’t an option. I picked myself up and reminded myself of the following:

1. You have a purpose. Every day your employees, clients and vendors depend on you. Your business and role serve a very important purpose, remind yourself of this every day when you wake up. Take a deep breath and remember why you started your business.
2. Be open about the loss. When I lost Murphy, I wrote a blog about it and shared the pain with those close to me. Interestingly enough when I lost Apollo, I kept it to myself and preferred to suffer alone and I’m still dealing with the repercussions of that approach.
3. Be thankful for what you have. Reflect on the positive – your family, friends, business and for me, my other furkids. As human beings it is our natural reaction to give into the negative and get stuck there – remind yourself each day of the good things.
4. Plan a trip. Pack everyone up and go someplace. A change of environment will do wonders for you.
5. Be inspired by others. Pick up a book on some badass individual and gain perspective. I started reading What Happened by Hillary Clinton – talk about someone who had to overcome obstacle after obstacle.

There is no magic formula for overcoming loss and finding motivation in spite of it. Acknowledging it, allowing others to help and remembering the positive was key for me.

What are your thoughts?

It’s that time of year where we are bombarded with ads, coupons, sales, doorbusters – you name it. If you are a small business you may struggle to stand out, how can you even compete?

If you are a small retailer, it is already hard enough to make a profit, you can slash prices to be competitive with the big box stores.

Don’t worry, there are other ways you can stand out and the great thing? Your customers are loyal.

1. How you treat your customers when they walk through the door is your chance to shine. Greet them, hand them a shopping bag and offer them a refreshment. Spend some money on mimosas and croissants for them to munch on as they shop. These thoughtful touches are what keeps them coming back. By taking the time to get to know every customer that walks through your door, you know their style, likes and favorite products. Be sure to reach out when something arrives in your store you know they will love.
2. Be unique in the products or services you offer. Anyone can go and pick up a dress online that 25 other people they know will have, however if it is a truly unique piece the price because less important. Your customers are those that see the value in what you offer, appreciate the uniqueness and want an enjoyable experience. There is a reason they are not at Wal-Mart fighting over the last TV.
3. Give a little something extra. Drop a personalized note in each of your customer’s bags when they are checking out; let them know how much you appreciate them. Brainstorm how you can add value to their experience, whether it is taking the time to chat with them or giving away a freebie with a purchase.

If you choose to participate in Black Friday, Small Biz Saturday or Cyber Monday, remember why you do what you do and stay true to yourself and your brand.

Share in the comments below what your plans are.

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 about it? I have another chance to get it right. Tomorrow is a new day.

Owning and running a business is tough and you are going to screw up. Admitting the mess ups and then moving on is the only choice you have.

We are human and we are not perfect and I’m telling you right now, it’s ok. Moving forward means taking the right steps to get past it.

1. Admit your failure. Once you acknowledge it, you can move on.
2. Do better. If you know what you screwed up, don’t make the same mistake again. Get in the right head space and tell yourself tomorrow is another day and another chance to get it right.
3. Fake it. Slap a smile on your face and set an example.
4. Reflect. Take time in the evening to really truly reflect, ask yourself: “What could I have done differently?”
5. Give yourself a break. No one is perfect and owning a business is really hard. There is a loneliness that is impossible to explain and you are going to have bad days and hard days and really, really shitty days.

Be nice to yourself and strive to do better, that is all anyone can ask of you.

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 then ok, but most often it sets us up for low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacies and disappointment.

As a business owner, we feel that we have to do it all. Let me use myself as an example.

I stop home everyday to let the dogs out, when I am there I clean, throw laundry in, pick-up, vacuum and try to reorganize. When I get home in the evening, I try to make a healthy meal, walk the dogs, feed the dogs, give them their meds and then spend some quality time with them. I then open my computer and start tackling all the items I never got a chance to get to…this blog usually being at the bottom of the list. Did I also mention I lay out my clothes for the next day?

Do you see what is missing (besides breathing)?  You time. We don’t give ourselves time to rest, or to just think. The guilt overwhelms us, if we aren’t working then we see it as failure and that certainly doesn’t fit into our picture of perfection. We always put others first, way before ourselves.

Screw it.

1. Leave the house a disaster, that is what weekends are for.
2. Get to know EatStreet.com, you don’t need to cook and clean-up every night.
3. Accept that you will never get it all done. That to-do list is never ending and always will be – you are a business owner, your work is never done.
4. Breathe and read a book, watch Game of Thrones, drink some wine/beer/vodka; just do something frivolous. Every minute of your day doesn’t have to be productive.
5. Lean on a partner or friend. If you don’t voice your doubts and confide in someone, then it is going to eat you alive. Feel free to email me, kim@834design.com, I’m always willing to lend an ear.

The point is, give yourself a freaking break. No one is doing it all or has it all – so don’t play the perfection game.

I had a friend send me the below the other day and I literally laughed out loud and then went and followed Smirnoff on all of their social channels. Whatever ad agency came up with it, kudos.

I recently wrote on brand activism and my thoughts on companies engaging in political dialogue. As a small business owner it was an easy decision for me to speak up, however the majority of larger companies tend to shy away or avoid politics like the plague.

Smirnoff, on the other hand, said screw it – let’s do this…and they did. The brilliance of the ad is explained below.

1. When you are sitting around having a cocktail with colleagues, friends or acquaintances, what most often comes up? That’s right…politics and the state of the world we live in. Alcohol has a way of loosening our tongues and derailing our inhibitions…which leads to very fascinating conversations. A vodka brand, like Smirnoff, saw an opportunity to better connect with their customers while also pushing the envelope in messaging, design and humor.
2. It’s funny! A brand that doesn’t take itself too serious, sets itself apart. Their ad strategy illustrates that the brand is in tune with current events and the political climate…not to mention their customers.
3. They know their target audience and they are young, liberal and vocal. They also have a shit load of buying power; it just makes sense to tie your hooch to young people and the liberal causes they champion.

Don’t believe me? Smirnoff’s internal research found that 86 percent responded to the ads positively. I’d say that is a pretty good indicator they hit the nail on the head, wouldn’t you?

In a recent article on SevenFiftyDaily, Robin Robinson, a sales and marketing consultant whose focus is small spirit brands, points out that politics is now permeating our culture in an entirely new way. “When you think of the zeitgeist now, it’s a highly polarized time we live in,” he says. “Everyone is asked to choose sides. I guess it makes perfect sense that alcohol brands would join the fray.” His feeling is that it would be almost disingenuous for a brand not to choose a side—millennial consumers expect them to.

It is, of course, always a gamble for a brand to choose a side…but the choice is no longer yours; consumers demand it.

What do you think?

I am sitting here with perma-grin on my face after creating a presentation for the GVSU Public Relations Student Society of America. The group asked me to speak on the Nitty Gritty of PR, in other words, what you don’t learn about in the classroom. You know, the long hours, coordination, logistics, wrangling, headaches, stress, etc.

But…you know what…I really fucking love my job. I decided instead of words, words and more words, I would show my experience in pictures. I have spent the last 2 hours looking through and inserting photos into the Prezi and it dawned on me…I have had one hell of a career so far.

Sure there are long hours, annoying people, unexpected surprises and more but holy shit the stuff I have gotten to be a part of…wow. Here are my major takeaways from my 15+ year career:

1. People, so many people. I have met some of my best friends that started out as acquaintances, reporters or clients. I met Susan Ford Bales when I worked on a project for the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum – she was as awesome and intelligent as you would expect. My partner in crime, Adrienne Wallace, became the #2 of 8THIRTYFOUR and we experienced Lights in the Night Grand Rapids, Bissell Pet Foundation Howlween Hoof & Woof, Unity Bridge of Holland, multiple events, press conferences, speaking engagements and more.
2. Experiences. I was able to travel to New York City with a client after setting up meetings with Seventeen Magazine, SELF magazine and more. Sure it was in the dead of summer and easily 100 degrees in the City but it was like I was in an episode of Sex in the City…but not as well-dressed.
3. Clients. 8THIRTYFOUR has represented companies that have appeared on Shark Tank, are global, were launching a kitty litter product, were opening an ER and more. We once took on a client that wanted to launch thousands of lanterns into the sky over Grand Rapids – what a bunch of nut jobs.

This easily makes up for the sleepless nights, zero work/life balance and crushing stress. I would do all of it again in a heartbeat.

Take some time in the next week and just reflect on all you have done and accomplished. It is pretty damn impressive, be proud.

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 adhere to the highest standards of accuracy and truth in advancing the interests of those we represent and in communicating with the public.” As a PR professional with a stellar career, up til a few months ago when you took on your newest role, I am sure you are very familiar with code of ethics and have taken the pledge personally.

As a reminder of what is expected of a PR professional, whether you are a member of PRSA or not.

A member shall:

• Preserve the integrity of the process of communication.
• Be honest and accurate in all communications.
• Act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible.
• Preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are nominal, legal, and infrequent.

You have broken every single one of these guidelines – well maybe not gifts, pretty sure no one has you on their gift list. Besides the obvious screw ups,  journalists are the reason we exist and your treatment of them is horrific, I mean truly awful. Your job is about managing reputation – you have got to laugh out loud at that one. A career in PR involves gaining understanding and support for your clients or the President, as well as trying to influence opinion and behavior. You’ll use all forms of media and communication to build, maintain and manage the reputation of your clients. It does not involve defending lies, fake news accusations and misleading the public. Just stop.

My wish for you, is that you will do what is best for your career before it is too late. Resign, apologize and do better. You are an embarrassment to our field and are giving all of us PR practitioners a bad name.

I have a rule that has served me well in my 15+ year career, only work for those you respect, like and see your value. If you take this to heart, you will set yourself up for success. You will only sink your career continuing to represent this lunatic and defending the irreversible harm he is doing to our country.

Above all else, respect yourself, because no one else will unless you do.

Sincerely,

Kim Bode
Fellow PR practitioner and concerned citizen