These days nothing goes viral more quickly than an experience with a business that made you feel heard, special, or just plain human. In our hyper-digital world, we’re all aching a little bit for human connection. And more and more businesses are going old school to deliver that “wow” experience with techniques that don’t require any tech at all. All they really require is a bit of thoughtfulness, and obsessive consistency. Here’s my back-of-the-napkin game plan for how your

By Tiffany Meyer and Michelle Drumm It’s open source, period Now that content managed websites are more the norm than they used to be (sites that allow non-technical staff to manage content easily in-house), the new debate is whether to choose a proprietary, hosted CMS platform (like Square Space or Wix.com) or an open-source platform (like WordPress or Drupal, available for free to anyone). The primary reason we love WordPress is because it uses open source code. That means

Though an Oregon native, I’m a newbie to Portland, Oregon. I lived in the ‘Couve (that's Vancouver, WA) for nearly 15 years while I raised my daughter, but returned a year ago to embrace a simpler lifestyle that made me less dependent on my car. With the move, I also made the switch from homeowner to renter, meaning I’ve spent more energy researching, touring and thinking about Portland’s neighborhoods far more than a single person should. Things like rapidly rising rental pr

Over the past decade, one statement I make to prospective clients has consistently garnered pause. I tell them I can make them one promise. I can’t promise that my work will make them more money or famous or attract hundreds of new leads. I can’t promise it will even work. But what I can promise is this: I will not waste your money. When small businesses and nonprofits hire a marketing consultant they’ll likely enter the relationship carrying one of three expectations: You’re

Good help is so hard to find. I am often the subject behind this remark. Yet, I’ve also expressed this sentiment in regards to my own “hired help” far too many times. Accompanied by a prolonged sigh and a gulp of coffee. So, before I dive in, an obvious question: why do we put ourselves through the self-inflicted pain of hiring a marketing or communications consultant? The obvious “outsiders” who have no idea how “different” your nonprofit or small business is? It’s simple, r