Being an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you get to roll over instead of out of bed each morning. It takes grit and passion and responsibility. As a creative who is also organized, I get to do what I love and embrace who I am every. single. day. It’s what fuels me. It’s that happy middle where…

Admittedly, I’ve always been interested in a good business or growth book. Having been born into a family of entrepreneurs, I’ve watched the struggles, the sacrifices, and the small and major wins. So you can imagine that the way entrepreneurs run, manage, and sustain their businesses (and fuel their own personal lives) has fascinated me…

I was sharing with a small businesses owner earlier this week that one of the best things about this job I’ve created for myself is having a fun, exciting, & unpredictable set of tasks each day. I don’t always know at the start of the week what all will get done in each day’s work,…

Every human possesses an internal desire to be known. When you walk into your local coffee shop only to hear the barista call your name and welcome you, how do you feel? When they remember your drink and ask if you’re having “the regular”, how do you feel? You feel like they know you –…

‘They say’ when you pair an emotion with a moment in time it forges a memory. It must be true though because I vividly remember the day I took the Clifton’s Strengths Finder 2.0 test sitting on the floor in our living room, laptop on my ottoman. I spent the 40-ish minutes answering each question…

Each year my guy and I head out deep into the Oregon woods to camp for the 4th of July holiday. And each year it is overdue, much needed, and goes by way too fast – just like every vacation. But this year was one for the books! We spent 5 nights and 6 days…

Are you generous with your knowledge, sharing insight and ideas freely with other businesses, entrepreneurs, clients, team members, and even friends and family? Giving away your time and what you have learned is one of the easiest ways to be generous… and you never know who you’ll impact, encourage, teach, or inspire. The ripple effects…

People have been commenting to me a lot recently on the ‘innovation’ of moving off of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social platforms and publishing exclusively on Propel’s site. But I’ve found myself explaining Propel’s email marketing, blogging, and social approach more and more. So today, I’m breaking down the how and why’s of it……

In 1970, Wes Smith single-handedly brought computerized systems to Franz Bakery’s accounting department (receivable, payable, payroll, and route accounting). Who was Wes Smith? My Grampa! Can you believe that? It took him 3 months to get all the manual accounting systems migrated over to the computer system, and he remembered staying late until 2am the…

I’ve found that to-do lists are different for everyone. Some people are creative, others are analytical, and a few fall right in the middle using either physical or digital checklists during different seasons of life. For me, having a to-do list at my fingertips is an essential part of each day. If it’s not attached…

Life has a way of pointing us in different directions. Our job is to discern if the path being offered up to us is the right path or we need to shift our course. Over the years I’ve used my discernment muscle and been wrong. That is when I sit, reflect, and realize where the…

I know. Honesty can feel harsh and people can be mean. No one is perfect and the internet is a place many feel they can vent and hide behind. But! When a customer shares negative feedback, complains, or leaves a less than stellar review remember to always take the high road – for your own…

Propel Businessworks wouldn’t be possible without your support, which I am enormously grateful for. You, your business, your referrals, and your trust allows Propel to continue making an impact. But, my greatest supporter and fan has, from day one, always been my husband Kevin. Today, May 21, 2021, we get to celebrate 16 years of…

One of the incredible surprises I realized with having a business like Propel a few years into the journey was how this exciting adventure helping small businesses would afford me other exciting adventures to travel the country helping companies all over the U.S. Being a digital business means I can work from anywhere – truly…

Whenever asked, one of the greatest business/entrepreneur tools I shout from the rooftops is the out-of-office responder for email. Not only does provide immediate info to those who email me, announcing my unavailability, for how long, and when I’ll return – it also saves my sanity by allowing my responsibilitarian brain to rest knowing my…

When Kevin and I first married in May of 2005 I remember him leaving on Memorial Day (our first holiday as a married couple) to go fishing. I honestly had zero idea that would be the first of many days in our future that he would scoot off to the river without me. Over the…

Each year I celebrate my divinely executed exit from corporate employment on March 31st and my step into business ownership on April 1st (no joke!). I call it my entrepreversary and last week I celebrated twelve years! Twelve years that I’ve been running my own show, managing my own schedule, serving some absolutely amazing businesses,…