The Pacific Northwest has changed a bit over the last few years. So much unrest and uncertainty and other disappointing things. But no matter what happens, I’m still a native in love with this gorgeous land I call home. This is why I am still falling for Oregon… Fall ushers in crisp and foggy mornings,…

Each week and each day that is spent well means more quality time has been invested in the lives and businesses of others. And each night when the work stops it’s time to reflect on the investment made, with whom, for what, to which effort. Are you bringing out the best in your team, clients,…

Did you notice Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus (Zuckerberg’s babies) were all down for roughly 6 hours on Monday? I giggled profusely and sent a link with a gif to my brother, dad, friends, and even a few clients and team members. Truth be told, I didn’t want it to come back online, but I…

Today’s simple encouragement: Let your heart be as generous as clouds that are full of rain… …so that even in a storm those on the receiving end of your kindness will feel hope, and see the sun shine when things are overcast and uncertain. Be the change for someone else – and you will be…

The Helen Keller quote, “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going,” is forefront in my mind today as I remember that diligent, motivated, and consistent work is the only way to reach a goal you can be proud of. And any goal worth having is worth every minute of work you invest. But…

Could you imagine living in a world of black and white or shades of gray? How boring, right? We have color all around us and many times we don’t even know how different colors affect our mind or emotions, but they do! If you’ve ever heard of or dealt with SAD (seasonal affective disorder), you…

That’s it. I’ve had enough. Enough of the stress and overwhelm and self-preservation. Enough of the self-soothing, over sleeping, mental fortitude requirements, and the unknown. It started March 2020 and it hasn’t stopped. The roller coaster of information, truth and science, and a society riddled in unrest and fear has kept me in a state…

So many businesses I know are struggling to find workers right now. In the last 18 months we have fought together to survive a virus and the government has extended unemployment to the point that many are still not looking for work. That’s why it’s been so difficult to find and keep employees. Today, Friday,…

Clients, team members, partners, friends, and family – no matter what relationships you hold or how you interact with others, a sincere thank you always goes a long ways! This week I’m talking about gratitude, including a personal story, and a few ways you can apply yourself toward this goal. This week I’ve received thank…

I’ve learned a lot during my time in business – but I am always seeking to understand what I should learning in the current season. And for those who pay attention, we may avoid being taught the same lesson twice, but some lessons are inevitably learned multiple times. For example – I hired 3 employees…

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…