Le Chateau, the 60-year old Canadian clothing retailer has announced that they will be shutting down business. My heart sunk when I read this headline and like so many of my generation I heard the collective gasp of my fellow GenXers. What happened? While I stopped shopping there years ago I took for granted that they’d always be there. This relic from my childhood was supposed to always exist, albeit sitting quietly and in plain sight on the periphery. Sort of like a comfort blanket-every time I walked by it in the mall it evoked happy memories of excitedly rooting […]

When lockdown happened earlier this year there was a lot of sentiment around having captive audiences online and that somehow it would be easier to reach them. Yes and no. Yes-but only by being strategic and creative. No because there is an abundance of choice. We are suffering from digital fatigue and cutting through the noise to capture attention is actually more challenging than ever before. I learned a very valuable lesson about marketing early in my career. I worked for the Parks Canada Agency, the federal agency that administers a national system of historic parks and sites. You can […]

On July 23, 2020, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic representative for New York’s 14th congressional district stood up on the United States House Floor and gave one of the most powerful speeches ever delivered. The world stood up and took notice. I for one was mesmerized by her poise, intelligence and her ability to communicate a searing indictment of male misogyny in the most eloquent and graceful way possible. I am convinced now more than ever that this young woman should be running for office of the president of the United States.   Here’s what happened: Ocasio-Cortez was accosted (unprovoked) on […]

Words matter. A fellow entrepreneur once said to me, “Words are powerful, they can marry people.” That always stuck with me. Words ARE powerful—especially for your business. There is a plethora of material online about “content writing” which I think can be made unnecessarily complicated. Content is essentially words. It’s important because it’s how you communicate with your audiences and it’s how you ultimately sell. This takes time and practice and it’s what strengthens your brand. I want you to take a step back and think about how you are presenting yourself and your organization online. Are you conveying everything […]

I am frequently asked by clients how they can be featured in publications. The answer is complicated yet simple. Here’s the deal: The online world has changed public relations….to a degree. The fundamentals of creating impactful and relevant content has NEVER changed. However, you do need to understand traditional PR vs digital PR and integrate both into your marketing strategy. When I graduated with my public relations degree the press release was king and print, radio and TV were how you got the world talking about your organization. No, it wasn’t THAT long ago! 😉 While the print world has […]

Ok don’t laugh. The following post was inspired by my sourdough starter! And what it taught me about building a brand. Bear with me. Like so many others during lockdown I decided I was going to try something I kept putting off—bake sourdough bread. The trick though is that you need something called a sourdough starter. True sourdough starters are made with only water and flour. Once you get this going you’re gold. Seems simple, right? Nope. At one point I had gone through a 10lb bag of flour and I kept messing up the starter. (Yes, I did feel […]

Earlier in the pandemic I went to the drive thru at Tim Horton’s. I remember saying to the employee at the window, “I came here today just to have some sense of ‘normal’ again.” She stopped dead in her tracks and I could see her eyes getting glossy from fighting back tears. She understood what I meant. Not only is Tim Horton’s quintessentially Canadian and familiar, what I was truly craving was connection. Isolation has been hard, even for an introvert like me! (yes I am, for realz) As I drove away that day with my dark roast (black), the […]

Interestingly, one of the things I get asked to do a lot is to write website bios. I hear common things like, “I don’t know what to say”, “I don’t think I’m interesting”, or “What should I say?” If this sounds familiar, don’t fret you are definitely not alone. Now, I don’t know about you but the first thing I do when I’m about to give my money to someone for a service or collaborate with them on a project—I read their bio. I want to know who I’m considering working with or contracting. Conveying who you are and what […]

I have seen a lot of misunderstanding about the meaning and relevance of public relations. PR is not a buzz word, it’s a lifeline for your business—especially during COVID-19. PR gets a bad reputation but I’m here to tell you that the function is vital for your organization. Public relations is about building relationships. Connection and consistent communication is how to build your brand and credibility. PR is different than marketing. Marketing is ultimately about selling. PR is about relationship management. That is, the relationship between you and your internal/external audiences: (potential) clients; stakeholders; investors; and the media. Are you communicating […]