Readying for a Comeback

By Ann Smith | May 26, 2020

This morning I was scrolling through LinkedIn and came to a new post from advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy. They had shared their newest collaboration with Nike – a 90-second spot that transcends advertising and struck me right in the gut. A message of resilience and hope – of comebacks.  Sport is big in our […]

Read More

Welcome to May

By Ann Smith | May 1, 2020

Hello partners and friends – I hope this finds you all safe and well. While the last two weeks of March felt like an eternity, April has gone surprisingly fast. I am not sure if that’s a sign of adapting to this new unique normal, the reality of homeschooling teenagers, finding a virtual work cadence or […]

Read More

Coffee Chat Rewind: Going Forward with Intention

By Ann Smith | Feb 27, 2020

On Thursday, February 20 we kicked off our 2020 “Like a Boss” Coffee Chats with the topic of Being Intentional. This theme rose to the top for me after hearing so many people talk about slowing down, doing less and focusing more in 2020. Thanks to our amazing panelists, Natalie O’Grady, Jamie Opra and Mark […]

Read More

“Like a Boss” Coffee Chat Rewind: Use Your Voice!

By Ann Smith | Nov 21, 2019

We held our last “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat of 2019 on Tuesday and it certainly didn’t disappoint. November marks exactly two years since we held the first of these events and it’s been completely energizing to watch the momentum around them grow. Thanks to all of the panelists who have shared their stories and opinions […]

Read More

A Haunted Walk Down Memory Lane

By Ann Smith | Oct 30, 2019

Ghosts, princesses and witches, oh my. ‘Tis the season for playing dress-up and eating too much cheap candy. Our team is reliving some of our favorite Halloween memories and wishing everyone a safe, fun (and warm!) night with your favorite goblins.  Gretchen Favorite Halloween tradition: Multiple pumpkin patch visitsBest costume: Ghostbuster (with Stay Puft Marshmallow Man sidekick)Least favorite […]

Read More

Coffee Chat Rewind: Living with Pride

By Ann Smith | Jul 19, 2019
Ann with Lianne & Steph Saffer

Thanks to Steph and Lianne Saffer for getting personal at our July “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat focused on Living with Pride. It was an amazing morning talking about the power of love, resiliency and showing up for each other. Here are a few standout moments for our team. For others in the audience, what […]

Read More

Firm Updates & Happenings: Mid-Year 2019

By Ann Smith | Jul 17, 2019

Here at A.wordsmith we are feeling great as we roll into the second half of 2019 – and hope the same is true for you! Celebrating a Decade This is a landmark year for the firm as we officially celebrated our tenth anniversary in April. We had a great time celebrating this milestone with many […]

Read More

Coffee Chat Rewind: Women Changing the Conversation

By Ann Smith | May 29, 2019

Thanks to the three amazing women — Heidi Yewman, Janice Levenhagen and Angela Earl — who brought all the feels to last week’s “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat on the topic of Women Changing the Conversation. It was a powerful morning that will undoubtably stick with us for a while. Here is what we are […]

Read More

“Like a Boss” Coffee Chat Rewind: Keeping it Real in Portland

By Ann Smith | Mar 6, 2019

Last Tuesday we had another great “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat, this time focused on all things Portland. Thanks to Ken Boddie, Aaron Ward, Angela Jackson and Andy Nelson for making up our fantastic panel. We discussed everything from the city’s infrastructure and business landscape to the housing crisis and volunteer opportunities. Below are a […]

Read More

Firm Happenings & New Beginnings

By Ann Smith | Feb 14, 2019

How can it already be the middle of February? While 2018 was great for A.wordsmith, I was excited to jump into 2019 with a freshness that only exists at the start of a new year. And what a year it’s shaping up to be!   A Milestone Kind of Year In a few months we will […]

Read More

Coffee Chat Rewind: When the Day Job Isn’t Enough

By Ann Smith | Dec 12, 2018

I know that for me there are many days when I feel like I couldn’t possibly do one more thing. As working professionals holding down careers, kids, businesses – and hopefully some me-time – the hours quickly fill up. However, that isn’t to say that there isn’t a spark deep inside waiting to be ignited. At […]

Read More

Coffee Chat Rewind: Journalism Done Right!

By Ann Smith | Sep 28, 2018

This week we teamed up with PRSA Oregon for our September “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat on the topic of Journalism Done Right. We had an amazing panel of respected journalists who shared their insights, recommendations and thoughts on the state of the media today, including breaking news, social and digital content and that pesky […]

Read More