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 […]

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“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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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A few of our favorite [Portland] things

By Ann Smith | Sep 12, 2018

It was exciting to see the second edition of my book, “100 Things to do in Portland, Before You Die” roll off the presses last month. It may sound cliché, but I really do believe there’s something in this book for everyone—whether you’ve lived in Portland all your life or are just here visiting for […]

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A Daily Dose of Inspiration!

By Ann Smith | May 23, 2018

Inspiration really is all around us. From the clothes we wear, to the food we eat and the places we work. At our May “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat we pulled back the covers on inspiration: where it lives, how it manifests and how to put it to work for you. Thanks to our three […]

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Badass Women at Work: March Coffee Chat Rewind

By Ann Smith | Mar 15, 2018

We are all still basking in the glow of Tuesday morning’s “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat aptly called Badass Women at Work. Thanks to our incredible panelists: Melita Callahan, president and CEO at Tricor; Jessi Duley, founder and owner of Burncycle and The Lab; and Kendra Carpenter, owner of Swaha Studios. Your passion, grit and […]

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January “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat Rewind: The Power of Giving Back

By Ann Smith | Feb 16, 2018

At our most recent “Like a Boss” Coffee Chat we had a great morning talking, learning and sharing about what it means to do good and give back. On our panel were Amy Weeden, co-founder and managing partner at Propeller; Doug Whyte, executive director at the Hollywood Theatre; Suzanne Nance, chief executive officer and on-air […]

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Leaders, according to me

By Ann Smith | Oct 19, 2017

What is a leader?  It’s a question I think about often. I think about the people who surround me that I consider to be leaders. I think about the state of the country and the world and the people who we call leaders because of their titles, but maybe little else. I think of everyday […]

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Women of the Olympics & the Telling of Great Stories

By Ann Smith | Aug 8, 2016

Over the weekend the Summer Olympics in Rio kicked off. Despite much worry leading into the Games over major issues such as safety, facilities, clean water and overall security, so far Rio is proving to be a respectable host. And in a time when it seems hard to find common ground, sports once again bring […]

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Getting Ripa'd

By Ann Smith | Apr 27, 2016

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past week you’ve most likely know the full story, or at least rumblings, of the Kelly Ripa vs. Michael Strahan vs. Disney-ABC drama.  On Tuesday Kelly returned to the show after taking some time off to digest and deal with the news that not only is […]

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