Blog
Join us in conversation on the topics we believe matter...to our industry, our city and our society.
Unless you live under a rock, the ALS #icebucketchallenge has probably taken over your newsfeed at some point in the last few weeks. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. To #strikeoutALS, people post a […]
Read MoreThe death of Robin Williams has consumed our media feeds and our minds the last few days. While tragic, the conversations it has spurred around mental health are powerful and important. The state of mental health in the United States is deplorable. Despite the uptick in school shootings and high profile suicides and addiction-related deaths, […]
Read MoreIf I may, with another preparedness post (as you can tell, we’re planners here at A. Wordsmith)… While most Californians have long been familiar with big earthquake risks and emergency preparedness plans, some Oregonians have been slow to acknowledge our state’s potential to experience “the big one.” There has been an increased effort […]
Read MoreBasic steps for your crisis communications plan The recent water contamination in Toledo, Ohio underscores the need for all types of organizations to have a plan for how they will handle communications in a crisis. Most of us won’t be facing a life-or-death situation, as the city of Toledo did, but nevertheless a bit of advance […]
Read MoreDoes the thought of networking make you anxious? Nervous? As an introvert and recent college graduate I have experienced the anxieties that comes from networking with business professionals. I know the importance of gaining these valuable connections to grow in my career, but that never makes it easier to walk into a room full of […]
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For the past week I’ve becoming increasingly consumed with the ongoing search for Dundee woman Jennifer Huston. On the outskirts of Portland, Dundee and neighboring Newberg where she was last seen are quite close to where I live in Tualatin and my kids went to school in Sherwood. I am not here to speculate or […]
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This week’s Fast Company Leadership quote comes from Joseph McCormack, author of Brief: Making a Bigger Statement by Saying Less. Despite the irony that this man wrote an entire book on brevity, its a message I find valuable today. Today was the day I broke my iPhone and have reverted back to a non-smart phone. I […]
Read MoreWe all know the BIC pen—it’s the classic, no-fuss ballpoint pen most of us have grown up using, on everything from school essays to forms at the doctor’s office. (Did you know it is even part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art?) Well, this tried-and-true brand is branching out, and calling […]
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The ad was uploaded to the Always YouTube on June 26th and has received over 30 million views all over the world. After watching the video though it makes you think, aren’t we over the #LikeaGirl insult? “I don’t think we are past the ‘run like a girl’ stereotype. Look at the women in this […]
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