Blog

Join us in conversation on the topics we believe matter...to our industry, our city and our society.

Inspired to Stay Positive

By Lisa Hildebrandt | Sep 21, 2020

It’s hard to believe that September marks the sixth month anniversary of the pandemic-prompted quarantine. And today, as wildfires rage across the west, and political unrest, systemic social injustice, economic disruption and a global health crisis continue to dominate our existence, it can feel like our world has permanently upended – without a clear end […]

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Five Tips to Surviving Your First 90 Days as a New Remote Employee

By Alysa Wulf | Sep 11, 2020

Making the transition to remote work can be challenging. Now imagine the process for those entering a new company during the pandemic. As a recent college graduate entering my first job during a global health, economic and sociopolitical crisis, I have a few tips and tricks for other new employees in the communications industry.  1. […]

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The History of a Grammar Nerd’s Bible: Evolution of AP Style

By Gretchen Hoffman | Sep 10, 2020

Do you know the difference between a pom-pom, a pompon and a pompom? Do you find yourself describing something unusual as the “most unique” ever (hint: please don’t)?  While you won’t find an entry for “love” in the AP Stylebook, as a former journalist, I’ve been in a long-term love affair with AP style. Housed […]

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Who Has Inspired Your Career Path?

By Lexi Foldenauer | Sep 8, 2020

It can be difficult for people to identify one person, event, or piece of advice that singlehandedly propelled them forward on their career path – I know it is for me. Each of our individual stories, obstacles, and experiences shape our unique knowledge and learned expertise. I have been fortunate to encounter different people at […]

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A.wordsmith in August

By Ann Smith | Aug 16, 2020

I had the best of intentions to write this communication in July. Alas, like much of the past five months, the days and weeks seem to inexplicably pass by and before I know it, another month has arrived and now it’s mid-August! No one could have predicted this is how we’d be spending our spring, […]

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An Open Letter to my White Colleagues: 3 Ways to Be a Better Ally to People Who Look Like Me

By Amber Luckett | Aug 6, 2020

It’s been a little over a month since I started my role as an Associate at A.wordsmith, and I must say it’s been one heck of a transition. As if starting a new job from home during a deadly pandemic wasn’t enough, I’m also faced with the unchanging reality of being a Black woman in […]

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Social Media’s Reckoning and the Questions Your Brand Should Be Considering

By Natalie O'Grady | Aug 3, 2020

Brands in all industries are facing multiple watershed moments in 2020 – around safety, employee health and wellness, community, business and social justice. A year from now, life will likely be permanently changed in many ways, and brands are attempting to weather the current storm and plan for those changes simultaneously. As brands consider what […]

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What’s New with AP Style?

By Hannah Braly | Jul 10, 2020

At A.wordsmith, we’re always staying one step ahead of PR trends, current news, what’s happening in our clients’ industries and social media best practices. Yet an often overlooked, but equally important element of our jobs, is honing our expertise on the latest Associated Press Style (AP Style) guidelines. While there are many types of writing […]

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7 Tips for a Successful Video Media Interview During COVID-19

By Hailey Rae Swalley | Jun 12, 2020

By now, we’ve all (mostly) adjusted to a routine where most day-to-day work interactions happen on Zoom, Webex and Microsoft Teams. This change has also bled over into how media interviews are being held – while many reporters or producers traditionally would have interviewed sources over the phone or in person, there’s new expectations that […]

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Five Ways to Master Compassionate Internal Communications

By Lisa Hildebrandt | Jun 8, 2020

We’ve all heard the phrase “change is the only constant.” Yet in this era of exponential evolution, change is no longer constant. It’s the variable and ever-accelerating force that compels leaders to redirect visions, stay the course or chart new paths forward. And today, as civic unrest, systemic racial injustice and a global pandemic takes precedence, it […]

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