BlueLabs’ Post

At Exacaster, we firmly believe in the power of #OpenCommunication and transparency, and our Town Halls are proof of this commitment. What is Exacaster Town Hall, you ask? It's not just another corporate meeting; it's an event that brings our entire team together every six weeks. We gather to share news, celebrate achievements, and even discuss the challenges we face because transparency is key to our success. 🚀 Here's a sneak peek at the main idea of our Town Halls: 🎙️ Our main goal is to ensure that every member of our team is on the same page. 🎙️ The hosts are always our people - from analysts to marketing, from the People team to data engineers.  🎙️ Everyone meets and greets all the new team members - helping us all put faces to names and fostering a sense of belonging. 🎙️ A quarterly financial overview is a must - to keep everyone informed about our financial health. 🎙️ We believe that every team member has something valuable to share: a burning topic or a passionate idea; we welcome to bring it to the Town Hall stage. 🎙️ And after-Town Hall talks and snacks are a must! Our Town Halls are more than just meetings; they're a celebration of our shared journey, and they are our commitment to building a culture of openness and collaboration. Join us in making every Town Hall a memorable and insightful experience! 🚀 #Exacaster #ExacasterValues #TownHall

Joining us in Chicago next month? Here are a few free things to do in town! Drop your best Chicago recommendations below for all of our friends coming next month 👇 👇 👇 #ChicagoSightseeing #FreeSightseeing

Here are #weeknotes for last week, in which I ponder whether it's sensible to tweak standards to your own context and wonder if scaffolding is needed for collaboration. https://lnkd.in/eQVFeQZf

Check out my latest vlog about downtown Atlanta! 

Well, what a way to have ended 2023 - dinner with my fellow Collaborate members and respective partners! The Collaborate networking group is truly like no other I have attended and the benefits far outweigh the 5am start I have to endure every other Thursday! Here's to another year of making new valued connections and for both personal and professional growth at S.R. Wood & Son Ltd. 👍 #businessnetworking #professionalgrowth

Pebble Helps Cheshire Messy Play Expand ✨ We're thrilled to share the success story of Cheshire Messy Play and how Pebble has played a vital role in their expansion plans. Char Marland, the founder, shares her experience: “Pebble gave me everything I needed and more. It takes the admin out of my hands completely. I’ve been overwhelmed by the interest and by the amazing reviews that the classes have received.” Read the full case study, here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dbZUGH26 If you’re looking to find a new booking platform for your children’s activity business, follow the links below: 🔎 Explore Pebble -> https://pbbl.uk/3Pru4o3 💻 Watch our product demo video here -> https://pbbl.uk/3USHw7g 🙋♂️ Speak to Us -> https://pbbl.uk/44xqleP #ChildrensActivities #BusinessGrowth #PebblePlatform #CustomerSuccess #CaseStudy

Hopefully, it’s just a start When it comes to selling an entire city fraught with complicated socio-economic issues, even great ads can't paper over the cracks. San Francisco's recent brand "refresh," created by Goodby Silverstein and Partners, narrated by Peter Coyote, and funded by the city's own tech and retail moguls, is already being compared to the “I Love NY” campaign. Yes, the City by the Bay has a rich tapestry of culture, innovation, and natural beauty. But even the most rhapsodic of campaigns can't change the on-the-ground reality for residents grappling with homelessness, drug abuse, and civic leadership seemingly at a loss for solutions. In this light, the anthemic spot, despite Coyote's moving narration, feels like a bit of an emotional flat tire. It has all the ingredients to be deeply affecting, yet somehow fails to rise above being just a well-executed collage of archival footage. Even the creators of the “I Love NY” campaign wouldn't claim it solved New York's deep-rooted problems in the ‘70s. What did bring about change were tangible measures that positively impacted residents' lives. Advertising can reframe conversations, but it can't replace genuine action. SF’s campaign's tagline, "It all starts here in San Francisco - and the best is yet to come," can be seen as both a prologue and a cautionary tale. If "it all starts here," then the complex challenges the city faces also, unfortunately, start here. This campaign might just be the opening act in what needs to be a multi-layered, long-term effort to genuinely rehabilitate the city’s reputation and address its underlying issues. https://lnkd.in/gfhF9cMq

Why I'll never stop doing the monthly Town Hall. The team meets for one hour monthly to discuss goals, financial forecasts, community and culture, and department updates. It's about radical alignment for the King Street Media team. Over the past six years, here is what Anthony Chiaravalloti, Daniel Francavilla and I have learned about running effective Town Halls. 1. Be honest - If your team feels these sessions are all fluff, they won't respond or trust you. Tell the truth. 2. Ask for feedback - Open the agenda up for discussion. Ask your team what they want to know and learn during these sessions. You will get more participation. 3. Make it collaborative—Invite different team members to present on their teams or departments. Include a short team exercise to get everyone moving. The worst thing you can do is talk to your team for an hour and ask them to listen. 4. Repetition is vital - We show our Mission, Vision, and Values at every Town Hall. This section constantly reminds us of who and what we are and aligns everyone. 5. Highlight your team - Celebrate their wins and the embodiment of your company values. 📍 I'll be sharing more helpful thoughts on building an agency. Let me know in the comments if there are specific topics you'd like me to cover. #agencygrowth #torontoagency #communitybuilding

My coworker Tyler Yeager recently wrote a nice article for the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce quarterly publication Thrive. Tyler’s article is titled “Collaboration Tools for Team Success.” Tyler speaks about the often-unused functions that are integrated in a business’s Microsoft Licensing. There are many features built into your agreements that many customers just aren’t aware of. Another great example of the many untapped features is Microsoft’s Multifactor Authentication MFA for short. In many Microsoft licensing agreements this is a standard feature and just needs to be activated to allow your organization to use this function. If you do not have MFA in place or you would like to find out more about Microsoft’s MFA offer, please give us (ARK Technology Consultants) a call. Many customers will implement Microsoft’s MFA to replace another MFA that they are paying annually for. You can get me at 610-348-5596 if you would like to find out if your Microsoft licenses include MFA. There is a link to Tyler’s article post below. Nice work Tyler.