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Zack Oates of Ovation on Building Business Connections through Digital Storytelling
Soliciting feedback from customers often seems like a daunting task. However, Zack Oates and his team at Ovation have cracked the code with a proven strategy that not only encourages guest feedback, but also establishes a personal connection for exceptional results.Zack Oates and the guest feedback platform Ovation have taken a radically different approach to hearing from customers, which stems…
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Why This Ex-TV Producer Walked Away From Hollywood to Rewrite the ‘Cat Lady’ Story
The term "cat lady" has long carried a negative connotation."When I started, everyone had a fixed idea of what a cat person looked like," says CatCon founder Susan Michals. "Very Eleanor Abernathy from The Simpsons — a hoarder, a spinster, 60-plus."That stereotype is just one example in a long history…
How to Earn Customer Trust and Boost Sales Without Big Ad Budgets
For every one dollar businesses invest in public relations (PR), they earn an average of $5.50 back in media coverage. For this reason and more, major corporations consider PR indispensable.PR can make a big difference for companies and organizations of all sizes, however. As consumers' trust in traditional advertising and…
How the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs Is Outpacing Us — and Why
When I launched my first startup, hustle culture was the playbook. You worked nonstop, obsessed over the product and hoped customers would show up later. Everything revolved around the grind.But the next generation of founders? They're building smarter — not just harder.They're rejecting outdated startup myths, reshaping what success looks…
Why Your Company Updates Get Ignored — and How to Fix It
You spent hours drafting it, your team member proofread it, the CEO signed off on it and then you hit publish. The company update is now live on LinkedIn, your website's blog and even in the monthly newsletter. You waited, but nothing happened except maybe a couple of likes from…
Why Emotional Branding Is Out and Functional Loyalty Is In.
32% of customers say they would walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience, no matter how long they've been loyalBrand loyalty isn't dead, but it is evolving. At Digital Silk, we've worked with hundreds of growing brands across industries, and the pattern is clear: emotionally…
How 2 Stanford Grads Turned an Idea Into a WNBA Partnership
The tampon hasn't changed much since it was invented over 80 years ago by a male doctor named Earle Haas. That might suggest the design was flawless — but ask the people who use them, and you'll hear a different story."Period products are unreliable in critical moments," says athlete and…
I Took My Side Hustle Full-Time and Earned $222,000 Last Year
This as-told-to story is based on an interview with Seattle, Washington-based tutor Carter Osborne, who owns college essay consulting business Carter Osborne Tutoring. Osborne started tutoring as a side hustle in 2017 to help with tuition payments while in graduate school. In 2024, Osborne quit his job as a PR…
Here’s the Strategy Smart Leaders Use to Outpace Disruption
Nothing tests a leader like turbulence. Just ask the thousands of executives watching AI disrupt their industries. ChatGPT was released just two years ago; OpenAI reports it now sees over 400 million weekly users, with more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies integrating its tools. By comparison, the internet didn't…
The PR Playbook Every Startup Needs — But No One Talks About
Emerging brands often misunderstand public relations (PR). Many assume PR is just about press releases or hiring a big agency to land major media coverage. In reality, PR is one of the most effective tools for shaping a brand's reputation, building trust and standing out in a crowded market.The challenge?…
Franchise Success Starts at The Local Level — Here’s Why
A franchise is only as strong as the people running it and the best ones don't just manage a location, they own the neighborhood. At Boardroom, we've seen firsthand how local entrepreneurship makes or breaks the client experience. Our most successful franchisees aren't just following a playbook, they're building relationships,…
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Creative Ways Startups Can Earn Funding in Tough Economic Times
In a declining economy, startups face an uphill battle when it comes to securing funding.…
I Asked AI to Create a Plan for a Fake Company — The Results Blew Me Away, But Not in the Way You Might Think
With all of the recent news about artificial intelligence (AI), it got me thinking about…
Ideas To Transform You From Good To Better To Best
A while back, I took a couple of my grandchildren on a tour of the…
5 Crucial Challenges Startups Must Overcome
Startups face numerous challenges on their journey to success, and failing to overcome any one…