Marketing & Branding

The Invest/Divest See-Saw

Written by Erik Hansen I can’t speak for every entrepreneur or CEO, but I can speak to my 20 years of experience and those whom I...

outsource, human capital, human resources,

Do You Outsource?

Written by Alex Jimenez Outsourcing models are not revolutionary. Organizations have been outsourcing essential functions and roles for decades, and in most organizations, there is always...

The End of it All – 2018 for Associations

Written by Erik Hansen I remember working for a very brief stint at IDSA several years ago, and every day it was losing market share and...

A Well-Crafted Social Media Strategy Starts Here

Written by Derek Weinstein Social media marketing is no longer a novelty. Businesses are finally taking the strategy seriously, and countless brands have found success in...

Why Your Features Don’t Function: A Lesson in Brand Messaging

Written by Katie Hansen Sometimes you try to please everybody and end up pleasing no one. A crucial lesson to learn in life and business. It’s one...

Make the Most Underrated Business Decision: Lead by Design

Written by Erik Hansen & Jean Nicolai If you haven’t read The Designful Company by Marty Neumeier or Rise of the DEO by Christopher Ireland and Maria Giudice,...

A Conversation Is Not an Action

Written by Kate Burgman A colleague recently asked me, “How do you get any work done when you’re running from meeting to meeting all day?” You may...

Slowing Down to Speed Up

Written by Alex Jimenez Process. Best practices. Documentation. I bet these terms get floated around in your environment on a regular basis (and if not, you may...

If It’s Not Hard, It’s Not Rewarding

Written by Kate Burgman “You’re so lucky that your job is fun and you get paid to do what you love!” If you don’t work in a...

Announcing Our First Community Workshop: Why Your Presentations Suck

Wed, November 15, 2017, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST | Mekanic, 1240 N. Pitt St., 4th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 We’ve noticed business leaders need help upgrading their presentations....

Are You Really Ready to Grow?

Written by Alex Jimenez Growth is good, if I may paraphrase Wall Street. Ok, maybe I’m no Gordon Gekko. But I speak the truth. Consider how much...

Change Is Now—Especially for Associations

Written by Katie Hansen Every association hits a wall at some point. Industries evolve. Audience needs and desires mature. Membership numbers level off. Annual conference registrations...

What’s in a Name?

Written by Kate Burgman As part of Mekanic’s Brand Kamp workshops, we help name new businesses and ventures, or help rename those that are already established...

Where A Shop-hater Shops

Written by Katie Hansen Somewhere along the way I transitioned from a mall rat maven to a shopping center cynic. I’m sure it happened organically with some...

Does Your Conference Brand Have Balls?

Written by Katie Hansen Conferences present a ball pit of topics, products, programs, services, speakers, communities, sponsors, campaigns and themes. When exposed to independently, these parts don’t...

Small Businesses Deserve A Taste Of Big Branding

Written by Erik Hansen What comes to mind when you think “small business”? The Small Business Administration defines a small business as an enterprise with fewer than...