New Ideas – Mekanic

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...

Service Offerings, New Products, Management, Value Proposition, Risk

3 Risks of Expanding Your Services & Offerings

Written by Alex Jimenez 2019 is knocking on the door. We are busy planning for next year, as I am sure many of you are right...

The Decision-Making Conundrum

Written by Alex Jimenez One of the great challenges leaders encounter is a lack of decision making across their teams. You will always have people in...

Core Brand Messaging, Game of Thrones Edition

Written by Sarah Akers Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen “Battle of the Bastards” yet, we really don’t think you’re in a position to be concerned...

Doomed by Logo Lust

Written by Erik Hansen The big challenges brands are facing right now are tricky to solve. The reality is that a logo is only one part of...

Attending a Conference? How to Bring Back the Most for your Team

Written by Tiffany Hallett Conferences are like field trips for professionals. Think about it. Your days are pre-arranged by the unknown. You’re not stuck behind a desk...

Closed Door Leadership

Written by Alex Jimenez Leadership. That one word can elicit hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of different reactions—both positive and negative. Leaders need a broad...

The Fine Art of Getting Knocked Out

Written by Erik Hansen Last week, I witnessed the surprising political loss of a good friend, client, and colleague—someone I would consider a mentor in many...

Riding the Wisdom Wave: The Gift of Brand Strategy Service

Written by Katie Hansen I have something to admit. I don’t pay much attention to the news. I’m not up on current affairs and don’t know...

Rearview Mirror Management

Written by Alex Jimenez In college, I lived with my uncle for a year. I would run errands with him on the weekends and after a few...

The Grass is Not Always Greener

Written by Alex Jimenez In a world where we are constantly overwhelmed with shiny new things on what seems to be a minute-by-minute basis, this adage applies...

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...

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...

Millennials At Work — Defiant Or Designful?

Written by Katie Hansen A recent article in the Washington Post has left me both inspired and dumbfounded. Inspired by the bold ability of many millennials to...