As National Geographic so eloquently puts it, here’s “the smallest known animal with a backbone”. These tiny guys of Papua New Guinea can jump 30x the length of their own bodies, and their calls are such a high pitch they’re barely audible to humans. But the main lesson for us? Froggy has a backbone…. you can have one, too. Don’t forget it.
Posted in Adorable Amphibians
Tagged amphibians, frogs, Inspiration, toads
That’s a GREAT question! And a great idea, anonymous person! Let’s give away some candy. Why? Because it’s LEAP YEAR, and this is LEAP MONTH!
According to the trusted source of Wikipedia, leap day is added to our calendar every 4 years as a corrective measure. So think about the corrective measure you can take to change something in your life, for the better.
I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone. Start the project you’ve been putting off. Go to the movie you want to see – even if you have to go alone. Pick up the PHONE and actually call someone in your professional network – set a date to have coffee and learn more about what that person does. Sign up for the class you’ve always wanted to take. Stay up late to write the first of many journal entries. Write a letter to a friend — not on the computer, but with pen and paper.
I challenge you to make a commitment to yourself and do something different on leap day. And then?
Here’s how:
Go to the Rribbitz Facebook page and tell me what you’re going to do.
Each idea posted will earn you one entry in the drawing.
On leap day, I’ll draw one name (using a very scientific process with index cards) and that person will win…
A five-pound bag of HARIBO® Frogs green apple flavor gummi candy.
Let me repeat:
A five-pound bag of HARIBO® Frogs green apple flavor gummi candy.
You heard me right. So why are you just sitting there? Get thinking, get posting and then get doing.
(Immediate family of Rribbitz are welcome to post, but not eligible for the candy. They already have so many benefits by association.)Posted in Ideas, Taking a Leap, WhyDay
I’ve neglected the Adorable Amphibians category. Therefore, to make it up to you, here’s this guy: the ADORABLE Ornate Horned Frog. Don’t you just want to squeeze him?
All credit for the photo and the find goes to WeirdWorm, where they wrote the following:
We were going to try to avoid any easy jokes about certain frogs looking like Jabba the Hutt but as you can see that’s going to be nearly impossible. The image above features the ornate horned frog. This monstrosity can be found in Uruguay, Brazil, and northern Argentina (in case you were looking for one). Although it looks like an inert glob of green sludge, it’s quick to pounce on small rodents, birds, or even other frogs. Basically it’s fast when food acquisition is involved.
You should go to their site RIGHT NOW to see the entire list of The Top 12 Weirdest Frogs. Which one do you want to cuddle up with?
Posted in Adorable Amphibians
Tagged amphibians, frogs, toads
Happy Friday! Here’s another concept to wrap your head around…. Olioboard.
Have you heard of it? While being a skeptic and reluctant adopter, I admit that I’m drawn to Olioboard. I’m not an expert at it — but I’m experimenting. As you can see here:
Fancy, right? Yes, I’m self-taught. While Olioboard seems like a great way to compile ideas and inspiration, I think it has even greater implications when it comes to developing brand strategies for my clients. For example:
Let’s build a mood board that represents the direction your brand needs to go…
How do you want customers to feel when they use your website? Let’s build a board that replicates the feel of your site -
It’s not just for the tangible interior design project — but creative campaigns and brand direction as well. It’ll be interesting to see how the ad community embraces – or doesn’t embrace – this new tool.
By the way? Turns out I really am a late adopter. Because here’s a nice little Real Simple blog post from 2010 talking about Olioboard – so I’ll let her explain it further.
What are your thoughts?
Posted in Introductions
Tagged brand experience, olioboard, online marketing, pinterest
It’s time for an addendum. While it’s all well and good for me to share my epiphanies about how healthcare costs factored into my decision to work – or not work – for someone else, it’s still just my experience. My purpose was to inspire hopeful entrepreneurs to consider what’s really bonding them to their current job, and whether those bonds are truly unbreakable.
Disclaimer: I wrote that the cost of healthcare benefits was one reason I never wanted to work for myself all those years – when I was 20-something. At that time I was a junior creative. Meaning a junior creative salary, junior creative portfolio, and oh I don’t know – say, $500 in a pension fund?
Healthcare premiums were less of a factor when I started Rribbitz: I’d been eliminating debt and investing funds for nearly 18 years. I had a career portfolio and professional network to support my rates. All factors that weren’t available to me when I was 25 – or even 30.
Even more relevant: I’d never been diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, or any other chronic condition besides juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. My only blip in “qualifying” for healthcare had been my use of prescription contraceptives — yep, I was turned down for an individual policy in my late 20s because I was on the pill*. Funny, isn’t it?
So don’t let me get away with making it look so easy. It takes research, planning, financial flexibility, and a hell of a lot more to make the leap to an independent career.
Planning your healthcare coverage is just one aspect.
That’s why I want to make this a more valuable discussion: I’m calling on you, creative entrepreneurs. Whether you’ve been in business 6 weeks or 6 years – how did you handle health care? Your feedback might help someone else take the leap – or it might help someone like me discover a better way to do healthcare coverage.
If you post on the Rribbitz Facebook page, I’ll assume you’re giving me permission to ask you more questions and/or use your name on this blog. If you want to share your story anonymously, please email me directly or via Facebook. I’ll include your insights but not your name. Let us know:
Look for an update this Friday.
*For my complexion, of course. I was working for an agency that didn’t provide group health coverage, but offered to pay the insurance premiums if we found individual coverage.
Posted in Inspiration, WhyDay
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from people in the past month, citing why they have no options outside of full-time employment with another company. And each time I hear it, a little song plays in my head… I remember thinking that!
If you know me, I hesitate from presuming to understand someone else’s situation – so if you say, “I have to get a job because I need the benefits,” I’ll listen. But if you admit to an inkling of desire to work for yourself, I’ll offer why that same reason held me back for almost 18 years.
I used to say that, too. When I was single, childless, and shall we say, dewy with youth. Free-wheeling and roaming about the Twin Cities, going to the gym 6 days a week and living a healthy, blessedly health-problem-free life. (translation: insanely affordable coverage, compared to what I carry now.)
Fast forward to 2010. I’m married, with two mortgages, a family of 4, and a stay-at-home husband who cares for our children. In other words, I’m the breadwinner with a LOT of fiscal responsibilities on my shoulders. Including… our healthcare premium. (let’s take a break so I can laugh hysterically again in order to fend off the panic)
Taking that leap to work for myself was a pretty gigantic transition. But luckily, I DID have 17 years of agency experience and – I admit – some savings to help us manage the financial inconsistencies of starting a business.
If you’re reluctant to go out on your own because you “need the healthcare benefits” – I challenge you to look at the whole picture:
* Do you know what your health coverage would actually cost? Whatever it is, all of your health care costs plus the policy premium would be a business expense for your LLC.
* What other benefits do you think you’d miss out on? If you’re still in your 20s or 30s, and if you even have a small nest egg started, you’re not in dire straits (my opinion) if you miss a few years of that company-matched contribution – if you’re lucky enough to get one.
* So, your company did X for you – sent you to grad school or something else? Look at the whole picture of your life and consider whether it’s worth putting your dreams on hold. I can guarantee your boss isn’t sitting up at night thinking about your dreams.
There’s nothing like a surprise pregnancy to make you was to run screaming for better health coverage. HA – just ask me about it! Go back a few paragraphs and read that list of responsibilities again, I’ll wait.
Ok, now figure in a new baby – including a c-section, hospital stay – and an extremely high deductible because we didn’t account for another child in our original plan. My gut instinct was, “Holy crap, I have to get a job. I need the benefits!” But that didn’t last long.
In the first two years of working for myself, I learned where there’s a will, there’s a way. And I was Not. Going. To. Fail. Myself or My Family.
In the third year of working for myself, I learned how to dig deeper: because I had to. I learned how to manage self-employment and morning sickness. I learned how to manage client expectations, project deadlines, new business and pregnancy. Our little surprise became a great blessing. I barely took an official maternity leave because I already had such freedom and flexibility in my schedule. Rribbitz Bbaby even joined me at work, where we were warmly welcomed by the coolest of clients.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re still paying the hospital bills. And making payments on a new car. And breadwinning for a family of 5 makes things even more interesting these days. But the thing is – today, I know more than ever:
Friday is Why Day. So I’m asking: why are you waiting to do what you love – and are the barriers truly insurmountable? Consider the other benefits that could be awaiting you – after the leap.
Note from my 6-year old: "I love you. You are love. I'm your love. You are mine."
First in a series of “Friday is Why Day.” By yours truly: independent writer and consultant for creative, web, PR and social media content; with 20 years of ad agency experience. Hopelessly eternal optimist.
Posted in Inspiration, WhyDay, Writing
Tagged gratitude, i will survive, live freelance
I’m proud to have accomplished my main business goal in 2011: fewer clients, more business. I’m 6 months into a new initiative of focusing on agency work, while working with a select amount of individual businesses. Considering that the first half of the year was spent gestating, and the second half of the year we welcomed a newborn at home, it feels like a particularly mighty feat.
So what’s next? For one, I hate making grand New Year’s proclamations. But I will say this: it’s pretty tempting to raise the bar again. By honing my client services. Giving my own website more love. And practicing what I preach about providing useful, interesting content online.
In 2012, Rribbitz will celebrate three full years in business. What are you going to celebrate?
See you after the leap. Now here’s a video just because I like it:
Posted in Inspiration
Tagged 2012, gratitude, Inspiration, leap year, live freelance
In honor of Joel’s latest ink…..here’s the exclusive interview he granted me in March 2010. Way to go, Joel!
Joel E Carlson: the man behind the Twitterview from Rribbitz Creative Communications on Vimeo.
You’ve followed his Twitterviews, now see the guy IRL (sort of). I cornered Joel and asked him to share his ideas and goals around Twitterview – be sure to check out his blog to read them all and learn more. He’s @JoelECarlson on twitter! (C) Rribbitz 2010
Posted in Inspiration, Introductions
Tagged Introductions, joelecarlson, minneapolis creative, twin cities creative
Just because… my sister finally got a Smashburger in Chicago.
Enjoy this vid from my first trip to Smashburger in the Twin Cities,
where I also met the lovely Aimee Cheek!
Posted in Inspiration
Whipping up a quick list of St. Louis facts – the fascinating, the fun, the fantastic. Empowering a client to look awesome when he speaks at an event on Saturday.
How do YOU need to look good? Tell me – I can help.
Posted in Today's to-do
Tagged brand experience, branding, events, Red Bull, scripting
