Whew! It's been another whiplash week with a news cycle that has exhausted a lot of us. How are you feeling? How about your people?
This week, we’re diving into practical ways to support your team, prevent burnout, and build a culture of recognition and trust. Let’s make sure your team feels cared for as the world keeps turning.
If you follow me on LinkedIn, you probably saw my recent post on the intertwined nature of business and politics in recent weeks.
So the idea of no talking about politics at work has become really challenging when politics is impacting our businesses. It's freezing budgets, canceling contracts, impacting our teams’ ability to work, and makes it even more expensive to run an agency that was already operating on tight margins.
But being frustrated won't get us through this. And letting our beliefs about how things deflate our motivation is even worse. So let's share our collective experience on how things are actually going, and I bet we can find a path forward together. Keep reading to learn about our plan to get answers...
When we think about AI, it's easy to get caught up in its ability to streamline tasks, analyze data, and improve efficiency. But AI has another, less obvious use. It can help us connect with our teams on a more human level.
Empathy has always been a cornerstone of great leadership. It builds trust, strengthens relationships, and fosters an environment where people feel valued. But in the chaos of managing daily responsibilities, it’s easy for even the most empathetic leaders to lose sight of what matters. That’s where AI can help us.
Keep reading for a few tips and tricks to keeping yourself on a solid leadership path!
How’s your 2025 treating you so far? And, not to give away my own answer, why does January always seem so long? Whether you’re in the frigid north or enjoying a milder climate, I think everyone is always ready to move on to February.
But you know, January wasn’t all about the polar vortex and political turmoil. Here at the Bureau we’ve been having some great conversations. Every week I attempt to string together some pearls of wisdom to share with everyone who is interested, via our free newsletter, which you can sign up for here. So let’s take a look at what we learned in January.
The Bureau is built on connection, collaboration, and the incredible contributions of our members. So we’re thrilled to honor our 2024 Member of the Year and recipient of the Bureau Award of Dedication. Be sure to check out his Bureau appreciation story below and share your own experiences with... Karl Sakas!
When we think about AI, it's easy to get caught up in its ability to streamline tasks, analyze data, and improve efficiency. But AI has another, less obvious use. It can help us connect with our teams on a more human level.
Empathy has always been a cornerstone of great leadership. It builds trust, strengthens relationships, and fosters an environment where people feel valued. But in the chaos of managing daily responsibilities, it’s easy for even the most empathetic leaders to lose sight of what matters. That’s where AI can help us.
Keep reading for a few tips and tricks to keeping yourself on a solid leadership path!
As we're still taking the shrink wrap off of 2025, it's time to share the first big update: your event calendar is coming into focus! After countless conversations, ideas, and votes, the 2025 Bureau events lineup is ready to take the spotlight. These events are designed to meet you where you are. Whether you’re investing in your team's leadership, putting the pedal to the metal on AI or just looking to connect with others who “get it" and can help.
But this is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out other exciting initiatives: updated membership levels, new programs, and some fun surprises.
So start planning your year ahead. We can’t wait to see you !
We made it, everybody! 2024 is history, and surely the new year will be less tumultuous, right? (wink) Still, despite lots of uncertainty and the constant need to make adjustments on the fly, I'm proud of everything we've accomplished this last year.
Each week I send out a free newsletter with the best tips and insights from the Bureau community, which you can sign up for here. I also collect the very best of that info and share it here each month. So, what did we learn in December?
It’s a new season here at the Bureau, and we’re excited to share a first look at what’s coming in 2025. The community’s feedback, along with insights from our newly formed Bureau Advisory Council, has helped shape this new season. Read on to learn about new membership options, our first-ever loyalty program, and the fate of your favorite in-person events!
As the holiday season approaches, it’s tempting to let the chaos of the year-end wrap-up take over. But now’s the perfect time to reflect on how we can ensure our clients stay firmly on the “nice” list—because no one wants a “naughty” client to start the new year.
And whether a client stays on the nice list or slips onto the naughty list often comes down to how we manage the relationship.
So read on to unwrap a few tips to keep things merry and bright!
As I sit here in my post-Thanksgiving stretchy pants, I'm especially grateful for the opportunity I have to work with such great people every day with the Bureau. We have the best community, and I try to never forget that. I love seeing everyone jump in to help one another solve problems and share helpful info.
As I do every week, in November I sent out some weekly-ish newsletters full of useful topics. I hope you consider signing up for those emails, because I think they're full of valuable insights. But if you missed them, here's a quick recap of the content from last month.
Ah, the holidays—a magical time when your family gathers to share love, joy, and the crushing weight of passive-aggressive comments about you sneaking a glance at your phone during dessert.
But what if I told you there’s a way to quietly get a few tasks done without getting "the look"? If it's your jam, squeeze in a little productivity. Who really relaxes for five days straight anyway?
Read on for a few tips on becoming a holiday stealth worker!
In a world where "growth" gets treated like the ultimate bragging right, choosing to stay small can feel like you're doing it wrong. But let me say this loud and clear: staying small is not losing.
Some of us come alive when we're creating. We'd rather focus on the work we love than get lost in spreadsheets and meetings. There's something powerful about really knowing your team, not as resources but as actual people. And being close enough to your customers to truly care about the experience you're giving them. That's rare, and it's real. And we're just getting started. Keep reading for more benefits of keeping it tight.
We’re excited to share the plans for 2025 Bureau in-person events! With input from the community, this lineup has been designed to meet the diverse needs of the Bureauverse and make them more affordable.
Listening to the Bureauverse, we're also lowering the total number of attendees to create a more personal, high-impact experience. Reserving early guarantees your attendance and helps ensure the events take place. Read on for more!
I've always said we have the best people in the world working here at the Bureau, and I still feel that’s true. But you know, we've also got some incredible partners who bring their unique perspective to our community and add real value with their offerings. Let's celebrate some of our favorite people, and see what they might be able to do to enhance your work!
Phew, October is over, and with it all my attempts to maintain willpower over my snacking for the year. November and December don't count, right? But the most delicious thing of all to me is the relationships we develop at the Bureau. With all the amazing discussions we have, there's a ton of great insights I collect, and each week I send out a newsletter that collects the best of that info. I hope you'll consider subscribing to that here. But if you're too busy, here's a recap of what I shared last month
Next week, we're bringing together some excellent products for your review, from improving accessibility in your products to improving agency operations with AI to collaborative storytelling that builds morale. Best of all, there's zero pressure because they're all group demos. Yay!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to explore what's available and coming next. Read on to see who's gonna participate or heck just register now!
Say what?
Let’s talk about a term that gets tossed around a lot—“paid discovery.” On the surface, it makes perfect sense. You’re getting paid for the time you invest in understanding a client’s problem before diving into the solution. But as you probably know: calling it “paid discovery” can actually create friction with clients because it implies it could be free. And "discovery" sounds kind of like pixie dust and magic.
OK then, Mr. Smarty Pants, what should we do instead? Read on and all shall be revealed!
It’s that time of year when we start thinking about all the exciting things we want to do in 2025, and I’m ready to share some updates with you. We've obviously hit some hiccups with in-person events this year, including having to cancel Owner Camp Whistler. Le sigh.
We get it. Times are tough, and what we want at the beginning of the year isn't always what we can do later. As we head into the new year, we’re taking steps to ensure events provide value and deeper connections without being too expensive or risky. Keep reading to learn more and find out how you can get involved!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the dangers of becoming overly reliant on a single technology—something I experienced firsthand at my shop nGen Works and it sucked. We leaned heavily on one CMS, only to realize later how risky it was once we met the founders.
Surprise, history repeats itself!
