Dear Rising, Thanks so much for reaching out to me. The only thing I ask is what took you so long! But you’re here now, and I’m glad to help. Just give me a second to get out my prescription pad and turn the ringer off my phone [wink]. Lookie here, I know it feels […]
It’s essential to evaluate ROI these days to make sure that your marketing and communications efforts add value, but are you tracking the metrics that actually drive business? While you’re celebrating engagement rates and follower milestones, the signals that predict new business leads and project wins might be going completely unnoticed. People like numbers because […]
In a world of endless content streams, I’ve noticed something fascinating: the communications we remember most are rarely the most frequent. Think about your industry colleagues for a moment. There’s always that one firm that somehow appears in every publication, posts three times daily on LinkedIn, and sends weekly newsletters that pile up unread in […]
Dear Doctor, Our architecture firm has been around for about a decade, but we’re still relatively unknown. Our competitors with similar portfolios get more recognition and win more high-profile projects. Even though we post our projects on social media, and we’ve recently refreshed our website, we still can’t seem to move the needle. How can […]
When you think of the Statue of Liberty, you probably picture her shining torch, not a set of stairs. And yet, it’s exactly those elements, like the staircase — the ones we don’t celebrate in postcards — that turned an aging icon into a renewed experience for millions of visitors. In architecture and design, not […]
Oh, Service with a Frown, honey, you’ve just hit the nail on the head of one of the Doctor’s favorite topics! It’s like you’re stuck in a hamster wheel of services, running faster and faster but not really getting anywhere. Let’s get you off that wheel and onto the yellow brick road of outcomes, shall […]
This week’s View From The Top features a guest post from our founder, Tami Hausman, who brings her signature wit and strategic insight to the forefront with a timely reminder: if you want your firm to stand out, you need to be specific—not just in what you do, but in how you communicate it. “I’ve […]
The most recognizable firms don’t just communicate—they amplify. A strong message isn’t a one-time effort; it echoes across every interaction, reinforcing your expertise and building trust. If your message isn’t clear, repeatable, and aligned across every platform, it won’t have an impact. Fortunately, making your messaging stronger isn’t complicated—it just takes consistency. Three Ways to […]
Too many businesses are talking about themselves instead of focusing on what truly matters to their clients. If your words don’t make it immediately clear how you solve real problems, your clients, partners, and even your own team may struggle to see your true value. The good news? This is an easy fix. Three Ways […]
Dear Doctor, I’m the marketing director at a 30-year-old engineering firm, and our messaging sounds old and tired–because it is. We have great projects, but the way that we talk about our firm doesn’t match the caliber of our work and our core values. How can we communicate more clearly and win more work? — […]
Ah, branding decisions. They’re like choosing between a bold haircut or just getting a trim. Do you refine what you’ve got to keep things neat without scaring the neighbors (that’s evolution), or do you go all in with a dramatic new look (hello, revolution)? When it comes to your firm’s branding, the stakes are higher […]
In an era where attention spans are shorter than a goldfish’s memory (seriously, look it up), the psychology behind branding is the secret sauce. Understanding it is the key to standing out in a sea of sameness. As a communications coordinator with a background in counseling, I know that the principles guiding human behavior and […]
