Featured

 by murphyepson

Welcome our storytelling summer intern, Joey!

Welcome to #teamME (again!). Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a senior Journalism and Economics student at Miami University, born and raised in Columbus. I’m interested in storytelling and I can’t wait to get started this summer doing some exciting work in PR!

 

OK, now it’s time for some rapid fire.

 

If you could have a cup of coffee with anyone, who would it be?

Jordan Peele. Key can come too.

 

What’s your spirit animal?

The fox. I really dig that sly and mysterious vibe

 

What was your first email address? (Don’t be shy.)

jsquad31@yahoo.com. I still use it for spam.

 

What was your first job?

Summer camp counselor.

 

What’s the next country you want to travel to?

Hungary. Budapest was the only major city that I wanted to visit but couldn’t when I was studying abroad.

 

If you were a Crayola crayon, what would your name be?

Zesty Orange. Zesty anything, really.

 

Where do you go to college?

Miami University.

 

Phew. What a doozy. Catch your breath and tell us what you do at MurphyEpson.

As an intern, I’m trying to gain experience in all facets of the advertising and public relations industry. Some of my responsibilities include helping set up for public events, sitting in on meetings, in-person communication and writing drafts for client’s projects. Basically, I insert myself wherever I can help #teamME.

 

What do you do outside of work?

Go out with friends, play board games, read and work on extracurricular projects.

 

MurphyEpson has cultivated quite the culture of philanthropy. What’s your favorite way to give back to the community?

I love to participate by volunteering in community events such as 5Ks or city parades put on by the Recreation Department in my home town of Bexley.

 

You’ve got one day in Columbus. What do you do?

Spend the day at the Short North and then see either the Clippers or the Jackets game in the evening, depending on the season.

 

Give us a note you’d like to end on.

Go RedHawks!

in Advertising / Columbus Marketing / Featured / General / Marketing / Marketing in Columbus / Marketing Team / Public Affairs / Public Relations / teamME 0 comments
Fathers Day
 by murphyepson

Dads Know Best: The best advice our fathers ever gave us

Dads say the darnest things, but sometimes they say the sweetest. Just in time for Father’s Day, #teamME spent some time reflecting on the best advice our dad’s ever passed down to us.

Enjoy the wealth of #teamME dad wisdom:

“The man who knows how will always have work. The man who knows why will be bossin’ the jerk. And the one who knows why and can make it sell, will run the company, and be rich as well.” – Marie Keister, President + CEO

 

“My Dad has always told me (in my career and personal life) to appreciate people for who they are and not try to change them. I think this has really taught me to be compassionate to others. He also leads by example with this, he has never tried to force me into any decision and trusts in who I am. I think that’s pretty awesome.” – Erin Hanna, Art Director

 

“I was sobbing after my third car accident in about 6 months during college when I called my dad who had just moved out of state. He said, “Are you hurt? Is the other person hurt?” I said no one was hurt, but proceeded to tell him my car was un-drivable. Dad told me that’s what insurance is for and to call my agent. He knew how to put things in perspective and focus on the positive which he did for me right up until he died on Father’s Day in 2012.” – Cindy Byington, Senior Account Manager

 

“The best advice my dad has given me is to take on opportunities that bring me outside my comfort zone, because it’s those experiences that will help me grow as a person.” – Mitchell Isler, Intern

 

“Slow down and take life one day at a time,” and “Make sure you’re changing your furnace air filter every 4 months.” – Nick Hoffman, Account Manager

 

“My dad was always advising me to be patient – a skill I’m still learning to master to this day I regularly hear one of these when we’re together:
“Mindy, remember patience is a virtue”
“Don’t forget that patience is bitter, but it’s fruit is sweet”
“Say your prayers Mindy: Lord give me patience, and give it to me now” – Mindy Justis, Senior Account Manager

 

“The best advice my dad ever gave me was when he told me that when something bad happens or goes wrong, you have the choice to either dwell on it or move on and overcome it. He suggested that I to do the latter.” – Joey Hart, Intern

 

“Ain’t No Problem” – Missi Burris, Art Director

 

“I was having a teenage moment back in high school (probably about an A- on a test) and I asked my dad how he handles life’s ups and downs. He told me without hesitation, “Easy, just be a shark.” Immediately after my initial thoughts of “okay my dad is officially losing it” and I’d rather be a mermaid, he explained, “Every shark has a fin on its back to keep itself stable and persist forward no matter what waves they are navigating—and you have the power inside to do just the same.” – Angela Delbrocco, Account Manager

 

“No matter if my dad is talking to my siblings and I or the players on his teams, he has always said, “Good things happen to good people.” – Tim Bates, Account Coordinator

What’s the best advice your dad ever gave you? Tag @murphyepson and share the wisdom. While you’re here, take time to get to know a little more about our team and the work we do. Or, “like” us on Facebook to stay in touch!

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 by murphyepson

Join #teamME in welcoming back last summer’s intern, Tim as an account coordinator!

Welcome to #teamME (again!). Tell us a little about yourself.

What’s up everybody – I’m back! As you may already know, I was so fortunate to have spent last summer interning here at MurphyEpson as a professional sponge and taking in as much as I could. Then when August came around, I took my talents back down to southeastern Ohio for my senior year at Wittenberg University. On campus, you could find me busy involved in many organizations or on the ballfield as a first basemen and two-year captain of our varsity baseball squad. In May, I received my Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a Business Leadership track.  During my job search, I couldn’t help but think about all that I had learned here, so I contacted Marie and guess what, MURPHYEPSON… I’M COMING HOME! (Shout out LeBron’s announcement). These days I’m filling my time exploring unknown parts of the city I grew up in with old friends and new. Most of my enjoyment in life comes through writing, sports, social media trends, coaching and teaching, family, friends, food, fashion and really, really good coffee.

 

OK, now it’s time for some rapid fire.

 

If you could pick up a new skill in an instant what would it be?

My skill would be to know every lyric to every song ever created. I’ve thought a lot about this while in the car with others or whenever I’m out with friends. Nothing is more embarrassing than when a really popular song comes on and everyone knows the words, but you’re stuck there mouthing the wrong lyrics.

 

What’s the strangest talent you have?

This is a blessing and a curse, but I am an exceptional whistler. Name a song and I’m pretty spot on with my rendition. I practice a lot and my family members and friends who have lived with me can get a little annoyed which gets me in trouble. At the end of the day, it’s a nice trick to pull out of the bag.

 

Who’s someone you really admire?

Recently, I really admire Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only because of his ability to stretch the floor, snag clutch boards, knock down big threes but because of his courage to speak up and create awareness for mental health. I think it takes a strong individual to embrace and add avenues to further the conversation.

 

What’s something you want to do in the next year that you’ve never done before?

I feel like this is pretty typical for recent college grads but I want and expect to travel outside of the country. After talking with a few of #teamME’s world travelers, I’ve decided that I want to go to Europe and do a major cities tour and then when I’m a little older, hit the best tropical beaches.

 

At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?

I’m a huge shoe guy. Right now I own close to sixty pairs of all different types of styles. My answer would be Journey’s because you can purchase just about any kind of shoe in their B&M stores as well as online.

 

Choose a movie title for the story of your life.

Emperor’s New Groove because I’m entering a new stage in my life right now and to be honest, it’s feeling pretty groovy!

 

What are you reading right now?

“Make Your Bed” by Retired U.S. Naval Admiral, William H. McRaven. The book is based on the graduation speech McRaven gave at the University of Texas that has over 10 million views on YouTube.

 

What is the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time?

Most people that play sports videogames like to play against each other for fun. Not me. I set up franchises of my own, act as the general manager, and play against the computer. Things get pretty serious.

 

Phew. What a doozy. Catch your breath and tell us what you do at MurphyEpson.

Here at ME, I’m working as an account coordinator where I’ll be collaborating with our account managers and art directors on various projects and community managing our agency’s social media platforms, amongst other things. I’m happy to be back and excited to get to work!

 

MurphyEpson has cultivated quite the culture of philanthropy. What’s a charity you wish more people knew about?

One of the freshman baseball players on my team at Wittenberg this past year, Jack Hollinshead, created a non-profit organization called, My Inner Warrior. The mission of the charity is to provide physical fitness opportunities and sports equipment for children living in low-socioeconomic areas around the state of Ohio. Jack has multiple team sponsors (Wittenberg University, Baldwin Wallace University, and various high schools) which work to obtain donations. All donations go to events and equipment which the youth can use for as long as they are participants in the organization.

 

What’s the coolest thing you’re working on right now?

Besides this blog post, the coolest thing I’m working on right now are social media posts for our agency and for a client.

 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?

My parents have always told me to be work as hard as I can to always be a good person because good things happen to good people. It’s pretty simple but simple and deep beats abstract and shallow.

 

Awesome. To learn more about Tim, connect with him on LinkedIn and check out his last blog post!

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 by murphyepson

#teamME gained some additional wittiness around the office. Meet our summer intern, Mitch!

Welcome to #teamME! Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! I’m going into my senior year at the University of Cincinnati where I have dual majors in Political Science and Economics. I plan to go on to graduate school to study public policy, and eventually I want to work to create change for causes I care about. I love music (besides listening, I play the drums), and I love to laugh and tend to see humor in almost anything. Some of my favorite times are watching stand-up specials with my girlfriend or waiting until way too late at night to start an eight-hour game of Risk with my friends.

 

OK, now it’s time for some rapid fire.

 

If you could have a cup of coffee with anyone, who would it be? Why is it rapid fire? This is the toughest question … Kofi Annan? The Dalai Lama? Pope Francis? I feel the need to pick someone with profound ideas and experiences. Okay, Kofi Annan – final answer. I would hope to learn something from his commitment to peace and his distinguished career in diplomacy and international governance.

 

What’s your spirit animal? I love every animal.  With that said, I think I’m pretty similar to a giraffe in that I’m sort of lanky and awkward and I exclusively eat leaves (just kidding, but I am a vegetarian).

 

What was your first email address? (Don’t be shy.) mji1108@yahoo.com – not too bad, right?  The only reason I changed it was the thousands of spam messages per day.

 

What was your first job? My first real job was here at MurphyEpson, where I went around to events in Columbus wearing a shirt that said, “Pick Up Poop.” And yet here I am at ME again…

 

What’s the next country you want to travel to? I would love to visit a Spanish-speaking country (maybe Costa Rica?). I have five years of Spanish language coursework under my belt, but I’ve never used it in the real world.

 

If you were a Crayola crayon, what would your name be? Robin’s Egg Blue?  That’s pretty close to my favorite color and I like that it’s oddly specific.

 

Where did you go to college? I go to the University of Cincinnati. Last year my younger brother chose to go to Ohio State, so now I’m the only one in my family to go to college somewhere else. But who knows? There’s always grad school.

 

Phew. What a doozy. Catch your breath and tell us what you do at MurphyEpson.

I complete duties as assigned. I hope to get a feel for a little bit of everything that goes on at ME, with a focus on learning about reconciling the competing interests of various groups.  That’s what good policymaking is all about, and it’s what I hope to do in my career.

 

What do you do outside of work?

At school, I volunteer at a dog shelter and a tutoring program, and I’m the vice president of membership for my service fraternity. Now that I’m home, I spend a good chunk of my free time eating and exercising. To relax, I love to be creative – either playing music, making things, or working on random projects. I also prioritize time with my family and friends.

 

MurphyEpson has cultivated quite the culture of philanthropy. What’s your favorite way to give back to the community?

So far, my favorite volunteer work has to be the time I spend at the animal shelter. The staff members are selfless, and they work hard every week for free. The dogs I meet have nothing but love to give, and I think we could all do well to learn from them in that regard.

 

You’ve got one day in Columbus. What do you do?

Spend the morning at the zoo, being careful not to miss the red panda or the penguins, or any newborn baby animals that might be around. Lunch in Historic Dublin (I can’t leave out the hometown). Next, a tour of thrift stores and record shops downtown to see if there are any good finds. Dinner, coffee, and ice cream in the Short North. If there’s time, live music or stand-up in the evening. If someone good is playing Nationwide or one of the major theaters, fantastic. If it’s a local band in a diner nearby, that’s great too.

 

Give us a note you’d like to end on.

“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Awesome! To learn more about Mitch, connect with him on LinkedIn!

in Advertising / Columbus Marketing / Featured / General / Marketing / Marketing in Columbus / Marketing Team / Public Affairs / Public Relations / teamME 0 comments
 by murphyepson

Wednesday Weigh-In: We <3 Columbus

­­June 14th is much more than just another hump day. It marks a holiday observed by the diverse and unified, electric and eclectic Midwesterners also known as the residents of Columbus. June 14th is “614 Day” and #teamME is celebrating by talking about our favorite things about our City.

 

Here’s a few of our favorite things about Cbus:

“Columbus feeds wanderlust-hungry humans. It offers endless places to go and things to see, wrapped up in bite-size neighborhoods. It’s one of the few cities that feel just as much like home as it does new and unknown.” – Angela, Account Executive + Social Strategist

“A culture of collaboration for the greater good. It’s the Columbus way!” – Marie, President + CEO

“Wow, there are so many. Its openness, Jeni’s ice cream, the parks, Northstar Cafe, the trails, the art scene. I could go on all day…” – Stephanie, Senior Account Executive

“The Ohio State University! – Leah, Art Director

“I love the Short North. So many restaurants and shops to choose from. I can park and make a day of it!” – Missi, Art Director

“From sunrise to sunset and coffee to cocktails, Columbus offers everything you need to make the most of your day. I always feel like there aren’t enough hours in the weekend to experience everything Columbus has to offer! Especially now that festival season is in full-swing.” – Rachel, Account Executive + Social Strategist

“Where do I start?! If I absolutely had to pick one thing (but seriously why would I ever want to) it would be the beautiful parks and greenspaces. There are so many, from tiny to immense and urban to suburban. And, there’s always a lot to do at them from rock climbing and trails to concerts and fitness classes. Or, just loungin’ of course!” – Mindy, Senior Project Manager

“I love that Columbus is a large metropolitan city with all the amenities, but still has a small-town feel.” – Nick, Assistant Project Manager + Planner

“There’s so much to do in Columbus, and it’s all so accessible. I love that I can be downtown in 20-25 minutes to enjoy dinner with husband. Or take a short drive to multiple different parks with my twins. Moving here from Chicago, the ease of getting around, and ability to experience the unique neighborhoods makes life in Columbus so much easier!” – Erin, Art Director

 

How do you celebrate 614 Day? Tag @murphyepson and tell us how you make the most of #lifeincbus. While you’re here, take time to get to know a little more about our team and the work we do. Or, “like” us on Facebook to stay in touch!

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 by murphyepson

Meet Our Homerun-Hitting Summer Intern, Tim!

Welcome to #teamME! Tell us a little about yourself.

What’s up! I am from Westerville, Ohio and am about to embark on my senior year at Wittenberg University as a Communication major with a minor in Psychology. I love sports, especially baseball. At Wittenberg, I am a two-year captain of the baseball team and have been the starting first basemen since my freshman year. Other than sports, I like to spend my time with friends and family taking trips, eating at good restaurants and visiting cool places around Columbus that usually end up highlighted on my social media.

 

OK, now it’s time for some rapid fire. 

If you could have a cup of coffee with anyone, who would it be? Larry Page and Sergey Brin – I feel like they could throw some great advice my way.

What’s your spirit animal? A Bear – They’re big and powerful, but more so because I’ve always been envious of their hibernation!

What was your first email address? (Don’t be shy.) timtim10x32@aol.com; I still have junk mail sent to it…

What was your first job? I did pool maintenance for Annehurst Pool of Westerville. Nothing like the smell of chlorine to wake you up in the morning!

What’s the next country you want to travel to? China – to explore their culture.

If you were a Crayola crayon, what would your name be? I would have to go with Mango Tango because I like to have a good time.

Where do you go to college? I attend Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Tiger Up! I’m a huge OSU fan as well.

 

Phew. What a doozy. Catch your breath and tell us what you do at MurphyEpson.
I try to get involved in a little bit of everything. From sitting in on brand positioning meetings for specific accounts to data entry for metrics, I’m trying to experience the whole gamut of the company all while being a help to anyone who needs it!

 

What do you do outside of work?
Before anything else, I try to spend as much time as I can hanging out and going fun places with my friends and family. Whether that’s sitting on the back porch having a good conversation to going to a game or concert, I try to fill my time with enjoyment. I’m also really big on trying new restaurants (no preference on types of food, I like everything). Other than that, I play baseball for a college summer league here in Central Ohio.

 

You’ve got one day in Columbus. What do you do?
Breakfast at Jack and Benny’s with a couple friends is a must to start the day. Then we would take our talents to Goodale Park for a couple games of whiffle ball. After playing for a while, we would snag some tacos at Balboa on Grandview Ave. Then, before dinner, we would run over to Sole Classics for some new kicks and then end the night with a Dime-a-Dog night dinner at Huntington Park for some Clippers baseball action.

 

What’s one piece of advice you would give to an agency newcomer?
Be open to take on tasks that you may be unfamiliar with and ask a ton of questions; there isn’t anyone here that doesn’t want to help out and you can learn something from everyone!

 

Give us a note you’d like to end on.
“You’re never wrong to do the right thing.” – Mark Twain

 

That’s all for now! To learn more about #teamME, click here.

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 by Stephanie Tresso

Client Missions Turned Personal Passions

Here at MurphyEpson world headquarters, we’re pretty passionate about walking, bicycling and busing (AKA active transportation). Just ask any one of us, really. Because making our communities safer, healthier and smiley-er is our passion.

May is Bike Month, also known as the most wonderful time of the year. (Except of course for National Walking Day, International Bike to School Day and International Walk to School Day… but I digress.) Let us “walk” you through the “why” behind our passion.

While walking and bicycling are great ways to exercise, travel to familiar places, explore new places and stay (or get) healthier, (bonus points for walking or riding to the bus stop) the biggest benefit to walkers or bicyclists is how much fun it can be.

Whether you’re enjoying quality time catching up with a friend or learning new ways to get around town, it’s fun and much less stressful than sitting in traffic. There is also a ton of medical research showing that bicycling and other forms of active transportation improve your health – physically and mentally (British Medical Journal, 2017). And anything that we can do to de-stress is an ah-ma-zing thing in our book.

Kids benefit from some exercise before school, too. That’s why programs like Safe Routes to School with its “walking school buses” and “bike trains” are so popular and effective. Kids enjoy the opportunity to get outdoors, spend time with friends and work off some of that early morning energy.

And, if you still don’t understand the reasoning behind our passion, the US Surgeon General issued a Call to Action in 2015 to encourage more Americans to get walking and incorporate active transportation into daily routines.

Now that you know the secret sauce, join us! Channel your inner Freddy Mercury and sing along,

“I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike!”

in Columbus Marketing / Featured / Marketing in Columbus / Marketing Team / teamME / Transit 0 comments
 by Nick Hoffman

The New Urban Crisis

Nick Hoffman, a member of #teamME, Recently attended a captivating lecture on the new urban crisis and the disparities that threaten our cities through the Ohio State University’s Discovery Themes Lecture Program. The guest lecturer, Richard Florida, presented a glimpse of his research and findings in his new book, titled The New Urban Crisis, followed by a post-lecture panel. Florida is currently a professor at the University of Toronto, senior editor at the Atlantic, best-selling author, and former Ohio State faculty member.

The new urban crisis interests MurphyEpson because much of our work is with cities and, like our clients, we are devoted to bringing people together to make improvements for the greater good. Keep reading to hear a recap of the event through the lens of Assistant Project Manager + Planner, Nick Hoffman.

 

The Old Urban Crisis

Florida explained that the urban crisis of the 1960’s and 70’s in the United States centered on the deindustrialization of our economy and years of expansion and flight of whites and affluent into the suburbs. The economic changes, loss of industry and people left a hole in our cities. This model has come to be known as the “hole in the donut”. The missing center within our cities led to the loss of revenue, manpower, and services; not to mention an increase in social issues like crime, violence, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, and infant mortality. It has taken time for many of our successful cities to adjust and refocus their strategy; though some cities still haven’t rebounded, and many will never be what they once were.

 

The New Urban Crisis

The increase of inequality and rising housing prices are two key issues that still trouble our cities. These issues are coupled today with the gentrification of our cities, increased income segregation, and the disappearance of the middle-class and middle-class neighborhoods. The new urban crisis is also affected by the concentration of high tech development in specific areas of our cities (creating winners and loser neighborhoods), and an increase in poverty and other social issues in the suburbs. This crisis is only exacerbated, as Florida points out, as our nation has also become polarized, snapping back and forth between different philosophies and agendas every four to eight years.

 

5 Dimensions of the New Urban Crisis

Florida states that there are five key dimensions that contribute to the New Urban Crisis:

  • Growing Economic Gap between Superstar Cities and Other Cities. A small handful of cities contain a disproportionate share of the innovative industries, high tech start-ups, and talent which creates inequality.
  • Crisis of Success. While superstar cities thrive they also experience a series of set-backs which include unaffordable housing prices for blue-collar, and service workers.
  • Disappearing Middle-Class. One of the widest-felt issues of the growing inequality in cities surrounds the disappearance of the middle-class and middle-class neighborhoods. Between “1970 to 2012, families living in middle-class neighborhoods declined from 65 to 40 percent.”
  • Suburban Poverty. Today’s suburbs are much different than those in the 1960’s and 70’s; today there are more poor people in the suburbs than there are in cities – 17 million versus 13.5 million.”
  • Urbanization in the Developing World. While thousands flock to urbanized areas in developing countries, they do not enjoy the same standards of living compared to the developed world.

 

Ohio Mayors Weigh In

Florida then facilitated a panel discussion with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik, and former Youngstown Mayor and Obama administration official Jay Williams. The discussion centered on the issues Ohio cities face, and what they are doing to combat this urban crisis.

Mayor Ginther discussed how the Smart Columbus initiative is helping to tackle some of these issues and generally becoming more inclusive in decision-making. He discussed the use of new technologies in trying to make citizens’ lives better, specifically through more reliable transportation and workforce development, with a focus on ladders of opportunity for those neighborhoods in poverty. Mayor Mihalik echoed the fact that transportation is also key in smaller cities like Findlay, since 50% of the workforce commutes from outside the county. She recognizes that the industrial jobs are not coming back and development is needed to transform the business and landscape to match the hip urban areas that people today desire. Former Mayor Williams stated that cities like Youngstown need to redefine themselves. There is a physiological effect on citizens as they wait for their city to take off again like parts of Columbus and Cleveland have. Williams said the key is managing the shrinkage and applying new strategies at the neighborhood level.

Florida then discussed how we, as a society, really are dependent on each other. He asked former Mayor Williams, a recent Obama administration official, “is there any hope in Washington D.C. that we can work together?” Williams replied that “there is hope, but there isn’t a one size fits all fix. There are many different places and economical situations facing these communities but all have the same aspirations.”

Mihalik said it all starts with the mayoral ticket (having strong and knowledgeable leaders), power at the local level (compared to the state and federal level), and toning down the pollical rhetoric. Ginther also discussed a disconnect between the federal and local and state levels, and reiterated that all neighborhoods need to have an equal footing. Ginther also emphasized there is a need to invest in opportunities through private-public partnerships, affordable housing, education, transit, and focusing on children from birth to age five.

 

Overcoming the Crisis

Florida hinted at seven action items in adverting this urban crisis. These strategies include building tax reforms, investing in infrastructure, investing in affordable housing, expanding the middle class, investing in people through job training, engaging in global efforts of emerging world urban areas, and empowering communities and local leaders.

Florida’s overall solution surrounded a theme of “urbanism for all”. He urged for stronger collaboration between cities and regions, because we are connected regionally and work better together. Our country needs to take a hard look in the mirror; yes we are divided now, but both sides need to recognize that we are different. To solve this crisis, we need to set aside our political, cultural, racial, societal, and religious differences and work together.

Finally, I leave you with a quote at the beginning of Florida’s The New Urban Crisis that resonates with our work at MurphyEpson to bring everyone to the table to design urban improvements:

Cities have the capability of providing something for everyone, only because, and only when, they are created for everyone.

– Jane Jacobs, The Life and Death of Great American Cities

 Nick Hoffman is our chocolate-loving, Buckeye-cheering, Assistant Project Manager and urban planner. If you live in Columbus and like Raising Canes or Chipotle, you may have seen him standing in line.

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 by murphyepson

Wednesday Weigh-In: April Fools’ Day Shenanigans & Stuff

If you can’t laugh at yourself and the silly curveballs life throws your way, you’re doing it wrong. It’s a cornerstone characteristic in marketing agency pros because every single day has its own set of unique challenges and changes. Don’t get us wrong, we are suckers for random acts of kindness (especially when it comes to helping save the puppies) but we can appreciate some April Fools’ Day humor just as much as the next prankster.

Without further ado, here are our favorite pranks, publications and foolish moments related to April Fools’ Day.

 

Leah: My husband’s birthday is on April Fools’ Day and no one believes him when he says it’s his birthday.

Missi: I love the show “The Office.” Jim always played the best pranks on Dwight. My favorite was when he put his stapler in Jell-O! Classic, but still hilarious.

Rachel: I was quite possibly the most gullible child to walk the earth circa 1998. My two older sisters who thought they were fluent in French convinced me to go around the neighborhood and knock on our neighbors’ doors saying “Bonjour! Je m’appelle ‘chien.’” I later found out it meant “Hello, my name is ‘dog.’” #LittleSisterLife

Stephanie: Hmmmm. I think the radio DJ faking an on-air heart attack was probably the best prank I’ve listened to.

Angela: When I was twelve, I tried to prank my mother (I know, I know, bad idea). I put a rubber band around the handle of the kitchen sink’s hose and when she went to get herself a glass a water, she got a shower instead. We had a good laugh! But I’m still sleeping with one eye open. Payback must be coming soon, right?

Nick: When I was five years old I told my Dad his shoe was untied. He looked down at his shoe and it was still tied. I shouted “April Fools!”

Cam: My graduating class put alarm clocks in our lockers and set them for 12pm-2pm so that alarms would go off in our school’s hallway every 15 minutes!

Marie: The Onion always nails it!

Mindy: A couple of coworkers I used to know would routinely take turns swapping out keyboard letters when the other was away for vacation or work. I sat in between them so every so often I’d get to hear “Dammit Teresa!” or “Dammit Ron!”

Erin: My husband and I were both design majors at OU (Go Bobcats!!), and we would stay up really late in the design lab working on projects. If I would step out for a minute, he would take a screen grab of my desktop and make it my background image. I would panic, thinking my computer was broken when I couldn’t click on anything. I would turn around and he would be laughing. You’d think I’d learn, but it literally got me EVERY time.

 

May the odds be ever in your favor this April Fools’ Day.

in Columbus Marketing / Featured / Marketing Team / teamME 0 comments
 by Marie Silver Keister, APR, AICP

From the #teamME CEO: Our International Women’s Day Checklist

Happy International Women’s Day! Crank up your favorite power anthem and do a happy dance for the women who have come before you. Then, join me in celebrating the women who push boundaries, make their marks and shatter the glass ceiling.

This year’s theme, #BeBoldForChange, calls for all to work toward a more gender-inclusive world. However, unless we know tangible ways to make progress, this theme is merely a mantra. So, make it your goal this week to check off a few of the following boxes and inch our world closer to gender equality.

  • Pay it forward. So many great women mentored me. Take a half hour and mentor the young women who will follow you.
  • Ask for a pay raise. Some studies show women don’t make as much as men because they aren’t as assertive in asking for more money.
  • Take risks. Don’t wait for others to give you permission to do what you know is right for you.
  • Raise your voice. Women won the right to vote because they kept demanding it. Live up to their example and be a force for positive change.
  • Pitch a big tent. Instead of focusing on being left outside the tent, bring everyone in with you: women, men, young, old, rich, poor, a rainbow of nationalities. Pursue equality by being equitable.
  • Create your own path. Are you frustrated by the glass ceiling? Smash it and create your own business.
  • Prepare for Takeoff: Launch or fund a women-focused scholarship — especially in STEM education and careers. Here’s one of my favorites: wtsinternational.org/assets/59/22/2016_Molitoris_Application.pdf
  • Inspire others: Share one of the International Women’s Day videos on social media.

Do your part. Pull your weight. Get it done.

 

And keep this quote top of mind:

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

— Unknown

 

Deemed the “fearless leader” of #teamME, Marie has a way of translating technical jargon into language we can all understand. Also, she rocked colored pantsuits far before they were trendy. Click here to read more from Marie and her business approach and #teamME philosophy.

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