Someone had made a joke that 2022 looks a lot like 2021 and I thought, well, here we are again at Ground Hog Day. I hope you’re finding ways to stay in the zone and keep your energy levels up. I shared with some friends that I went outside last week, turned by face towards the sun, and sat quietly soaking up the rays for 5 minutes. Lo and behold, my mood elevated, and I got a jolt of productivity that lasted all day. Regardless of why it worked, it felt good, and it took very little time to reframe my day with an unplanned break. Sharing for what it’s worth…

Speaking of sharing, below are tidbits I want to share with you for what they’re worth too:

• The Inturnship is the first creative agency that puts interns in the driver’s seat. By pairing intern teams with industry mentors, they create agency-quality work for a fraction of traditional costs. In 2021, they helped over a dozen clients with branding, website, social, and strategy, while guiding 88% of interns into their first full-time jobs. Check out their latest work here, as well as what their own social team is up to here. If your company is looking to help build tomorrow’s industry leaders, or in need of some affordable support for a project, reach out to chris@theinturnship.com and tell him you learned about his cool company here.
• Did you see the story in Time Magazine about the results of Edelman’s latest trust survey? 28 countries, 36,000 online surveys conducted in November of 2021. What did they learn? While trust eroded in the media and governments, there is an increased desire for companies to step up and help with bigger issues. In a press release about the annual survey, Edelman CEO Richard Edelman said, “Societal leadership is now a core function of business.” I’m a huge fan of BCorps, primarily because they’re companies demonstrating how they are stepping up. My company, Digital Brand Expressions, actively seeks these clients because we know they tend to easily align with our values and work style. How do you feel about trust and business’ role in social initiatives?
• This one is philosophical, and it really struck me, so I want to share it here, it’s great for reframing your perspective quickly when you are confounded by the behavior of others. This should take you to the post “Understanding Oneness.” if it doesn’t let me know, because that’s the one that inspired me to share.

Do Good Spotlight on: The ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) was the first humane society to be established in North America and is, today, one of the largest in the world. It was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected under the law. We learned what the ASPCA has been up to and the many programs in place to provide support to animals and we hope you take a few minutes this Groundhog Day to learn more too. We made a cash donation but there are many ways to support them, including adopting pets.

• How are the new wage transparency laws affecting your business? While it’s great to be able to hire workers from around the country, those new to hiring outside their HQ state may be surprised by the range of new laws and how they impact what you must share in job ads that are seen outside your state. Here’s a piece from Chief detailing the challenges well-intentioned laws and how companies are handling them.
• Which industry employees are more likely to click on email phishing scams? The top 3 are education, finance & insurance, and information technology – all with click rates over 25%. Surprises abound. How do you keep your team on their toes? If you’ve got good tips to share, let me know and I’ll cover them in an upcoming post.

That’s it for this Wednesday. I hope what I shared was inspiring or helpful in some way to your business leader self. Have a wonderful rest of the week and enjoy the weekend too!