Take your Business Skills to the Next Level

5 Ways to use Responsible Sourcing to Boost your Bottom Line

Over the last several decades our idea of what business value is has evolved. That has been led by the evolution of the concept of intangible assets. Not simply cash, but also what else does the business have that creates value for its stakeholders. Some companies...

The designers guide to Ikigai

I have been pondering this concept of Ikigai (ee-key-guy) for a while since I stumbled across this image of 4 circles intersecting. It’s a Japanese term meaning “ a reason for being”. It’s about finding happiness and living your life’s purpose. I was immediately...

5 Top Tips for Entrepreneurial Success

Being an entrepreneur nowadays is about taking advantage of all the opportunities that you have in front of you. To help shortcut your path to success in today's dynamic apparel landscape, here are five lessons that I wish someone had told me when I started. Listen to...

The power of niching: How I got Google as a client

Do you want to learn how to target your best customers without coming across as salesy and pushy? Do you need clarity around what specific product best represents what you actually do or sell? Are you conflicted about which product to focus on that you’ve actually...

5 creative ways to overcome small business challenges

It’s almost a given that the small business owner wears many hats. Sometimes it feels like you’re troubleshooting more than you’re creating. Running a small business comes with its share of challenges. Combined with a lack of experience and resources, owners often...

How to use stories to connect with customers for product businesses

When I started my first business, Punch Brand I was a bit of a “shy entrepreneur”. I hid behind my brand and intentionally created the illusion that I was a large, established company. I created a façade that looked somewhat “corporate” and wrote the About Us page in...

How to be in the long game. What I learned after being in business for 10 years.

As I begin to write this sort of memoir, I take a walk down memory lane after running my first business Punch Brand for 10 years. I notice a pink sticky note sticking out of my planner. It says “You make your own luck.” 10 years ago, these words may not have stood out...

Bigger is not always better. Life lessons learned in the Big Apple

It seems like almost another lifetime ago. My ambitions of becoming a fashion designer landed me right smack in the middle of Times Square. Quite frankly, I don’t remember how I got there. Well, obviously I took a plane, but what was my thought process of leaving my...

Get anything you want. My quest for the perfect piece of wood.

In May of 2017, we decided to undergo a pretty large kitchen renovation. I had “lived” with the old kitchen with the chipped laminate countertops, rotted out backsplash and peeling vinyl cabinet doors for long enough. I felt it was time for an upgrade. After going...