2005 Year in Review

A young and talented Gen-Xer that we know quite well recently left a fast-paced job with a great company because she wasn't “loving” what she was doing. Since our 2001 business launch, we've described our work in many different ways—and “loving what we do” clearly tops our list. When you love what you do, it simply doesn't feel like work.

First, we greatly appreciate the diversity of our clients…from health care to retail…from financial services to consumer electronics…and many industries in between. We “love” helping our clients achieve their goals whether it's crafting business strategies, launching new products, becoming more effective leaders, increasing sales, using strategic Public Relations and Marketing to build brands, developing crisis plans, repositioning businesses, creating communication plans, and more.

Through our client work, we “love” the opportunity to use our creativity along with our strategic and critical thinking skills. We also “love” how our cross-industry work keeps us fresh, up-to-date and always learning something new.

Throughout 2005, we partnered on several projects with Black River Global Fund Services, Optum and Target. We provided services to Northwest Manufacturing, Park Dental Group, and Schwan's Consumer Brands North America. We also teamed up with Capitol Sales Company, Charles R. Stinson Architects, Corrective Exercise Specialists, Cubicles Plus, Lakeville Entertainment, Wise Women and Skidz! As the year wrapped up, we began building new relationships with Digineer and Fiber Composites.

We've highlighted key projects that we worked on with clients on throughout 2005 and organized them around our three practice areas:

Within our Strategic Business Planning Practice, we:

produced an employee communications plan to help a large company prepare to launch a new and distinctly different future;
developed a marketing plan to launch a children's party venue including naming, branding and identity;
designed and facilitated a business planning workshop to help a new company focus its marketing efforts;
helped a client assess the marketplace, name a new product and create a brand identity;
designed and facilitated a workshop to develop a recommendation for an Intranet redesign for a major corporation;
created an annual business unit communication plan for 17,000 employees; and
developed a launch strategy for a new division in an existing business.

Within our Public Relations and Reputation Management Practice, we:

garnered placement of a Minnesota-based architect into an Internationally published and distributed book: 100 More of the World's Best Houses;
led the media strategy for a consumer electronics tradeshow including press kit development and follow-up media relations;
led media relations at an International tradeshow in the home building industry including press kit development and on-site media relations;
conducted media training for a variety of clients;
provided public relations counsel for several clients in preparation for media interviews;
wrote and placed a variety of media materials including press releases, technical articles, media advisories, case studies and advertorials; and
served as PR agency of record for several clients and company spokesperson with national and local media.

Within our Leadership Effectiveness and Employee Communication Practice, we:

counseled a medical practice board with strategies to develop a more positive relationship with its management company;
assisted several executives in enhancing their leadership effectiveness;
produced a quarterly employee communications video program that included script writing, a two-location shoot, editing and graphic coordination;
facilitated a four-day global leadership team conference for the subsidiary of privately-held multi-billion dollar company;
wrote a range of executive speeches delivered to a variety of audiences including the company's Board of Directors; President Bush; First Lady Maria Shriver and key leaders and influencers across the country;
conducted primary research for a new executive to assess employee engagement levels across North America;
helped several executives design new organizational structures and created accompanying strategic presentations to garner corporate approval;
project managed the roll-out and all communication elements of a major employee program for a large company;
delivered training for effective presentations;
assisted an executive in implementing a personal development plan;
coached a team of presenters to deliver a solid presentation and hard-hitting answers during due diligence meetings with investors;
audited 80-plus executive speeches for key message delivery;
conducted 18 focus groups across the country that drove 2006 strategic planning decisions;
managed communication strategy including key message platform and speech development for national annual meeting attended by 400 leaders; and
conducted business planning workshops with several clients.

We're “loving” what we do, and we thank our clients for the opportunity to help them grow, enhance their industry reputation and continue to be effective leaders. As we move into our fifth year, we will remain personally involved in every aspect of the work we deliver and continue to bring our more than 40 years worth of business expertise to our clients.

May 2006 be a brilliant year for each of you!

Barbara and Janell