5 steps to celebrating milestones

Working towards a goal is sometimes easier said than done. Obstacles get in the way, time seems to fly by and before you know it its time to start the next big thing. But wait! There's a really important step that needs to happen first! YOU MUST CELEBRATE!

Something that I have to remind myself to do is stop and smell the roses. I've always got my eye on goal setting - what can we accomplish it and when? I'm training myself to stop and celebrate milestones. Sometimes victories are the smallest things, like cleaning out my inbox to read zero! Other times there are huge things to celebrate. We recently were chosen as one of the Blue Ribbon Winners for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dream Big Small Business of the year award. This prestigious award ranks us among the top 100 small business in America! We could not be more grateful!! Here's what the U.S. Chamber President and CEO had to say about all 100 businesses:

“While our economy still struggles to reach its full potential, small businesses like our Blue Ribbon Award winners have continued to act as examples of the resilience, ingenuity, and opportunity at work in the free enterprise system,” U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue said. “Times can be tough, but these businesses have proven that they can be too. And by taking risks, watching out for their employees, and giving back to their communities, they’ve shown that success is achievable.”

To celebrate, we got some party supplies; noise makers, streamers and silly string and recorded a short video celebration to share with our friends, families and clients. We also had cupcakes and a group hug (yes, there were tears). View the video on our Facebook page!

I encourage you to celebrate your milestones. Even the smallest victories are victories! Here are a few things I recommend:

1. Celebrate as a team. Join in recognizing the person that has accomplished a goal or hit a milestone. Don't let them celebrate alone, bring everyone in! Everyone deserves time in the spotlight.
2. Go out of your way to verbally recognize. I love recognizing a team members accomplishment as a group but also in private. Tell your team how proud of them you are, what they did that you loved and how you've seen their growth. Spread some smiles and encouragement. 
3. Treat them when you can. A little thank you present goes a long way. Your team loves to feel needed and appreciated. It could be something as little as coffee on you! Know your team well enough to know what excites them. Treat them to something that shows your appreciation.
4. Share the love! Share your accomplishments with your peers and clients. Not in a bragging way, no one wants to hear that, but in a way that shows how grateful you are. Reaching goals and growth shows stability and success which gives peace and comfort. 
5. Treat yourself! If you've been working hard towards something, treat yourself when you reach it! Do something you love to do that you don't get to do very often. You've worked hard!

Last but not least, I give you permission to drive to your local party store, purchase some ridiculous noise makers and make a mess! It feels so great to take a break and look at what you've been working towards from a different perspective. Building on accomplishments gives everyone the energy and excitement they need to work towards the next one.

**Help us get to the next level by voting for us here!

Celebrating Our Risk Takers

2014 was a pretty incredible year for a lot of businesses. I could list all day why The Worx Girls love what we do. One of our biggest passions is being part of someone else's dream on a daily basis. We work with risk takers, big thinkers and passionate, driven people that are excited about making a difference in their life and the lives of others. We get to ride along in the side cart of their motorcycle and help them visually navigate through the twists and turns of entrepreneurship. We watch their success story unfold as they take the thought that once scared them and turn it into a lifestyle that fulfills them.

In 2014 we were blessed to have branded over 40 new or growing businesses (you can see a few of them above). 40 companies that are following their dreams, boosting our economy, solving problems and creating jobs for others. They took the first step into living the life they want!

In addition, we launched over 15 websites, kicked off The Green Couch Project and expanded our office space (much needed!). It's been a beautifully busy year for The Worx Family!

We're constantly blown away by the innovative and amazing people that knock on our email doors every week. Here are a few that we're especially proud of:

Innovative, Inc. and NOVA Corporation both made the Inc. 5000 fastest growing private companies in the US list for 2014.

In addition, Innovative, Inc. has opened a second location in Frederick and continues to grow their dynamic team to serve growing IT needs.

Nova has created 170 new jobs in the past 3 years and was named the 2014 American Indian Business of the Year award.



Food Safety Training Solutions, Inc. has expanded their marketing reach with over 7,000 Facebook likes from 45 countries. Every month they email thousands of viewers from 8 countries to keep them informed on #keepingyourfoodsafe. They are Nationally training the hospitality industry on Food Safety and have worked with some of the countries largest corporations, such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.




Nothing makes me happier than to hear a client say, "WOW. You made this real for me. This is something I can now show people instead of just telling them. I can't wait to use it!!" As an entrepreneur, it is easy to get stuck inside your own head. But when you partner with someone that believes in your passion as much as you do, beautiful things can happen.

Are you one of the passionate, big thinkers that we'll get to work with in 2015? I want to see your logo at the top of this page next year because that means you'll have taken the first step to change your life forever. Cheers to 2015 friends.

What the heck is The Green Couch Project?

A few years ago, my husband and I were walking around a furniture store, not really looking for anything in particular, when I walked around the corner and fell in love. There she sat, the green couch I never knew I needed. It felt as though she was waving at me saying, "Hey Laura! Lets do great things together!"

Rewind to 2007, the year everything started. I guess you could say I had gutsy because at 6 months pregnant, I quit my full time job to develop Worx. My first desk was a couch and a coffee table (as you can see, I have a thing for couches). So then, when I saw the green couch it reminded me of a time that once existed. It took me back to that uneasy and excited moment when I decided to start a business: How many late nights I worked on that couch to create a voice and how passionate I was (and still am) about making a difference in other entrepreneurs' journeys.

It took me back to that moment when I knew I wanted to be in control of my own destiny.

Fast forward to today and a little something we like to call The Green Couch Project©. It's all about authentic risk takers spilling their gutsy. What the heck does that mean? As entrepreneurs we share similar strengths, weaknesses, victories and obstacles. Gutsy means to be bold, courageous, daring and adventurous.

We found 6 risk takers to share their stories and Spill Their Gutsy©. They dug into the depths of their hearts and shared insights on questions like:

• What fires you up?
• Why do you do what you do?
• What do you fear loosing the most?
• What was the moment that made it all worth it?
• What was the moment you almost quit, and why didn't you?

Check out the teaser video here!

The Green Couch Project is all about empowerment. From positive quotes posted on social media everyday, to rich stories about people just like you. We want you to know that you're not alone. You're among a unique group of people that think differently. You have gutsy, and we celebrate that.

So what's next? We've created the promise form (download here) which is your way of committing. Not to us or anyone else, but yourself. And if you choose to, take a snapshot of yourself holding your promise, upload to Instagram or Twitter and tag us in it with #spillyourgutsy. Let's create a community that empowers each other! 

And last but not least, the stories. By the end of March, you'll be able to visit the website to view the full-length stories, videos and pictures of our 6 participants. We'll even give you the tools you need to succeed by building a base brand that stands for who you are, what you do and why it matters.

So stay tuned as we, and so many others, spill our gutsy.

Photo credit to the amazing Anderson Photographs team!

The Power of Anticipation

Who doesn’t love the suspense of waiting for something great to happen? Anticipation is exhilarating, mysterious, and generates curiosity. As a child, the excitement of a weekend, summer vacation, or upcoming birthday always flooded my mind with the possibilities of fun.

When used correctly, building anticipation is an effective marketing strategy. Creating a buzz about a new business or a new product is half the battle. A company starts up, launches their product, and it seems to show up overnight.

Wait, what just happened? Without an appropriate build-up, businesses and products lack their full potential. If the target market has never heard of the brand, they won’t know what to do once the company is open for business.

Social media is great tool to build the tribe of future customers. Here are some ways to build anticipation:

Get personal – evoke an emotional response that they can’t forget

Tease by revealing a tiny bit at a time – Give them just enough to wonder

Be consistent – by strictly adhering to your brand, your businesses will gain credibility before it is even fully public

With a strong build up, brands can have a base of loyal followers before they launch a new product, open a new location, or begin serving customers.

Working in Harmony

Thanks to blossoming relationships through the AAF-GF, this year we have partnered with Music & Arts (M&A), the leading national band and orchestral instrument retailer and lesson provider in the United States. As a trusted member of their marketing team, we work with the core creative team at M&A to develop national campaigns, design store signage and launch new programs. Through an organized project management system, we are able to collaborate and communicate with the M&A team to execute ideas and share files. 

We were invited to join them at their annual Marketing Summit at their headquarters in Frederick, MD. This amazing opportunity allowed us to spend the day brainstorming and team building with creative teams from all over the country. Working with so many talented people empowers us to approach our work with an open mind and heart. As the M&A brand continues to grow, we look forward to being part of the creative family!

"Working with Laura, Amber, and Kassie has been a great experience in both creative output and communication. The team at Worx has been 100% on-time with deadlines and continually manages to embody our brand while still providing their own unique, artistic flair. Thanks very much for everything you do and I look forward to many more years of successful projects."

-Rob Mellinger
Retail Communications Coordinator
Music & Arts

#hashtag #facebook

Facebook Hashtags

So, you might have noticed that the hashtag has finally made it’s way to facebook. Previously used mostly on instagram and twitter, hashtags allow you to make your posts part of a larger topic or discussion.

Using these are simple and can be very effective for personal and/or business use. To use, simply start with the # (pound) symbol, followed by a word or phrase with no punctuation or spaces. They are free and increase your visibility on search engines and across multiple social media sites.

Facebook’s hashtag functionality is similar to other social media sites allowing you to: search for specific hashtags, click on hashtags that originate from other sites, create posts that include hashtags as well as adding hashtags to facebook ads you’re running.

Try creating a hashtag unique to your brand, such as #yourbusinessname or #yourtagline (best thing is, you don’t have to register it, just start typing!) Just remember some common hashtag etiquette, avoid using hashtags that are irrelevant to your post and keep it short and sweet.

If hastags aren’t working on your facebook yet, don’t worry. Facebook indicates it is still in the process of rolling them out and will take a few weeks to complete. 

Instagram for Business

Instagram is popular for personal use, especially among the younger generations. However, if used effectively, Instagram can be a very useful imagery tool for businesses.

Flying Pie Co., a local client, is actively using Instagram to promote their new restaurant and build anticipation.

Each post starts with a single photo, either taken straight from the Instagram app using your camera, or you can choose any photo from your gallery. When choosing your photo, consider the following aspects of every photo: angles, lighting, content, and purpose.

What angle was your photo taken at? Cropping the image out of the window gives it an intimate perspective.

R: This photo is creatively cropped to show half of the item. It’s a tangible version of the symbol in their logo made with a pizza peel and metal.

How well lit is your photo? Make sure you can identify the subject of your photo, and that it conveys the mood you are intending to convey. Does it fit your brand? If not, maybe explore using the lighting effect tool within the app. If not, try re-taking the photo so that it can help you maintain brand consistency.

L: This photo of the lighting sets a mood that is consistent with the brand. It gives a sneak peak of the atmosphere and mood that customers can expect when this restaurant opens.

What is the content of your photo? Is it relevant and relatable to your brand? Will your clients, customers, and followers appreciate the post and find it useful and/or relatable? Does it fulfill the purpose of sharing this moment? Will this make your clients, customers and followers interact with your post and/or want to come to your place of business?

R: This slice of pizza is relatable content, because it is their main product. It also serves a direct purpose, to remind people that it’s Friday and that this is a convenient, tasty choice for dinner that night.

What is that # Symbol? Once you have successfully edited your photo and are ready to post, consider using hash tags in your caption. A hash tag is the # symbol followed by a word or words, with no spaces. They are free and increase your visibility on search engines. This can be useful to help gain exposure in many categories relatable to your business and/or product. You can add multiple hash tags to increase exposure in multiple categories. Try creating a hashtag unique to your brand, such as #yourbusinessname or #yourtagline (best thing is, you don’t have to register it, just start typing!)

You can also tag other Instagram users by using the @ symbol followed by their username.The most common reason to use a tag is to reply to a comment. First, tag the user you’re replying to, then type your message. If a John_Smith says: That looks tasty!, a wise reply might be @John_Smith We’d love for you to come in and try it!

B: This photo has the hash tag for the business #flyingpieco and also has 2 other hash tags to gain more exposure through the other keywords, #pizza and #dinner. You could even elaborate more and use #cheesy or #hagerstown.

There are many ways you can use Instagram to promote your business, including: new product offerings, featuring an employee, promoting an event, or general brand awareness.

Instagram and other social media sites are a great way to extend your brand reach, connect with customers and build awareness.