Member Since 2020
OneIMS
Chicago Area
Experienced Customer Success Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Strong support professional skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Operations Management, Account Management, Web Content Optimization, and HubSpot.
In the current hiring market, competition is fierce. With so many options available to job seekers, companies must attempt to out-compete others in their industry in order to attract and hire talent, and this has led to many companies struggling to fill roles—and wondering what they can do to make the top of candidates’ lists.
When you’re in a position of authority, and when you have the livelihoods of not only yourself but also your teams to consider, it can be easy to develop certain mindsets around yourself, your work and the way your business should be run. While many of these mindsets can be positive, many can also be toxic, threatening to overwhelm you and, ultimately, your team’s morale if left unchecked.
When you're working to complete a project that will span a long period of time, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Without proper preparation and oversight, a long-term project runs the risk of getting derailed along the way as more immediate and pressing concerns pop up.
Every successful entrepreneur has one special "something" that has made a unique, lasting contribution to their achievements, be it a former mentor, a previous role they held or an event that impacted their life. Our lived experiences help define who we are as individuals and hone our perspectives throughout life. As we advance as professionals, these experiences take shape as new traits, resources and accomplishments that help drive our ongoing maturity and achievement.
For some, the meaning of the adage “the customer is always right” has evolved from “businesses should listen to consumers because they drive the market” to “businesses should always focus on giving customers exactly what they want—no matter the ask or the cost.” However, sometimes the customer isn’t actually right, and giving in to their demands isn’t the wise move.
Building positive client relationships is the key to the success for any business. However, when you run your business from home, the way you go about building these relationships may look a bit different than it would for a more established organization or in-office environment.
As restrictions lift once again, businesses are beginning to come to terms with the fact that hybrid working is probably here to stay.
Launching a new company often involves a lot of moving parts and a number of different hats an entrepreneur must wear in order to get the business off the ground. With so many tasks that need to get done, new entrepreneurs can be left feeling overwhelmed with a mounting to-do list and no sense of direction for what needs to be prioritized first.
Jumping on the latest cultural trends can be a good way to make some quick money or earn some fast fame. However, steering your ship off course to try to take advantage of passing trends isn't always the best long-term decision.
In all the excitement of opening a business and launching that first product or service, it can be easy for aspiring entrepreneurs to forgo a thorough audit of their finances in favor of speed to market. However, it's absolutely crucial for business owners to keep a close eye on their income and expenses—especially if they want to ensure their survival past year one.
The idea of a four-day workweek isn't a new concept, but since the pandemic, whether or not this type of work model should be implemented has become a hot topic of debate in the professional world. Some say four-day workweeks make employees more productive, while others argue that, even if this is true, they can't spare their entire staff on a Friday.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council recommend upgrading your business software or hardware when you notice these signs.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council suggest the information you should try to find when researching your business’s competition.
When you first start a job or career path, it can be easy to assume you already know everything you need to know in order to succeed in the position. While you might be able to get by with your day-to-day duties, if you want to “climb the ladder” or advance your career in some way, it’s important that you develop a “learning mindset” and figure out ways you can educate yourself, learn new skills and make yourself more marketable for whatever future position you may want to move into.
At the beginning of the year, companies and employees alike are setting resolutions for the months ahead. As employees set their sights on new goals, there are a few questions leaders should be asking them at the start.
January is a time when many professionals and businesses set goals and company resolutions for the year ahead. However, even the most well-intentioned may lose sight of their goals as the year goes on.
You will surely find long-term business success with a team that takes ownership.
Strong, clear communication is a must when it comes to manager-employee relationships, but certain behaviors can work against you.
As many professionals continue to leave their jobs in favor of new ones, employee turnover has been steadily rising, meaning many HR professionals have been working harder than normal. Whether that means fielding more applications, serving as a mediator when letting go of an employee or listening to burned out employees vent about their working conditions, HR teams often take the brunt of the emotional work at many establishments.
During the holidays, business owners are pulled in all different directions. Both customers’ and employees’ needs change during this time, and leaders are often left to figure out how to balance them out. With the increased demand and added chaos from the holiday shopping season, this can be a tough task; however, there are steps business leaders can take to ensure they’re keeping everyone happy.
Taking initiative is something that can and should happen at all levels of business and across all roles and is the key to being resilient as an employee and a business.
There is no shortage of advice blogs, books and podcasts about entrepreneurship these days. Sifting through all of this advice can take up valuable time and, unfortunately, not all of it will actually help you succeed.
High turnover rates are a tell-tale sign that something is wrong within your business. Whether the turnover rate is in a specific department or company-wide, it’s important for business leaders to address the issues that are occurring to prevent any further issues. Not addressing a high turnover rate can be problematic for a business and will likely lead to an unsuccessful team, a bad reputation, and low company morale.
Knowing when to draw the line and terminate your relationship with a client is not always cut and dry, but there are some specific red flags to look out for.
Whether you're an entry-level employee, a CEO or anything in between, if you're passionate about your career, sometimes downtime can get pushed to the side. Instead of burning yourself out on work, however, there are ways you can use your downtime wisely.
Part of creating a successful team is getting them to buy in on your company’s mission, vision and goals. Those employees who do this are likely to develop an “ownership mindset” in which they feel that they have ownership over their responsibilities and outcomes and are more willing to do what is necessary to accomplish tasks.
As a leader, it’s important to ensure that every voice at your company is heard, no matter the size of the team. Barriers should be broken between upper and lower management, if they exist, to allow for the free flow of information and ideas. But it can still sometimes be difficult for lower-level employees to feel their ideas are being heard all the way at the top.
Customers are the key to success for any business. The way you communicate with your customers can make or break their decision to work with you. That's why it's crucial your customer communications are always impactful and meaningful.
Think of it as showing your work on a math problem. Even if you arrive at a wrong answer, the fact that you can show the work you have done along the way still earns you points.
Many professionals believe that having a large network is the key to success. However, it's often more crucial to have a few select contacts you can truly count on. These individuals can not only help further your career, but they'll also come through when others won't.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their advice on how to stop chasing an imaginary perfection and move forward with your business.
At the heart of all good business advice is a deep understanding of how a business works.
Working from home was gaining popularity in the years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic. As most businesses were then forced to operate remotely during pandemic lockdowns, many people who may not have considered working remotely before got to have a taste of all its benefits. Now, many companies and organizations are choosing to keep operating with a hybrid workforce as a permanent solution.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council list some common missteps companies make with social media engagement.
Influencer marketing has become one of the primary ways brands advertise their products since the rise of social media. However, when celebrities and influencers become embroiled in scandal, the brands they represent end up dropping them. In addition, the pandemic has changed the way customers have been interacting with brands, forcing many to rethink their strategies.
At a time when consumers crave authenticity in messaging, personal branding strategies have never been more important. Celebrities and big brands tend to make headlines often in this regard, offering the rest of the world valuable opportunities to learn and grow from their mistakes or successes.
Chief operating officers (COOs) are important assets to every organization. This critical C-level role oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the business they serve, as well as manages departmental leaders under their areas of purview.
One of the biggest challenges for any new entrepreneur is learning their own sales habits and processes. It can take years for a person to really hone their skills and become an excellent salesperson.
No matter how organized and productive you normally are, there will be times when you'll feel overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do. Feeling like you’re behind on your work can cause additional stress that can affect your output.
The process of hiring new employees can be both rewarding and difficult. Hiring managers or HR representatives need to make sure each candidate not only fits into the company culture and values, but also can do the job successfully.
In order to continue to improve our skills and deliver better services to clients, we have to keep asking questions.
Garnering tons of social media engagement sometimes requires an out-of-the-box approach.
Success starts with building one small habit at a time.
Cash flow is a crucial element of success whether your business is just starting out or well-established. However, as a business owner, you may find it difficult to move toward positive cash flow while juggling the other management tasks on your plate.
New entrepreneurs start businesses every day with great ideas and visions for success. However, many of these ideas never materialize and up to 20% fail within the first year.
Often, we are so keen to capitalize on a business relationship that we fail to see that it may not be the right moment.
When it comes time to start marketing your business, you either have a ton of ideas you want to try or you have no clue where to begin. You likely understand the importance of sharing the benefits of your products and services with prospective customers, but it can be hard to know if you're taking the right steps in sharing your brand's message.
With the rich educational value podcasts often provide their listeners, it’s no surprise that the business community turns to this popular form of content to improve their skills and strategies. Some entrepreneurs even make major business decisions based on the information they’ve learned and the stories they’ve listened to on podcasts.
Whether you are a niche company focusing on B2B or a small business offering products DTC, you absolutely need to focus on branding even if you have a limited budget.
A positive role model is someone others want to emulate and follow, and successful entrepreneurs often become — sometimes unknowingly — the role models for other professionals. Whether it’s at work or in their personal lives, these leading entrepreneurs become a focus of attention because they have qualities that aspiring founders strive to replicate.
Major changes are often necessary for a company that wants to keep growing and scaling. When critical moments occur, however, (such as a merger or landing a major client) leaders need to set the tone for the rest of their employees. How they respond to them will trickle down and set the example for how everyone else will work.
As a business owner, it's easy to lose sight of the office morale around you. Most entrepreneurs are focusing on many concurrent tasks that can strongly affect the business's health and success. While important, these packed schedules and heavy workloads can mean they don’t notice the issues that may be rising all around them.
When examining the habits and routines of successful people, specific patterns start to emerge. While they may approach their morning schedules differently, successful business leaders all include essential steps that help them prepare for their day. The small details may vary from time to time, but the overall sense of preparation remains.
Most facets of business rely on persuading others. In sales, the goal is to convince the buyer that your product is better than your competitors’. In a job posting, it's to persuade the candidate that your company is better than others. The art of being persuasive, however, is something many entrepreneurs overlook, despite it being such a core component to a successful business.
One of the most important ways you can continue to build your brand and maximize your business potential is through developing subject matter expertise.
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council explain what every prospective smart home system owner should think about before making an investment.
With the increasing awareness of the need for diverse workplaces and teams, diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) policies have become a pressing issue in the business world. Yet, not every business owner knows where to begin or what to do to ensure their company is hiring for diverse backgrounds and skills.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council weigh in on whether a long-term or campaign-by-campaign content strategy works best for brands.
Many entrepreneurs learn early in their careers that they are never going to be the best at everything. When it comes to running a business, most entrepreneurs do some things really well but can be terrible at something else. However, strengths and weaknesses are all part of the human condition, and even the most seasoned business owner is not without weakness.
While testing new business ideas can seem intimidating, you can mitigate the risk by understanding how to develop innovations and make calculated decisions on where and when to experiment.
When you're running an organization, communication breakdowns can lead to severe efficiency and productivity problems. While smaller teams may be able to quickly deal with the difficulties of communication inefficiency, this problem becomes harder to solve as the business grows and evolves.
If you want to lead, you may want to nurture these traits first.
Good web design can make or break a modern business. If your website is smooth and easy to navigate, it will attract more users and is a vote of confidence for your organization. A poorly designed site can have the opposite effect, turning users away no matter how good the product is.
To appeal to today’s on-the-go world, many businesses have considered the value in creating a branded mobile application for their customers. In theory, it's a great idea—but app fatigue is very real, and if you don't want users to delete your app after a few uses, you need to give them a good reason to keep coming back.
There may come a time for certain employees when they notice that their skills or interests are better suited to another part of the company and they ask to switch to a different department to better serve their goals. When this happens, managers may not know how to react as the request may come out of the blue or it could be taken as a slight on their current department.
When an entrepreneur starts a business, the immediate concern is how much it will cost to set up. Cost can sometimes seem like a barrier to entry for those hopeful business owners looking to get started on a budget. Luckily, evolving tech has provided many free alternatives to the paid tools other professionals use.
Sometimes, even employees who have a track record of excellent work can have bad days. But when bad days become bad weeks or even months, leaders should take the time to investigate. However, because it could be a sensitive situation, it may be best to take it slow and follow a few key steps.
When you’re trying to get a business off the ground, you don’t always have a lot of resources at your disposal. In order to gain some momentum, it may then be necessary to “cut a few corners.” However, this doesn’t mean you have to betray your ethics, as there are a few elements of business you can reasonably (and legally) cut or save money on to help give your business the kick-start it needs to get going.
Relationships are complicated. How many times have we heard that sentence or even believed it or experienced it to be true? Businesses, however, are often under the misconception that business relationships are simple, transactional, and black and white.
Many businesses rely on software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies to help them run their everyday operations. However, with so many specialized vendors, it's easy to lose track of the number — and price tag — of the SaaS providers you're working with. To help, members of Young Entrepreneur Council weighed in on the following question:
Members of Young Entrepreneur Council offer their firsthand insights on leveraging social media effectively this year.
Between investors, customers, employees and all other people with particular interest in a company, business leaders can have a difficult time trying to please all their stakeholders. But because the performance of a business is directly related to how the stakeholders feel about the company, aiming for overall stakeholder satisfaction is a necessary goal.
Encouraging and maintaining a high level of audience engagement is critical for any brand keen on building a loyal following and a tight-knit community of reliable customers. Engagement serves as a foundational pillar to growing a business’s presence in the broader market, and those happy customers are often your best form of advertisement.
Being a leader is more than running meetings and managing a team. It’s a skill that takes a lifetime to master, and there will always be room to grow as a mentor, coach and source of inspiration to your employees.
This is why helping a client develop a minimum viable product is a very important process that, if done correctly, can prevent a client from investing their time and money in a product or service that will not work. It could also help them find the next great business opportunity.
Building a brand takes a lot of time, effort and resources—but so does monitoring the competition. No business can perform both at the maximum possible effectiveness, and so compromises must be made. Companies must balance their time and other resources to ensure they can achieve both.
Inclusion and diversity have certainly become buzzwords in recent years, but they are more than just a passing fad; They are vital elements to a business's success. A diverse, inclusive workforce leverages the knowledge and experiences of a broader cross section of society and helps bring the business closer to the people it serves.
You can't avoid the occasional upset customer, but you can quickly and effectively smooth things over.
Entrepreneurs share their favorite tools, apps, and software for managing and interacting with customers.
Information can be a valuable resource, and having enough of it is key to helping business owners make smart decisions. But lack of information or experience can also have an impact. Even seasoned entrepreneurs have regrets or moments when they wish they had done something differently if they knew at the beginning what they know now.
Market disruption happens. While it can often be perceived in a negative light, many times it actually heralds a time of innovation and growth. Some of the biggest companies around have become successful because they disrupted the market.
As more people are working from home and staying in, online shopping has become the dominant means of commerce. It’s more important than ever for small brick-and-mortar retailers to get their products online and accessible to their customers. However, with so many large e-commerce competitors like Amazon, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd.
[long-form emailed to Kelsey]
With so many remote working teams in the world today, productivity requires utilizing tools that can connect the team through voice, chat and video. Slack rules the roost as the team collaboration software, but it’s far from being the only reliable one. Dozens of team collaboration tools have gained growing popularity over the last two months. Some of them offer similar functionality to Slack and might even be better at some things. Others are sorely lacking in utilities to help a team get organized.
It takes time to develop and live up to your brand message.
In all walks of life, there will be pitfalls that plague professionals. For an entrepreneur, especially, it may occasionally feel like nothing is working out, no matter what you do. There's a saying that success only comes to those who get back up each time they get knocked down. The problem is that the saying doesn't detail how you get back up from a fall. Some leaders can find themselves falling over and over, and each time the recovery takes more out of them.
[LONG-FORM EMAILED TO KELSEY]
Working remotely has become the new standard in the COVID-19 era. Companies that followed a traditional in-office model have had to adjust to how they presently work, and soon have to learn how to hire remotely.
It's often said that a happy employee is a motivated, productive one. If your team members are feeling good about themselves and their work, they’ll bring that positive energy into everything they do. That's why it's so important to keep a close eye on your overall team morale.
As a busy professional or entrepreneur, you’ve probably wished there were more than 24 hours in a day. While you might not be able to find huge chunks of free time, you can always find a few extra minutes a day, which adds up to a few extra hours in a week.
During challenging times, it's important to reflect on what you can do better for future success.
In the wake of COVID-19, many businesses have had to significantly modify or even temporarily shut down their daily operations. In tough times such as these, finding new revenue streams can be a great way to make up the lost income and keep the company afloat.
Effective teamwork is important to any business, but not everyone will be on the same page 100% of the time. Disagreements, big or small, seem to be inevitable when working with others – but that doesn’t mean your team is doomed. It is possible to work through a dispute and move forward as a team, with better understanding than before.
With the number of tasks that an employee has to accomplish daily, many managers believe that it's impossible to monitor staff workloads accurately. The problem becomes even more involved in organizations where it's difficult to track the movement of jobs between departments.
A great digital marketing strategy can drive potential customers to your website. But high traffic doesn't always translate into revenue. Once you get people on your site, you need to ensure they have a reason to follow through on their purchase. To help you do this, we asked members of Young Entrepreneur Council how they optimize and convert web traffic into real dollars. Their best tips and insights are below.
When you're just starting out, set up a process for even the smallest of tasks.
Competition among companies can be fierce, especially those in the same field with similar messages. With so many other brands out there, it can be difficult to make your story stand out among the crowd. However, you need to identify that “something special” about your business that truly makes it shine. To help you, we asked 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members how to captivate customers through the art of storytelling. Here’s how they recommend crafting a brand story that captures attention and engages your target audience.
Starting your own business is not a decision to take lightly. While it’s great to be your own boss with the freedom to set your own schedule, this is only part of the equation. It takes a lot more than just a dream to be a successful entrepreneur. Before you take the leap, there are some important questions to ask yourself to understand if you’re truly ready to launch your own business. To help you make your decision, we asked 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members what everyone should ask themselves before committing to entrepreneurship.
Look beyond experience and degrees for the ability to figure stuff out.
OneIMS is a full service results driven online marketing agency, specializing in: SEO, PPC, Web Design, Reputation Management, Link Building. We help businesses increase online visibility and acquire more customers. We have helped hundreds of clients achieve sustainable business growth. Our team of strategists is experienced in building marketing campaigns for all industries.
Marketing & Advertising