Thank you for celebrating with us!
Jaime
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Grateful and Celebrating: CCC Turns 8
Tag Archives: grateful
50 Things I’m Grateful For, Thanksgiving 2019 Edition
November is National Gratitude Month, which is fitting for the month that hosts Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect time to continue our annual tradition, 50 Things I’m Grateful For. It’s refreshing to jot down a happy moment in the rush of day-to-day life. Enjoy browsing my list, and join the conversation below. What are you grateful for?
50 Things I’m Grateful For, Thanksgiving 2019 Edition
- Dancing to Boogie Shoes after midnight
- Watching fireworks light up the sky over the lake
- Lifelong friends
- A creative burst of energy
- Strong female characters
- Scribbling my thoughts on paper
- Chainsaws and power tools
- Celebrating 7 years in business
- Meeting clients in person
- Sending handwritten cards and notes
- Savoring a cup of strong, dark roasted coffee
- Day dreaming
- Hiking adventures with friends
- Watching the sunset
- Celebrating client success
- Running trails
- A good night’s sleep
- The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team
- Dogs (and pictures of dogs and videos of dogs)
- Uninterrupted conversations
- Exploring new places
- Art galleries and museums
- Attending festivals and fairs
- Quiet moments of meditation
- Surprise and delight marketing
- Harvesting crops from my urban garden
- Finishing a project
- The smell of coffee in the morning
- Fresh starts and new challenges
- Efforts to protect the environment, large and small
- Spending time with my parents
- Each spoonful of frozen yogurt
- Talking to friends for hours on end
- Contributing to something larger than myself
- Supporting fellow small businesses
- Marketing campaigns that tug on my emotions
- Familiar TV shows and movies where the characters are old friends
- Walking through the Holiday Tree Festival
- Ice skating and roller skating
- Laughing out loud
- Giving gifts
- Soaking in a bubble bath
- Learning new skills and knowledge
- Happy memory associations
- The writing high
- Figuring things out
- Getting lost in a book
- The sights and sounds of the holiday season
- Finding another book at the library
- Helping others
Each year, CCC provides school supplies for two children in the Akron area.
There’s so much in life to be grateful for, even on mundane days. Sipping coffee on a patio instead of going through the drive-thru… Walking in the park after lunch… Catching up with a longtime friend. Try to grab more moments this holiday season and beyond doing things you enjoy, however small. These moments add up to a lifetime of happiness.
So, what are you grateful for? Share your list, long or short, in the comments below.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jaime
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50 Things I’m Grateful For, Summer 2018 Edition
The tradition continues. Each year since 2012 (the year I started CCC), I’ve published a list of 50 things I’m grateful for. This isn’t a 5-minute exercise. I create the list over the course of weeks or even months. Oftentimes, I’ll jot down an activity I’m doing or a memory triggered by a conversation or passage in a book. What are you grateful for?
My business, Clearly Conveyed Communications, turned 6 in May. That’s something to be grateful for!
50 Things I’m Grateful For, Summer 2018 Edition
- Coffee shop patios on overcast, stressful days
- My smartphone — and the mobility it provides
- Rare moments that I can put my phone away
- Ocean waves crashing
- Playing with my nephew
- Meeting fellow KSU alumni
- Handwritten cards, letters and notes
- Instagram Stories
- My niece, who’s growing into another strong Shine woman
- Stephen King
- Lifelong friends
- Fireworks on a summer night
- Listening to the orchestra
- Firetrucks in parades
- Brands who own their voice
- 80’s movies
- Classic rock
- Finishing a workout and feeling strong
- Linda by Chuck Close
- Rollerskating (and Roller Derby)
- Capturing a moment — in picture or prose
- Creating content
- Solving problems
- Reliable technology
- The power of putting pen to paper
- Traveling for pleasure
- Experiencing different cultures
- Taking a journey in a book
- Donating plasma to those who need it
- Exploring trails
I love water views — while working, relaxing or contemplating life.
- Water views
- CCC’s 6th anniversary
- Small victories
- Eating tacos on a patio on a beautiful, summer day
- Sipping a latte
- Long weekends
- Touchscreen devices
- Solving WONDERWORD, crossword and other word puzzles
- Different viewpoints
- Aha moments
- Pocket, Evernote and other productivity apps
- Mesmerizing stories and storytellers
- Editing and revising a rough draft into sharp content with a clear message
- Vegetarian enfrijoladas
- Family
- Outdoor concerts and movies
- A night at the ballpark
- Food carts and street food
- Reaping the fruits (and vegetables) of a garden
- Strong women
That’s my list for the summer of 2018. Take a moment to think about what you’re grateful for in your life right now. Share your list, however long or short, in the comments or leave a link to your own post. Writing down what you’re grateful for is a powerful exercise to remember to count the blessings in your life.
So, what are you grateful for?
Counting my blessings,
Jaime
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50 Things I’m Grateful For, Fall 2017 Edition
When I started my business in 2012, I knew that gratitude and helping others would play a large part. Each year, I write down 50 things I’m grateful for as a reminder to not take any blessings for granted, large or small. Show your gratitude by sharing your list (of any size) in the comments or linking to your own blog post.
Preparing garden beds for future vegetables during my alumni association’s National Day of Service in 2015. Do I have a future as a back model?
50 Things I’m Grateful For, Fall 2017 Edition
- Golden retrievers and four-legged furry friends of all kinds
- Espresso blend dark roast coffee
- Quiet (a lack of noise and the book)
- Soothing sounds of nature
- A good laugh
- Firefighters, EMS professionals, police officers and first responders
- The feeling of crossing the finish line
- Reading the paper while sipping a latte
- Our wounded veterans and those who never make it home
- Cracking open a peanut at the ballgame
- Fireworks
- Firetrucks in a parade
- Fourth of July
- Sending a card to celebrate, console, thank or say hello
- Lunch with friends
- Getting lost in a good book
- A Swenson’s Salad Boy burger
- My family’s health and happiness
- Live music on a summer night, cold brew in hand
- Solving a crossword puzzle over coffee
- The small business journey
- A sunset over water
- A handwritten note
- The sun shining on my face during a trail run
- That sibling bond
CCC turned five in May!
- CCC’s 5th anniversary
- A day or night at the ballpark
- The feel of a felt tip pen on paper
- Lunch on a patio under blue, clear skies
- Waving to the train conductor on a run through the Summit Metro Parks
- Enjoying the beauty of nature in the middle of the city
- Bright ideas and brainstorming sessions
- The ability to unplug (occasionally)
- Good advice
- My night owl nature
- A beautiful fall day
- Helping clients achieve success
- Small wins
- Contributing to something bigger than myself
- Accomplishing something I’ve worked hard for
- A conversation with a longtime friend
- Hitting the trails
- Exploring Main Street in Park City, Utah
- Talking shop with fellow marketing professionals & small business owners
- Learning
- A place to call home
- The ability to donate platelets to help others
- When social media is used for good
- Writing, writing, writing (and reading)
- Strong women, in fiction and real life
There’s so much in life to be grateful for. What’s on your list?
Cheers,
Jaime
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On Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For…
As Thanksgiving nears, we’re reminded of so many reasons to be thankful.
We started a tradition in 2012 to post a list of 50 Things We’re Grateful For… during each summer as one simple way to keep gratitude near and dear to our hearts. While we won’t duplicate those efforts in this post, we did want to share a few things that we’re thankful for this Thanksgiving.
#GivingTuesday is a national day of giving to kick off the generous holiday season. After Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, think about supporting your favorite charity or cause. Then, see how you can get more involved during the rest of the year. What’s your favorite charity or cause? Let us know in the comments below!
On Thanksgiving, I’m Thankful for #GivingTuesday
Our awesome clients and the CCC community make us smile every day. We appreciate every project, referral, comment, like, share and reader! We’re thankful to work with so many wonderful people who are doing good. If you’re reading this post, say hello!
50 Things I’m Grateful For… Summer 2016 Edition
We’re looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with friends and family.
Happy Thanksgiving!
How do you celebrate?
What are you thankful for?
What’s your favorite charity or cause?
Usually smiling & always thankful,
Chef Jaime
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50 Things I’m Grateful For… Summer 2016 Edition
The days are getting longer, baseball’s back and it’s time for the annual listing of 50 things I’m grateful for. This tradition started back in 2012 and is a post that I look forward to all year.
I’d love for you to add your list to the comments or share your blog post with us, so we can read and share everyone’s lists.
50 Things I’m Grateful For… Summer 2016 Edition
- crushed red pepper
- Gnome, Penelope & Mojo (CCC’s hard-working staff!)
- home sweet home
- chiropractors
- a sunny afternoon
- espresso (fueling CCC since 2012)
- newspapers and journalists
- vegetarian enfrijoladas
- awesome clients (who pay promptly)
- Netflix
- touchscreen laptops
- WiFi
- the power of social media (when used for social good)
- patios on summer days
- Grease
- Post-It Notes
- felt tip pens
- music
- Amazing Grace
- creative marketing campaigns
- the feeling of putting pen to paper
- parks
- connecting with someone across the country or across the world
- Dr. Seuss rhymes
- libraries and people who teach literacy
- laughter and conversation
- travel, business or pleasure
- quality design
- daydreaming
- handwritten cards and notes
- adult coloring books
- my nephew
- CCC’s online community
- getting lost in a good book
- a platform to publish
- a cold brew & live music
- a well-written piece
- lazy Sunday afternoons
- word puzzles
- swimming laps
- furry friends
- unplugging
- fun socks
- friends & family
- a night at the ballpark
- celebrations, large and small
- volunteers
- CCC’s 4-year run
- candlelight
- the magic of everyday moments
That’s my list on May 24, 2016! What are you grateful for today?
Usually smiling & always grateful,
Jaime
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Gratitude Is Good For You & Your Business
“Thank you.”
These two words are so simple yet so powerful. They can be the difference between a one-time customer and a loyal one, a vendor and a partner, a co-worker and a colleague.
It turns out that gratitude is not only good for you, but it’s good for business too. Showing gratitude to your customers, employees, vendors and partners makes them feel like they’re a part of something. They’re more engaged, more productive and more willing to go the extra mile for you.
“Foster an environment of gratitude across your organization. Gratitude in organizations is important—it can boost morale and increase productivity.” –Carol Preibis, author & blogger
At CCC, we try to show gratitude every day. That’s what led to our 50 Things I’m Grateful For… series, where we list 50 things we’re grateful for every year on our blog and encourage others to do the same. It’s been fun to read your lists!
It’s no coincidence that we publish our annual list at any time of the year except for Thanksgiving. It’s a reminder to show gratitude all year, not only when it’s a hot topic.
Whether it’s saying a genuine “thank you” when an employee does his job well or surprising a loyal customer with a gift you know she’ll love, take the time to be grateful this Thanksgiving and every day. Sometimes, the right thing to do can be good for you too. 🙂
What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?
p.s. CCC is grateful to be spending time with our families on Thanksgiving, so we’ll be closed on Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for your support!
Jaime
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Dear Loyal Readers, Thank You!
Danke. Grazie. Gracias. Thank you.
They are simple words yet heartfelt.
When I started this blog nearly three and a half years ago, I had no idea what to expect. It was a crazy time, equal parts terrifying and exhilarating. I was starting a business, starting a blog and walking into the unknown.
The CCC blog isn’t big by any means, but I’m so grateful. We hit 230 followers recently, and I want to say that I appreciate each and every one of you. Whether you’ve been here for years or months, I hope you find our content valuable.
Clearly Conveyed Communications exists to give brands a voice, but you give me a voice. Your questions, your interest, your likes and shares encourage me to keep writing and find others who can provide a unique voice and valuable content for you. Thank you to our awesome contributors!
Lately I’ve been thinking about the future of this blog and how we can continue to provide value to our loyal readers. You may see some changes, probably minor, in the coming months but we’ll continue to give you the latest news, updates and insight in the marketing, writing and social media arenas.
Thank you, loyal readers, for sticking by my — and CCC’s — side.
Best wishes,
Jaime
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50 Things I’m Grateful For… Summer 2015 Edition
It’s time, once again, for our annual tradition on the CCC blog. Each year, I list 50 unique “things” that I’m currently grateful for. While I’m grateful every day, it’s helpful to write down a list every now and then. I encourage you to try it! Write your own blog post or share your list in the comments below.
Here we go, 2015 edition:
1) Biting into fresh watermelon
2) A steaming hot latte, even on a hot, summer day
3) Emoji — a universal language that has graduated to the business world
4) My quirks & imperfections
5) Coloring
6) That Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood concert not that long ago…
7) Christmas
8) A good trail to run
9) Zip-lining and high ropes courses
10) Burning candles and a roaring fire in the fireplace
11) Getting lost in a good book
12) The dark
13) The beauty of nature
14) Dirt track racing
15) Scheduling my platelets donations through an app
16) Learning something new
17) Family (blood or not)
18) Art & design
19) Bruce, my first food sculpture (and event planning)
20) Keeping score at a ballgame
21) My brother, sister-in-law & soon-to-arrive Baby Shine!
22) The power of knowledge
23) Mental math
24) Andy Warhol
25) Catching a movie on the big screen
26) Small businesses (and the people who start them!)
27) My wanderlust spirit
28) Hope & second chances
29) God, and his (or her?) glory
30) Music, especially live
31) Clients who pay on time
32) My ever-running mind, even when I want an off switch
33) Whiteboards
34) Adventures
35) Golden Flashes
36) The thrill of crossing the finish line
37) Flexibility
38) Fellow bloggers (Ahh The Simple Life, Lance Wyllie & Sage Doyle to name a few)
39) CCC’s 3rd anniversary
40) Cheez-It Crunch’d (my new favorite snack)
41) Growing up in the 80s
42) My parents
43) Laughing out loud
44) Strong women
45) JAWS
46) Typewriters
47) Mad Men (& women)
48) Wedding soup
49) Generation X
50) Chucks
There’s my list on a beautiful Friday afternoon. We’d love to hear what you’re grateful for!
Usually barefoot, always grateful,
Jaime
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How To Earn Your ’15 Minutes’ In Business With Style & Grace
“In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
-Andy Warhol (or not)
People often ask me what the hardest part of leaving the corporate world and starting my own business was. It was learning to promote myself, which may come as a surprise. Granted, I should have been doing that in the corporate world, but that’s always been an area of weakness for me.
I’d rather run the show from behind the scenes, but I’ve had to learn to be more visible while running my business.
In the past, the old adage was to keep your head down and work hard. Today, that will get you nowhere. You need to work hard and let others know what you’re doing, in a positive way. How can you do that?
4 Ways To Earn Your ’15 Minutes’ In Business With Style & Grace
- Use social media to build your brand. Take advantage of social platforms’ tools, such as adding projects on LinkedIn and showcasing happy customers and successful projects on Facebook and Instagram. (Use platforms that your customers are on so you can tag them in relevant posts.) Prospects want to see and hear about work that you’ve done and happy customers are your best brand ambassadors.
Photos with faces get 38% more likes and 32% more comments on Instagram.*
- Give credit where credit is due. If you collaborate on a project, give credit to others who contributed. When adding projects on LinkedIn, you can tag multiple people as contributors. Colleagues, customers and business partners will appreciate the recognition.
- Be grateful. Remember to thank and recognize people who help you along the way. Whether someone acted as a sounding board, contributed to your business plan or came through in the clutch during a last minute project, let them know how much they are appreciated. Small gestures and kind words can go a long way.
Related: Stop Saying Thank You on Social Media & Say Something Meaningful!
- Let others tell your story. When you follow the first three suggestions, people will be happy to spread the word about your work. Most human beings enjoy helping others, especially when they view others as deserving. Make sure you’re deserving and continue the cycle by thanking those who take the time to promote your brand (and reciprocating when you can). You never know when a casual mention will turn into your big break.
Related: How to Self-Promote Without Being a Jerk (on my reading list!)
On the topic of humble self-promotion, I’m excited that the CCC portfolio page is live! Feel free to browse some of our work, and let us know if you would like to discuss a project. (Perhaps how to build your brand on social media?) 🙂
*Source: Georgia Institute of Technology & Yahoo Labs
Your reluctant self-promoter (and introverted business owner),
Jaime
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