May 24, 2021

(Video) Clearly Conveyed Communications Turns 9: Still Giving You A Voice

Nine years. It’s hard to believe that Clearly Conveyed Communications has been giving brands and businesses a voice for nine years.

When I started this journey, I never dreamed of nine years down the road. I was trying so hard to get through each day (and still am, in some ways) that looking this far into the future seemed crazy.

I think I’ve aged 10 years in the last year plus, and I definitely have a few more gray hairs. But Clearly Conveyed Communications is still here, and I’m so grateful to everyone who has supported my little dream along the way.

I’m blessed to work with some of the best clients in the world and collaborate with fellow small business owners, creators, movers and shakers.

I’m going to take a minute to soak in this moment and celebrate before getting back to work. Thank you again to everyone who has supported the CCC journey in every way, large and small. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Cheers to the future!

THANK YOU for your support,

Jaime

Let’s chat (about small business life, your marketing needs or what you’re celebrating):

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Tagged #smallbiz, #smallbusiness, business anniversary, CCC, CCC blog, CCC Gets Marketing, CCC turns 9, Clearly Conveyed Communications, entrepreneur, entrepreneurial community, female entrepreneur, female small business owner, grateful, small biz, small business, small business community, small business journey, small business owner, thank you, thankful, video, vlog
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May 15, 2020

Grateful and Celebrating: CCC Turns 8

Clearly Conveyed Communications turns 8!

Thank you for celebrating with us!

Jaime

Let’s chat (about small business life, your marketing needs or what you’re celebrating):

https://www.facebook.com/ClearlyConveyedCommunications/

Posted in Business, Personal Reflection
Tagged anniversary, business anniversary, CCC turns 8, Clearly Conveyed Communications, entrepreneur, entrepreneurial community, entrepreneurship, female entrepreneur, grateful, small business, small business community, small business owner, thank you, thankful
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November 22, 2016

On Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For…

As Thanksgiving nears, we’re reminded of so many reasons to be thankful.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake

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

Let’s chat (about what you’re thankful for, your marketing needs or otherwise):

Posted in Pay It Forward, Personal Reflection
Tagged #GivingTuesday, 50 Things I'm Grateful For, clients, grateful, gratitude, Small Business Saturday, thank you, thankful, Thanksgiving
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November 24, 2015

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

Let’s chat (about gratitude, turkey or otherwise):

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Tagged #smallbiz, #smallbusiness, benefits of gratitude, boost morale, employee appreciation, employee engagement, grateful, gratitude, gratitude is good for business, gratitude is good for you, increase productivity, small biz, small business, small business owner, thank you, thankful
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August 21, 2015

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

Let’s chat (on blogging, a new project or otherwise):

Posted in Personal Reflection
Tagged blog, blog audience, blog following, blog writing, blogger, blogging, Carol Preibis, Clearly Conveyed Communications, Eve Haugen, grateful, Jasmine Sop, loyal readers, Ramya Raju, Roger Burnett, Sage Doyle, thank you, thankful
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July 24, 2015

50 Things I’m Grateful For… Summer 2015 Edition

The author enjoying small talk at a conference.

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…

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A post shared by Jaime Shine (@jaimeshine)

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

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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)

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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

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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

Happy birthday, Sally Ride! 🚀 🔬 A Nation Full of Dreamers: Who inspired you? http://t.co/KMn8Jb3lkq #inspiration pic.twitter.com/MJ0Hn4J4pc

— Jaime Shine ✏ (@jaimeshine) May 26, 2015

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

Let’s chat (on being grateful, our lists or otherwise):

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Tagged #CCCturns3, #PayItForward, #smallbiz, #smallbusiness, 50 Things I'm Grateful For, 80s, art, blogger, bloggers, blogging, books, CCC, design, emoji, espresso, family, giving back, grateful, nature, platelets donation, small business, small business owner, thank you, thankful, trail running
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July 3, 2015

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.

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

Let’s chat (on self-promotion, building a brand or otherwise):

May 15, 2015

CCC Turns 3! And the Winners Are…

We’ve been celebrating all week, and today it’s official. My company, Clearly Conveyed Communications, turns 3 years old.

The swag has arrived. How do you like the retro touch?

In some ways, it seems like yesterday that I made the leap to start my own company; in others, it seems like a lifetime ago. In 3 short years, CCC has gotten social with first responders, worked with international clients and connected with people the world over. We’ve scratched, clawed, struggled and grown, experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. That’s the life of a small business owner.

And small business owners are close to our heart. While we’ve worked with companies of all sizes, we love helping small businesses succeed and realize their hopes and dreams. If you’re a small business owner, drop us a line. We’d love to hear about what you’re doing, so we can help spread the word.

We’re grateful to everyone who’s helped spread the word about us and wanted to thank you. Earlier this week, we announced a contest for those who engage with us on social media and are excited to announce the winners!

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The winners of the ‘CCC Turns 3’ contest are:

Missy Radecki, Associate Professor of Nursing, FL *** CCC swag prize pack
Lyla Larimore, Blogger & Fire Service Enthusiast, IN *** CCC swag prize pack
David Rose, CEO at PRSONAS *** Spotify Premium gift card

Congratulations to our winners! We’ll be in touch with more information on your prizes.

A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who has helped shape CCC in any way, from clients and customers to ardent supporters to close friends who serve as sounding boards. We appreciate you!

p.s. We’re still partying! Penelope and Mojo are swinging around the office. 🙂

Grateful and blessed,
Jaime

Let’s chat (on a topic of your choosing):

Posted in Business, Personal Reflection
Tagged #CCCturns3, #PayItForward, #smallbiz, #smallbusiness, anniversary, birthday, blog, blog writing, blogger, brand, branding, business, business woman, businesswoman, CCC turns 3, Clearly Conveyed Communications, contest, grateful, marketing, pay it forward, small business, small business owner, social media, social media engagement, thank you, thankful, win with CCC, writing
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May 12, 2015

CCC Turns 3, And You’re Invited (To Win)!

We’re throwing a party, and you’re invited — to win.

Clearly Conveyed Communications is turning 3 this week, and we’re celebrating with our clients, customers, supporters and fans. All week, we’ll be partying (while we work) at the office, so we’re inviting you along for the fun.

Follow and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the blog for your chance to win CCC swag and other cool prizes. The winners will be announced right here on Friday, so stay tuned!

While you’re here, kick off your shoes and stay awhile. We’d love to help you with your next marketing, writing or social media project. Let us know your challenges, so we can help you with solutions. Have a question? Ask!

To kick your Tuesday up a notch, here’s what we’re dancing to in the office right now. Join us!

Now that you’re done dancing, here’s a chance to win.

What’s your favorite post (or series) on the CCC blog? Let us know below to be entered to win!

(New to the blog? Check out the right-hand sidebar for recent posts, popular content, categories, subject tags, archives and contributors to the CCC blog. You may be surprised at what you find!)

p.s. THANK YOU to all of our loyal readers and followers. We love to hear your thoughts and appreciate everyone who likes, comments on and shares our posts to further the conversation.

Cheers,
The CCC Crew

Jaime, Penelope & Mojo

Join the conversation (and celebration):

Posted in Business, Personal Reflection
Tagged #PayItForward, #smallbiz, #smallbusiness, anniversary, birthday, blog, blog writing, blogger, brand, branding, business, business woman, businesswoman, CCC turns 3, Clearly Conveyed Communications, contest, grateful, marketing, pay it forward, small business, small business owner, social media, social media engagement, thank you, thankful, win with CCC, writing
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December 30, 2014

Auld Lang Syne & Happy New Year!

The time has come to say goodbye to 2014.

Before we watch the ball drop to kick off 2015, let’s take a quick look back at the year that was. My helper monkeys, Mojo and Penelope, have prepared an end-of-year report for the CCC blog. Thanks to you, what a year it’s been!

Consider this:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,500 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

We shared 69 new posts this past year, usually sticking to our Tuesday and Thursday schedule. You came early and often, culminating on November 20th (Mexican Revolution Day?!), our most popular day with 54 views.

What posts tickled your fancy the most?

Along the way, we hit two notable milestones: 200 followers and 500 likes. Thank you!

Loyal readers, you came from near and far. The United States, India and Brazil were our most represented countries, and we had visitors from 91 countries around the world. Some of you found us through Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, our top referrers.