In 2013, I blew up my agency by creating a Credo. It magnetized the team and both repelled, and attracted, talent. Over the next 90 days, I experienced 85 percent employee turnover. Through the difficult process of rebuilding my company, I learned a great deal about myself, my teammates, clients, and business. In the end, […]
Category: Management
The 5 W’s of a Winning Startup
It’s been a pleasure advising startups at a group leader with EO Portland’s Ignitor program. While advising the enthusiastic entrepreneurs, I’m discovering patterns. My OCD/anal-retentive nature drives my need to identify, organize and communicate new discoveries. I’ve developed best practices for startups, taking inspiration from the classic “5 Ws” of strategic planning: Who, What, When, […]
The Balanced Tail: How To Properly Integrate AI Into Your Company
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has reached an inflection point. What began as an experimental playground for technologists is now a competitive necessity for every organization. Yet, many business owners still struggle with a key question: how much is too much? The answer lies not in the tools themselves but in how leaders integrate them ethically, strategically, […]
Three Tips for Getting the Most from your Business Mentor
As a long-time entrepreneur, I’ve had the opportunity to advise a variety of startup companies over the years. In that time, I’ve noticed common themes among fledgling business owners (and executives). One of the recent challenges I’ve faced, is being an effective mentor and advisor. Most entrepreneurs do not have training or experience in how […]
Fake It Till You Make It: Navigating Imposter Syndrome as an Entrepreneur
Ever stood at the helm of your own creation, surrounded by people who trust your vision, while a voice inside whispers, “You have no idea what you’re doing”? Welcome to the world of Imposter Syndrome – my constant companion throughout 26 years of entrepreneurship. When I launched pdxMindShare with nothing but determination and a hunch […]
Navigating 2025: Key Compensation Trends & Strategies
Originally Published on HR Annie Consulting by Michelle Franco 2024 introduced a lot of changes and new challenges that affected the way employers think about compensation. We saw a continuation of layoffs, federal policies offered a new landscape for workplace inclusion and belonging, return-to-office efforts have faced many obstacles, and it appears that the market […]
Cracking the Code: How to Optimize Workplace Communications for Maximum Impact
Let’s chat about something that can make or break your work life – communication. Yep, we’re diving into the nitty-gritty of how often, how much, and in what way we should be talking to each other at work. This post is meant to outline best practices for employee communications, with a focus on cadence and […]
How to Effectively Onboard New Employees with a 90-day Roadmap
Hiring the perfect candidate is only half the battle – ensuring they ramp up quickly and become a productive, engaged member of the team is equally crucial. An effective 90-day onboarding plan can make all the difference in setting new hires up for long-term success. A well-designed roadmap covers everything from their first-day welcomes to […]
Creating Effective Stay Interviews to Improve Employee Engagement and Retention
Employee engagement and retention are both costly and common among organizations. Fortunately, there is one affordable and effective strategy companies can implement proven to dramatically increase both employee retention and engagement: stay interviews. Stay interviews are structured conversations between managers and their direct reports to understand what motivates employees to stay with the company. They […]
Understand and Overcome Blockers and Filters for Leadership Success
Who you are today is based on every thought, feeling and experience you’ve had in your life up until this point. All these experiences build the lenses through which you see the world. These lenses can empower us and help us achieve our goals or they can limit us and keep us small. As a […]
