Celebrating and Reflecting on 6 Years in Business

I have officially passed the 6 years in business milestone! My kids love our annual Appeal Marketing celebration that involves cake. Here are a few pictures from our celebration: Client retention has been outstanding! I continue to work with my first client, the Greater Menomonee Falls Foundation and am proud to be part of their […]
Check out my work: Writing and Events

Here’s a quick update on two recent projects. Writing a Founder’s Story October is National Women’s Small Business month, and I had the privilege to interview a Milwaukee businesswoman who has sold over 10,000 dresses in 60+ years at her store. Her success has spanned the generations. She’s dressed brides, who come in later as […]
5 Year Look-back: How I Right-sized My Work

YES!! I made it to five years in business! Many businesses fail in the first five years. I am still around, celebrating with a cupcake with my family, as it has become a tradition. It was a good decision to start Appeal Marketing when my kids were five and seven years old. Now at ages […]
2021 Goals

Since we made it through 2020 (hooray), I hope we are already going after our 2021 goals. If goals sound a little too daunting, that’s okay, settle for movement in a positive direction to improve upon 2020. I think smaller targets, or whatever feels more palatable is perfectly acceptable. Prioritize progress over perfection, right? In […]
How to Build a Better Marketing Budget

How can I build a better marketing budget? How much should I spend on my marketing? These are common questions that I hear in marketing planning conversations. There’s not an easy answer to this question. I often say, “Well, it depends.” Let me explain – in general, there are three common ways to approach marketing […]
Change your Perspective

Drastic situations can often help change your perspective. They can help you re-evaluate, and reconsider what is most important at a specific time. I have experienced such a drastic situation most recently and even throughout the pandemic. We all have, right? My Drastic Situation: A Home Emergency What happened: kitchen pipes burst overnight, flooding two […]
New Year Goals

Are your new year goals ready? 2020 is now upon us! Have you had time to reflect on 2019 to celebrate your accomplishments, both personally and professionally? I’ve found a lot of value in looking back, analyzing data, appreciating where you’ve been, and then moving forward to set additional goals for the year. I’ve already […]
Business is a Team Sport

It’s the fourth quarter and basketball season, which made me think that business is a team sport. It’s game time to finish the year strong and put plans in place for 2020. Are you ready to rumble? Back in the ’90s I’m flashing back to my basketball playing days in high school. I played varsity […]
Why I Celebrate Manufacturing

It’s October and along with everything Halloween and Pumpkin Spice, it’s also time to celebrate Manufacturing Month in our great state. Did you know that Wisconsin is among the top ten states for manufacturing? We’re home to 17 major manufacturing companies including Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, Kohler, Menasha Corp., Oshkosh Corp., Quad, Rockwell, and SC Johnson. […]
Hire an Expert: 3 Quick Tips for Small Business

Have you ever come to the realization that you just don’t have the time or expertise to accomplish something and just need to hire an expert? I did recently. The white vinyl siding on our house was dirty – gross me out dirty. Last summer, I tried washing it myself with some cleaning fluid and […]