After nine months, the website for Round Table Companies (www.roundtablecompanies.com) is up and running! While we’re still pending another two months or so of building out the portfolio sections, it’s in good shape and ready to unveil to our clients.

Developing the website was an arduous process in the beginning that turned explosively fun as we finally started seeing the buildout. That’s something I always talk to clients about: in one way or another, achieving something exceptional takes time, energy, and a lot of patience. For this website, we needed to get across that we not only specialize in strategic thinking, writing and design, but we build entire systems around our clients’ brands. From school curriculums and nonprofit foundation setup to extensive marketing, advertising and public relations, we work to create and draw attention to dynamic brands for clients in a very wide range of industries. Pairing this message with the visual and interactive components we wanted was a daunting task.

We spent a lot of time creating the right logo, which we felt we couldn’t build the site without. Then, in order for our creative director Nathan Brown to stretch and do something different with the functionality, we hired outside assistance to help create the menu. We’re still putting finishing touches on arguably the most important part of the site: the separate portfolios. I’ve worked on the author and press portfolios, and Sue is working with Nathan to create the niche business portfolios. Finally, we’ll have three different blogs on the site: writing (creativity), marketing (business), and design. Already, Nathan’s design blog receives 60,000 page views each month, and he’s working aggressively to build that out even further. Our goal is to create a place that makes it easy for people to see the depth and quality of our work, with a creative, interactive website that inspires as much as it informs.

There’s still work to do, but I’m hopeful that the website will become more of a destination site, which people want to visit regularly. Ultimately, we want to make people aware that RTC is not just a business, it’s a support mechanism for our thought leaders and the clients they partner with: Corey Blake (Storytellers and Authors), Sue Publicover (All things Marketing),  Nathan Brown (Design and Illustration).

What are your thoughts on the website (www.roundtablecompanies.com)?

There’s something about being on the cusp of a new year that really inspires dreaming big—which is what we, as a company, are all about! I see 2010 as holding so much potential for our clients. There will be even greater opportunity for brand building and storytelling around our brands, and for harnessing the power of networking to reach as many people as possible. I want to urge all of our clients to set lofty goals for themselves in the coming year: Read the rest of this entry »

As we close up 2009, I want to offer a post expressing my appreciation for all the people who support what we, as a company do.

First, our clients. Because our clients are trailblazers, they have to trust in our guidance and expertise.  We utilize a “no cookie-cutter” approach to brand building, which means that we customize every program to suit our client’s needs. Within those tactics there are great successes and difficult lessons to learn. You each honor us with your trust as we carve out new niches that blend creativity, storytelling and business. To those of you who have referred others to us, I thank you for recognizing the value of our brand and our standards, enough to put your own name on the line.  We recognize that referrals are to be treasured and we hope you know how much it means to us when you recommend our business.

To our freelancers. You have hung in there through a tough economy that finally caught up to us in November. We have learned some tough lessons, but are regrouping now to replace some business that we have determined is no longer the correct fit for our company.  We understand that presents hardship to many of you and loss of regular income. We hope you will remain positive as we have, and trust that in the long run, this is an exceptional move for all.

To our staff. I want to give a special thank you to Sue Publicover, who has done an exceptional job expanding the capabilities of our business marketing division. Sue does what I could never do; she lights up with fire over industries like healthcare, technology, and real estate and construction. Her passion for those fields is an immense asset and one that will allow us to expand our client outreach in 2010.

Thank you also to our project manager, Erin Cohen. She has been dynamic in helping Sue create a streamlined process that can deliver exceptional work to our clients quickly. So often with writing and design firms, quality and speed battle one another with a clear victor. Together, Erin and Sue have created a fluid system that delivers top notch product at lightning speeds and that capability allows us to handle larger volumes of work without quality suffering.  Bravo!

Thank you to Nathan Brown for working to make the design side of the company into something that is exciting for him—that willingness has led us into the wonderful world of comic books and illustration, movie poster design, album covers, and other creative based industries. Nathan has also done extensive work on re-branding our company so that our clients understand the full breadth of services we offer (www.roundtablecompanies.com – it’s still growing, so check back frequently!). Make sure you check out Nathan’s design blog at http://www.roundtablecompanies.com/design/.

Here’s to wishing everyone around The Table a happy and healthy holiday.  We’ll see you in the new year!

I will be speaking at The Jack London Writers Conference over the weekend of October 10,11.  This is an opportunity not to be missed. The faculty includes award-winning authors, advocates, a motivating world-champion athlete, scientists, a former mayor, professors, scholars, doctors. Masters stand at the ready to give instruction in the craft of writing, from forming sentences to writing a play or a novel. Every genre is represented: screenplay writing, writing for children, poetry, literature, technical writing, crime and mystery, science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, and non-fiction. In addition, we have a Zen priest, a Catholic nun, an African chief, a ritual priestess, and several shamans in the lineup to put their mojo to work for us. At half the cost of other 2-Day conferences–SF Writers Conference, San Diego, East of Eden, Hawaii–we also offer agent and speaker appointments, networking sessions, socials, breakfast and lunch served both days. More than a writers conference, the 2009 JLC is designed to be a life-altering event.

Come and join me!

Which of these companies, if either, would you trust to create something brilliant for you?

 Any ideas why?

Today, in Peoria for the Illinois Arts Council, I led a core values workshop for 73 adults who work in the arts, primarily with children (I made some great Barrio contacts that I’ll be following up with). As a group we discovered something. The core values work I did with them would be great to do with students, especially at-risk kids. I’m going to be discussing that further with some of these people. One asked me specifically Read the rest of this entry »

I am so blessed to say that I just got off a conference call convened by Ada Doris Gonzalez, RN Community Relations, Swedish Covenant Hospital.  She organized a call with the principal of Roosevelt High School, Dr. Alejandro Alvarez; the Community Relations Director for the Chicago Public Schools, Carl Hurdik; and our amazing supporter Leticia Chavez (also with Chicago Public Schools) who is working on getting us into Wells High School. We’ll be working together to bring copies of Robert Renteria’s “From the Barrio to the Board Room” into Roosevelt High School, and also in setting up a curriculum around the book, and bringing Robert out to engage the kids one on one and in group discussions. We are honored to have such high level support and are humbled by the opportunity to inspire their students to stay in school, off drugs and out of gangs while chasing the American Dream that is their birthright. We look forward to progressing with this new relationship and making a difference in the city of Chicago.