Today’s Special: Acronym Soup!

In this modern world of information being generated, processed, validated; flying this way and that; not to mention adhering to character limits–abbreviations help us to condense important concepts for quick communication. Two popular, and often confused, methods for abbreviating an idea are acronyms and initialisms. Both use the initial letter of each word in a phrase, with the key difference being that acronyms form a word that can be spoken, while the letters are individually pronounced for initialisms (think NASA versus the NSA).

Continue…

Date Ideas from the Heart

The day that is supposed to be full of romance and gifts can make anyone anxious when they are unsure of what to do for their special someone. Whether you have been dating for a week or married for 10 years, there is always something new and fun that you can do to make your loved one happy. Each of these date suggestions can be done on a budget, or can be made as glamorous and expensive as you’d like. Let’s jump in!

Continue…

Top 10 Father’s Day Activities in ATX

Dads, or men in general, are hard to crack. There has probably been a point in your life where you were stumped on what to get that special man for the holidays. Thankfully, Father’s Day is not the time to shower him in gifts, instead it’s the one-day you can truly show him how much you care. This year make Father’s Day one to remember with a day packed full of his favorite activities! Try one or take on a few, either way, make Father’s Day special! If your dad loves hunting and you’re looking for the best gift for him then get him a rangefinder for hunting, this will help make his shots more accurate.

Continue…

ACL Festival: What Your Really Need To Know

October is here, and you know what that means: ACL fest is back! For the next two weekends, Zilker Park will be transformed into a live music haven. With a lineup featuring headliners like Drake, Foo Fighters, The Weeknd, and The Strokes, it is surely one you do not want to miss. First things first, get a plan together: The last thing you want to do is miss a band you wanted to see, or lose someone in your group. Rather than trying to decide on the fly, take a few minutes before you get to the show and get in a huddle and make a “game plan.” The day-by-day schedule is available, so get together, make a plan, and stick to it. This will take away a lot of the stress that can come from arguing at the park about who to go see, for how long, etc. PRO TIP: Don’t try to see half of one show and half of another. Instead, pick one show (yes, this is not an easy decision) and stay for the whole time. This will allow you to have one epic hour of music, with a nice view, rather than two twenty minute shows, with a ten minute sprint in between landing you in the back of both shows. Be smart with your packing: Before leaving for the festival, be sure to review all the restrictions that ACL has on items being brought into the park.

HMG must haves:

  • Backpack/Camelback 
  • Sunscreen
  • Water bottle
  • Sunglasses
  • Camera/Phone for pictures and videos
  • Cash
  • ID

Continue…

21 Ideas For Your Company’s Blog

You will hear from us time and time again, blogging is a great tool for connecting with your audience. The great thing about blogging is, there aren’t really any “rules.” The goal is to generate content that is both relevant, and interesting to your audience, in whatever creative ways you choose.

Generating blog ideas is not an easy thing to do, so to help you guys out, we have listed some great ideas for you to get the wheel rolling on your creative wagon.

Lists, Benefits, Tips, and How To’s

1. Point out common problems or mistakes in your industry and then try and offer up solutions on how to fix them.

2. Share a list of some things companies in your industry should try to avoid.

3. Offer a list of benefits of doing something, such as using a blog, or social media, etc.

4. Relate your how-to content to a current event or a celebrity. By doing this, it will give your content more of a personal and readable touch, making it more interesting and likely to generate some interaction.

5. Write a “how-to” article. This can be very successful if you keep it relevant to your audience. Be sure to give instructions with photos or infographics that help illustrate your point.

Continue…

The Best Advice For All Startup Companies and Entrepreneurs

If you ask someone on the street what an entrepreneur is, more likely than not, they will respond by saying that an entrepreneur is a person who starts a business after getting an idea and finding listings of offices to let. While this is indeed true, there is more to an entrepreneur than just from a corporate perspective. Believe it or not, we are all entrepreneurs. We were born into this earth as innovative intellectuals who are always thinking about survival. Entrepreneurship is a mindset, not just a business strategy.

Continue…

SXSW Invasion: How Do We Escape?

Since 1987, SXSW has brought in tens of thousands of attendees each year– and this number continues to grow as the event gains more publicity and stardom. For local merchants, SXSW is a great event for their businesses. However, for the rest of us, it can be a huge hindrance, as traffic quadruples, Uber surge prices are at its highest, and the large crowds make it extremely difficult to get into the downtown area. Where do we go when SXSW is invading our city? Here is your chance to explore the great sights that the surrounding areas of Austin have to offer:

Continue…

Making the Most Out of LinkedIn

Do you have a LinkedIn account? If the answer is yes, continue on. If no, stop what you’re doing (presumably reading this blog post), and take 5 minutes to create an account – trust me – you’ll thank me in the future.

Now, safely assuming everyone reading this has a LinkedIn account, the question remains: “How can I make the most out of my time on it?” It doesn’t have the entertainment appeal of Facebook or Twitter, it doesn’t have the visual appeal of Instagram or Pinterest. Truth be told, it might not be the social media site you spend hours a day on. But that being said, the value you get out of 30 minutes on LinkedIn may be far greater than the 2 hours you spend mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed.

Continue…

The Seven Sins of Social Media for Business

We all know the seven deadly sins, but did you know there are sins of the social sphere, too? Keep in mind that while there are many tips for what to do on social media, there are also just as many things you shouldn’t be doing. Don’t let yourself become a victim of these seven sins. If you do fall victim, don’t worry—you can always change your behavior and improve.

Let’s take a look at seven social media sins that could wind up damaging your online presence if left uncorrected.

Continue…