The M word. It’s enough to strike fear in the heart of the savviest professionals. And no, I’m not talking about Millennials. That’s another blog post entirely. Meetings. There are 25 million meetings per day in the United States, and the vast majority (67%, if you ask executives), are considered utterly worthless. Here are a …
Brains on Fire Lesson #14,313: We’re in the people business. From insight to execution, the work we do starts and ends with a human-centric approach. The same goes for our internal affairs. We really care about our people. Often described as an “island of misfit toys,” our people are the magic that brings this whole …
Don’t follow your passion. I believe writing is magic. It helps us think and process the world. The magic is really in the lines between the words. In the pauses. When I was writing our last book, The Passion Conversation, that journey sparked some questions in my own life. Am I really following my passions? …
What’s your brand story/founder story? GladRags was founded in 1993 by Brenda Mallory, who was cloth diapering her daughter when she had an aha! moment. She started making GladRags in her spare bedroom and quickly realized she was on to something. We’re still a small business with big ideas: to make washable cloth menstrual pads …
One of the greatest things about being a B Corp is meeting other companies committed to using their brands for good. In the months ahead, we’ll be introducing you to some of the B Corps who inspire us. Starting with the good folks at United by Blue. What is your brand mission/vision? For every …
Interns come and go, but the impact they make on Brains on Fire is something that endures well beyond their time in The Firesphere. We also like to think that the lessons learned (both the good and the nutty) during their internships will serve them well, wherever the post-BOF path may lead. We recently reached out to one …
When we sit down (or stand up, depending on what kind of desk you prefer) to develop a brand identity, it doesn’t happen in a silo. (Not much happens in a solo silo at Brains on Fire, to be honest.) We try to bring as many brains to the table as possible, whenever possible. AEs …
Like many other people in the world, addiction has affected many people I know and love. So lately I’ve been earnestly attending Al Anon meetings and working the steps. Al Anon is for friends and family of people with the disease of addiction. One of the interesting traditions of Al-anon (and AA for that …
A few years ago, we wrote a post about Free Stock Photos that Don’t Suck. That post has been one of our most popular over the years. The fact that people are still finding it using search phrases like “where can I find stock photos that aren’t ugly” and “non-sucky stock photos” would seem to suggest …
This has been an exciting couple of years for Brains on Fire. Full of change and growth and “possibility,” to borrow a word from our friend, Hugh Weber. We opened an office in LA, which has made us think smarter and dream bigger. I’m on my way to LA today, as a matter fact. We …
Ask anyone about their B Corp certification experience and they’re sure to tell you it was an endeavor that required taking a long, hard look at the way they were doing things, and led them on a self-guided journey to new and better ways. What they may not tell you is that certification process is …
What brought you to Brains on Fire? I previously worked with Andrew at TOWN and had heard about some of the work that he was doing here. I was curious so I checked it out on Instagram and thought it looked like a fun place to apply. What’s your favorite font? Belwe Bold and not …
What brought you to Brains on Fire? I am a senior attending Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. I am majoring in Strategic Communications and minoring in Advertising. My experience in social media is limited to local places in the small town of St. Augustine, so I needed to venture out to gain more experience. …
Note: I published this post two years ago. It was shared thousands of times so I am hoping it was helpful. I just remembered it and read it again. All this still rings true. If you’ve just graduated, I wish you all the best on your next big adventure! Have fun. The start of things …
Over the years, I have probably tried to explain to my children a thousand times what it is I do for work. I have an eight-year-old daughter (Stella) and a five-year-old son (Truman) They are smart and inquisitive kids, very curious about the world and how things work. But even with their insatiable curiosity, it’s …
This was your second tour of duty at Brains on Fire. How did this internship differ from the first? Each experience was unique and fulfilling in its own way. I began my second internship with more education, more experience, and a more developed understanding of my professional goals and ambitions. This gave me the chance …
In order to help our interns get the most out of their time with us, we challenge them to work on a “pet project” of their choosing during their time at BOF. Our two-time, back-for-another-round, please-never-leave intern Kylee explains her project below: For my intern project, I chose something a little offbeat. I was …
Today is a BIG day for Brains on Fire. Today, Monday May 22, we are delighted to announce that Brains on Fire is officially a B Corporation. Pardon us while we make some serious noise about it! In case you aren’t familiar with this business status, I’ll fill you in. B Corp is …
The other day I stumbled on this quote from Leonard Bernstein… I’m a huge believer in super tight deadlines. The longer something takes the less likely anything meaningful will happen. It drives others around me crazy at times. But over my years of experience, I’ve seen this truth played out again and again. Here’s …
Around these parts, we like to say that Community Management is a “lifestyle job”. By that, we mean that while it is inherently modern, creative, and often perceived as glamorous, it roams beyond the confines of a traditional 9 to 5. Your work never stops. You spend a lot of your time between work and …
