It's with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to Costa Rica last week… for now. While I won't be away for long, the little community has meant so much to me and was so hard to leave. One of the downsides to living in a transient coastal town is that a lot of your friends are there temporarily.

 

And there's no guarantee that they'll be there when I get back. While I'll find myself back in just a few months, the community will have changed and some of my dear friends from this season will have moved on.

 

You learn to take full advantage of the time you have together, knowing that new and wonderful people will continue to flow it. But yeah, it's never fun.

 

And instead, I'm taking the “enjoy every moment with who you're with” approach, which is why I'm finding myself at the lake with my entire extended family this weekend enjoying the 4th. We have new babies, new boyfriends, and a surprise visit from my brother who lives in Norway!

 

 

And if you have any tips on how to say goodbye without bursting into a bucket of tears, I'm all ears :)

If you're wondering why every other brand designer has

such legitimate images of their projects… it's probably just because

they know where to find mockups. Here are some of my favorites.

I always have a book in my hand. Whether it's a kindle in the purse, a small book stuffed in my bag, or sitting down with highlighters in hand—reading is my favorite way to escape. Since being in Costa Rica, I've read some incredible books, most of them fiction. But as I head into summer I'm taking a big departure from beach reads and diving into some business-building material.

 

Here's what I'm reading on planes, trains, and beaches this summer. Are you joining me?

 

Mary Norris has spent more than three decades in The New Yorker's copy department, maintaining its celebrated high standards. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a book as full of life as it is of practical advice. Between You & Me is a charming book about the most common and vexing problems in spelling, punctuation, and grammar usage - comma faults, danglers, "who" versus "whom", "that" versus "which", compound words, gender-neutral language - and her clear explanations of how to handle them. With her wit and words, you're sure to never forget a grammar rule again.
 

Through intimate, funny, and vulnerable reporting, McNeal takes us through the looking glass and into the secretive real world of three major influencers: fashion and lifestyle juggernaut Caitlin Covington of Southern Curls & Pearls, runner and advocate Mirna Valerio, and OG “mommy blogger” Shannon Bird. Swipe Up For More! is based on three years of unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall access that offers a rare glimpse into how these influencers build their empires, struggle with the haters, fight for creative control from the tech platforms that enable their businesses, parent in public, and try to look good while doing it. After watching Age of Influence on Hulu, I'm fascinated by the world of influence and how it's shaping our culture and psychology.
 

The choice is simple. We can endure the hangover of the rat race of capitalism, keep treating people as disposable, and join in the AI-fueled race to the bottom. Or we come together to build a significant organization that enrolls, empowers, and trusts everyone to deliver their best work, no matter where they are. No matter what our role, it’s within our power to change. Because, as Godin writes, “Humans aren’t a resource. They are the point.” As the conversation around AI grows, I want to dive deeper into what humanizes business and creativity. This book is sure to be thought provoking.

 

Speaker, consultant, and hospitality industry veteran Taylor Scott knows that the most effective leaders approach their roles with heart, emotionally connecting with their team members before attempting to manage them. Scott draws from his two decades in leadership roles at respected hotels, resorts, and restaurants. He distills the principles of gracious hospitality, translating them into actionable leadership lessons which apply in any industry. I am FASCINATED by the world of hospitality and it's a core value of the studio, so I'll definitely be giving this one a read this summer… hopefully pool side…. at a hotel.

 

In this episode of Brands without Borders, I'm taking you behind-the-scenes of what my life (and workday) looked like in Costa Rica!

 

If you want to start working abroad and have often thought of taking your business to the beach, you'll learn alot by the real life look at what it means to travel and work. Spoiler alert—I'm not answering emails from a hammock on the beach. 

 

Get ready for a Sunday morning binge & listen for—

 

Also available to listen to as a podcast.

Audrey is a Bozeman-based photographer who specializes in weddings, engagements, and lifestyle photography. She wanted to go through the branding process for the first time and create an identity that represented her Mexican heritage, a protea flower that was symbolic to her and her boyfriend, and in a style that felt appropriate to being a photographer in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

We went through our signature Brand Identity process, developing her brand's strategy, went through several iterations of her protea flower as her brand's style emerged, and ultimately landed on a stunning brand identity that blended together all of the stories and narratives that make up her personal story and brought her brand's vision to life!