If you have ever seen a 300 - 18,000 person multi-day event come together, then you know that behind that neat and tidy block schedule with keynotes and breakouts is a logicistal orchestration that can rival air traffic control. This beautiful symphony of clients, agencies, vendors and attendees needs to be synthesized, sorted, and shared in a manner that ensures that when two people look at the same document, they understand the need in the same way.

V2MOM: Why Values Matter

There are many ‘right’ ways to get where we want to go. That’s why you NEED to be clear on your values if you want to get to your vision.

For most event production agencies, the early stages of planning a multiday event can seem more like systems administration instead of event planning. As more and more corporations continue to tighten security around sharing access to systems, agency planners and meeting professionals are expected to be super users of Google AND Microsoft. Not only that, but they are also expected to carry multiple email addresses, follow client and agency sharing policies, onboard with a multitude of other platforms, and do it all without missing a beat.

Both small and large events made the realization in 2020/2021 that virtual events do have a place within the organization. After the shock of 2020 had filtered through workplaces, the sights were set on creating an impactful experience online in 2021. For most, this allowed seasoned meeting teams to focus all their attention on figuring out what virtual platforms worked the best for organizations, and brought with it an authentic and new experience to the organization, and for some a new stream of revenue.

Now with restrictions lightening and herd immunity (for all intents and purposes) achieved, this year has allowed organizations to return to in-person events.

The Delicate Balance Between Working For Your Business & Working On Your Business.

Small business owners always seem to find themselves somewhere between working “for” the business and working “on” the business. What do we mean? Working “for” the business fills calendar time with client appointments, project work, and external deadlines. Working “on” the business includes strategy, planning, and putting forth initiatives that will help make the business more efficient and successful.

Our word is everything. As any coaching client of mine knows, I place great emphasis on aligning our word to our actions. At eGuide coaching, we practice V2MOM coaching, which encourages word/action alignment by providing structure for commitments in the form of ‘Measures’.

By now you have all heard of Instagram Reels and how much of an impact they have made on the way we view and create content. Be on the lookout for reels to become more popular than ever in 2022. The internet is predicting some REEL-y exciting things.

The V2MOM technique has officially entered the professional development ‘zeitgeist’. This clean and simple method for goal setting, collective alignment, and project management is now being used in organizations of all sizes and across a wide spectrum of industries.

For those who have not yet caught on: V2MOM is a business coaching framework created by Marc Benioff (Founder of SalesForce), that focuses on 5 key areas: Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures.

“Can you join me at my association’s networking event this evening?”

Do you cringe at the thought of attending a networking event? Wonder how an association of your industry peers will benefit you? Don’t have the time to volunteer?

These are just a few of the reactions many have when they are faced with joining a professional association or networking group. All typical reactions, but here at eGuide, our team has discovered how gratifying and productive this is for our business, careers and professional, as well as, personal development.

Your Calendar is More Important Than Ever

Picture this, it’s Monday Morning and you just finished and you are about half way through your morning Starbucks, when you get an email to alert you that someone joined your Zoom meeting that started at 8:30 AM. Immediately your blood preasure spikes, and you race over to your computer, all-the-while trying to remember what the purpose of the meeting is. You blood begins to boil as you get frustrated trying to wake up your computer, and think through why you ever agreed to an 8:30 AM meeting on a Monday in the first place.

Canva can be a great tool to help lean marketing teams create quick and beautiful graphics for use online, in print and so much more.

Between social media graphics, branding guidelines, presentations, and print-ready designs, Canva is eGuide’s go-to resource when it comes to creating graphics under a deadline.

To help elevate your Canva-game we’d like to share some hidden little gems that can make your life, save you time, and have you using the platform like a pro.

With the start of the new year, there are many resolutions individuals and businesses set out to achieve.  We at eGuide have set our business plan and resolutions using the V2MOM method and have ambitious and attainable goals for 2022.

Our focus for 2022 is to standardize our services to create a thoughtful, experienced approach that aligns with how small organizations operate. “Niche-ing down” will allow us to create efficiencies that draw parallels between projects, utilize a team approach, and implement a recipe for success.

For those who have read The Devil in the White City, tucked between the albeit gruesome telling of H.H. Holmes is a story of imagination, determination, and above all else, resilience with Architects Daniel Burnham and John Root as they take on the World’s Columbian Exhibition. Living in Chicago it’s hard not to look around and see the impact that architecture has had, and how our skyline continues to evolve into a tapestry of old and new coming together.  Burnham is quoted as saying, “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood,”

For any emerging entrepreneur, drawing resources from a variety of resources allows you to glean takeaways that shape how you grow and scale your business. As winter takes it’s hold for the few months ahead, we thought we would compile a reading list that will inspire your 2022.

As we turn the corner and head towards the holidays, one of our favorite days is within view. eGuide has the incredible opportunity to partner with some incredible nonprofit partners, and we invite you all to learn more about them and how you can help these organizations for Giving Tuesday.

“The most valuable businesses of coming decades will be built by entrepreneurs who seek to empower people rather than try to make them obsolete.” — Peter Thiel, Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future. I finished Zero to One while running the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon on October 3rd. Listening to a book about entrepreneurship while setting off on a 26.2-mile jaunt may not sound like the idea of fun for most…

Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, published in 2013 explores what a virtual work environment looked like before Zoom, Teams, and 5G. Whether your team is intending on remaining virtual (like eGuide), returning to office, or falling somewhere in between. We wanted to highlight a few of our favorite concepts from the book that are applicable to the road ahead for us all. 

The Flossmoor Public Library in Flossmoor, IL received a grant to help seniors bridge the technology gap. A portion of that grant was dedicated to purchasing 10 iPads for library patrons to access. In addition to the iPads, the library wanted to provide easy-to-follow training videos and guides to answer commonly asked questions. eGuide was brought on to partner with the library to produce  4 videos and “e-guides” that would impact how library patrons were able to connect to family and friends using the iPads. 

While many of us know that consistent blogging is best practice, it’s difficult to produce masses of content. Creating content regularly isn’t only useful in keeping your business top of mind to your clients and customers, but it also keeps you current with search engines.

For organizations that are committing to working from home for 2021 and potentially making the switch to a more permanent commitment. It is important to ensure that your organization is implementing stronger security measures, especially if you are working with any sensitive data.