Juneteenth, or “Black Independence Day,” commemorates the freedom of enslaved Americans in the United States and is identified as the first Black American holiday. Short for “June Nineteenth,” the holiday marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to inform enslaved people they were freed. 

When an organization begins to expand globally, it often faces a new set of challenges that could mean adjusting current strategies that have yielded success on the domestic front. Economic, regulatory and operational factors are just some of the many considerations nascent global businesses must address to succeed on the international stage.

Congratulations to our CEO Scott Allison who was recognized with an ‘Outstanding Individual Achievement’ award at PRovoke Media's SABRE Awards! Read on to see the speech he delivered at the awards ceremony. 

We realize Mother’s Day can be a difficult and complicated day for some, so please feel free to skip reading if this is a sensitive topic for you. Thank you. 

While Mother’s Day has evolved to be a day of celebration and appreciation by way of brunch, flowers, cards and (if you’re lucky) some downtime for moms, the origination of Mother’s Day in the U.S. stems back to social and political concerns that impacted women in the early 1900s. Now, there is a growing movement for Mother’s Day to go beyond the Hallmark Holiday, recognize the sacrifices mothers make for their children and celebrate the collective power of mothers supporting other mothers. I am very happy to see this shift, with deeper and more meaningful conversations being had year-round, and certainly around Mother’s Day, about how society can better support moms of all types.

In a world where public opinion has become increasingly complex, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is the latest proving ground for companies walking the PR tightrope and trying to balance business and reputation.

Watching the figure skating events at the Winter Olympics always brings me back to my childhood days of crack-of-dawn training sessions, the joy at finally landing that Axel I worked so hard to perfect, and the nerves and excitement of competition. Growing up, I was the only kid in my school who figure skated. Yet throughout my career in PR, I’ve had the pleasure of working with at least a dozen former skaters, coaches and judges. So, what attracts a high number of figure skaters to the communications industry, and how do we apply the lessons we learned on the ice to our jobs?

Twelve years ago, my wife and I attended the inauguration of Barack Obama. It was incredibly cold, and our seats were bad. But watching the elderly Black attendees sob tears of joy and happiness was a sight to behold and savor, even if we couldn’t see the president.

Twelve years later seems like a lifetime. We are now living through a global pandemic, a severe economic downturn for those least able to survive it and a far-right terrorist insurgency.