April 15, 2013

7 Reasons to Engage in your Community

Share the goods.

When business gets overwhelming, simple yet important tasks such as community engagement, volunteering and participation often fall to the side. Participating and being active in the community allows for advertising, networking as well as overall business growth. Here are seven reasons to reorganize your priorities in the community and embrace leadership for business growth.

First Impression. Your business has but one opportunity to make a first impression. Interacting directly with the community allows you to kick off that relationship up close, personal and even better, in REAL life.
Local First. Involvement in your community is a silent way of stating you are invested and believe in your community. When you invest in your community you are supporting the economy and building your community. Think local first.
Gain Clients. Participating in community activities will allow you to interact with potential customers. They have the ability to get to know more about your business and interact on a personal level. This is a great way to start positive relationships with customers and in turn perpetuating word-of-mouth advertising.
Learn. Engaging within the community allows you to learn about the issues important to your community, and collaborate with partners who can help you address those needs. In this way, you become a catalyst for positive interaction and community change.
Positive Recognition. Sponsoring local events and participating within the community is a positive way to get your business recognized, consider it free advertising. Get your company name and logo out in the public eye so people learn to associate the two with commitment to the community. Let them put a face to the name.
Collaboration. Promoting your business in the community can also generate connections. Connections can be a direct link to business contacts. Promoting your business directly in the community is a great way to connect with fellow businesses you may be able to work with in the future.
Authenticity. An authentic commitment to community engagement pushes you to create connections across the full breadth of the community. It allows for transparency which many people crave.

So what are you waiting for? Participate, engage, to put your business ahead of the game.
Post inspired by the National Association for Media Engagement.

Recent Musings

Kim stands in front of 3 women, her hand is on her hip and she's in front of a whiteboard smiling.

5 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make in a Crisis (and How to Avoid Them)

Panel table set up with microphones, water bottles and name cards for a perimenopause discussion featuring three guest panelists.

It Is Time to Have More Uncomfortable Conversations About Perimenopause

Kim stands at the front of a room. She's holding a microphone giving a speech to a room full of PR professionals.

Keeping Humans in the AI Loop: A Guide to Responsible AI Adoption

Something on Your Mind?

Cardio, but make it Zoomies with Frank.

Just another morning in @bodespeaks life, where a dog is running laps around the office and the camerawoman is… trying to keep up.

4 1

Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18287107207289957

Cardio, but make it Zoomies with Frank.

Just another morning in @bodespeaks life, where a dog is running laps around the office and the camerawoman is… trying to keep up.

A little rain didn’t slow @bodespeaks down.

Kim was in Washington, D.C., this past week for #AUSA2026 - three days where Army leaders, industry partners, and the defense community come together for innovation, insight, and connection.

We can’t wait to hear some of her takeaways. Stay tuned for more soon.

@ausaorg #DefenseIndustry #Leadership #AUSA

13 1

Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17965248089981552

A little rain didn’t slow @bodespeaks down.

Kim was in Washington, D.C., this past week for #AUSA2026 - three days where Army leaders, industry partners, and the defense community come together for innovation, insight, and connection.

We can’t wait to hear some of her takeaways. Stay tuned for more soon.

@ausaorg #DefenseIndustry #Leadership #AUSA

Who made all these rules anyway?

Don’t wear color. Don’t share your ideas. Don’t put yourself out there. Don’t talk about your family.

We’re told to follow them, but @bodespeaks says question every single one. Then uncover your big hairy audacious goal, throw out the rulebook, and build a personal brand that actually works for you.

Thank you to Aggie and Cristy for having Kim on the @badass_women_in_business Podcast and, well... for being total badasses.

Listen to the full episode in bio.

2 1

Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 17907332184563303

We had some fun in the office this week and asked some of the 8THIRTYFOUR team what “square up” means.

Surprisingly, the Gen Z of the group got it, but one of our Gen X’s did not (not saying any names…)

How do you “square up”?

#trending #fyp #squareup #agencylife

6 1

Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18116282363468795

We had some fun in the office this week and asked some of the 8THIRTYFOUR team what “square up” means.

Surprisingly, the Gen Z of the group got it, but one of our Gen X’s did not (not saying any names…)

How do you “square up”?

#trending #fyp #squareup #agencylife

The 834 Learning Hub is where we throw fun shindigs, where cool people come to work, where Big Deal Energy gathers, and where we push you to get uncomfortable.

It’s not your typical event or coworking space - and we like it that way. The lighting, colors, wallpaper, layout, and yes, the dogs, are all very intentional.

If you need a spot to host your offsite team training, leadership quarterly, photo shoot (dogs can be included), or you just need a space to network or cowork - reach out.

We got the goods:
- A sweet sound system
- State-of-the-art digital whiteboard
- A really big T.V. Like it’s big.
- Your own private entrance
- Free parking
- A dog (or two) if you ask nicely

Drop us a line at hello@8thirtyfour.com or click the link in bio to rent the Hub today.

11 0

Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18001210217806375

The 834 Learning Hub is where we throw fun shindigs, where cool people come to work, where Big Deal Energy gathers, and where we push you to get uncomfortable.

It’s not your typical event or coworking space - and we like it that way. The lighting, colors, wallpaper, layout, and yes, the dogs, are all very intentional.

If you need a spot to host your offsite team training, leadership quarterly, photo shoot (dogs can be included), or you just need a space to network or cowork - reach out.

We got the goods:
- A sweet sound system
- State-of-the-art digital whiteboard
- A really big T.V. Like it’s big.
- Your own private entrance
- Free parking
- A dog (or two) if you ask nicely

Drop us a line at hello@8thirtyfour.com or click the link in bio to rent the Hub today.

We love Dr. Karen May’s mission.

What if we taught our daughters AND our sons about women’s health, hormones, and pregnancy? Not as a whispered “talk” or a one-time awkward conversation. Just normal dinner-table stuff.

The girls deserve to know what’s coming (perimenopause shouldn’t be a surprise party nobody wanted). And the boys? They’ll be partners, dads, coworkers, and bosses to women going through all of it.

Thank you, Dr. May, for sharing your best practices to keep the women’s health conversation going at our Uncomfortable Conversations | The Pause event.

6 1

Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18116550688983122