Blog
You Broke It. Give Us Time to Fix It.
I’ve been running 8THIRTYFOUR for 19 years, and in the last few years, more companies have come to us needing fractional CMO support than ever before. They need...
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The Gen X Survival Guide to Soft Skills
We raised ourselves, now we’re raising the workforce. My dad worked third shift at GM for 30 years and played softball four nights a week. My mom was...
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There Is No Magic Formula (And That’s Actually Good News)
I came across a refreshingly honest post this week from Benjamin Houy, which was shared by my buddy Jason Dodge of BlackTruck Media, fellow business owner and SBAM...
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The Names Have Been Changed to Protect the Not So Innocent
8THIRTYFOUR is hosting the Community Capital Conversation on November 19th, because enough is enough. Bring your stories. This isn’t the story about the quarter of a million embezzlement...
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Strong Has Never Been a Men-Only Standard
For as long as the military has existed, women have been there. Often unseen, often unacknowledged, but always showing up. They’ve patched wounds, gathered intelligence, led missions, and...
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It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Run a Business
I’ve owned my business long enough to know that nothing about running one is easy — that’s fine. What’s not fine is how much harder it’s become thanks...
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Make Good Trouble: Why We Still Need to Call Out Workplace Bias
A few years back, an email crossed my screen referring to another female professional as “sweet and young”—and it wasn’t meant as a compliment. It stuck with me...
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The Hard Costs of Soft Skills: The Manufacturing Edition
Soft skills gaps are driving very hard costs for manufacturers. And the numbers are staggering. 60% of businesses have terminated Gen Z employees.75% find them unsatisfactory— but in...
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The Small Business Fight for Federal Contracting Fairness
My better half, Sue Tellier is testifying before Congress this morning because the Rule of Two is under attack, and if it disappears, so do small businesses in...
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Millions Shared a Story About 80 Kidnapped Kids. It Never Happened.
80-plus kids were reported missing in Virginia in the first week of August. TikTok videos circulated about the mass kidnapping – millions viewed and shared the story. Virginia...
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Setting Up for Success with Empire Solutions
We travel where our clients need us. That’s what we did last month, heading to Nashville with our friends at Empire Solutions for Aluminum USA. Empire Solutions needed...
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How We Turned a Construction Contract into Headlines: The Copper Peak Story
Look, we don’t play favorites with our clients, but if we did… Copper Peak would be right up there. And not just because they’re working to bring the...
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Letter To My Younger Self: Elena
Hi there little ‘Lena, how are you holding up? I know you have a short attention span, so I’ll try to keep this short and get to the...
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The Big Brutal Blow (BBB) to Michigan
Cowardice has a cost, and our state will pay it. The BBB (Big Brutal Blow), being championed by the worst among us, will devastate our communities, businesses, and...
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Dear Future Intern
Dear future interns, I’m Emily, and I had the honor of being part of the 8THIRTYFOUR intern dynasty. It was one of the best experiences in my college...
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Avoid the Crisis: Invest in Media Training
Media training isn’t about posture or wardrobe—though it’s important. It’s about preparing your leadership to speak with clarity, stay on message, and not freeze when a reporter asks...
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