Perception is reputation.
People judge books by their covers. It’s just how our brains work. We are so overloaded most days we use all sorts of mental shortcuts to help perform basic activities. Before we even get out of the bed …
Empowering women business leaders
At Blue Wagon Group, we believe in empowering and celebrating strong, working women. In honor of National Business Women’s Week, Oct. 17-23, we asked Susan Matthews Apgood for her advice to women looking to lead and …
Fail small.
“Go big or go home,” is not sound advice when it comes to media or public relations. If that’s your current strategy, then you should just … go home. The adage is first cited in the 1990s …
How SMART are your goals?
I saw a quote recently that said, “If your plan isn’t working, change the plan. Not the goal.” Although there is certainly some truth to that statement, I don’t entirely agree. Sometimes, it is necessary to change the goal. …
What does PR really stand for?
If you’ve read the headline, you might be thinking this is a “gimmie.” Blue Wagon Group is a public relations firm, so clearly “PR” stands for … public relations. True. But, unless you’re a public relations professional, you might not …
How can I best serve the client?
As a teen, one of my first jobs was at a small business where the owner taught us “the customer always comes first.” He demonstrated this daily and his retail store was known for its customer …
“The cost of doing business…”
Business owners, especially small business owners, are often faced with choices tougher than a piece of overcooked meat. Every dollar counts. Payroll, insurance, equipment, utilities – the list is never ending. But are you setting aside money to invest …
PR can’t stand alone
Have you ever had such a good idea that you stumble over yourself to get it “out there?” The product so exciting or the timely promotion that you know will hit just right can be so …
Lessons for work and life from Pilates
I started Pilates to improve the health of my back. Many years later, I’m still “practicing.” In a weird lightbulb moment, my brain recently connected some key tenets of Pilates to my everyday life and work …
Trust doesn’t come first
I began teaching at a North Carolina university in the fall of 2021 and learned immediately the last chapter we studied needed to be the first. Ethics and professionalism are not where to wrap up the conversation …