Vistra Communications is proud to announce Chris Zarreke as its new chief financial officer. Zarreke brings three decades of relevant finance and accounting experience to the role and a plan to build upon the company’s growth and financial stability. A Florida Certified Public Accountant, and a double Florida State University alumnus, Zarreke steps into the position previously held by Zoe Gustafson who recently retired after seven years with Vistra. A seasoned senior-level finance and accounting executive, Zarreke began his career…...
Diversity In Your Ranks
To ensure you maintain diversity in your ranks, you must be intentional and make it a priority. It needs to start at the top and permeate every level of the organization. Companies have to seriously evaluate recruiting, mentoring, partnership, communication, and leadership strategies and ensure that diversity is a focus. Look around. What does your board of directors look like? What does your leadership team look like? What do your departments look like? Representation matters. Leadership has to create a…...
Brand Storytelling
Today’s consumers are sophisticated and knowledgeable. Information is readily available and accessible. Social media doesn’t just help promote a brand -- it can be used to help define your brand narrative and impact consumer perception. Brand storytelling is becoming a vital part of consumer engagement. Being transparent, establishing an emotional connection and making stories resonate are all important considerations as your company looks to connect with target audiences. As your content strategy develops, consider including storytelling in order to increase…...
How Workforce Development Can Work For You
Workforce development is an important initiative for local governments and businesses that want to cultivate a robust, interconnected and community-based workforce and employer network. The goal of workforce development is to create a career path for individuals, while enhancing economic opportunities for businesses and communities. Workforce development benefits individuals by investing in personal and professional growth leading to a successful career, advancement and job satisfaction. Benefits for employers include: • Consistent pipeline of talent • Lower turnover rate • Improved…...
The Direct Approach
Now more than ever, it’s important to evaluate your marketing strategy. Consumer behavior is constantly changing, making it more important than ever to have a strategic marketing mix to reach consumers. Keep your ear to the ground, listen to your customers and keep these three things in mind as your marketing plan evolves. Evaluate your plan. Is it multi-channel? For example, direct mail can be highly effective if it’s tied to other triggers, such as email and social, all with…...
The Evolution of Experiential
Unprecedented times. Uncharted waters. Exceptional circumstances. There’s no question—Creativity is being challenged across all areas of our lives. The marketing industry, experiential marketing in particular, is demanding creativity in order to navigate forward into our new “normal”. Large scale events and carefully designed experiences to allow consumers to interact with brands on a personal level have been impacted by our current environment. Here are three things to consider as we push ahead: A is for Agility: Now more than ever,…...
Meaningful Dialogue is More Than Active Listening
In his bestselling book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey encourages us to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” To understand what is really going on today requires active listening and a willingness to embrace the uncomfortable. There has never been a more important time for your organization to participate in meaningful dialogue than today. Not many of us alive today can remember the civil rights movement. There are certainly not many in the workforce that participated in this…...
I AM NOT OKAY.
A few weeks ago, I shared thoughts and reflections in a Tampa Bay Times Op-ed on being a Black Man in America. I have received hundreds if not thousands of unsolicited responses, with many apologizing and many asking if I am ok. Well, I am not ok. Allow me to explain. I appreciate those reaching out to ask what they can do; I am not ok with people reaching out just to say I am sorry. I know many feel…...
Maintaining Your Routine During COVID-19
For some time now, the transition to teleworking seemed like a no-brainer for so many occupations. Then, a global pandemic struck that changed everything and forced us to work remotely. None of us has any personal point of reference on how to run a business or perform our jobs in a pandemic world. Seemingly overnight, an immediate paradigm shift in how we work and what we need to do to sustain our businesses was upon us. Here's what we’ve learned:…...
Old School Ways in a Telework World
With the outbreak of a global pandemic, now more than ever, companies are transitioning to teleworking. And advances in technology have made it possible. The undeniable reality though is that our younger generation and the generations to follow will continue to progress toward a more remote, offsite, telework world. Those of us who have been in the workforce for decades have had to evolve and adapt to these inevitable advances in the ways in which we perform our jobs. Blending the…...