Art Flagg, President/Owner

Art Flagg is the fearless leader of a very warm and positive team that run a half a dozen Groves Assisted Living homes in Tucson, Arizona.   Each home is designed and built specifically for seniors in need of assistance with their daily activities. They are secured in a gated, beautifully landscaped community.

Each home has a maximum of 10 residents with private or companion rooms. Certified caregivers are on duty 24 hours a day and a caregiver to resident ratio of 1 to 5 during all waking hours. Three nutritionally balanced meals are prepared and served in each home along with daily snacks.

Art’s words are a prime example of why this Groves Assisted Living concept showcases the kindness and eye on quality that has made their business a success.:

Please tell us your mission statement.:

Our Mission is:  Provide individual care in a comfortable and secure environment.  Our Philosophy statement is:  All people deserve a life free from fear, pain and isolation.

How long has Groves been in business and how long have you been with the company?

Groves has been in business since 1996.  It was started by me and two other colleagues that were in the building business at the time.  One of them was involved with caring for elders with his wife.  They had the idea and the expertise while I and the other partner were originally only financial contributors.

Please tell us a little bit about your journey in the company.

As above, three of us got together and essentially expanded on the idea that had been pioneered by one of the partners.  Our goal was to build several assisted living homes and build a business that would build equity while helping others.

Did you always know that you wanted to be in this industry?

Prior to meeting my partners I did not know much about adult care.  I had only been exposed to senior care in conjunction with the care of my grandparents in nursing homes.

What do you see as an area of growth in the upcoming years in your industry?

The growth potential is strong but it must be preceded by an national economy that provides the opportunity for elders to recoup the equity and savings losses that they have experienced during the past 4 years.  Once these losses have been mitigated, there will be the need for more homes like ours to fill the need for care of the elderly as they approach the end of life.  I see more emphasis on “in home” care for those who are fortunate enough to afford such care.  One fallacy of thinking out there is that the baby boomers are my market.  Since my average resident is 85+/- years old, it will be about 15 to 20 years before the baby boomers will require my type of care.

What makes your business different from others like it?

My business is different in that Groves takes nearly every type of individual.  We specialize in the care of those with dementia, behavior problems, Alzheimer’s and ambulatory issues.  Many of my competitors are ill-equipped to care for the vast range of clients that we accept.  One big reason for this difference is that Groves are one of the only facilities that offers a secure campus.  In other words, our properties are secured with gate controlled wrought iron fencing.  This benefit allows residents to move about outside without fear of becoming disoriented and lost.  This is particularly important with Alzheimer’s clients.  Finally, we have a superior reputation for great care in clean comfortable and secure homes by experienced care givers who have been with us an average of over 5 years.

What message via Groves do you try to bring to others every day?

Our message is, as our philosophy states, all our seniors deserve great care in comfortable surroundings provided by the most professional and capable caregivers.  We live that every day and our residents and their families regularly thank us for the great, compassionate care that we provide.

If you had one wish for Groves, what would it be?

I wish that the economy would improve so that I could implement the many additions to the facilities and the care procedures that are available but require additional financial investment that is simply not possible today.  I would most like to add more activities and do some significant upgrades to the facilities.

Please visit the Groves Group website.

Do you have a website with not enough love from its visitors? A Twitter account that tweets to only a few? A web presence that you think could do so much more, make more money for your company, but you just aren’t sure what steps to take? Ana Lewis will draw on her experience as an 18 year veteran in the Internet industry, as a certified Master Project Manager (MPM) and Project Manager for E-Business to help you and your business gain clarity and a plan to make your Internet business shine and be more useful.

Each consultation will consist of two phone calls, each for one hour. In preparation for the first phone call, you will fill out a short (less than 1 page) questionnaire. We will set an appointment and during the first conversation, I will gather information from you. In the second conversation, I will talk to you about my findings from your information and give you a plan of action to assist you in making your web presence more fruitful.

The total price for the consultation is $250. Please reserve your spot by emailing here: consultation@co-opweb.com.

Thank you,

Ana Lewis
CEO of Co-Op Web, Inc.

Founder of WomenontheVerge.net

Judy Kinney, MSW, Executive Director

Co-Op Web welcomes NEST (North East Seattle Together),  a grass-roots community dedicated to ensuring that as we grow older, we can continue to live safely and confidently in our own homes, in the neighborhoods we love.

We are celebrating a new design for the NEST website with an interview of Judy Kinney, the Executive Director of NEST.  During the redesign, the enthusiasm from the organization was contagious.  See why we think this group is ahead of the curve in concept of how we should care for our elderly (and ourselves).

Please tell us NEST’s mission statement and what it means to you.

NEST’s mission is to connect northeast Seattle residents to community resources; and provide social and educational opportunities so that, as they age, members can live confidently in their homes and neighborhoods.

Briefly, NEST enriches the lives of its members through community (social and educational programs), support (rides, running errands, simple tasks) and peace of mind (easy access to trusted vendors and organizations).

NEST’s mission means many things to me. Most importantly, NEST gives our neighbors a greater sense of choice, confidence, and relief in how they age. When volunteers, members and trusted vendors connect with each other to respond to member needs, we end up so creating neighborhoods that we want to grow old in. We didn’t start off with the intention of building an intergenerational community, but that is what we are doing.

How long has NEST been in business?  How did it originate?

NEST has been a 501(c)3 non-profit since 2009. NEST’s Board of Directors spent the first years doing extensive outreach into the community, raising money (over $100,000!) and developing organizational policies and practices.

I was hired a year ago, October 2011, we began providing services to Founding Members on February 14th, and opened to the public since May 1st.

NEST is a part of a national network of virtual “villages” which began about 10 years ago in Boston. About 5 years ago, the New York Times had an article on Boston’s Beacon Hill Village that caught the attention of many aging advocates, including Wedgwood resident, Debbie Anderson.  NEST is here today because of Debbie’s vision and relentless gumption!

Did you always know that you wanted to be in this industry?

Yes and no. I have always loved working in a community setting and creating more opportunities for people to live life as they truly imagine. I worked with disenfranchised youth for 25+ years, and used to say that if I didn’t work with young people I would work with elders. In 2004, this off-hand comment came true and I started working with older adults. I have also had my own life coaching business. Still, I never fully imagined that I would be in a position to apply every single skill I have ever developed in one setting. How great is that?!

What do you see as an area of growth in the upcoming years in your industry?

It is estimated that 10,000 people will turn 65 every day for the next 20 years. Like it or not, Baby Boomers have changed how our society approaches every stage of life, so this will be true for how we approach housing, aging and community. There isn’t the housing market to accommodate this many people selling their homes to move into a retirement or even care facilities.

I also see and hear how many of us yearn for meaningful intergenerational relationships. I hope that we see more and more connections between young, middle-aged and older people. These relationships feed all of our souls.

What makes your business different from others like it?

One of the first things I heard about the virtual “village” movement is this: “If you have been to one ‘village,’ you have been to one village.” Each community is different, so it makes sense that each virtual “village” is different as well. NEST and other villages share information and resources everyday, yet we are each unique. I love this!

People are at the heart of NEST. I am often in awe of how much NE Seattle residents value their sense of community and their generous commitment to take action to create livable and connected neighborhoods.  There is a magical pragmatism to community building that underlies everything that NEST does. I am thankful everyday for the combined level of financial, volunteer and member support NEST receives from our NE Seattle neighbors.

What message via your business NEST do you try to bring to others every day?

Aging can be complicated process. Whatever age we are, we have never been that age before. Being in this new, but old territory makes it easy to absorb someone else’s notion about how we should live and age. This is true for older adults as it is for their adult children who want to support their parents to age well.

I have found that two core messages help all of us to be present to how we want to live and age.

The first is, “We are better together.”  Aging can be isolating. Getting out and about is more challenging and many people have lost more and more friends as they age.  “We are better together” reminds us to keep connecting with each other.

Secondly, asking for help can imply vulnerability and helplessness. To support people to continue sharing their talents AND receive help from others, we often say “Let’s use this aging process to learn how to give and receive with equal ease.” This perspective relieves a lot of the pressure people experience while navigating aging on their own terms. This perspective also equalizes the power between volunteers and members.

If you had one wish for NEST, what would it be?

I want our NEST community to explore, experiment, and demonstrate how communities can continually create the neighborhoods we all want to grow old in. This goal invites us to contribute our ideas, talents and financial resources to realize this vision. I think we are very well on our way!

Please visit the NEST website and see for yourself.

$550 – per month, 3 month minimum to set-up

Yes, we can get you about 2,000 followers in three months of Twitter.  And, we are not talking about buying, arm-twisting or bribing people to follow you.  These are real people, real quality followers who you will want to keep and sometimes even know.   We will help establish your presence, to the point to where you can take over, or perhaps you would like to keep us on board as your Twitter wing-women.  The choice is yours.  If you keep us, the pain-free price remains the same.

Email us to get started on getting followers on Twitter today at: consultation@co-opweb.com

Co-Op Web, Inc. is a full service Internet service corporation.

We offer:

• All levels of Hosting, starting at $25 for up to 1 GB of space, SSL sites (for ecommerce) – start at $75 for up to 3 GB of space. All of our sites are on a CPanel management system.
• Web Design – custom design.
• Installation and customization of numerous CMS softwares, including WordPress, Joomla and Magento
• Ecommerce – design, set-up and installation
• Social Media installation, building and maintenance: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and more. Our packages start at $550 per month.
• Community Building – build your own online community
• SEO
• Blog installation
• Email Marketing, Email list hosting and maintenance
• Internet Business Brainstorming Consultations

We offer competitive pricing as showcased on our “How Much” page listed above.

Please contact us if you would like a free quote or to discuss your business Internet needs.

Linda Gruber
Divorce Packet Processing

I have known Linda for a couple of decades, and her positive outlook is a real asset to her business.  It has been my pleasure to now call Linda not only a friend, but also a business associate.  Please read my interview with Linda below and remember she is here for us, in our time of need.

Please tell us your mission or vision statement and how you got it?
I previously worked for attorneys and thrived on the puzzle solving and courtroom drama. But once I had children, it tore me apart to see people spending their hard earned money on what were so often just “things” and, more often, egos. I wanted an option that would allow people to have much of the same assistance as from a lawyer, but without the tone that so often comes from attorneys, as an attorney’s job is more to do what’s best for his or her client, not necessarily the family as a whole. Also, I wanted option for people who could not afford an attorney.

How long has your company been in business? 1989

Did you always know that you wanted to be in this industry?
Actually this industry didn’t exist when I startedt. When I opened Divorce Packet Processing there were no other non-lawyers in Tucson providing legal assistance directly to the consumer. And just a small handful in the Phoenix area. While the law did address the unauthorized practice of law, there were no criminal sanctions against same. So it wasn’t illegal…but nor was it legal. And as the number of non-lawyers grew over the years, many attorneys started to worry they were losing their monopoly on the legal system. So they tried to shut us down. But after much public outcry, in a true David beats Goliath, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the industry of legal document preparers be created. And I was appointed to the 4-person committee that helped draft the rules that have governed this industry since 2003.

What do you see as an area of growth in the upcoming years in your business?
I do see the potential for people doing their entire divorce online, from getting the papers prepared to filing them with the court. (Although the court has yet to work out the latter.) I already prepare some forms online, but honestly it’s hard to create truly custom documents without meeting the person and talking with them about their situation and wants and needs. Plus, going through a divorce is and will always be emotional. Not only are people not thinking straight, but they’ve enough to deal with without also having to deal with the papework. Not to mention I believe there will always be the need for some hand holding, which you just can’t get online.

What makes your business or the way you do business different from others like it?
First, I’ve been doing this longer than anyone in Tucson. And because I understand the history of the law (whether how the child support guidelines were developed or how we came to our current “custody” statutes), I understand not just what the law is but why it is. And why it may not always apply. Second, I only do divorce. So I do one thing and I do it right. I don’t see how other firms can profess themselves to be experts in everything. Third, I’ve been divorced myself. So I understand what people are going through. But I’m also quite happy now. So I think I can show people there’s a light at the end of the tunnel

What message via your business do you try to bring to others every day?
I guess exactly that – that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! I do think many other firms just look at a divorce as papers….I see it as people.

If you had one wish for your business, what would it be?
Honestly, to have more business! No, not that I want more people to divorce. Rather, I just want more people to know about this option. And how important it is to have assistance. Too many people think they can go online, find some forms, and do it themselves. But not only do they often get the wrong forms (as each state and even each country has its own rules), but very often, people end up making mistakes. And ones they might not find out about until later. And end up paying more in the long run for them.

Visit Divorce Packet Processing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Co Op Web receives 2013 Arizona Excellence Award 

October 11th 2013 –  Co Op Web has been selected for the 2013 Arizona Excellence Award amongst all its peers and competitors by the Small Business Institute for Excellence in Commerce (SBIEC).

Each year the SBIEC conducts business surveys and industry research to identify companies that have achieved demonstrable success in their local business environment and industry category. They are recognized as having enhanced the commitment and contribution of small businesses through service to their customers and community. Small businesses of this caliber enhance the consumer driven stature that Arizona is renowned for.

Co Op Web has consistently demonstrated a high regard for upholding business ethics and company values. This recognition by SBIEC marks a significant achievement as an emerging leader within various competitors and is setting benchmarks that the industry should follow.

As part of the industry research and business surveys, various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the selected companies in each category. This research is part of an exhaustive process that encapsulates a year long immersion in the business climate of Arizona.

Over a billion users world-wide.  That’s the global market that represents social media.  Where your customers can talk to you directly.  Where you can hold a flash-sale and get instant gratification by people showing up and responding, because they are your followers.  It kind of sounds like a magic pill, however, it’s a marketing tool that can get you right directly to your customer, thus making it a powerful tool for communication.

The chart below, created by Leverage, clearly shows you the power of social media, statistics for each of the largest social media networks and why they each have value in helping you achieve increasing your visibility and reaching your target market.

For example, if you have an commerce site, and want people to click and buy, a highly visual network as Pinterest would be an excellent place to put your brand and attention.  If you are a food truck operator, who changes locations often, then you need to be on Twitter.  Instant gratification, quick information and rapid feedback are the key there.  If you have a shopping mall, your consumer is highly likely to have a place on Facebook, where hearing about your specials and events will help your followers stay informed.

Please contact Co-Op Web, if you would like to discuss strategizing your business efforts in social media and finding the right network and building the audience to target your specific market.

(Click image to enlarge)

A ten-year-old shows his dad, a well-known Los Angeles chef, how to utilize social media, and even though that isn’t the premise of the movie, Chef, it really is so well-done that I needed to dissect it and show why it worked so well.  And for a geek like me, well, that’s a really great movie premise.

Five things that made the social media efforts in the movie Chef work.:

1. Authenticity  – they kept it real.  Most people can smell phony a mile away, and in the case of social media, that stink of phoniness can permeate the world.  The Chef (El Jefe), started out with tons of talent, but not reallyhaving a chance to explore it, leaving him frustrated and over-dramatic.  This made for some real moments on social media, which he didn’t try to explain away or try to make all-better, but just rolled with them.
2. Rookie mistakes didn’t kill – El Jefe thought he was having a “private” conversation with a famous restaurant critic, however, his tweet went out to the universe.  This is a rookie mistake, many of us have made.  He moved on from it, and life went on.  In fact, his brutal honesty is probably what helped him gain over 1000 followers the very night he sent out his “private” tweet.
3. Let people know how they get a piece of what you have to offer – one of the things that El Jefe’s son did was let people know where they were heading to via the food truck and where people could get some great food.  And, yes, the people came.
4. Be grateful –  El Jefe’s son had good manners and thanked people from the towns they visited.  This is crucial to getting a strong group of followers.  If people feel appreciated, they will keep following, and why not?  It’s not like we don’t have lots of choices of who to follow.  It might as well be the ones with good manners.
5. Live and showcase it live – If you are having fun doing what you do best, showcase that.  Everyone wants a piece of that fun, and all you are doing is what you love.

Check out the trailer for Chef and be inspired to make your social media help you build your business and your business audience.

By the way, there’s a real-deal food truck company in Los Angeles, who has been doing social media right since 2008.  Check them out and see what I mean.  They let their fans/followers know where to find them every day and guess what?  They do.

Kogi BBQ, Los Angeles – https://twitter.com/kogibbq

“yes, tha original muh-f*ckin Korean bbq taco truck.”

You know it need to be done, but no one likes to do it.  If only we could just live our beautiful lives and our web

presence would just update itself, but no.  We have to do it.  So, here are some quick and easy ways to spring clean your web presence.  You’re welcome.

1. Pretend your mother-in-law is coming to visit… or what if you are being interviewed?  Gasp!  Since we don’t have closets to hide the mess in on the Internet, just clean the big stuff you can see,  like your photos.  Update your profile photo across your networks (use the same one) and voila! you’re updated.
2. Focus on the high-visibility areas. Google yourself and see what comes up.  The top two pages of results are where you will update your message.  Write a one-paragraph update to your profiles, and use the same one across your networks.  Done.
3. Clean-up your computer… I know.  No one likes to do this.  But if you are ruthless about your clean-ups, you won’t have to do it again for a long time.  Like maybe even until next year.  If you have PC, run a free program like CCleaner. https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner or on a Mac, just make sure your software is updated and reboot.  I guess Macs are for lazy people (like me).
4. Clean-up your email.  Move it onto your hard drive and free up your cloud space.  Get rid of old garbage you don’t need.  Watch an episode of Hoarders in preparation for this one, so you won’t be inclined to hang onto to stuff you no longer need.
5. Warning:  this step is the least favorite:  Clean up your work space.  Yes.  Moving Paper Mountain to the circular file will help streamline your work all around.  You might want to put all of your desk top contents into a box and pour yourself a martini so you can make it more enjoyable and play some music.  Afterward, enjoy the top of your desk.  Go on, put your elbows on it.  Why?  Because you can.
6. Last step: Let it go.  Yes, now that you did some spring cleaning, take a deep breath and enjoy.  You did it, now let it be done for you.

Living a life with purpose has become more and more important to so many of us. I don’t know if it’s a sign of the times and how we are evolving as a species, or if it’s simply getting older and realizing our mortality.

As I look at this concept of living a life with purpose, I think, how does this impact my daily life in technology and as a Social Media Marketing Manager? Is it me, or do the terms whole-living and technology seem to not go together? Where’s the “woo-woo” in technology? It seems so dry.

I am here to tell you, there’s “woo-woo” in everything and we can make our work purposeful no matter what we do.   And here’s a spoiler: All it takes is doing what you do using more of your heart than your business brain.

Social Media Marketing With Purpose:

1. Don’t just promote your business. It sounds preachy. Preachy is not purposeful, it’s a one-way track to nowhere. Promote, interact, participate with your network with passion.
2. Start each and every day with a share and gratitude. It begins your day with a smile and also, spreads the love to others, and they will see you sharing and appreciate what you do.
3. Create community. Don’t be afraid to boost the businesses and what they are doing in your network. Even if they are your competitor, showcasing when they say or do something exceptional looks good on you, too.
4. Develop strong connections. Get to know the people and businesses in your network. Some of my closest friends were first developed on the Internet, and that is because we created a connection that has grown stronger through good communication.
5. Find the humor in the everyday and spread it. It’s like magic. If you can laugh, share it and watch it light up your world.

I know these things sound simple, but even if they are applied to large corporations (which most of my clients are), to small businesses, or for your personal Facebook account, you will see results. You will see your followers grow, you will see your impact increasing and you will see your ROI improve.

If this is still too woo-woo for you, according to the Harvard Business Review, one of the most important things about Social Media is not the technology, it’s recognizing the purpose of your marketing endeavors and keeping that at the forefront. The HBR definition of the term Purpose Roadmapping says it best, “Planning how to use purpose to engage and sustain productive communities.”

One of the beautiful things about working at home is, you can work from anywhere.  One of the bad things about working from home is, you can work from anywhere.

Lately, working while traveling is kind of a thing.  Of course, many of those people travel and blog, so it IS their work.  However, the work-at-homer such as myself merely packs a computer or tablet and takes her work with her.  Not as romantic, but hey, it helps pays the bills, so I am grateful.

Here are ten recommendations to make your next travel/work experience more enjoyable.:

1. Let only a few chosen people know if you may be unreachable – your co-workers, staff, family, friends.  Your clients need not know, unless you are going to be in the Amazon jungle for a set period of time.
2. Do lots of advance preparation.  Take a look at your work schedule.  Do you have a blog post due during that time?  Social media posts?  Newsletter?  All of these things can be scheduled in advance, thus setting up your time so that all you have to focus on is putting out immediate fires while away.
3. Be honest.  If you are going to be in the Amazon jungle for a set period of time and have little to no connectivity, ask someone to fill in for you and notify all of the need-to-know folks.  I have only had to do this once, when my father passed, and I asked an associate to field calls.
4. Arrange to take a little bit of time to work everyday.  Whether it’s in 15-20 minute increments three times per day (morning, noon and evening) or all at once.  Dedicate that time and make sure you are 100% on task.
5. You can take your work to the beach, but really, why?
6. Be present, in the moment.  When you are playing, play.  When you are working, work.
7. Silence your phone.  Even change your message to let people know when and how their calls will be answered.  Don’t be afraid to say you are returning calls this week via email.  Make your own rules.  Don’t worry, everyone will understand when you tell them you are on vacation or working remotely.
8. Have trusted staff and/or friends who can fill in for you while away.  Just in case, you may need some help and don’t worry, they will appreciate the work and you will appreciate the assistance.
9. Take lots of photos.  You will be able to use them later, I assure you.  However, I am not one to post while on vacation.  I don’t like to be that public about my whereabouts.  However, after the trip, I will showcase pictures and write up reviews on TripAdvisor, no problem.
10. Make sure and keep all of your receipts or use a business credit card the entire trip.  Now that you have worked while traveling, part of your trip is tax deductible.  Voila!Now, pack your bags and enjoy your summer vacation and your work!

My favorite part about our Social Media Management work is when I get to do live photography posts for our clients. We typically show up when the sun is rising, getting the lay of the land, making sure we have press passes and figuring out where we can get up close and personal to where the action is happening. Since it is my favorite part of my work, and we have only been offering this service for about 5 years so far, I thought I should share with you some of my favorite shots on our website.

None of these shots are retouched in any way, and that is something that I have had to accept when doing these live post shoots, you have to be okay with imperfection, what is real and happening NOW. Sometimes I look at my pictures afterward, and shake my head, wishing I could have brightened up the shot, or gotten a better one, other times, I am grateful for the shot and the memory it brings. The joy, the honesty, the rawness in all it’s imperfection.

There will be more photos to come this year, starting in the fall, as we have some wonderful events lined up and I will share more with you as the events unfold.

Autumn typically marks the beginning of our more active work season and this year is no exception. We will begin our busy season, with live social media photography posting at the Camp Christown Reading Fun Fest, beginning Saturday, September 9th at Christown Spectrum, in Phoenix, Arizona.

As I prep for our work in the week ahead, I always try to keep in mind that, even though this is my favorite part of our business, I still need to be aware of the fine details. Christown Spectrum is a regular client, so that gives us the opportunity to do a lot of preparatory audience building in advance of the event. Sending out emails to our subscribers, ad placements on social media and making sure that we send out regular posts about the event are all entailed in the preparation.

Day before the event, I trek out to the location. Do some test shooting where the event is taking place and take photos during set up to do some teaser posts for our followers.

On the day of the event, I have the following check list:

1. Make sure all batteries are charged and have chargers easily accessible, as needed.
2. Test camera and social media apps to make sure there’s no awkward moments when attempting to upload photos.
3. Change to a backpack, instead of my usual tote.
4. Always wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
5. Take a deep breath and be ready to people watch.
6. Be patient… let the shots come to me, don’t force a shot.
7. Put on my Fitbit.  Yeah, step counting makes the day even more geeky fun.

I have noticed in the past, as I am working that there are a lot of similarities between mediation and my favorite part of my work. Just take a deep breath and let it flow.

Please feel free to visit us on the Christown Spectrum Facebook or Twitter pages and watch the event as it unrolls on September 9th. The children and the people will make you smile. Guaranteed.

Promoting Camp Christown Reading Fun Fest means I get to go behind the scenes, watch the set up (and promote it with teasers), see the characters (this time it was an Alice in Wonderland theme), and feel the energy of the children and community as they enter the shopping center and enjoy the activities.  It’s really magic coming alive and I feel so very grateful that I get to not only experience it, but I also get to share the experience with the Christown followers on Facebook and Twitter.

In the slideshow below, please enjoy the initial quiet moments of the Blend Marketing team at work, the the characters doing final costume touches, the participation of the Phoenix School District and the Yucca Library and most of all, the community surrounding Christown Spectrum.

Recently we returned from our second trip this year to Sunrise Springs Spa Retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in preparation for what we anticipate to be a very busy upcoming season both personally and professionally.

We love the retreat due to the incredible food, the daily meditation, the beautiful outdoors, the activities and the people we meet while there – both staff and guests. We absolutely have a relaxing, insightful time there and plan to go back again.  However, that’s not why I am writing this blog post. It’s not a promotion for Sunrise Springs. This trip was special because I learned something new. Archery. Yes, it’s an activity offered at Sunrise Springs and yes, I pretty much stink at it, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and want to do it again.

Deep breath, hold it, release. Yes, that’s it. The zen of archery. Seems like those same steps could be applied to many of our experiences in real life, right? That’s probably why I like it so much.  Archery 360, tells it best, “Archers learn to tune out all distractions, focus on their form, and release the bowstring consistently. Concentrating during archery practice can help you focus better in other areas of life too.”

We hope that you are enjoying some of the improvements and changes we have been making here at Co-Op Web.

Here are 3 Things We Do NOT do:

1. We do NOT use our email to try to sell you anything.  We are a B2B and we reserve our “selling talents” to businesses we wish to do business with.
2. We do NOT purchase email addresses or spam.
3. We do NOT talk much about our clients.  We love and respect our clients very much. We sit in many meetings, brainstorm and share lots of ideas, and it is very important for us to be able to do this freely and without anyone worrying about us sharing sensitive information with the general public.

Here is what we DO:

1. Send you a weekly email every Thursday morning.  Stories, humor, work-at-home support, social media marketing tips and occasionally a how-to blog or infograph.
2. Honor our Privacy Policy.  Please read it, as it has been updated in order to comply with the recent EU GDPR changes.
3. Try to include stories of inclusiveness and how social media is the perfect tool in which to implement this globally.

Please check out our bloggers.   My voice is no longer the only voice you will hear.  I am really loving the new posts, the new voices and I hope that these inspire you even further in your communications and in how you do business and live your own life.

Live long a prosper… I know, that’s not very original, but it always makes me smile.

Ana Lewis
co-opweb.com

Please check us out on  Facebook and Twitter.  There is more than one way we can stay  connected.

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