Fantastic February- Get Your 2012 Catalyst Ranch Calendar today!

Evil you say?

The fun-loving mascot of Catalyst Ranch is definitely not evil. Creative, cutesy, orange, approachable yes, but not evil. This month I bring you Pogo’s devious alter ego – Evil Robot Pogo. The metallic ying to Pogo’s yang was inspired by variety of sources: my love of Sci-Fi, terminator movies and the boutique design firm Robot, Monster and Ghost Co.

The creative genius (excuse me, evil genius) behind Robot, Monster and Ghost is Kevin Scarbrough.

Click here to download this month’s calendar!

Lauren Smith is Catalyst Ranch’s Branson Babe, Gala Girl and Client Services Manager.  For more info about her, visit our staff page.

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When I first started at the Catalyst Ranch four and a half years ago, I never thought I would be behind my own desk here, reminiscing.  But I was asked to help figure out why the Ranch is so good at retaining top employees, and I figured my tale was an apropos one.  I mean, I consider myself worthy of discussing. . .

Anyway, I was in the midst of a career and life change, and the Ranchhand position pretty much fell in my lap.  The old saying about “who you know” certainly fit in this case.  The job was recommended to me by an actress who I was doing a musical with who worked at the Ranch and the next thing I knew I was interviewing for a position and taking a tour of the joint.  Previously I had worked in live and pre-produced radio and television, but I also had plenty of experience working in hospitality and food service; I was an actor after all.  But I had never worked a hospitality job like this one.  For one thing, I had to start getting up at four thirty in the morning, which I was not used to doing, nor wanted to.  For another thing, the uniqueness of the environment and the staff made it a fantastic place to work.

From the minute a client walks through the open elevator doors into the Ranch space, they know it is not going to be what they were expecting, if they have never been here before.  This is all planned; it starts with the design, with everything from the bright colors on the walls and the decor to the smells of breakfast and the cheerful music playing.  But the difference maker is the Ranchhand.  This is the person who is the face and voice of the Ranch, the one who leaves the most lasting impression on the clients who come to think creatively.  This is why we work hard at hiring the best candidates, training them in a way that makes them know they are an essential part of the culture, and keeping them learning and growing, as much as they would like to.  I know that when I was being trained by the excellent Morning Shift Captain, I understood that I was a needed and valued member of a team where everyone relies on the other, for better or worse.  Very rarely would anyone be thrown under the bus for things they have done or not done; that person was shown what could have been done better and how to make it so.  Nobody ever put the fear of God into me if I didn’t get things done the right way the first time; in fact, I was asked if I had any thoughts about how to make things better or streamlined.  This is one of the wonderful things about the Ranch: its’ desire and need to stay on the front edge of what is new and interesting, but what works as well.  Things can be strange and new and exciting, but if they don’t work they are art, not form and function.  We do a great job of finding new ways to make things work better.

I think sometimes that certain institutions have a tendency to not invest in their employees.  Not every person is going to be cut out for every job, but a person needs to be given the chance to prove that he or she isn’t cut out for it.  Here at the Ranch we believe in the people we hire, and this trust and belief in them fosters a desire in our employees to do a good job in their work.  I hope. . .

I’m kidding.  I know it works, for the most part.  I have lived it for four and a half years!  I have seen students work and graduate, folks move out of state to get married or try out the Left or Right Coast, and then some return here because they loved it so much and know it is a place that will treat them like they want to be treated.  I also know they return because they miss working with the kind of people we hire; they are like-minded creative types who do so many things outside of the Ranch.

Ranchhands are clay sculptors, electronic musicians, students, actors, documentarians, comedians, technology gurus, painters, athletes, comic book enthusiasts, writers, photographers, clothing designers, and so much more.  They are from Las Vegas, Rhode Island, Texas, Indiana, Ohio, Detroit, Iowa, St. Louis, Minnesota, Georgia, and Baltimore.  They are from Joliet, Hyde Park, Oakbrook, Glen Ellyn, and so many more.  But now they are all Chicago.  They know their way around the city and they know how to find their passions.  They are also the Ranch.

We at the Ranch celebrate the differences in our coworkers and encourage their passions.  For what is life without them?  Certainly not a place that is comedic, artistic, enthusiastic, engaging, or creative.  And that is what we are here for, after all.

John Leen is Catalyst Ranch’s Operations Manager, A.K. A.  Johnny Rotten and Leen Been.  For more info about him, visit our staff page.

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Congratulations Courtney Rickard, you are our 2012 Cubicle Makeover Winner! Check out Courtney’s entry below:

For this makeover contest we shook things up a bit, instead of focusing in on the boring office drab we asked for inspiration. We wanted to know what inspires and keeps you motivated. After all many of us spend at least 40 hours per week in these small office spaces/ cubicles, wouldn’t it be nice if it felt cozy, welcoming, even motivating? So we asked you to send in your inspiration for a chance to win a FREE cubicle makeover tailored to your personal tastes and interests. We received a flood of wonderful stories and images that made the decision to pick just one winner extremely difficult.

In the end, it was Courtney’s creative and silly personality that won us over. Her image of inspiration, a holiday card she created of her and her fiancée dressed up as figure skaters (DIY costumes which they designed and wore to a Halloween party last Fall).

Using the inspiration that Courtney sent in as a jumping off point we will transform her workspace into an inspiring, creative and cozy environment that is completely Courtney. We will be keeping you updated as the makeover process unfolds.

Thank you to everyone who entered this year’s contest! There were so many great entries that I feel there is no way we can only share just the winner. So I am pleased to announce the three runner-ups that we found to be spectacular.

Congratulations Angie Zamudio

Congratulations Jamila Watson

Congratulations Stacey Recht

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The play and film Six Degrees of Separation propose that each person on Earth is connected to any other person by only six relationships. The Living Wills, by authors Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer, posits that human interconnectivity is much more pervasive – instead of people being connected (or separated) by six relationships, six people can be joined by just one relationship.

The novel revolves around a bowling team – “The Living Wills” – and in particular, one member of that team and the intricate and revelatory ways he is connected to the other main characters: Gina, a barista: Reed, an office manager; and Peter, a fledgling lawyer.

Each of these characters lives is damaged in some way, and the damage is a part – a big part – of what connects them. And as each character seeks reconciliation with their pasts, they discover that they can only find what they seek by opening wounds that they thought to be, if not healed, then at least scabbed over. Each of the main characters becomes aware that the directions of their lives have been altered by decisions and choices often made by others.

The Living Wills is a first time collaboration by Chicagoans Kaempfer and Sullivan. Kaempfer is the previous author of $everence and The Radio Producer’s Handbook. Sullivan is a creativity coach, keynote speaker and actor with a background in improvisation – and it is in improv where lies the key to understanding the strange interpersonal connections of The Living Wills. As the lives of the main characters intersect, the hidden relationships are revealed. As each revelation unfolds, what seem to be a series of seemingly bizarre and improbable coincidences begin to weave the threads of the plot together.

Sullivan cites a performance technique from his improv days called “The Harold” as part of the inspiration for the novel’s structure. In short, The Harold is a three-part improvisation piece in which a theme is introduced, developed and re-developed to create incongruous and enlightening connections. In the novel, these connections pop up as unforeseen relationships between characters. It’s the way that these unpredictable relationships keep popping up (seemingly) from nowhere that gives The Living Wills its impetus and its pitfalls. At first, these connections are almost inapropos, but as the strings begin to wind together, the convergence of these lives begins to make sense. However, getting to that convergence may test the patience of a reader’s willingness to suspend his or her disbelief and some may find at least one relationship to be just a little too contrived and hard to swallow (at least I did).

However, the lives of these characters and their quests for resolution and belonging are darn engaging. The character’s struggles, quirks and foibles are very relatable. Who doesn’t have some of their own? It’s a feel-good, kinda corny but clever and earnest story that’s depicted in a well-realized version of Chicago with which both writers are intimately familiar. Its resolution is reminiscent of another film about relationships, It’s A Wonderful Life, and the line “each man’s life touches so many others.”

–Ken Kiernan is a Client Services Manager at Catalyst Ranch and our official bookworm. THE LIVING WILLS will be a part of our Match Books series on January 24, 2012. For more info, click here. For more info about the book, click here.

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Join us here at Catalyst Ranch next Thursday, January 26^th, as we celebrate self employment. The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship (IAE) will be teaming up with WBEZ’s Front & Center to host a resource fair for the self employed, small businesses, start-ups, and freelancers.

Perfect for those creative professionals that are no longer working in traditional offices, Making Your Own Job, will provide freelancers and small business owners with helpful resources, speakers and insights. New opportunities are out there and this event is designed to help you find them.

Mini Seminar Topics Include:

Entrepreneurship 101 by Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship

Come learn the first 10 steps you need to take to make your idea become your start-up business.

Taxes for the Self-Employed by Center for Economic Progress

CEP’s tax expert Barbara DelBene will highlight basic income tax issues that affect self-employed taxpayers, with emphasis on record-keeping, types of business entities, and employment taxes. Founded in 1990, the non-profit Center for Economic Progress (CEP) provides free tax and financial services to improve the bottom line of 20,000 Illinois’ families each year.

 Create. Innovate. Repeat by Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship

Learn the art of your pitch from 4 individuals who have 5 minutes and 7 slides to show you how it’s done.

Funding your project with alternative lending by ACCION

ACCION will be briefly going over the services that ACCION Chicago provides, what lenders look for in loan applicants, and alternative financing options for small businesses.

Participants:

LAW PROJECT: The Law Project of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights provides pro bono legal assistance to nonprofit organizations and to low/mod income entrepreneurs.   Visit us for a brief legal consultation. 

INDIEMADE: IndieMade offers a simple, affordable way for indie entrepreneurs to build an online presence. Stop by the IndieMade table and get all the information you need in order to build a strong web presence on a tight budget. 

ACCION CHICAGO: ACCION Chicago is an alternative lending organization dedicated to providing credit and other business services to small business owners who do not have access to traditional sources of financing. By encouraging the self-reliance of micro-entrepreneurs throughout the Chicagoland area, ACCION Chicago strives to help strengthen businesses, families, and communities.

ROCKSTAR CPA: Rockstar CPA is an accounting firm specifically geared toward clients in the creative and entertainment industries.  Stop by to learn how incorporating your one-person business might save you thousands in taxes per year. 

NORTHSIDE FREELANCE NETWORK: Launched January 20, 2011, the Northside Freelance Network is a collaborative resource and community-building tool for current and fledgling freelancers and solopreneurs living and working on Chicago’s far north side, from Uptown through Evanston.

 INDEPENDENT WRITERS OF CHICAGO: IWOC (Independent Writers of Chicago), an organization of professional writers, provides tools, support, and connections to help freelancers succeed in writing for clients in various business, marketing, technical, journalistic, and nonprofit fields. Come talk to practicing writers about how to use your expertise to define a niche and launch your own independent writing business.

THE INSTITUTE FOR ARTS ENTREPENERUSHIP: Developing the creativity, human intelligence and ethical culture to fuel sustainable productivity in today’s world.  

coLAB  EVANSTON: coLab provides shared working space for companies, individuals, and organizations. We are a member-only community, driven by the need for collaboration and interpersonal interaction in a work-centered environment. coLab is ideal for individuals or teams who are tired of working from a home office or public, coffee-shop environment.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE: Illinois Department of Insurance’s mission is to “To protect consumers by providing assistance and information, by efficiently regulating the insurance industry’s market behavior and financial solvency, and by fostering a competitive insurance marketplace.” Swing by the table to find out what options are available to you as an individual or small business and learn about the current and future status of health insurance in Illinois.

NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY BANK: North Side Community Federal Credit Union- A full service community based federal credit union with an array of products and services including small business loans up to $35,000 for the entrepreneur.

INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL OF NEARWEST CHICAGO: Located on Chicago’s Nearwest Side, ICNC offers no cost Small Business Development and International Trade assistance in one of the world’s largest business incubators.

10,000 SMALL BUSINESSES: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million investment to help small businesses in the United States create jobs and economic growth by providing entrepreneurs with a practical business education, access to capital and business support services.

Illinois Small Business Development Center at UIC: The Illinois SBDC at UIC assists pre-venture, start-ups, and established businesses with management, marketing, and financial counseling. Assistance is also provided in the areas of business and marketing plan preparation, securing capital, improving business skills, accessing international trade opportunities and addressing other business management needs.

Freelancers Union: Freelancers Union and its members are building a new support system to help the growing independent workforce thrive. A free membership gives you solidarity, benefits, community, and a political voice.

Date: Thursday, January 26 2012 6:00pm – 7:30pm

 Admission: FREE

Location: Catalyst Ranch

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I had a great time interviewing Brendan Sullivan and Rick Kaempfer of THE LIVING WILLS before the holiday. In the video we originally posted, they shared the details of the book’s plot and some insight into their collaboration. Posted here for you is an extended video on their particular collaborative process. Enjoy!

THE LIVING WILLS will be a part of our Match Books series on January 24, 2012. For more info, click here. For more info about the book, click here.

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I had a total Outlook facepalm moment last fall. Our company culture here at the Ranch is big into sharing and celebrating each other’s successes. But it got to a point with the congratulatory “Reply All’s” that it’d take a better part of the morning to sift through and get to actual work-related e-mails. So we all collectively agreed not to “Reply All,” that the first one to respond would represent all of us in the giving of kudos. One morning, our Miss Manners Meredith forwarded some glowing feedback from a recent client, one that I myself had worked with closely. I wanted to shout praise for our team on a job well done, on how lovely that client was and how great it was that their meeting was a success. But our Ranch Czarina Eva had beaten me to the punch. I still wanted to express my joy at receiving this message, so I did what any Social Media Strategist with not enough coffee checking their e-mail at 6AM in the morning would do: I tried to “LIKE” it. And after several minutes of trying to find a “LIKE” button on Outlook…yeah, that’s right, the facepalm moment totally happened. So I sat there staring at Outlook, left joyless and shareless. And I can’t help but wonder if this lack of immediate interaction is what effects some of the challenges of e-mail marketing.

Social media marketing has been booming. Watching the growth of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) over the last few years is akin to watching email overtake faxes and phone calls as a major form of business communication. Several studies have shown that consumers prefer the brand dialogue that these social networks offer over the one-sided blasting of a mass email. There are even some in the social media industry that predict that as a primary means of communication, very soon “email will be dead.” So do we abandon our monthly e-newsletters like 2012-Doomsday Believers selling their homes and running for Appocalypse shelters? Survey says: just hold on a minute.

There are many pros to continuing e-mail marketing. There might be different events, promotions or discounts that might need more explaining than 140 characters will allow. Some of your customer base may keep their personal lives on social media and professional lives through e-mail, which would in turn be the best way to reach them. By focusing on which platform(s) your customer base is spending their time and tailoring messages accordingly, you are not only giving them the best customer service you can but marketing to them in the best way possible. The most important thing about today’s consumer is that they prefer to have conversations rather than be talked at.

Social media is a great way to keep the conversation mutual, but what about email marketing? By its very nature it is one-sided (especially with the “do not reply” addresses many companies utilize.) Scott Cohen of Inbox Group suggests that an e-mail should be a conversation starter. By adding conversational elements into the body of the email, by adding the human element and striving to connect with your customer rather than simply sharing information, you will inspire them to action. Whether that action is to share opinions about your company and services on social media or actually utilize your services, it’s a win all around.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Constant Contact, a leader in email marketing and software, will be leading an extensive workshop at the Ranch on “The 5 Practices for Effective Email Marketing” on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 from 6PM to 8PM. It is an event we are proud to present with our friends at Big Ooga. Click here to register for the event. And tell us what you think, either on Twitter, Facebook, or good ol’ email. Whichever method you choose to connect with us, we look forward to connecting with you!

Danny Bernardo is Catalyst Ranch’s Go-to-Guy, Friendly Neighborhood Client-Pal and Social Media Strategist. He reads exactly 65% of the e-newsletters he subscribes to. Also, he over abuses loves the use of  the parenthetical. For more info about him, visit our staff page or his personal page.

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Jump into a bold New Year with Catalyst Ranch’s 2012 Calendar

2012 marks a landmark in Catalyst Ranch history – the company’s 10^th year of business. In celebration of this milestone, our Gala Girl, Lauren Smith, created a colorful calendar showcasing the many faces of our company mascot Pogo. He’s a world traveler and creative spirit that will brighten your cubicle or desk. Download the entire collection HERE. (All that fab takes a minute to download.)

In Chinese culture, January 23^rd starts the Year of the Dragon. This powerful animal has represented emperors for their passion, drive, colorful personalities, dominance and daring approach of challenges. Chicago’s Chinatown is celebrating the Lunar New Year and their centennial anniversary on January 29^th. With so much to celebrate the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will surely have some great festivities planned.

While you are out in Chinatown, be sure to stop and admire The Nine Dragon Wall. I have passed this monument so many times and never realized its significance. The Nine Dragon Wall is modeled after a wall in BeiHei Park in Beijing. It includes over 500 smaller dragons and is only one of three such replicas outside of China. Learn more here.

Happy New Year!

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2011 has been a great year for us at the Ranch! Here are a few reasons why:

5. “Harmony, Hope, and Humanity” a cabaret fundraiser to benefit disaster relief for Japan.

When the disastrous earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan in March, we (like many others) felt compelled to find a way to help. With ten days to plan, we were able to gather some of the top Asian Pacific American talent in Chicago to perform a fundraiser to benefit the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for Japan. Taking the stage were Joseph Anthony Foronda, Christine Bunuan, Emily Morales, Erik Kaiko, Jillian Jocson, Chelsea Dolinar-Hikawa, and Keith Uchima; the performance was directed by yours truly and music directed by Jaclyn Rada. With the generous donation of our event sponsors (especially Big Delicious Planet) and the 150+ people that attended, we were able to raise $5400 for the disaster relief fund!

4. Project Music

Every year we are proud to host the Project Music fundraiser to benefit the kids at LYDIA Home, an organization that provides hope and support to children and families in need. Project Music is an amazing event that brings in top music performers (this year’s featured act was bluesman Sugar Blue) to raise money to send forty kids in need to overnight camp.

3. Social Media Week panel.

The global event Social Media Week finally hit Chicago and we wanted in on the action. We hosted a panel about how the next generation is using social media. I moderated a great discussion led by social media pros Mark J. Carter, Tim McDonald, Sue Koch with next gen panelists Staci Diamond, Neal Ryan Shaw, James Coston and Rebecca Dickson.

2. Meet Our Ranch Hands (in verse)

Our Operations Manager John Leen gives a fun and whimsical introduction to some of the friendly faces you might encounter at the Ranch.

1. Illinois’ first legal same-sex civil union happen at the Ranch with “Under a New Moon!”

Our country is taking huge strides in civil rights. It might be a bit slow for some, but the times are a-changing and hopefully for the better. When the state of Illinois announced the passing of legislature that would legally recognize same-sex civil unions, we were thrilled beyond belief to be able to be among the first to celebrate. Partnering with Life Cycle Celebrant Anita Vaughan, SQN Events, Jeremy Lawson Photography and so many generous sponsors, we were blessed to be able to give six lucky gay and lesbian couples a the ceremony and reception of their dreams!

It’s been a great year for us here at the Ranch and we can only hope for much more in 2012! Hope everyone has a great and safe holiday season. Happy New Year!

Post written by Danny Bernardo

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Catalyst Ranch’s Monthly Giveaway Prize – Perplexus

Check out the Ranch’s new prize giveaway for the month of December!  Perplexus is an addicting, mind-bending 3-D puzzle that will undoubtedly put your sanity to the test, yet will be nearly impossible to put down! Work with and against gravity to carefully shift, flip & twist the sphere to guide the marble along a series of numbered pathways replete with 100 barriers from start to finish. But be careful, your ball can fall off course faster than you can blink and you’ll have to begin all over again.  Check out the video below to see the Perplexus in action.

Each month we display a new and funky prize that reflects Catalyst Ranch’s unique and creative style. So take the ultimate challenge & drop your business card off at the reception desk if you’re at the Ranch this month for your chance to win!

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