Guest Blog by Rayetta Michael, Help in the Home

We love to see others grow in every area of their lives, and we can’t wait to see you succeed too.  Lessons are best learned when shared, so we are going to reveal our top 15 tips that got us to where we are today. It’s time to realize your value!

1. Servant leadership is the only way.
Our organizational chart places our clients at the top, staff below clients, leadership below staff and co-founders at the bottom. We don’t see how we could do what we do with excellence any other way.
2. Hire people who are smarter than you.
We are constantly patting ourselves on the back for hiring highly-skilled individuals. We learn something everyday from the amazing people who work at Help in the Home.
3. Foster collaboration instead of competition.
The metro DC area can be a breeding ground for competition. We have found that we thrive better on collaboration both internally and externally. 
4. Hire people with heart.
Working with individuals and families struggling with complex mental illness is really hard work. You have to love it to be good at it.
5. Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint.
Pacing yourself and remaining flexible in how you approach each new season of business is a lesson that takes time to learn but is key to avoiding burn out !
6. Have a growth mindset.
In order to maintain standards of excellence, you have to be willing to change and learn. That never stops and we instill this mindset with every person that joins our team. 
7. Start with gratitude.
We start our days focused on gratitude. We’ve found it’s the best way to stay grounded throughout the entire day and especially important on the hard days.
 8. Self-care is essential.
You can’t fill anyone else’s cup unless you’ve filled your own first. Take good care of yourself and it will reflect in how you show up for your clients and staff.
9. Vulnerability is strength.
It is common in our society for vulnerability to be viewed as weakness. However, we’ve found that incredible strength and growth comes from exposing and sharing our vulnerabilities with others. 
10. Trust, but verify.
It’s important to hire people that you trust, while maintaining a system of checks and balances that holds everyone accountable. This helps with ensuring the standard of excellence we strive for.
11. Don’t manage, lead.
When you hire the right people, they don’t need you to micro-manage their time. Lead by giving people the tools and support they need to be successful.
12. Diversity, equality and inclusion improves everything.
Full stop.
13. Presence is a best practice.
Be present.  Truly showing up for yourself, with your clients and staff is where the magic happens.  It takes practice!
14. Strive for excellence, not perfection.
Perfection is unattainable. Know that there are opportunities lying within mistakes. Embrace the struggle and see it as a gift.  
15. Infuse joy.
This is at the very core of Help in the Home’s mission. Take every opportunity you can to celebrate victories, no matter how small they may seem. Even in the most difficult times.

We wouldn’t be where we are today if we had worried about every little thing that was thrown our way. This is your reminder to not sweat the small stuff! You will find joy when you surround yourself with growth-minded people who are willing to have your back while stretching you to be your best. We hope you have gleaned some of the wisdom we have acquired throughout this journey to make your own path a little smoother.
​

About Help in the Home: Help in the Home strives to be known for their passionate approach and guiding motivation to add value to the communities we’re in. They believe in the importance of creating an inclusive community that provides housing and therapeutic support for people with severe mental illness– one where warmth, care, and support are present – is priceless. Co-founders Stacy or Rayetta would love to connect with you - e-mail [email protected] to learn more about their business model and how you can work together.

Guest Blog by Julie Schumacher, sasse agency

In today’s digital landscape, a strong online presence is more important than ever. As a proud member of the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, it’s likely you’re aware of the importance of networking.  Have you considered the impact that a well-crafted blog can have on your business?

Let's Get Going…  

Blogging is “good for business” – it is an important part of a successful marketing strategy. Here are some reasons:

• Builds Brand Awareness: Regular blog posts help to showcase your brand and increase visibility with your target audience.
• Establishes Authority & Thought Leadership: Consistently publishing high-quality, informative content positions your company as an expert in the industry and builds trust.
• Improves Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Blogging allows you to incorporate relevant keywords that improve your search engine rankings and drives more organic traffic to your site.
• Lead Generation: Through content marketing, a blog addresses customer needs and helps guide them through the buyer's journey which results in increased conversions.

An added value for membership with TGBCOC is to guest blog…YAY!

Let's Get Blogging

A blog does not have to be stressful. Here are a few steps to help you begin:

1. Define The Essentials: What is the goal for the blog? Hint: to engage your target audience. Who is your client and what do they care about? What are keywords associated with your industry? What is important to your business community? Answering these questions may help you determine what to say and how to say it.
2. Brainstorm Topics: Come up with fresh ideas to write about on a routine basis. Think about your client’s pain points, useful tips about your industry, and translating your technical expertise into language your clients can understand. Developing or using an editorial calendar can help organize a list of topics that are both relevant and timely.
3. Create A Plan: It is important to have quality content with consistent posts. Decide if you are publishing weekly, monthly or quarterly and integrate this into your marketing plan. Guest bloggers can be helpful from time to time J
4. Get Writing: For each post, choose relevant keywords to guide your blog's content. Find your own tone, subject matter, and style for your posts. Be creative, include a catchy title, section headers, quotes, and references to boost SEO. Use media, incorporate images, graphics, and videos to make the post engaging. It’s important to remember that every post should have a strategic and clear, Call to Action (CTA).
5. Promote: Now it's time to share your blog across your website, social media platforms, and email newsletters.

Let's Get Social

Have fun getting social with your blog. Each channel has its own personality, for example, LinkedIn is the boardroom discussion, Facebook is the water cooler convo and X is the newsroom… understand the best channel to reach your audience.

Let's Get Optimized

To ensure your blog is well-optimized, it's important to focus on both technical SEO and content strategy. On the technical side, you’ll need to implement key elements like title tags, meta descriptions, H1 headers, and Alt tags for images. Don’t forget to resubmit XML sitemap for indexing.

For your content strategy, start with a primary keyword phrase and use it at least twice throughout the article. Be sure to include internal links to other relevant content on your site and add an image with alt text that includes your keyword.

Let’s Get Resources

There are numerous tools available to ensure your content is well-written including accurate spelling, proper grammar, and punctuation.   

AI can support you as a tool to explore trends and topics, research keywords, create outlines and more. Remember, when generating content, AI can lack creativity, emotion, uniqueness, and accuracy --- fact check those stats!

Let's Get Connected!
​
Learn more about being a guest blogger for The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce.
To discuss a blog or your marketing strategy, contact Julie Schumacher, founder of sasse agency

Guest Blog by Joseph S. Barone, Network Bethesda

A recent Office Depot/OfficeMax Survey of over 1000 employees in the US asked the question:  How can employers better introduce new technologies?  
Here is how they responded:

• Provide more training (69%)
• Provide more IT support staff (44%)
• Increase the amount of time to adapt to new technologies (36%)
• Introduce new technologies less frequently (16%)
• Introduce fewer technologies overall (12%).

Although there is much to unpack here, with each of these, I want to take a little time on the first response: Provide more training.
 ​