Startup of the Month: Road Finch
Stockton-based startup uses pedal power to promote businesses
When car accident totaled Pedro Avila’s beloved ‘87 Volkswagen Cabriolet, he found himself desperate for money to repair the damage. A transportation industry veteran, Avila came up with Road Finch: eco-friendly and interactive marketing — by bicycle.
Let’s Get Functional
3 tips for better board performance
Most board members join an organization for the right reasons, but many fail to make a meaningful impact. Meanwhile, executive directors complain their board lacks engagement and makes unreasonable demands. Obviously, a disconnect exists, but this scenario has a solution and can be fixed. Here’s how:
Just How Much Can You Trust HR?
Complaint-logging and confidentiality
I’ve noticed some of my coworkers becoming quite relaxed about their work schedules. I’d like to speak to HR and have the issue reported anonymously to management, as I would not want to alienate my coworkers and be known as a snitch. Can I ask my HR rep to keep the conversation confidential?
Sacred Spaces
Houses of worship that are worthy of praise
Houses of worship are an important element in Sacramento’s architectural history. From century-old churches to facilities that incorporate modern and sustainable technologies, religious buildings knit together the very fabric of the communities they serve. Here, we feature five local houses of worship, each with its own unique story.
Directing versus Informing: The Dual-Language Quagmire
Successful communication hinges on the ability to meet in the middle
Scenario: You open the refrigerator to find a near-empty milk carton. What would you tell your partner or roommate? Whether you would say, “Get milk when you go out,” or something more like, “Hey, we’re out of milk,” can tell you a lot about your communication style.
Where is the Wine?
We are looking for the Central Valley's hidden wine-country gem
The Central Valley is well known for vast agricultural resources, but isn’t really considered prime wine country given famous neighbors like Napa and Sonoma.
Now that the region is finally beginning to receive some attention for it’s great vino, we have to ask…
What county in the CV do you consider your favorite hidden wine country gem?
Preserving Solano’s Cullinan Ranch
Tidal restoration along Highway 37 brings life back to San Pablo Bay
Early this year, saltwater came gushing through a levee that had kept a vast pasture at the north edge of San Pablo Bay dry for more than a century. The breach was no accident.
Cleaning Up the Paper Trail
How to ditch marketing materials that don’t match your brand.
Every company’s brand collateral begins with the best intentions. There’s usually a business card, maybe some letterhead and envelopes, possibly a brochure. Then it all just gets away from you until one day you find yourself standing in your office’s storage room staring at boxes of mismatched promotional items. Before this spins into a business identity crisis, take charge and detox your branding collateral.
Legacy in Waiting
If Mayor Johnson moves on, just what will he leave behind?
I think Mayor Johnson is ready to move on. He has been a big fish in our small pond long enough. The grand opening of the arena in October 2016 will likely be his public farewell, a metaphorical victory lap. Cuts ribbon. Drops mic.Take my prediction with a grain of salt. But if 2016 is his last year in office, how will he be remembered as mayor?
Book Review: The Nature of the Tribe
Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization
We live in a world of tribes. On a macro level, we discover that every organization is a tribe, a cadre of people involved in formal and informal levels of engagement. The existence of these tribes has major implications for today’s leaders in their quest to create world-class teams, businesses and companies that make a difference.