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the zen kitchen's founder, Dani Nordin, is also an avid writer on the subjects of entrepreneurship, sustainable design, and living your values through your work. Her articles have appeared in Creative Latitude, Boston Women's Business and the Holistic Business Journal. She's also been used as a source for articles in HOW Magazine, CNN/Living and several books on sustainable design. If you'd like to talk to her about an article or a quote for your next publication, drop her a line sometime.

 

Making the most of LinkedIn
Biznik

Any successful online marketing strategy includes positioning yourself on multiple networking sites, and LinkedIn is one of the largest - and one of the most mystifying to everyone I've talked to.

The Seven Deadly Sins of E-mail Marketing
Creative Latitude

A number of folks I know have started to get into e-mail marketing for their own businesses, some with better results than others. Those who get the zen kitchen's newsletter know that, while it's not the only thing I do to promote the studio, I'm a big fan of e-mail marketing; it's an easy, cheap and effective way of keeping in touch with a growing base of people who care about your business so that, when they do eventually need your services, you'll be top of mind.

Ladies Who Launch: Dani Nordin kicks up her (bare) heels
Huffington Post

I have a confession to make. I started my own business primarily because I didn't want to wear shoes to work.

I'm not kidding. I hate wearing shoes, and always have. And, being a "creative type," I actually find that I create better if I'm relaxed. Which means no shoes. And tank tops and jeans. And, occasionally, pajamas (although I'm getting much better at that).

The Curse of the "Just That Cool" Project
Creative Latitude

I should have seen it coming. I knew it would happen eventually – the more people I meet as a self-employed designer, the more well-meaning new friends end up forwarding me job posting after job posting. Some friends, as lovely as they are, send me info on full-time employment gigs, not understanding that I work for myself because I DON’T want to work full-time for someone else, as tempting as it may sometimes seem when times are slow.

Image is Everything? The Problem of Paper
Creative Latitude, Boston Women's Business, Holistic Business Journal

Most people who have been in business for a while (or even those who are just starting out) know that a good logo and effective marketing materials are an important part of building a business. As a result, many business owners and directors of non-profit organizations work with professional designers to help communicate their organization’s mission and values to their target audience.

Your Personality and Developing Healthy Business Relationships
Creative Latitude

In the past week, I've found myself involved in a series of conversations with various people in my network about business relationships. Whether you're just starting out in business or you've been doing it for 20 years, relationships are the key to any business, service or otherwise. Learn how to navigate them well, and make sure to treat people well, and you can build a solid base of support - something that any business needs.


Going Back to the Creative Brief: when Clients Can't Vocalize What's Wrong
Creative Latitude

About six months ago, after a couple of client communication breakdowns that were much more stressful than I needed, I decided to implement a firm policy at the zen kitchen that all projects, with the exception of some minor production work that comes into the office on occasion, required the completion of a detailed Creative Brief.

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