The first product we sold was a small home bar piece. Naturally, as is the case for most entrepreneurs, it was made for a friend. He needed something special to fit tightly in his kitchen, so Alex offered to help. It was an exciting project for us, a chance to see if we could bring forth our ideas from sketch to actual product.

The home bar was a success, and we occasionally get to see it serve its purpose. It’s a constant reminder of how far we’ve come and how much we have to grow even further.

Wood is our medium of choice because knowing how to morph it efficiently and beautifully is what we are good at and love to do. Every new project is an opportunity to further build on this knowledge, allowing us to push boundaries.

Sometimes the only tool you need with wood is a well-sharpened blade, be it a chisel, a knife, or a planer, and it can be shaped with ease.

We are interested in experimenting with locally sourced stone used by Alex’s father and grandfather for more than 50 years for architectural monuments.

The project we are thinking of does not currently have a defined shape and purpose. In our minds, it could become many things, such as a very sculptural tabletop, an architectural lighting piece, or something completely different such as a witty decoration that could impress your guests.

Since this would be a more experimental project focused on aesthetics rather than functionality, we would see it exposed in art galleries or at furniture fairs to serve as a material statement of our values.

We aim to use design gestures that would highlight the qualities of the wood: a soft feminine touch for walnut or a rich burgundy hue in oak.

ștefania

Custom works generally come with many design limitations and are the embodiment of the client’s specific needs. There is usually a very limited budget available when doing custom works, a very tight size for the final product, and a fixed desired aesthetic.

Our collection is the soul image of our vision and brings forth our highest skill and abilities.

The three little things that reflect our vision and who we are: wood (Eterra Atelier is 100% inspired by wood and is committed to bringing forth its beauty), handcrafted (molding the physical material is what we love to do and are the best at), and finally clarity and simplicity (taking the simplest of ideas and making them remarkable thru craft is our daily mantra).

No, it’s just that due to the nature of the materials that we use and the time needed to process them into final products, the result of our work becomes inevitably expensive. It takes hours of intense physical and mental work to achieve the desired results. 

Our way of doing things has been inspired by fantastic stories of heroes such as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Eiji Yoshikawa’s Musashi. The philosophy of self-reliance, inner calm, acceptance, and discipline are what we try to build thru our work and entrepreneurship. 

Well, for sure, no coffee plant could grow here in Karlsruhe, but we got a large coffee landscape referring us to an incredible amount of little coffee shops and even more coffee junkies out there. What is good to see is that there is more and more awareness about fair trade coffee, organic coffee, sustainability, and things like that.

For me, being sustainable means putting aside mass production.

Lina

I’d say Finca Roasters is here at the right moment to awake even more conscious enjoyment of coffee consumption by feeling more connected with coffee-growers.

Specialty coffee is a certified coffee, which has met the highest quality standards within the international system. In this evaluation, the whole grain process stands out above all, from its planting, harvesting, going through a rigorous and careful selection. Of course, each of these processes is influenced by local geographical and cultural factors, which in turn ensure this specialty.

From my perspective, this is one of the main aspects that explain the specialty coffee trend. Consumers are increasingly interested in knowing the origin of their products and bringing to the table a quality coffee that also tells a story.

For me being sustainable means putting aside mass production. It is to reduce and reuse, as in the case of waste and packaging. And finally, contribute to the social development of vulnerable communities.

Our website is the primary selling tool for us, and this is why we have to rely on it so much.

lina

As for the industry, I must say that very few care about these aspects. Coffee leaves bring too much profit for big companies and those who grow it get almost nothing. This must not be acceptable! Nor is it acceptable that some don’t care about reducing the tons of garbage that they generate, for example, through their packaging, who are made up mostly of materials that are impossible to recycle (at least here in Baden-Württemberg).

Apart from an excellent specialty coffee grain, there are many influencing factors like grinding level, water quality, and preparation time. But the most important thing is a passionate coffee lover who spares no effort transforming a simple cup of coffee into an outstanding one!

I genuinely love every kind of filtered coffee, especially Chemex! This way, you obtain a clean cup that shows you the true quality of specialty coffee grains.

It’s like with everything in our life: Without trying, experimenting, and being brave, you’ll miss a lot of taste.

It wasn’t exactly the book that inspired me to start a blog, but it got me to travel to Iceland. I read it as a kid and since then have always wanted to go and ride a horse in Iceland. This dream came true in 2013.

I guess I couldn’t stop talking about Iceland, and eventually, my former boss told me to start a blog so he doesn’t have to listen to it. His intention was not only to stop my talking but to try out how websites and SEO work in an environment created by me.

There’s so much to see! I haven’t been in every corner yet, and even then, everything changes during the seasons and looks like a completely different world.

Social media gives the wrong impression here – you will never stand alone in front of a waterfall-like Skógafoss.

Sabrina

Also, it’s the people and their mentality. Everyone’s more relaxed, and they have the saying “Þetta reddast” (everything will turn out okay), which I miss in my everyday life sometimes. I live in Frankfurt, where every person is stressed, and work is the top priority, so Iceland is a good break.

It’s not narrow-minded. I think its uniqueness can make you love it or hate it.

Iceland can be harsh depending on the season you visit. In winters, you only have a few hours of sunlight or even no sunlight at all when the weather is bad. In summer, it’s beautiful, everything is green and alive, but still, the temperatures don’t go above an average of 15-18 degrees Celsius (59-64 Fahrenheit). It’s windy, and it’s cold; the weather can destroy all of your travel plans. That’s something to deal with when traveling to Iceland.

Also, there are tourists, and by this, I mean a lot of tourists. You never get to see the popular places without people (except when a pandemic is happening).

Social media gives the wrong impression here – you will never stand alone in front of a waterfall-like Skógafoss (the super popular one), and there are restrictions in almost every place to not cross fences because too many people took photos there and damaged the place. I guess that’s one of the main reasons people might be disappointed.

Every time I visit, it shows me how small people actually are. It makes you feel humble and see the beauty of our planet. It also teaches me that nature has an impact on everything. You can’t plan a trip to Iceland as you would when going to New York, for example.

The weather can put your plans down for days, and you need to start being spontaneous. Icelanders adopted this life over the years, and they go high during the summer and “hibernate” during the winter. When the weather is good, you go outside and do things. And when it’s not, you stay cozy inside.

I don’t see as much as others during my travels, but I’ll have a deeper connection with a place and its people in the end.

sabrina

Laugavegur is a long-distance hike through the highlands, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places in Iceland. You walk for 4 to 6 days with your tent, food, and everything you need on your back. It’s just you, nature, and no phone reception.

Textbook digital detox, calming down and focussing on what’s important (hot chocolate and snacks at the end of the day). The trail is not easy to walk but is suitable for beginners. It leads you through the pure wilderness, something you don’t find on many popular trails like the El Camino in Spain.

Food highlights not only my wish to nurture and care for people, but also my desire to control situations. Above all else though, I think it highlights my innate need to constantly create and make.

Without running the risk of therapizing myself too much, I’m the eldest sibling, and a perfectionist—both of those things make you want to control situations to some degree. ​​

And creating isn’t s much a drive, as a need. Creating makes me feel like myself and when I neglect it, I feel unhappy…That’s enough to keep the wheels spinning.

The deepest, most primal emotional connections that you can think of: feeding and caring for people!

There must also be an untranslatable word somewhere for the feeling that you get when you push your hands into the fresh dough, wash the dirt off of vegetables or pick fresh herbs.

When I develop a dish I can envisage how it will be served, what the ideal lighting is, and the general tone.

I feel incredibly privileged with how I was brought up to eat delicious, homemade food but I don’t take it for granted.

I grew up in an area of the UK that isn’t so affluent so saw the direct connection that circumstance, wealth, and upbringing had to the food that people eat.

It sounds so basic but I just want everybody to enjoy great food because it’s where I get so much of my own joy from.

I do feel incredibly lucky. Most of the time the landscape is whispering, “put down your knives down and come out to play!”

​​I get to look at them every single day! I get to see how the face of them changes with the seasons but they remain the same. Stoic and strong.

People of all backgrounds would be sat together, eating with their hands, passing food around, drinking, and laughing.

Nature and food are my number one loves. It’s no surprise really, without one there isn’t the other. A muddy ride on my mountain bike, a slash around on my snowboard, a walk up a mountain, swim in a lake or forage through the woods is just the ticket to refuelling the creative tanks.

It would be a endless patchwork of picnic blankets spread across the biggest park you could ever imagine. The sun would be shining, the sky blue and the air warm.

People of all backgrounds would be sat together, eating with their hands, passing food around, drinking, and laughing. It would taste whatever gave you pure, unbridled joy as a child.

Mr. Whippy ice cream, fresh tomatoes picked from a vine, rainbow sprinkles, warm bread and butter, cereal as a midnight snack, birthday cake, fish & chips by the seaside, cheese sandwiches in the back of the car…anything goes.

That entire feeling from that scene is what I want to share. 

For most laypeople, any building will probably qualify as “architecture,” and that is absolutely fine, but for architects, this is not so easy. To be considered architecture, a building, no matter how small or big, how cheap or expensive, needs to assert a higher quality than the average structure.

This quality can come through many different avenues; it could be straightforward in form of its materiality or spatial quality, or more indirect, in its societal impact or higher purpose.

Architecture requires a lot of dedication, and has huge responsibilities as well as liabilities, it is also extremely rewarding.

The criteria are manifold and complex; many books have been written about this, so I could go on for a while here (laughs). In my firm, we believe that architecture is a cultural act, and therefore, a contribution to the culture of humanity. We need to make sure that this contribution is worthy of this greater goal, and this is an ethical criterion for us.

We believe that this deep care for what we do is, of course, also to the benefit of our clients, but it goes way beyond this. There is also the fact that no one can avoid a building; our work is literally in the public realm, and buildings require a considerable amount of resources.

With this comes great responsibility for architects. It is my personal aim to do meaningful work that is a positive contribution. Lastly, architecture is a great passion, and though the profession of architecture is very difficult, requires a lot of dedication, and has huge responsibilities as well as liabilities, it is also extremely rewarding; you usually don’t hear architects complain about their job.

An architectural concept is a larger realm of ideas that tie every aspect of a building together. So eventually, a good concept encapsulates everything, from a building’s placement into the context of a city or landscape, up to the smallest construction detail.

A concept also guides everything by describing the big picture of a project, the greater idea. This is in no way esoteric but rather based on common sense. In finding this concept, we ask ourselves many straightforward and practical questions to get to the essence of the best possible solution for any assignment we start.

Usually our design decisions resonate with our clients as there is a logic to them, in this logic we find the poetry of a project.

For many architects, cultural buildings are the crown jewel of projects, so there is a particular attractiveness to participate in such competitions. Together with my Partner Maria Paz De Moura Castro King and her office RIZOMA Arquitetura we do have some direct commissions for museum pavilions and other buildings at the Inhotim Institute in Brazil. These are hopefully going to get built in the next years.

We are not fixed on a building type; we are open to any kind of commission no matter how small or large.

Maria and I are cooperating for a while now, we are about to launch our new firm, PMCKM – Paz de Moura Castro King Mückenheim in the next weeks, but we will also keep MCKNHM and RIZOMA at least for now. All three offices will utilize the Mies theme for our websites, which we love for multiple reasons.

We both have a solid affinity for culture and cultural institutions, which is natural considering our architectural stance. Maria’s contributions over the years at Inhotim are world-class buildings, and we will add more to this unique collection over there, but we are not fixed on a building type; we are open to any kind of commission no matter how small or large.

Our experience spans over many categories and our process can be applied to all kinds of typologies. We are currently also working on several houses in California for very engaging clients on very exposed sites, a house in Corumbau and a hotel at the Marau Peninsula both in Brazil.

I am currently planning my own house (laughs). I never thought I would build a house for myself as I knew that I could never make up my mind if I would have to design something for myself.

We are trying to build this house with a zero carbon footprint, which is an additional challenge.

Also, as an architect, I want to design houses for other people, not for myself. Lastly, I am an urban person, I never thought I would want to live outside of a city – which in my mind speaks against a house. However, with two kids, my perspective has changed, and in 2017 my wife and I purchased a beautiful piece of land in a small beach community south of San Francisco.

Since then, I have made 4 different designs for the house, probably driving my wife, who is not an architect, crazy. However, we settled on a scheme now and we hope to break ground early next year. We are trying to build this house with a zero-carbon footprint, which is an additional challenge. I am also extremely busy with my University appointment.

In the little free time left after that, the office projects and my family keep me occupied, so my own house is always the last thing I work on, which explains the expanded timeline.

But in general, every structure we design is a new challenge in itself as each building is unique. I love this about architecture; every day, there is the possibility for a new experience, there is always something new to learn, there is never a dull moment.

No, for sure not, especially if you count all the awards we didn’t win (laughs). We are not particularly focused on awards, it is always nice to get recognition, but we do not chase awards enough as we are currently too busy to do so; maybe that will change again in the future.

The projects we do are very diverse, and the criteria for generating our designs are multifaceted. Awards seldom capture all the nuances in any given work, but they reflect the recognition or validity of your ideas.

The bottom line is that we are not trying to be popular or recognized, we are trying to do good and meaningful work. Prizes and awards are just a byproduct.

Sometimes awards help to stir a conversation about values in the field; in this regard, some awards are very important. Take the changing focus of the Pritzker Prize, the so-called “Nobel Prize of architecture” probably one of the most important prizes in our field. In recent years, it shifted towards honoring more equitable architecture.

Another recent change for this prize is also that it has become much more gender-conscious. These new focuses have influenced the profession of architecture quite a bit and indeed to the better.

The bottom line is that we are not trying to be popular or recognized, we are trying to do good and meaningful work. Prizes and awards are just a byproduct. They either come or they don’t; most often, they don’t. I believe that you do not have a tangible impact if you are chasing popularity or recognition, it is not about this; it is just about the work you do.

It is funny that you ask this, as it is one of my core beliefs that every one of us should thrive for leaving this world better than we found it. We declared “build a better world” as a core message of the architecture school I am helping to lead.

It is our aim and stands for our values, but it is also a reflection of our students’ aspirations. I hope that my work is a humble contribution to this goal. It is a team effort required by all of us, and everything we do counts, no matter how small it is.

I believe that we are at the brink of a massive shift, which will determent if we can plot another course and save this world. A better world would be one where every being on this planet, and this includes us humans, has its own ecosystem that can coexist with every other and that all of these together are not interfering with the balance of the planet.

On a societal level, I hope that we will continue to build a more equitable world, where every human being has access to everything they would need to lead a dignified life. I know this sounds terribly idealistic, but I do believe that we can innovate our way out of the massive global problems we are currently facing.

I think we are trying to deliver a higher value with everything we do. This has nothing to do with increased costs; we try to take ordinary everyday things and elevate them.

We always want to give our best no matter how small a project is; architecture and its magic can unfold in the smallest of places. This approach is an attitude and our stance, so it comes very natural to us.

Another mantra about our everyday work is “After the game is before the game” a quote by German soccer legend Sepp Herberger.

My parents encouraged me to follow my interests and pursue a career that would bring me joy and fulfillment. Their definition of success wasn’t solely focused on making money but making the most of your unique talents.

Some parents may be reluctant to encourage their children to pursue a career in the arts, but they truly believed that I would be successful in doing what I loved.

Potential can also be found in new ideas, untold stories, and even the process in which creativity happens.

jack

I strongly identify with Saul Bass’s quote, “I just want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares.” I admit to regularly browsing my own Instagram and Dribble feeds. When you take pride in what you do, when you love what you do, it’s only natural to stop and reflect on the results.

On the surface, these titles are broad categorizations with varied definitions depending on whom you ask. However, they best describe my unique skill-set and view of the creative process.

The primary responsibility of a creative director is to possess the ability to see, visualize, or identify potential. I strive to see the potential in the people I work with—the teams I lead, the individuals I mentor. The same is true for the brands, businesses, and organizations I partner with. Potential can also be found in new ideas, untold stories, and even the process in which creativity happens.

However, before I was a creative director, I was a designer—I still consider myself a designer above all else. To me, design is not simply how something looks, but how it functions, solves a problem, or interacts with its environment. Design frames the ways in which I see the world and try to make it better.

I am fond of history and close to my family. When my father sent me a collection of “ancient” family photos, I couldn’t help but put myself in the shoes of my ancestors who were pictured. Colorizing the photos added to their realism and also gave me a relaxing activity in the midst of my busy schedule and recent lockdowns due to the pandemic.

Personal projects allow me to learn and practice without the pressure of impending deadlines. The pressure is also less intense because I am often doing them for myself or close friends and family. I am fortunate in that I can use my talents to delight those around me.

You have to be aware of your surroundings and generous with others.

jack

I regularly turn to books and industry events to expand my thinking and provide inspiration to try new things.

Todd Henry’s book, The Accidental Creative, helped shape the way I work, collaborate, and lead. Aaron Walter’s Designing for Emotion has been the impetus for my recent insights into UX and brand experience.

This past year, without the ability to attend talks and industry events, I’ve turned to online courses with Coursera, EdX, and Skillshare to pick up new skills. Long past the pandemic, I’ll continue to utilize these resources.

It is impossible to know-it-all. When you approach your work with an open mind and a willingness to learn from and empathize with others you will be more likely to reach your goals. 

Being creative is seeing potential in people and things. You have to be aware of your surroundings and generous with others. I have worked in environments that were highly collaborative. I’ve also worked in environments that were highly competitive. The best situations are both collaborative and competitive—ones in which ideas are shared and knowledge compounded.

There are two ways in which I deal with the expectations of creativity on-demand.

1. Allot time for friends, family, and personal projects. Open a book. Go for a walk. Go to the bathroom! We all need time to recharge and reset. Breaks, big and small, help you stay sharp.
2. Turn your attention to that which most inspires you. I have a constantly-growing library of links, images, and scanned images that I turn to when I need traction. I can’t count the number of times I sat down at a project briefing and was able to quickly make connections from an event I attended or an article I read in the preceding weeks, months, or even years.

Creativity and design are more important than ever. Brands are being built around the way in which people experience them, not simply the quality or makeup of their products or services. Businesses are making use of design to solve problems and uncover new possibilities. I’m excited to see the impact of creativity and design being felt across organizations.

Everyone is a designer! I’m hopeful this opens up opportunities for more diversity in those of us practicing it and the thought behind it.

I am officially a teacher associated with the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, “Al. I. Cuza” University of Iaşi and tenured teacher at “Garabet Ibraileanu” Nation College of Iaşi, and “off the record” I am “Mrs. Smari – Smarandi”, “Mrs. Smandi” or simply “Teach.”  

I graduated the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, I have a master’s degree in Educational Policies, which made me want to research the use of new educational technologies by digitally native people, which turned into a doctoral thesis.

This last training, which brought me the title of Doctor of Educational Sciences, outlined the will to make education “different,” to use the potential of new technologies for constructive, educational purposes, to change their status from means of entertainment in learning tools.

As I previously said, the will to educate young students without being constrained by a strict syllabus became stronger. I wanted to have the freedom to build the critical skills necessary for young people to enter the labor market. To emphasize their potential of digital natives, to turn new technologies into friends of education, to be perceived as a necessity in learning, documentation, structuring ideas, and so on.

I concluded that these things could be accomplished in a non-formal setting, emphasizing learning with the help of new educational technologies, educational software, and profile applications.

Therefore, the DigitalEDU Educational Center kicked-off, a center that encourages the integration of NET (New Educational Technologies) in the learning process and promotes “out of school” activities.

I would dare say this is the perfect combination, which, in my opinion, any teacher would like to have at some point in his/her career.

It is beautiful to form and shape their behaviors, attitudes, key competencies, and moral values in the formal and non-formal setting.

I could say that this represents an everyday challenge, but also a joy to discover children/teenagers in various contexts: at school, at college, at our educational center.

DigitalEDU is “a new digital experience.” Ever since it was just a project on paper, we proposed combining new educational technologies in the learning process in a sustained and constant way and turning them into partners in education.

We highlight every digital experience under the monitoring of certified teachers that could contribute to the future adult training, outlining the key competencies required by society.

The necessity for the controlled and unitary development of this segment became extremely obvious in the current crisis and pandemic. That makes us “stand out.”

With all its benefits, technology (software, apps, etc.) has occurred to solve people’s effervescent need for a world in constant digital evolution.

NETs are imposed as a means to refine intelligence, to see, to feel, to act. Having positive or negative valences, theoretical or practical, we can no longer ignore them. They become values through which we aspire to other values. Their creation reconfigured the whole culture and the way to reach it.

The learning process is supported by new cognitive amplification tools used in a controlled way and can take the form of a reliable partner. In the end, the “new technologies” – “man” advantageous partnership represents a challenge: it is a test of the extent to which we can preserve our humanity to technology, which is, basically, a creation of man.

There are many educational centers on the market that offer various services for children, but what we thought is missing, following the doctoral research, was a place for children to discover technology other than just as a means of entertainment.

I was eager to create a center where we can teach young people both the advantages and disadvantages of using NET, the risks of uncontrolled use, how to protect ourselves in the online environment, how to search and identify the correct information online, how to be digitally wise and how to transform technology into a partner in education.

In other words, DigitalEDU represents an answer to the young people’s needs that society and reality from schools still ignore.

Digitalization represents a challenge and continuous involvement, learning, and uninterrupted documentation to keep up with the field’s novelties. Education, since forever and worldwide, is also conditioned by context, by determinations exercised in the present moment.

An actual educational system is exercised to some value, procedural or content constants, which exceed the circumstantial and the accidental. In any context, it is desirable that a steady “compass lead education.”

The educated-educator binomial will never be excluded, the living relationship between two (or more) beings, the concreteness of relating to things, phenomena, states, the exercise of discovery, the joy of understanding ideas, knowledge, and feelings.

This pandemic was a test for me, a test that I managed to pass with work and strength to adapt to the new situation. Again, my belief that the digitalization of education requires a precise and continuous grounding, both in terms of materials used, teachers’ training, and appropriate platforms for age categories, have been strengthened.

We want a change of attitude and action at the educational policies level.

Of course, I do not embrace the idea of giving up the “face to face” education. Still, I encourage a balanced combination of the two options and offer a constructive, educational value to new technologies.

I think it all happened at the right time! I would have liked to launch this project earlier, but, looking back, I appreciate that the 15 years of experience in education, the advantage of working with digitally native students within the university, and the doctoral research laid the foundations of what exists now.

It helped me better understand this generation of digital natives and their needs, identify what the school offers them and what society requires of them, and how I can be useful within the DigitalEDU Center and train them as future adults.

I am originally from Toronto, Canada, that’s where I grew up, and then I also went to the University of Toronto. I lived in or around Toronto up until January 2018, when I moved to China.

My main passion is photography, but I also love listening to music, watching movies, and learning languages. Oh, and I’m a huge Raptors fan!

My major in university was Economics; I originally had a job at a major Canadian bank, selling investments, mutual funds, mortgages, etc. But I eventually lost interest (no pun intended!), and I didn’t find it to be rewarding, so I decided to quit.

I went back to school for a six month intensive IT networking program. I was always good with computers, so it was a natural fit.

I really enjoyed working in IT, and I picked many valuable skills. I got to experience the highs and lows of what it’s like working for both a fast-growing young tech company and a large global company.

After such a long time working in IT (including twelve and a half years with the global company I just mentioned), I was ready for another change. When I decided to leave the corporate world, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. But I knew I wanted something that would be more creative and something that would allow me to be more flexible in where I worked.

I chose web development and had the dream of working in small coffee shops, travelling around, you know, the whole digital nomad lifestyle. For a year or two after the web boot camp finished, I tried freelance web development, but I didn’t make enough money to sustain myself, let alone travel the world.

Even if you have all the skills in the world (which I definitely don’t have!), if you don’t market yourself well, freelance work is challenging. So I decided that I needed to find a full-time job again, but this time I wanted to move to China.

I haven’t done too much traveling this year, only a few places here in China. But I understand the situation we are all in, so I’m thankful that I’ve even been able to do that.

In 2018 and 2019, I was spoiled; I was able to visit so many amazing places, either for work or for pleasure. But then from last October to this April, I didn’t go anywhere; obviously, part of the time was due to the lockdown. In April, I moved to Yangshuo, in southern China, for three months to take Chinese classes.

I really love Beijing, but I was excited to get away for a while. Although I had an incredible time in Yangshuo, I was definitely missing Beijing, so I was happy to return in early August, after spending a bit of time in Guilin and Nanjing after my classes finished.

I think one of the lessons we’ve all learned this year for the future is not to postpone your travels. If you want to go somewhere, just go.

Don’t wait for the perfect time of year, or until you’re not as busy or whatever other reason. We never know what’s going to happen in the future.

In some ways, part of my way of thinking has evolved, it’s been nice here to see the blending of the Eastern and Western mindsets.

Growing up in the West, there are certain misconceptions about what life is actually like here in China. In spite of what gets written in various places about the differences between East and West, there are some things that are common.

Everyone wants the same thing, a fulfilling life, a nice meal together, sharing some laughs, talking about the latest movies. Everyone wants what is best for their children, both for today and for their future.

john

I was pretty minimalist before I ever moved to China, but before I left Canada, I sold quite a few of my possessions. Now having lived in China for two and a half years, with not a lot of possessions, it has really helped me discover what truly makes me happy. I used to think, oh, I couldn’t live without such and such, but now that thinking has been reset. Though it would be difficult to live without my camera and my Apple gadgets 🙂

Moving here was the best decision I could have made, it’s been amazing for my personal growth. I’m looking forward to spending many more years here!

My name is Joe Robison, and I run a content marketing and SEO consultancy called Green Flag Digital. It’s myself and a few others, and we’re a totally remote team, but I’m based in Los Angeles.

I grew up in coastal Southern California but spent the last few years living in other cities like Austin, TX, and Birmingham, AL. My dad-joke is that I was “studying abroad” in the American South. It was cool to see other parts of the U.S. and live in different regional subcultures, but it’s nice to be back home and surfing again and not sweltering in unbearable humidity!

I’ve always had a fascination with business and websites. I remember sitting in Spanish class reading the magazine Business 2.0 rather than talking to the kids around me during our break. I also took copious notes watching business reality shows.

One of my friends built a website dedicated to a Japanese cartoon and was actually earning advertising money from it, which opened up my mind to the possibilities of making money through publishing online. 

Those were early influences. But the biggest influence on what I currently do was starting a job at a marketing agency a year or so after college. Looking back now, I realize how much I didn’t know about the world of digital marketing (nor did much of our team), but it also broadened the realm of possibilities in my mind and that it was possible to create an agency and serve clients. That was where I learned the foundations of my main skillset, which is SEO.

Ever since I started working for companies, I had the urge to break out and work for myself. I think I had this overly-confident, young male perspective that I was smart enough and knew more than my bosses. Which in retrospect, being a bit more experienced now, I realize how naive I was and how much there is to learn at every age.

I had a full-time job at a travel tour company and had a few clients on the side. In about May 2015 I was referred a few new clients all at once, so I had the opportunity to choose between my full-time job and go independent. It was good timing because the travel company had just been acquired by another company and were looking to shed costs. I struck a deal with them where they became a client of mine, so the transition was really great overall. 

Not everyone is that lucky with the timing, but I’d recommend to anyone else looking to go independent that they line up some opportunities on the side so they don’t make it a “go big or go home” decision, which adds a lot of stress if you don’t have a huge savings account or venture capital funding you.

joe

The driving force was that I just really wanted to earn my pay based on my own production or lack thereof. The good thing about a full-time job, at your average company, is you get guaranteed money for doing average work. For some people, that’s great; for others, it’s not that motivating. I liked the concept of being motivated to learn and improve, and having that directly impact my take-home pay and impact on my career. It’s definitely not for everyone, but overall it’s been a good alignment for me.

Our primary mission is to make more beautiful and higher quality content on the internet. That’s quite grandiose, but we play a very small part in producing actually really cool content marketing pieces and not just another filler piece. We accomplish this by creating data-driven content marketing for internet company clients to earn placements in high-quality publications and increase traffic to their website. 

One example that I’m particularly proud of (and took 100+ hours of work) was creating this world map of an epic 52-week vacation, visiting 52 cities around the world where the temperature was perfect the whole time. We defined perfect as the range of daily highs between 21-25 degrees Celsius, which is 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Another example would be this computer science degree vs coding bootcamps infographic we created, which is actually quite relevant in 2020 with students deciding if college is worth paying for given remote classes are going to be the default for the foreseeable future.

This is definitely one of the hardest parts and easiest parts at the same time. It’s hard because every person is different. Different clients want different types of reporting, updates, and engagement levels. They all have different goals and expectations and judgments on value. So adjusting to their personalities, desires, goals, etc. is the hard part.

It can be easy if you realize that they’re just another human that wants to do their job well. If you provide a good service, with a good value, that makes them look good to their bosses, it’s a no brainer. And when communicating with them, you want to be honest and shoot it straight with them, telling them like it is and how to be better, within reason. 

Companies hire outside consultants and agencies because they want a 3rd party to objectively tell them what’s the best path forward and not be mired by internal company politics. Usually, your point of contact appreciates you telling them both the good and the bad.

There’s no use in covering up a poor-performing month. If your contact realizes you’re trying to sugarcoat everything, they’ll trust you less.

joe

Yes, it’s ever-evolving. Like most people, when starting out their career they may think the business world and doing business may be pretty cut and dry. But as you progress, you realize the amount of complexity and how many different markets and industries there are.

A broad approach that I’ve been trying to adapt more and more in my attitude towards business is focusing on the results and principles that are working and doing that over and over. I have been guilty of chasing the next shiny object, learning new things, trying new stuff all the time.

My new mantra is to simplify and double-down on what works and shed what doesn’t work. For example, I have been able to get some decent traffic on a few of the blog posts I’ve written on my blog, such as this one on above-the-fold SEO, yet on average, I’ve only published a blog post like every four months. In a way, that’s a lack of discipline and not doing what I know works, and I think that can broadly be applied to many areas of business.

To get specific in my day-today, one big change for me that has been ever-evolving has been the transition between looking at websites and businesses from the lens of a very analytical, numbers-driven SEO approach to a more holistic approach where numbers, traditional marketing, humanity, and psychology all merge together in a beautiful cocktail.

Instead of looking at search volume and links on a numbers-driven basis, I’ve changed my approach to incorporate better copywriting, UX understanding, psychographics, and just generally think about what the user really wants and what they’re trying to accomplish.

When you’re small and starting out you generally want to go for what’s called “long-tail keywords”. Essentially the monthly search volume for these is lower, but there are less established websites competing for these keywords. 

There are multiple approaches here. You can create many, many small posts focusing on each of these long-tail keywords, or you can create what I call a “long-tail stack” where you address a lot of these queries in one larger blog post. Ahrefs has a great explanation on long-tail keywords in their post here.

Another approach, that’s more natural and less keyword-research heavy is to look at the common questions your prospective and current customers have asked, and answer them via blog posts, or in a case of a site like Pixelgrade, the theme documentation.

If we’re thinking of the average small business that’s not a theme company or a digital marketer, they may say “I don’t want to blog.” Instead of thinking of it as blogging, think of it as repurposing existing content that’s locked away in emails. 

I recently looked at the sales emails of one of my clients that’s a printing company, and there was a treasure-trove of information in there. Answers to tons and tons of questions regarding pricing, artwork, shipping, invoicing, installation, almost everything. I realized by digging through these emails I could vastly improve the product pages of the site and reduce my own questions I have as their marketer that’s not in the product details on a day-to-day basis.

The sustainable way to do it is to chip away at it in a consistent manner. For most small businesses with 100 other things to do, that means setting aside 4 hours every Friday, for example, and writing a new blog post or sales page for your site. Or reaching out and doing your own PR to get interviewed by an industry magazine, or write a guest post for a publication.

Once the small business begins to see traffic and results from the long-tail approach mentioned above, they can start to write bigger content for more competitive keywords. Continue to level up and build on your lessons from watching your Google Analytics. Make it a practice to create, analyze, learn, iterate, and repeat.

The approach that works best is a kaizen approach of constant improvement. Don’t expect quick results, and don’t base your small business only on SEO, or you’ll go crazy.

joe

At the end of the day, SEO is a long-term game. You’ll see nothing at first, then a trickle, then a compounding effect if you stick with it and keep publishing weekly, learning and iterating as you go. 

It’s just like the old Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”

A good piece of content has a specific audience in mind and is not written generically. Generic news writing is pertinent for a general news outlet like Reuters, but not for businesses. You should already know who your audience and customers are, and even then, each content piece should have a specific segment of them in mind.

It reminds me of this quote:

“Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.”

―Kurt Vonnegut

If you write for everyone, you write for no one, if you write for one person, you connect with a lot of people who feel similarly. You won’t connect with everyone, but a distinct segment that feels like your writing is just for them.

This approach has recently become apparent to me, as I’ve become jaded by non-authentic content that, sadly, has been pushed by content marketers and SEOs just to get more traffic.

I agree with what I’m picking up in your question, that stories are more powerful and impactful. Stories are built into our DNA, and I think those who can tell compelling stories on the internet will truly stand out and win over the hearts of their audience.

It’s not always practical to write a story when you’re talking about “how to install plugin X in WordPress”, but it should be something that is always front of mind for content creators.

As we’ve seen with the rise of social networks like Instagram, individual influencers who connect with their audiences on a personal level can get a massive following. People follow people, and the more that the human story and connection can make its way into a brand’s content strategy, the better.

These days it’s not black and white. Both sides of each of those are important, and the blend of the two depends on the context. For example, a non-profit can have a lot of meaning (most do), but if it makes no attempt at keyword research and therefore is seen by only 1% of those who want to be involved, it’s not fully fulfilling its mission. 

Algorithms, at least Google’s stated goal with their algorithm, is to best understand what humans truly want in a search query and serve that to users. It’s not possible to have an in-house librarian at Google hand curating a list of the best search results for every query in the world, so the algorithm combined with human feedback is the best way to serve the largest amount of people around the world.

Of course, we need limits and safeguards to prevent algorithms or headlines run away and cause chaos, as we’ve seen before in many scenarios. For example, Upworthy and Viral Nova had a moment for a year or two where they were the masters of clickbait headlines, which seemed to work but was ultimately unrewarding to readers.

Eventually Facebook adjusted their algorithm to deemphasize those types of over-the-top clickbait headlines, so that may be an example of dialing back headlines in favor of essence.

My approach with The Design Home is always evolving. I actually bought this website from another owner after I noticed it was unused and uncared for. In the past, the site was following the model of other similar sites where they simply featured one product and a short description.

My plan moving forward is to hire expert writers in the field with a background in architecture and interior design to lend their expertise to the articles.

While costs are always a factor when producing content, and it’s not always in the budget, it’s truly better for the readers and search engine results if you can have true experts writing the content.

Not only will smart, experienced visitors tell the difference, but Google’s understanding of language has been advancing rapidly over the years, to the point where I believe they can understand writers’ expertise in a way they never could before.

I felt that the value you guys give through your theme quality, support, and overall community you’re fostering is so great that I wanted to give back. It was kind of a value imbalance where I have received more value than I paid, so I wanted to return the favor in some way. (Hint, hint you should raise your prices.)

Since Julia was so easy to set up, use, and get support for, I just had to leave a review to let others know. I’ve been super frustrated in my search for WordPress themes—the market is so fragmented, and the 3rd party marketplace solution may work for designs, photos, and illustrations, but I don’t think it’s the way to go for complex products that need ongoing support, like WordPress themes. Based on your sales by channel transition away from 3rd party marketplaces to your own brand, it seems you guys have come to the same transition internally.

I also like the model of a team behind a theme creation company, putting their names and faces to the company like you guys do, going above and beyond with transparency reports and fostering a community like Upstairs.

I may sound like an over-zealous fan, but like I said in my review, you guys really stand out in your quality and care in a way that no-one else is doing.

joe

Yes, one big thing I’ve been slowly learning, and it only came to a big realization this year, is the need to create much more than you consume. I tend to default towards over-reading books, blogs, and other sources of information before making decisions. I then over-plan to try to take the optimal approach before starting something. In reality, I’ve learned it’s best to learn a bit of information and take action implementing it in an iterative approach. 

It’s very similar to taking the agile approach vs. waterfall approach in website development. That philosophy can be applied to almost any sphere in digital work. I can’t speak for other occupations like building a skyscraper or an airplane—of course; it’s a different set of rules for other professions. But when it comes to software work and creative work where we can rapidly create, edit, update, and delete, it’s a sound philosophy to live by. 

This all ties into using Pixelgrade themes. In the past, I would try to over-engineer the page and content architecture for sites, try to get a totally custom design, and then get a WordPress developer to build it out.

But now my approach is to use a Pixelgrade theme to rapidly get the site up, focus on creating content and promoting the site, and then when it gets to a certain level of success, I can spend more time and money on additional upgrades.

My name is Diosefer Dal Mora, and I created the company.

I believe nobody ever builds anything alone, and we need to surround ourselves with competent people to make a dream come true. I’ll tell you a little bit about each one. A while ago, when I managed a bar in our city (which also used a Pixelgrade template on the website), we started to follow the growth of the Brazilian cocktail market.

We realized that if we created a serious business, with clear marketing actions, well-defined operational processes, and serving a very high-quality product, we would be able to stand out in the market.

diosefer

And that’s what happened. In May last year, my current partner at Drinkeria.co approached me to present a Gastronomic Complex project for our city where one of the stores could be a cocktail bar. From this opportunity, I created Drinkeria, which had an excellent performance, selling 150% more than what we initially planned for its start, which gave us credibility and security to prepare to open more units in our state. However, COVID-19 has made its move.

I started my adventure with restaurants, when I was 19 years old, working as a waiter in a pizzeria to cover part of my expenses from the architecture and urbanism college, which I never finished. 

Then I started falling in love with customer service, which was my differential at work. So I went from a waiter to the administrative areas and started to manage a restaurant called Sangsan Asian Lounge. I learned a lot about business administration and people management. It was at Sangsan that I got the insight that would lead me into the cocktail business.

It was a sum of factors. Joining a group of competent people, the opportunity to start my business in a place where a lot of people hang out, and the main one: the love I have for the cocktail shop.

That is a tough question. The way I see, a good bartender is someone who can create new things, make new combinations, and, aside from that, a person who can keep a high-quality standard when producing on a large scale. That, I believe, is the hardest skill to find.

We focus on constant evolution and training. A very experienced bartender and mixologist consult us, and we continuously follow the growth of the market and listen to our customers. Also, we often do online courses to improve our skills. An important partner to us is DBA (Diageo Bar Academy), which is offering great free courses during this period.

Remember one thing: customers are the ones who make your business successful. They need to be happy and feel heard, always!

diosefer

Sam Walton (Walmart) once said: “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” For us, our customers are everything.

The beverage industry is continuously changing. And that happens without a doubt because our consumers are increasingly demanding. The easy access to information and the quick dissemination of content allows anyone to be an expert in different areas.

Are you going to say that you don’t have a friend in your group who understands everything about cooking, and when you get together, he always does something new? It is like that with the cocktail shop. If a new drink is created today in NY, I can make it here in Brazil tomorrow.

There are also trends in the consumption of spirits. A while ago, everyone in Brazil drank vodka, nowadays everyone drinks gin & tonic, and the next trend will undoubtedly be rum drinks. Knowing the market trend, when it comes to creativity, the sky’s the limit.

The good experience starts with the arrival, where all the employees at Drinkeria call you by name. This is a differential and makes each customer feel at home.

Another crucial point is high quality and always legalized drinks and supplies. This should be a must in any business, but unfortunately, we know that it is not so.

At Drinkeria, the team’s passion and dedication to the business ensure that all products are delivered and presented in the best possible way as if they were made for themselves, whether that means serving a good wine or that special drink that we love.

As we know, it is an unprecedented situation. I had never imagined going through something like this. Drinkeria.co has been closed for four months. We are constantly looking for new options to bring money into our business, and that is a tough thing to accomplish.

Every day left behind, during this pandemic, is a victory.

diosefer

What gives me certainty and strength to keep on going is that I know how promising this market is. I cannot let myself be overwhelmed by the current situation we are experiencing. Another thing is that I notice an absolute lack of interest from potential competitors. What most people fail to understand is that this is a serious market, and there is no room for amateurs.

The pandemic has been terrifying for everyone. Here at Drinkeria, we needed to reinvent ourselves, and that required a lot of patience, creativity, market research, and a lot of quick thinking to stay in the game.

If anyone wants to know more about our approach during this crisis, they can contact us, and we will be happy to share our ideas and actions.

I don’t think I can see anything clear right now, but I believe that by February 2021, we will be able to resume 100% of our activities. Still, I am not sure our customers will start going to our place as assiduously as before. Before the pandemic, the Gastronomic Complex, where Drinkeria is located, had a lot of visitors.

The future is still uncertain, and the only thing I can tell you is that we will keep on reinventing our business to share our love for drinks with as many people as we can.

diosefer