Blog

HoneyMAP is turning 5! From HoneyMAP Agency to HoneyMAP, we've seen quite a few changes in 5 short years. Founder and CEO, Sarah Michelle, shares some history and 5 major life lessons she's learned in 5 years of being a business owner.

What even is a brand? Did you know that you are sharing your brand with the world every day? Every interaction is echoing your brand, and if you aren't defining it, your audience will. Learn why it is important to have your outsides match your insides, and how to get in front of your brand narrative.

Do you feel like there are days where you do nothing but respond to email? You're not alone. Check out these tips for taking back your inbox.

Most sales trainings are designed to teach you how to close on the spot. But how do you know that you aren't just being manipulated into a sale to meet a quota? How do you know whether you are being sold a viable solution, or manipulated into being another metric?

Do you get nervous thinking about media performances? Whether it's a public stage, a podcast, a Facebook Live, etc, nerves shouldn't be keeping you from sharing your message. Check out these tips to being more comfortable with media.

Should you be sharing your political views if you own a business? Let's talk about the difference between marketing, business, and brand, and where politics fit in.

Meet Dimitrios Provistalis from Pleasant Pizza!

We are stoked to welcome Illustrator and Graphic Artist, Kellie Semmelrock, to the hive! You may recognize her work on the site (she illustrated all of our line drawings, and created our awesome templates). Kellie also designed our founder's website and will be designing our template websites. Check in soon for some case study updates from some beautiful branded websites that are currently in the works.

A website is sort of the digital handshake between your business and your potential customer. It's often the first impression, and the first opportunity that someone has to get to know who you are and how you can help them. This post is all about options and how to pick the right option for your goals.

Sasha is a portrait photographer who is sweetening the world through brand and boudoir photography. Beyond a simple photo, Sasha believes in empowering women by showing them how they look through her eyes- flawlessly beautiful. Check her out!

Sasha Dale is one of our favorite world sweeteners and we were honored to help script a video for her to share her mission and her vision with the world. Check it out!

Every entrepreneur needs a solid elevator pitch. Whether it's a formal pitch at a networking or investor meeting, or a simple 'What do you do?' at a coffee shop, you have to know what you do well enough to tell people in a way that they can remember. Every interaction is a potential client, or potential referral. Try these tips to nail your pitch.

Jo sweetens the world by helping people heal from religious abuse and toxic theology. After 10+ years of pastoring churches, Jo realized that something was off, and that she wasn't alone in experiencing systems of oppression and abuse. She uses her education and personal experience to dismantle toxic beliefs and explain the process of decolonization and deconstruction so that people can be free to explore spirituality and healing in safe spaces. Check her out!

You may know that HoneyMAP had an interesting success interruption. As I worked to grow and scale my business, I began to implement three little exercises. I call it the three threes. Shortly after implementing this daily practice, my clientbase and revenue tripled. Twice. I hope that these three threes serve you as well as they have served me. ~Sarah

#OffTheShelf You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero is one in a series of books that translates the age-old beliefs of manifestation and law of attraction into becoming a badass. If you enjoy books that are packed with feminine energy and self-help motivation this one is for you. If you are a more tactile learner, you may want to Sparknote this one. Jump inside to grab a copy.

Are you as excited as we are about the beautiful illustrations that Illustrator Kellie Semmelrock created for HoneyMAP? We're excited to share these illustrations, as well as the heart behind them. Check them out, and then check out Kellie and her other amazing pieces of work.

Your mission is what you're here for. Your vision is what you want to be remembered for. Your vision statement tells people (and reminds yourself) what to be excited about. What's coming up? What are you working towards? What will your business look like in 5, 10, 50 years? Check out a little piece of our vision, and get inspired to write your own.

What does meditation have to do with marketing? Kind of a lot. Meditation is the practice of focused thinking. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a few minutes a day of clearing out all the noise, and really focusing on what it is you want to think about. Try this quick 5 minute morning meditation.

Shalmai wears many hats- she is an Executive Assistant, a Realtor in Massachussetts and New Hampshire, a family girl, and runs a non-profit called Get There, Start Now, which exists to connect high school students with college scholarships. Check her out!

#OffTheShelf this week is So Here's the Thing: Notes on Growing Up, Getting Older, and Trusting Your Gut by Alyssa Mastromonaco and Lauren Oyler. Alyssa shares some of her experience navigating personal life and her political profession with humor and grace. It's a humorous insight into the world of politics and a good reminder that we are all human- even the President. [Check it out](https://www.oblongbooks.com/book/9781538731567 "Oblong Books") at one of her hometown bookstores.

It really doesn't matter what you're doing if you don't know why you're doing it. Instead of selling your product or service, sell your mission. A product or service may solve an immediate need, but your mission invites your audience to stay onboard for the bigger calling. Check out a few of our favorites, and learn how to write your own perfect mission statement.

Meet Lauren Huntington Lauren is the CEO of Encouragemintz and is sweetening the world with encouraging messages- and fresh breath. She was prompted to start her business because she saw a needfor a tool that was simple and affordable that could make a positive impact on people. She wanted something that could express appreciation to people who may feel down or unseen, because she wanted people to know they are seen, and that they matter.

You may have noticed we're looking a little different these days. HoneyMAP got a makeover! Visually, we have a fresh style and a brand new website- but we also made over our services to offer even more value to our clients. Get the scoop!

One of the biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make, is trying to do everything themselves, but not knowing what actually needs to be done. While one of the benefits to owning your own business is the freedom to create a culture that suits you, the lack of structure is also a common downfall, and the reason that 20% of businesses fail within a year. These are the 5 job titles every entrepreneur needs to have to be successful.

#OffTheShelf Failure is an Option by H. Jon Benjamin H. Jon Benjamin shares a memoir of mistakes. Though he has found success in comedy (Archer, Bob's Burgers), he has failed his way to the top. This memoir encourages readers to remember that everyone has a behind-the-scenes blooper reel to match their highlight reel, and that embracing the humor and opportunity that comes with messing up is maybe the sweetest part of success.