A Few of Our Favorite Things: Summer Reading
Posted August 6, 2019
Team Brightly took a break from traveling this month to get back in the office and plan our second half of the year’s events. That left time to catch up on our summer reading! Here is a list of the books we can’t put down. Humboldt’s Gift, Saul Bellow Keith...
Now Hiring: Content Specialist
Posted July 29, 2019
Brightly Creative, an agency specializing in the food and beverage industries, is expanding its small team and hiring a full-time content specialist. Ideal candidate will be an experienced writer in short- and long-form content. Food writing experience is preferred but not mandatory. However, you should really have an appreciation of...
A Few of Our Favorite Things: Raising a Glass to Spirits
Posted July 9, 2019
June was a BUSY month for Team Brightly. We went from Providence, RI > New Orleans, LA > Bend, OR > Kent, WA > ITALY > Cincinnati, OH > Springfield, IL > San Diego, CA and probably some more in between. We can’t keep track anymore. But this month, we...
Of Food and Beverages in Italy
Posted June 25, 2019
If you read this blog regularly, you know I’m a foodie. I write about food extensively, love to cook and I get paid to talk about the food industry. I spend a better part of my personal and professional life thinking about food. So, when the family decided to vacation...
A Few Of Our Favorite Things: Balanced Breakfast
Posted June 4, 2019
Mornings can be hectic. And we are folks who are always on the go. Between work trips, kids and running to the gym, we try and grab a lot of different breakfast foods on our way to what’s next. These are some of our favorite products from this month. Kashi...
Mobile Officing: Wanderlust, Creativity and Being a Businessman.
Posted May 28, 2019
The concept of a traditional work environment has always been a challenge for me. Post-grad, I lasted two years in a cubical farm before attempting to define my own work environment. I feel I can now do that somewhat, and a key has been striking a balance between my personal...
Around Chautauqua County in 72 Hours
Posted May 21, 2019
When Jonathan and I decided to step away from the growing agency we founded and start all over again, the idea was to: Stop being business people and return to being creative people Only work with clients, products or services we truly believed in We also wanted to focus as...
3 Reasons to Celebrate National Walnut Day on May 17
Posted May 14, 2019
Working in the food industry, we love a good food holiday. Taco and pizza day…we’re all in and have lunch plans settled early. Cupcake day? Let’s have them for breakfast. Even healthy foods like Kale will receive our dedication to finding foods or making a meal as long as it’s...
A Few Of Our Favorite Things: Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Posted May 7, 2019
Alright. You have heard enough from us about beer, spirits and cocktails. But we swear that’s not all we drink! In fact, here are some of our favorite non-alcoholic beverages we’ve been sipping recently. Honey Cinnamon Kick, Superior Switchel Cinnamon combines with apple cider vinegar and honey to create a...
Distillery Tours: What I Learned from Jack Daniel’s Distillery
Posted April 30, 2019
We work pretty heavily in the spirits industry, so I have been on my fair share of distillery tours. And you tend to see a lot of the same stuff: copper equipment, bearded tour guides and an overuse of rustic wood and exposed brick that screams you’re modern. Unless you...
10 Travel Tips to Make Business Travel Tolerable
Posted April 23, 2019
This is a short blog, but hopefully an educational one. I spend quite a bit of time on the road, and have for the last 15 years. With a wife and two young kids at home, this can sometimes be a tough gig. However, here are five bits of advice...
Natural Products Expo West: What We Saw and What You Can Expect to See on Shelves in 2019
Posted March 19, 2019
This was my second year at Natural Products Expo West. Last year, I was totally unprepared for what I was walking into. This year, I had to give myself a pep talk before walking into the Anaheim Convention Center compound, and I still could not prepare myself for what was...
When Is It Time to Rebrand, or Not???
Posted March 12, 2019
I googled this topic just to see what other branding wizards had to say. So many “creative” folks regurgitating the same obvious factors as if each was the owner of these epiphanies. I would put most of the articles in the same folder with “25 Signs that Your Power is...
IG is Where To Be: Using Instagram Stories to Bring Your Business to Life
Posted February 5, 2019
It’s 2019. It’s time to take your stagnant social media posts and turn them into a story. An Instagram story. Instagram Stories allow businesses to post pictures, videos and all kinds of app-driven visuals on a 24-hour cycle linked to your account. With more than 300 million active daily users,...
Hindsight Will Be 2020: Our 2019 Resolutions
Posted January 3, 2019
Two things we’ve learned about resolutions over the years. First, you have to write them down. Second, they have to be concrete enough to determine at the end of the year if you successfully accomplished your goals. With that being said, #TeamBrightly wrote down its resolutions and is making them...
Alison’s Favorite Things from 2018
Posted December 6, 2018
Another year in the books. 2018 brought new clients, events, cities and experiences as well as catching up with some of my favorite people and places I have met along the way. Here is a recap on some of my favorite things from the year. Favorite Beer: Tart Cherry Kvass,...
Jonathan’s Favorite Things from 2018
Posted December 5, 2018
2019…ehwhathuh?! Time flies, when you do it a lot for work. So much travel. So many balls up in the air. So many challenges, wonderful people and experiences. If I stop and think about my favorite things/experiences from 2018, it can be overwhelming. For me, the best thing to do...
Keith’s Favorite Things from 2018
Posted December 5, 2018
2018 was a banner year for Brightly Creative. We’re fortunate to be blessed with great clients, great partners and interesting, rewarding and fun work. Our jobs take us to all pockets of the United States and even around the world. Here’s my list of my favorite things from 2018. Favorite Beer:...
A Summer of Summits
Posted September 4, 2018
What did you do for your summer vacation? I used to hate writing those essays in school. Now, I’m kind of excited to write this blog post detailing what the Brightly Creative team has been up to this summer. It was packed to say the least. We had meetings, conferences,...
Mission Accomplished? Honey Beer Summit Austin Recap
Posted June 18, 2018
Beards, bees, brewing science and a lot of honey. Those elements are standard of any Honey Beer Summit. But what was unique about our recent Austin event, the sixth Honey Beer Summit we have hosted? Barrel-aging honey, honey sours, hops and honey, increased honey usage, goats, and countless chigger bites....
To “Summit” All Up, Brewing with Honey is the New Black (and Yellow)
Posted May 9, 2018
The year is 2013. Our client, the National Honey Board, had started to field quite a few calls about the use of honey in the brewing industry. We knew it was an emerging market for honey, but we also knew it was a small market at the time. With a...
Mark Boughton, Food Photographer: “Totally Boughsome”
Posted April 13, 2018
Photographers that own there craft, can be “spirited”. Often, being masterful can be confused with ego, and vice versa. Flying to Nashville, Tennessee, on behalf of the National Honey Board for a photoshoot at the tail end of last year landed us at the studio of esteemed Mark Boughton, Food...
On the Road: Denver, Colorado
Posted March 15, 2018
Dates: February 20-22, 2018 Purpose: Client meetings I go to Denver quite a bit. My business partner and creative director lives in the Mile High City, as well as some of our key clients. It’s a city I’ve grown to love. Great food, great breweries, great distilleries, close to mountains and...
Day Three at #ExpoWest: These are a Few of My Favorite Things
Posted March 10, 2018
I’m exhausted. Long show hours plus less than accommodating accommodations have left me empty and headed to the airport early Saturday. Before a long day of travel ahead and a much needed break on Sunday, I leave you with a final report of a few of my favorite products from...
Day Two at #ExpoWest: One Too Many Drinks
Posted March 9, 2018
No, this isn’t a blog post about what you’re thinking. Shows like the Natural Products Expo West are too tiring to go out much at night. In fact, since I’ve been in Anaheim, I’ve had to patiently wait until the noise dies down from the 9pm Disney extravaganza before I...
Day One at #ExpoWest: Keith’s Got a Brand New Bag
Posted March 8, 2018
The Brightly Creative Team is on the scene at Natural Products Expo West, and Keith will be filing reports about what he’s seen, ate and drank. For the first report, Keith analyzes the two snacks in the bag given to each attendee at registration. The show hasn’t even started and...
Good Food + Good Advice and The Perfect Lunch Date
Posted March 2, 2018
I love food. I love cooking it, reading about it and eating it. When I moved back to St. Louis from Chicago, I was terrified of the culinary situation I was entering into. I hadn’t lived in St. Louis for 10 years and knew nothing about the food scene. So,...
Beard Awards Recognizes Friends and Colleagues
Posted February 19, 2018
One of the best parts about my job is the daily interaction I have with true artisans of the food and beverage industry. From chefs to bakers to brewers, I’m fortunate to have met, and in some cases, worked with, people that inspire me. Many of these people were recently...
On the Road: Reno, Nevada
Posted January 20, 2018
When: January 10-12, 2018 Why: American Beekeeping Federation’s Conference and Tradeshow Thinking about visiting Reno? Don’t. That’s probably a bit too harsh of an assessment considering I was only in the city for two days, and spent most of the time in a hotel at meetings. Still, the times I...
Brightly Creative: Chapter One
Posted January 12, 2018
Year one in the books, and what a year it was. If you’re not familiar with our origin story, check out this blog post from last year. In summary, we started Brightly Creative at the beginning of 2017 to follow our passions. To work with great clients in the food...
On the Road: Top Three Trips of 2017
Posted January 12, 2018
On any given day, you’ll find one of us on the road, somewhere in the United States representing our clients. We attend events, host our own events, teach classes and conduct intensive educational and technical seminars. All, for our clients. It’s one thing we take pride in at Brightly Creative....
2017 in Review: Our Favorite Beers
Posted January 5, 2018
We work quite a bit in the beer industry, and we quite enjoy the products that craft brewers craft, from hazy IPAs to tart Berliner Weisses. Through our travels in 2017, we’ve had the opportunity to taste some amazing beers, whether it’s at one of the Honey Beer Summits we...
On the Road: Craft Brewers Conference 2017
Posted January 5, 2018
Dates: April 10-14, 2017 City: Washington, D.C. Brightly Team: Keith, Jonathan and Alison One of my favorite shows of the year! Great beer, great friends, great coworkers and a new city to explore. Plus, three days talking about honey. What’s not to love about the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC)? Jonathan,...
Brightly Creative: The Forward
Posted January 4, 2018
Follow your passion. Empty words for most professionals, as “passion” often doesn’t pay the mortgage, a tab at a Michelin-rated restaurant or college tuition for your kids. But what if it could? That’s the question we’re on a journey to answer with the launch of Brightly Creative, a new craft...
