Posted April 9, 2021
Innovation in the food and beverage industry leaves me astounded almost every day. From plant-based “meat” mimickers to 3D printing of food to “new” globally-inspired ingredients that prompt me to Google “What is (insert fruit, oil, husk, grain, pulp or herb I haven’t heard of)?” Troubleshooting Cookies Lately I’ve been
Posted April 1, 2021
In November, we published “Tips for a Successful Virtual Event,” at the end of a year like no other. We weren’t sure of what was to come; we didn’t know how long the “virtual” aspect of webinars, Zoom calls and video-only interactions would last. We’re now ending the first quarter
Posted March 16, 2021
Spring cleaning isn’t just for the household, and a new calendar year isn’t the only time we can start anew. Breaking bad habits can start today, and they can start with clutter cleanup to our writing. These five tips are a mix of pet peeves and habits that I’ve broken
Posted March 11, 2021
College is great. You can never find parking; you’ll drop a fortune on a piece of paper and if you didn’t have crippling anxiety before, you do now. One of my favorite things, however, is how professors can fail to prepare you for the real world. It’s not usually their
Posted March 1, 2021
Perhaps it’s apt that March is Women’s History Month, because we’ve been marching toward a brighter future for centuries. The three female employees of Brightly Creative are at three different points in our careers, and we sat down and chatted about women who have inspired us in our lives and
Posted February 22, 2021
Swipe left, swipe right, like, follow, share, subscribe, repeat. People are no strangers to social media and the major influence it has in our everyday lives. From the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep, our phones are within reach and social media apps are buzzing. Amid
Posted February 12, 2021
Hurry before it’s too late! National Drink Wine Day is next week, Thursday, Feb. 18, and you don’t want to have an empty glass. Wine lovers, including us here at Brightly Creative, are preparing to to indulge on their favorite glass — or bottle — of adult grape juice. It’s never been
Posted February 5, 2021
I just hit the one-year anniversary of my last business trip. On Jan. 30, 2020, I arrived back in St. Louis from Portland, Ore., at 11:50 p.m. I checked bags because it was a long trip on the West Coast. I left the prior Monday and spent a great couple
Posted February 1, 2021
A couple of months ago, we published a blog regarding best practices for webinars. I’m happy to report that I’ve attended four webinars in January, and only one missed the mark in my opinion. The other three provided value-added information that went beyond forecasting trends for 2021. The first order
Posted January 14, 2021
We’re officially a six-pack, as this week we welcomed Diego Escala to the Brightly Creative team. A mass communication graduate of the University of South Florida, Diego brings a bevy of talents to the fold both professionally and personally. We asked him a few hard hitting questions about his life’s
Posted January 11, 2021
It’s a new year, new you, right? What exactly does that mean? We never have been able to predict the future, but 2020 certainly threw us for a loop. Perhaps that has made us more adaptable to change, but having goals is one aspect of both personal and professional lives
Posted January 9, 2021
It’s been a big year for Account Director Alison Wuebbels-turned-Conklin. She successfully navigated her way through an unpredictable year in our professional world, along with planning her October wedding. We’re celebrating her birthday today with our traditional question and answer session, in hopes that we all get to know the
Posted December 30, 2020
Everyone has a post-mortem on 2020, and so do I. It stunk. For Brightly Creative, the stench was less than for others, and we count ourselves as very fortunate compared to many of our friends and colleagues in the food and beverage industry. But I don’t want to end the
Posted December 14, 2020
I’ve been creating and re-vamping brands for over 20 years – quite a few have been Fortune 100/500. It’s been very rewarding. However, the most enjoyable projects have been with start-ups or small privately owned small to medium size business looking to take their brand to the next level. They
Posted November 27, 2020
Happy birthday to our favorite content specialist, Alyssa! We want to wish her another trip around the sun! Alyssa usually writes the Brightly Creative blogs, but this time, the spotlight is on her. We quizzed the birthday girl with some fun questions. Enjoy this interview, and be sure to wish
Posted November 20, 2020
With little to no in-person events and interactions happening in 2020 — and likely heading into 2021 — we have more digital nomadic numbers than ever before. People are working from home, social distancing and missing the human connection and interaction that office life brings on a daily basis. Webinars are
Posted October 29, 2020
“Halloween is happening,” the National Confectioners Association president declared in August, and there was a collective sigh of relief across America, as Halloween’s ghouls and goblins prepared for one of the most fun holidays of the year. We needed to hear that Halloween wasn’t just canceled like most of 2020,
Posted October 23, 2020
I’m the first to admit: I’ve never been a hugger. Anytime someone would run up to embrace me, I’d slink away like a cat, with my arms to my side or a give a quick back pat to get out of the suffocating hold as quickly as possible. My close
Posted October 8, 2020
The results may have been delayed a bit this year, but it was worth the wait. Every Outstanding Bakery mentioned as a 2020 James Beard Award winner is a past Honey Baking Summit attendee! For those familiar with Brightly Creative, you know that we’ve had a longstanding partnership with the
Posted September 15, 2020
At the end of every year, I eagerly await the mountain of trend reports to hit my inbox, predicting what ingredients and diets will be impacting food and beverage new product development in the coming year. It’s like Christmas morning for someone like me who spends their days making decisions
Posted September 10, 2020
Last week I delved into the world of digital nomadic life, and it took me down memory lane of how fast technology has evolved in our industry. How did I survive in college without a laptop? I remember the nights that I had to wait until 9 p.m. to use
Posted September 3, 2020
Working from home, telecommuting, being a digital nomad — whatever you call it, more and more employers are embracing the “work away from the office” life. I’ll be the first to admit that I have more trouble concentrating as I get older, and there’s no way I could ever go back
Posted August 26, 2020
“Are you serious?” That has been my go-to phrase for 2020. It’s been a wild ride, and it has gone by in the blink of an eye. Among all the twists and turns of a global pandemic, unemployment at an all-time high and America trying to mend racial injustices, I
Posted August 19, 2020
2020 has not been the year for large gatherings. Brightly Creative has seen its entire schedule change this year, having our travel plans delayed, shifted or nixed altogether due to canceled trade shows, conferences, in-person meetings and events. It’s truly been a year of adaptation, patience and disappointment (I may
Posted August 13, 2020
There’s a buzz in the air, and that’s because Saturday, Aug. 15, is World Honey Bee Day! These little insects pack some mighty power, and the day is reserved to honor both the honey bee and beekeepers who work so hard to make hives better homes for the pollinators of
Posted August 4, 2020
I’ve eaten a lot of weird things in my life: chicken liver ice cream, cricket tacos, fish eyes and 12 Jack In The Box tacos (no lettuce). I love food; I love weird food and I’ll try anything at least once. However, I’m struggling with the concept of lab grown
Posted July 24, 2020
There are a number of phrases in our 2020 vocabulary that I never thought I’d be saying just six short months ago. “Wear your mask,” “quarantine,” “flatten the curve,” and “social distancing” are just a few that come to mind. The Brightly Creative team has always had a telecommute work
Posted July 9, 2020
Coming from a journalist’s background, the who, what, when, where and why of how we do things in the content marketing world has always been of particular interest to me. Sometimes those tenants get buried in the hopes of churning out content and “scooping” the competition. But, here at Brightly
Posted June 30, 2020
The newest team member of Brightly Creative is celebrating her birthday today! Traditionally we ask the birthday girl or boy some anonymous hard-hitting questions to ponder, and we’re waltzing out of June with some good ones! Cheers to 27! What activity helps you relieve stress? When I’m stressed, I like
Posted June 24, 2020
Good news lends itself to even more weight in 2020, and we’re excited to announce that North Shore Living is now part of the Brightly Creative family! We’re growing like fresh herbs, and the metaphor isn’t lost on us as we look at the newest part of our food and
Posted June 18, 2020
I just finished reading the book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s a great book that forces you to think about humans’ existence on earth and how we’ve evolved over time. One passage in the beginning of the book had a particularly profound impact on
Posted June 9, 2020
As if we didn’t need a reason before to enjoy candy, June is National Candy Month! The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has designed the month to celebrate “the unique role of candy in a happy, balanced lifestyle,” and we’re all for it. National Candy Month isn’t just about gorging oneself
Posted June 3, 2020
Inspiration struck last week after our first-ever virtual happy hour. We wore weird hats, and the anticipation of seeing everyone pop on screen for the first time in their chosen headwear was almost better than the hour itself. We drank, laughed and shared stories of quarantine, longed for vacations and
Posted May 21, 2020
Most of my fondest memories of togetherness come in the form of enjoying a wonderful meal and taste testing new drinks with friends (or strangers for that matter — imbibing brings people together). Who doesn’t love a great wine or spirits tasting, or a beer flight at the local pub, or
Posted May 11, 2020
From on tap to carry out and delivery, the craft beer industry has had to shift the way they provide us with our favorite ales, lagers, IPAs and saisons. And even though the brewing industry has faced a huge battle with coronavirus’ stay-at-home orders, it has not even come close
Posted May 5, 2020
Living in America has its perks, and one of them is the ability to celebrate almost every holiday on the planet in some way, shape or form. Cinco de Mayo is this author’s favorite holiday of the year (I admit it’s been greatly Americanized and I’m totally OK with that),
Posted April 30, 2020
One of the biggest trends in digital media right now is the podcast, and the origin story is that they were developed in 2004 by a former MTV VJ with a program called iPodder. Through the software, internet radio broadcasts could be downloaded to his iPod, and throughout years of
Posted April 22, 2020
Due to our longstanding partnership with the National Honey Board, naturally we have learned a lot about the hardworking bees that help nurture our planet. It’s only fitting that we would honor bees during Earth Day’s 20th anniversary theme: Climate Action. According to EarthDay.org, on the first Earth Day, April
Posted April 21, 2020
We’ve got another Brightly Creative birthday this week — the one and only Keith Seiz! The family-man-runner-cyclist-foodie-expert-napper extraordinaire answered our questions as well this week, and it gave us an inside look at everything from airplane pet peeves to coveted travel supplies. Enjoy, and please join us in wishing Keith
Posted April 15, 2020
This week we celebrate Jonathan Galbreath’s birthday by taking a deep dive into his life with our top 5 questions we’ve always wanted to know about him. From travel, to tech, to death row, we’ve uncovered some good stuff about Jonathan during his birthday week. You’ve run a successful business
Posted April 7, 2020
Even though the Easter Bunny may be on furlough when it comes to hopping in and out of backyards, that doesn’t mean the Brightly Creative crew isn’t going without our favorite treats or traditions. After all, we’re a creative bunch, so we’ve shifted our focus from large gatherings to the
Posted March 24, 2020
The Brightly Creative team is a lucky bunch. We already work from home, so we’re fortunate to be somewhat used to the new reality of quarantines being put in place across the nation. Telecommuting certainly has its advantages, and it also comes with a certain amount of freedoms. A quarantine,
Posted March 17, 2020
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a feast day that celebrates Irish culture with traditional Irish meals like Irish stew, Guinness pie, soda bread and of course green beer. This year, however, with social distancing in place, there’s an air of disappointment. No dancing in the streets, “Kiss me, I’m Irish”
Posted March 10, 2020
Fun fact about me: I’ve lived in more countries than states! Not so fun fact, I barely remember two countries. With being the youngest of four in a military family, most of the traveling and moving around the world happened before me. I’d like to think that being born in
Posted February 25, 2020
Fat Tuesday is traditionally the time where we gorge on our favorites before the 40-day fasting period of Lent. Whether you’re fasting, giving that one thing up or just ready for the flood of hurricanes and King’s Cake, Fat Tuesday can be enjoyed by every human who has one thing
Posted February 18, 2020
When the dust settles from the current new product development mania around plant-based “meats,” which products will survive and which will join New Coke and the McDLT in the halls of failed product launches? Seems like a challenging question, but I think the answer is pretty simple to come by,
Posted February 11, 2020
What’s your favorite chocolate: dark, milk, white or … ruby? Innovations in the way chocolate is produced and sourced have disrupted this category in the past year, and whether you’re single or happily attached, this Valentine’s Day’s chocolate offerings have our Brightly Creative team excited to share our favorites. Ruby
Posted January 23, 2020
I decided to stop drinking (well, at least for 365 days). I’ll spare you my reasons why. Because what I think is important is whether craft non-alcoholic beer is “good.” Can non-alcoholic beer replace the real stuff? My answer is NO. But, we’ve come a long way from O’Doul’s (which
Posted January 17, 2020
A large part of my job is to research trends in the food and beverage industry. While I’m used to being wowed by constant innovation in our field that results in new ways of doing things and even new vocabulary (can we say upcycling and aquafaba?), there are some moments
Posted January 7, 2020
The Brightly Creative Team has taken off in the past year with a ton of work trips, and we’re heading into 2020 with even more on the docket. As we wandered the long halls of airports across the country, we have picked up on some common food trends at kiosks
Posted December 24, 2019
The ghost of Christmas’s past, present and future is hot on our trails this time of year, and since the decade is almost over, the Brightly Creative crew is taking the time to reflect. A lot has happened in the last decade, both personally and professionally. Alison Wuebbels said: “In
Posted December 17, 2019
Team Brightly sat down last week to close out a successful 2019 and prepare to go full steam ahead into 2020. A majority of our calendar is filled with travel, from summits to competitions to trade shows. To help us start 2020 on the right foot, we start planning. Most
Posted December 10, 2019
For the last nine years, Brightly Creative has been working in the brewing industry for our client, the National Honey Board, to help brewers learn how to brew with honey. It is an industry that we have been successful in and love. Over the years, we have seen so many
Posted November 26, 2019
Are three meals a day — breakfast, lunch and dinner — a thing of the past? Sure, we’ve all been known to indulge in a few snacks in between meals (midnight pizza, anyone?) but something that was once a guilty pleasure is turning into a better-for-us norm. Snacking is becoming such a
Posted November 19, 2019
My grandma said that when I was a baby, she would read to me, but play a simultaneous game where she would turn the book upside down. I knew to turn the book right side up probably before I could get my own body upright on two legs — perhaps a
Posted November 12, 2019
Waste not, want not, a saying that’s been around since the 1700s, still rings true today. Food waste is an epidemic in the United States, yet so many people live in poverty. Although the world hunger problem won’t be solved soon enough, upcycling has reached an entire new level of
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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,
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
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:
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,
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
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
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.
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
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,
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
