Drop Visionary Branding's Blog

With several people on our team who have family and friends (here and gone) that have served in the Armed Forces, Veteran's Day is important to us at Drop Visionary Branding. While we always invite you to get social with us, this Veteran's day, we invite you to share your favorite stories, memories and photos of your Veterans to honor those who served, those who were left behind and their families.

Go to our Facebook and Instagram to share your stories and check out the spotlight of our favorite Veteran-centric charity below.

Drop Visionary Branding has been working with Montrel Living since 2011 in efforts to grow awareness through marketing.

Montrel Living is a transitional housing facility designed to provide housing and supportive services to persons who are mentally ill, homeless veterans. Since 2007, Montrel Living has successfully provided housing to over 175 homeless men, and they are currently constructing a location for female veterans and their children. Visit www.MontrelLiving.org to learn how you can help!

Since it wouldn't be a Drop Visionary Branding post without a shameless plug, we would like to remind you that we are hosting the best New Year's Eve Party this side of Lake Ray Hubbard. Now untilNovember 22nd, get discounted prices on ALL ticket levels, including FREE shuttle service to and from the event for our VIP Group guests. Click the banner below to learn more!

Ahh, we all look forward to this month, which is filled with too much food, family gatherings, Black Friday shopping, a few extra days off from work and oh, being thankful, of course! Last year, I wrote a blog on being thankful and how to better thank your employees. After a very huge year for my team - adding 4 new people and a new office space - I would like to say I’m thankful for another great year! I'm curious how my employees will show gratitude to me this year... Muhahahahah. Oh, how the tides have changed.

Check out what I have for you this month. See you at the bottom ~ Creative Spunk

Days of the month we think are cool

Sunday, November 1st: Zero Tasking Day

Relax and enjoy the day off from tasks and honey dos. I'm glad this was on a Sunday, or I would have had a happy crew to have no tasks all day at work!

Wednesday, November 4th: Use Your Common Sense Day

I am scared to touch this one, folks. I will keep my mouth closed. Carry on!

Monday, October 9th: Orphan Day

It breaks my heart we have to have this day. In a world of the best technology, access to money, power and the love of Christ followers, we still have this day. It kinda bums me out. However, I'm very thankful for the awareness.

Have you adopted? Is this something you are passionate about? Share on our blog and let’s bring more light to this subject.

Thursday, November 19th: Use Less Stuff Day

What a fun day! We have so many tools and gadgets and bags and blah blah blah. As Americans, we need this day. Try to use less stuff today and, in turn, focus on what you are thankful for in your life.

I’m a recycle, thrift, upcycle kinda gal. Share your photos and stories on how you made a change today. I’ve added a photo of our office. It shows how minimalist we roll. Working like this gives us more focus on our clients and our passions rather than our ‘stuff.'

We would also like to recognize World Vegan Month  

An interesting irony - this month is World VEGAN Month! During a month when millions of turkeys and hams are served, someone still pulled off World Vegan Month. I mean, that’s determination.

Potlucks & Gatherings:

This is what we like to call 'cram til the end.' Why? Beause like all of our clients, we have just a short window of time to hit our numbers and achieve our goals. Plus, we have holidays, decorating, family gatherings and work parties, which you can never attend empty handed. Geez, I'm tired just thinking about it!

I wanted to let you know, I feel ya! I have some tips to keep you on track, and make sure you don't forget this... With all of these events and shopping, you will run into possibly more new people over the next two months than all year long. So let's do some marketing!

First, I have listed a simple and healthy potluck dish for you to make for your gatherings. Everyone loves soup, and you might just bring the only dish in the room that passes all allergy and healthy trends tests. GO YOU! Add a little sign next to your dish to inform people of what you made, and don't forget to add your logo to the card to remind them who you are.

Second - your brand. What do you have planned to be memorable to all of these new people? What about something they could use during the holidays? Give them something thoughtful that no one else took the time to think of, or even send them a holiday card this year to thank them for having YOU at their party. Don't forget to wear your name tag everywhere you go!

Third, remember those people's names. My husband is excellent at this and I give him huge kudos. It is important to him that he remembers people's names; He feels like if he took the time to hang out with them, he should know their names the next time he runs into them. With that being said, if we run into someone that has forgotten his name... wow, what a negative impression that makes on him. Food for thought. If you are like me, I meet so many new people a week. How can we possibly remember all of those names? I don't, but I remember I met them, and next time I see them I remind them. "I met you at the Jones's house last month and I don't remember your name. I'm sorry about that! I'm Jessica, the owner of Drop Visionary Branding. What was your name again?" BOOM! Off to a positive start.

Quick recap of how many times a person just saw your brand:

On your dish

When you introduced yourself (bonus, I have blue hair)

With your business card

With your name tag

With an item no one else had (we use really cool tumblers we branded)

With a thank you card for inviting you

With a Christmas card

And...possibly around town

Bonus Round: (In the off chance you don't have blue hair like me)

*I'm also part of a few networking groups. I invite the person I met if I learn they have a local business, which allows us to bond in another setting*

Fall Recipe:

As promised - a fall recipe that you can make under and hour. This is the best time of the year for potlucks and gatherings. Bring something easy that everyone will be talking about.

Spiced Carrot Soup : Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

For soup:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 leeks, thinly sliced and cleaned

6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt, to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

4 cups vegetable stock

Vinegar, or another acid, to taste

For garnish:

3 tbl tahini

2 tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

About 1 3/4 c. spicy roasted chickpeas

Fresh Herb on top

Directions

Heat the olive oil in dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, leek, garlic, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper flakes, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze any browned bits, bring to a boil, and then reduce to heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the carrots are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl till smooth. Set aside.

Blend the soup until smooth, either using an immersion blender or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches.

Season the soup to tastewith olive oil, salt, and sherry vinegar.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish each bowl with a dollop of the lemon-tahini mixture, a pinch of dukkah, za'atar, or sesame seeds, roasted chickpeas, and chopped parsley.

​Serves 4-6

NEW YEAR'S EVE 2015 PRESENTED BY DROP VISIONARY BRANDING

Exciting things have been happening around the Drop Visionary Branding office the last few months.We have a new website, we are planning an amazing New Years Eve Party (YOUR INVITED!) and we have experienced an extreme rate of growth thanks to the hard work, dedication and trust in us from our clients. As your Creative Spunk, I'd like to take this time to introduce the newest members of our team.

As the owner you have come to love, I understand that you require the most of my attention. In order to best accomplish that, over the summer I brought on Shaun Kirkland as my Director of Operations. Shaun has a background in management and his work ethic and determination is unparrelled to others in the field. He is my sidekick; the Robin to my Batman, the Chewbacca to my Han Solo, the Ernie to my Bert,the Pinky to my Brain, the Mork to my Mindy. What I'm getting at is... he's kinda awesome.

You may deal with Shaun through phone calls and emails when I simply cannot handle everything, especially if it has to do with scheduling or promo items. All decisions Shaun makes go through me, so you can expect the same strategy, skill and excellence from him that you do out of me.

Many of you know Rachel Bingham, our awesome lead designer I brought on a little over a year ago. Since then, her work load has become so intensive I was able to get her a design assistant, Jason Kauffman. Jason comes from a strong design background, including both freelance and agency work (Living Magazine). His steady pace and keen eye for what our clients are looking for,his prolific love for kale and his always-ready-to-get-it-done attitude is a perfect complement to Rachel and our entire team.

When he isn't hard at work on your designs, you can find him at your neighborhood Starbucks watching tutorials to better his skills or playing in the church band.

For all that he is good at, Jason isn't the best on the phone. So we let him stick to design and Rachel handles the client interatcion.

Our newest member of the team is The Sharp Gentleman, Blake Hammerton. Always stylish, always eager, always upping the game... Blake will be the guy to start our sales cycle. Many of you provide us with referrals, which we love, and Blake will be their first stop on the journey. With a background in sales, SEO strategy, web design and  an all around keen eye, Blake will work side-by-side with me in order to provide each existing and new client the attention they deserve. Blake knows you have a story and wants to help you tell the world.

Most importantly, I want you to know that I am still here for your support. I personally value each client and want to help you fulfill your business dreams and goals. I am always an email or phone call away. I am honored that you continue to choose Drop Visionary Branding as the marketing team to grow your business and in turn, growing my team. Thank you for making that possible.

Your Creative Spunk,

Jessica Juderman-Van Brunt

Happy Fall to everyone! It’s that time of year in Texas when people who love the Texas heat and people who love the Texas winters can hang out together outside and be friends. In honor of that moment, I’ve added a fall recipe so you can be with your friends and surprise them with a delicious treat you made in under an hour. Check out my Trick or Treat section below as well. ~ Creative Spunk

Days of the month we think are cool  

Sunday October 4th: National Vodka Day

Why is this on a Sunday? Can I call in sick for Monday now? A cheers to all the creative flavors of vodka makers. Keep up with the good work.

Wednesday October 7th: National Bathtub Day

I will leave you to handle this on your own. Enjoy!

Wednesday October 21st: Apple Day

I love apples, and personally, my dad makes the best apple pie ever. I love it so much that when I went Vegan, my dad agreed to learn to make it vegan so I could eat it. How cool! Share your apple story with us in the comment section of our blog.

Monday October 19th: Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day

It’s so important to be organized. At Drop Visionary Branding, my creative team is required to ‘clean their computers’ every Friday. Take care of your tools regardless of your field; it’s usually what sets you apart from your competition.

  We would also like to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month  

Trick or Treat

Who doesn’t love this time of year? We get to dress up our kids (my pitbulls), join together for Trunk or Treats and Fall Festivals at the church, and even go door-to-door and beg for goodies. I’ve always wanted to see how my neighbors decorate their front room anyways. So here are some marketing Tricks and Treats…

Tricks: Stay ahead of the competition by being creative and organized. I wanted to share how two of my clients are working together to save money and grow their marketing dollars. The Massar Realty Group and Wasden Plumbing have grown to share many trusted clients between their two teams. Growing their businesses in the area they focus on, takes more money than they both expected. So we are cross-marketing their brands, allowing them to each get exposure and grow their businesses. Great job, you two! Keep up the good thinking. You must have a good marketing company or something….

Treats:

What are you handing out for Halloween? Have you thought about all the ways you can reach your customers through this fall season? Get creative and share your treats on our blog. In fact, we will do a giveaway this month on this exact topic, so share away.

Reminder:

Check your marketing tools to make sure you never miss an opportunity with all of the events and fall festivals. Do you need to stock up on business cards, banners, flyers, pens, etc? Don’t wait till the last minute to let us know.

As promised, here is a fall recipe that you can make under an hour. Since I can’t bake, I am sharing this recipe from Minimalist Baker. She’s incredible and focuses on under 10 ingredients.

ngredients

Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), softened (to speed softening, see note)

1/2 cup organic cane sugar + more for topping

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (or sub pumpkin butter and hold back 1 Tbsp of cane sugar)

1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (sub up to 1/3 whole wheat pastry)

1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder (for thickening/binding)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

FROSTING (optional)

1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter, softened

1 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin butter (optional | storebought or see notes for recipe)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

Splash non-dairy milk

Instructions:

Add softened butter to a large mixing bowl and cream with a mixer for 1 minute.

Add sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and beat for 1 more minute. Add pumpkin and mix once more.

Set your sifter over something that will catch fall out and add dry ingredients. Use a spoon to briefly stir, then sift over butter and sugar ingredients, to combine.

Mix until until incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Then add almond milk and mix until a soft dough is formed. Freeze dough for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes (or chill overnight), preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.

Scoop out heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of dough and roll into balls. Place on a clean baking sheet 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Dip a glass into cane sugar and then gently smash the cookie ball down into a disc (see photo).

Bake on the center rack for 10-12 minutes, or very slightly golden brown.

Let rest on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Prepare frosting in the meantime.

FOR FROSTING: Wipe/rinse your mixing bowl clean and add softened butter. Beat until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla, spices, pumpkin butter (optional) and mix once more.

Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and continue mixing until thick and creamy. Drizzle in a little non-dairy milk to thin. You want this frosting to be pretty thick so it will hold its shape once on the cookies, so only add a little milk and add more powdered sugar if it gets too thin.

Once cooled, frost cookies and top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to a few days. Freeze for longer-term storage.

Drop Visionary Branding

PO Box 1426 Rockwall, TX 75087

[email protected]