By Abby Breckenridge

We’re just finishing up a classic four-square framework for a client—the ubiquitous diagram favored by MBAs where you place things along a two continuums, left-to-right and top-to-bottom, always aiming to direct the eye of your viewer to that enviable position of the upper right-hand quadrant. It’s popular because it’s good, and provides a clear method to quickly visualize a landscape of options based on a few key criteria. But like a good pop song, when you’ve heard it one too many times, the shine is off and it gets annoying (Hotline Bling, anyone?).

The exercise reminded me of my favorite four-square, one I always go back to when things get busy. The Eisenhower Decision Matrix reminds us to make sure we’re spending our precious time wisely, and getting the right things done. The truth is we all spend time in each quadrant and that’s not going to change, but like all things tempting, the skill is in the balance of not overindulging in any one quadrant.  In general, we spend too much time in urgent/not-important (checking email on our phone as we walk to the bathroom) and not enough time in important/not-urgent (date night).

How do you parse your day?

By Abby Breckenridge

A few weeks ago, a good friend reached out to me and another friend about a mentoring situation she was struggling with at work. Her mentee was a young, ambitious, well-respected female developer in a mostly male company. She had recently cried in front of more senior colleagues in response to some reasonable feedback, and was feeling ashamed and regretful. She wanted advice on what she should do, not wanting to build a reputation as “the girl that cries.”

After much discussion about the pros and cons of crying at work, we basically came to this:

Shake it off.

Crying may not be the best way to get things done at work, but it happens. I’ve certainly done it, more than once. After a quick browse through the internet, it became clear that we are not alone in our advice. Apparently Sheryl Sandberg declared its ok to cry at work in 2013.

“Look, I’m not suggesting that the way to get to the corner office is to cry as much as possible. Nobody is going to publish the next Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and say that crying is one of them. But I am saying that it happens…Rather than spend all this time beating ourselves up for it, let’s accept ourselves. OK, I cried, life went on. And I think that’s part of the message of Lean In, like we are human beings, we are emotional beings and we can be our whole selves at work.”

In all of our job descriptions at 2A, we include this clause:

We like what we do, and we want to work with people who are excited to be at work, and nice to be around.  At the end of the day, work relationships are a big portion of our lives, and we want them to be rewarding and enjoyable.

To me, that means we want real whole people on our team. And if you’re a person who cries when you get emotional, bring it on.

By Abby Breckenridge

My husband isn’t technically a millennial, but he’s close. That, and the fact that we’re juggling a new baby and two careers made me especially interested in Claire Cain Miller’s “Millennial Men Aren’t the Dads They Thought They’d Be” in the New York Times a few weeks back.

Miller writes that while millennial men aspire to more egalitarian relationships—more so than any other generation—as they advance in their careers, they adopt more traditional roles.  She attributes the shift to unsupportive workplace policies and a gender divide in the way workers respond to the pressures of employment.

“The research shows that when something has to give in the work-life juggle, men and women respond differently. Women are more likely to use benefits like paid leave or flexible schedules, and in the absence of those policies, they cut back on work. Men work more,” Miller writes.

My husband works for a small architecture firm, and they’ve generously let him cut his hours to accommodate spending Wednesdays with our son. Similar to what many working moms have experienced for decades, he already feels the tug of what a reduced schedule means for his opportunities and perception at work.

According to John Oliver, the US and Papua New Guinea are the only countries that require no paid maternity leave. And while there’s been some good news recently about strengthening of family workplace policies with Microsoft and Netflix expanding parental leave, we obviously have a long way to go. In the meantime, I am grateful to have an almost-millennial partner who’s committed to working through the challenges of balancing family and work, and taking advantage of modern workplace policies that allow him to prioritize parenting.

Maybe by the time my son enters the workforce, we can come up with something more useful to offer parents than a free meal at Hooter’s on Mother’s Day.

By Abby Breckenridge

For years I’ve romanticized the idea of running a business in the old Wild West. There’s something so alluring about the unencumbered entrepreneurship and creativity of a frontier town—see an unmet need, come up with a creative way to meet it, then make it rich. Like selling pickaxes in Deadwood, but without the syphilis and gun fighting.

The daylighting of cannabis sales may be as close as we come to a new market that doesn’t involve product innovation—pot has been around for ages, but for the most part, its trade has functioned outside of legal markets. While Washington State Initiative 502 legalized the sale of cannabis products for recreational use passed in 2012, 2015 marked the beginning of the fun phase for marketers—demand has finally surpassed supply, and telling a story that differentiates your cannabis brand has become a key to success.

Sure, prices are dropping (the average price of legal pot is now $12 per gram, down from $30 last summer), but that’s not the only way to set your product apart. That’s why we’re excited to partner with our client in the modern-day Wild West as they rollout their premium cannabis products. Stay tuned for more details about this new brand as it hits the shelves in a pot shop near you.

By Abby Breckenridge

1. Stay on message. Repeat. To quote and learn from the strategic Marshawn Lynch, a la Beast Mode, “I’m just here so I don’t get fined,” a phrase he repeated 29 times at media day. We hear you, Marshawn.
2. Merchandise, merchandise, merchandise. Is it just me or is 12th man paraphernalia rivaling Frozen gear? We bought 12th man bourbon at Trader Joe’s and a friend gave me Seahawks-themed Glassy Babies, which I love. Seize the opportunity to extend your brand, or ride on the coat tails of someone else’s.
3. Richard Sherman is smarter than you are. Smart employees drive interest in your company, so hire up.
4. Homemade earthquakes generate buzz. Optimize your retail environment to allow for the creation of unexpected groundswells of support for your business.
5. Everyone wants to be a part of something. This is true even if they dislike sportsball. Cultivate brand evangelists by giving your audience something to be a part of.

By Abby Breckenridge

If you’re like us, you may have left a few holiday shopping tasks to the last minute. Here’s a round-up of 2A’s favorite, locally-made gifts so you can delight your loved ones and support our local businesses while you’re at it. Now get shopping! Happy holidays from the team at 2A.

1. Knots Necklace in white lambskin from Rachel Ravitz I’m a big fan of Rachel Ravitz—novel and easy to wear.

2. Wonder Treats for dogs Don’t forget your furry friends.

3. Limoncello from Letterpress Distilling Bring a delicious and unexpected hostess gift.

4. Gift card to Trove Noodles, Korean BBQ, parfaits (yes, parfaits).

5. Membership to the Bar Ferd’nand Bottle Society Ok, the wine isn’t made locally, but the shop is local, and the selections are from mostly old-world, small production, family-owned estates.

6. Massage from Adrienne Everyone wants a good massage.

7. Radiator belt buckle from Steel Toe Studios Lightweight and makes a strong statement.

8. Haversack Shoulder Bag from Alchemy Goods Waterproof, made from used bike tires—what could be more Seattle?

9. Subscription to New Roots Organics weekly bin Local fruits and veggies for those new year’s resolutions.

10. Creamed Honey from Ballard Bee Company Buttery-smooth with light floral flavors, pair this local treat with cheese or spread on whole wheat toast.

11. Chipotle Chocolate Cherries from Chukar Cherry Spice up someone’s holiday with a zesty twist on a Washington classic.

12. Shigoku oysters from Taylor Shellfish Have the taste of the northwest delivered to someone’s front door.