I have been working for about five years with Jody Doele, co-owner and marketing director of Thornes Marketplace, a historic and eclectic shopping center in Northampton, Massachusetts. Recently, she offered some thoughts on what it’s like to work with me and what value I add to her marketing efforts.

What is the work of your mission of your organization?

I feel like a steward of this iconic landmark, and we feel responsible for the success of the community of small business owners who are in the building. That is the essence.

What made you want to reach out to Janice for help with public relations?

I had a realization that public relations—speaking to the public about Thornes and our mission—is an important part of our marketing strategy. I had for years relied on my own marketing background to get that done, and I realized that’s not a competency I have, and there are people who have years of experience doing it. And one of those folks is Janice. 

When did you begin working with Janice, and what specific services did she provide for you? 

We started working on a structured approach to public relations efforts about five years ago. Janice writes press releases for us quarterly. People think they can write a press release, and they send it off to folks, and they get cranky when the media doesn’t pick it up. Janice knows what the media wants. One of the ways she creates value is she vets our ideas about what is going on in Thornes, and we can ask her, “Which one of those has legs from a public relations standpoint?” What I think is important might not be important to the media or the general public. 

What was the quality of Janice’s work?

She creates and delivers in such a high-quality impactful way that is not only important to us but hugely helpful. In practical terms, the money we spend working with Janice creates maybe ten times the impact in the media. Doing this work is another way of reaching your customers or your potential customers, and many traditional means of doing so are very, very expensive. Because of Janice’s pricing and the impact we saw through working with her, continuing that relationship was a no-brainer. It’s one of those easy fixes you don’t always find in marketing.

Did press releases Janice wrote for you attract attention from the media?

Yes. Having done press releases myself and throwing them out into the big, black void of the media community, I saw that Janice’s were attended to on a very different level. I get interest that day or the next day from the folks I hope will be interested. That includes television and print and online. I think the media appreciates hearing regularly from important local businesses, and they know that once a quarter, they will be hearing from Thornes. They know they’re going to get a quality communication from us.

Who in your various audiences benefited from the work and in what ways?

Clearly, Thornes as a brand benefits from the coverage, but almost equally as important is the impact the content has on our employees and the people who work here. Thornes employees benefit from knowing they work for an authentic organization. The messages getting out there are positive and community based. It’s good for employees to see that. It creates pride. Our merchants—our tenants—really appreciate the fact that we frequently highlight them at no cost to them, and they see the building in the newspaper in a positive light. It makes them feel comfortable that they made the right decision, and all their hard work is well-placed. 

Do you consider Janice a partner in Thornes’ marketing and public relations efforts?

Yes. In my relationship with Janice, she is the one leading the charge and advising me on how best to proceed. That’s another significant way that working with her has created value for me. 

The post A Client Q and A with Jody Doele, Thornes Marketplace, co-owner and marketing director appeared first on Beetle Press.

I continue to help United Way of Hampshire County raise awareness about the work it does in funding 34 programs that deliver 21,687 acts of service per year to people in need in Hampshire County in Massachusetts. Over 250 volunteers give over 5,000 hours of their time. Recently, I wrote the following blog for United Way to help it recruit volunteers to staff a shelter in Northampton, Massachusetts. 

United Way of Hampshire County is eagerly seeking volunteers to assist with various tasks related to running a newly opened shelter for the homeless in downtown Northampton. Leaders ask that you bring your heart and hands—and if you are inspired, also your creativity.

This, because you may be doing everything from setting up cots to serving coffee and imagining activities that shelter guests can take part in.

Last year, United Way helped the city of Northampton to find dozens of people to help set up and also operate a shelter at Northampton High School, which was closed at the time. This year, the shelter is at First Churches of Northampton. 

Operated by ServiceNet and supported by the city of Northampton, this year’s location opened on Dec. 4, 2020. The need for volunteers is great again this year. As Loren Davine, of Easthampton, volunteer coordinator, explains it, the pandemic is pulling longtime volunteers in many directions, and many older adults who normally volunteer cannot do so because they are at-risk.

Last year, United Way recruited 86 volunteers, two of whom worked every shift, for six to eight hours, for two months in the winter.

Loren said that early on last year, volunteers helped organize and distribute supplies that were donated. They put up signage relative to COVID-19 protocols and distributed meals that were donated by the Hampshire County House of Corrections, Smith College, and some local businesses. 

One volunteer wanted to do more than serve coffee in the hallway. And this is where creativity comes in, as The Kind Cafe was born. She created a designated coffeehouse in the cafeteria and served up hot cocoa, mochas, and pastries to guests.

“After a few weeks, our volunteers started connecting with the guests,” Loren says, noting the shelter was at capacity last year with 55 guests on any given day. “What started as a coffee cart became a whole café downstairs. It felt like you were in a coffee shop.”

“The volunteers offered something special, instead of basic survival. They were really able to humanize the experience and connect with people and address the need.”

Over the winter, the compassion—and the inventiveness—grew. As guests began to feel cooped up, volunteers responded by creating activities and events—such as a poetry slam, movie nights, and special, hot Sunday breakfasts.

“They made pancakes, waffles, eggs,” Loren says. “One volunteer offered a craft night. She brought in supplies and facilitated a project. Many of them didn’t just work their shift. They got involved.” 

United Way is proud that its efforts produced such innovation and compassion. In addition to finding volunteers, the assist in the spring and earlier this winter included sourcing donated clothing, water stations, water bottles, face masks, and chairs. The agency has also worked with the town of Amherst and Craig’s Doors to identify and secure University Motor Lodge as additional housing for those experiencing homelessness. 

The work of United Way is always important. It is often pressing. And it is so rewarding. Get involved—for your own sake!

The post Helping a client recruit volunteers appeared first on Beetle Press.

Through Janice Beetle Books, I had the privilege to stand up in public and talk about Flight of Integrity with my client, Peter Cichon, in the audience with his wife and family. It was a thrill second only to the privilege of helping Peter tell his story in the first place.

As I explained to an audience of about 40 at South Hadley Public Library—which graciously hosted the talk—Peter came to me about four years ago, referred by my friend and colleague Fran Fahey of Fran’s Fine Editing in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Peter sat down in my office and told me the story of a trauma he experienced while working for an airline at Bradley International Airport in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

At the time I met Peter, those events were at least a decade behind him, but I could see the angst and turmoil still on his face and in his body. He said he needed to tell the story because that would help him to feel some sense of closure and peace. I felt honored that he chose me to be his storyteller.

We agreed early on that we would tell the story as a work of fiction based on fact to protect Peter and his family, his colleagues, and the airline itself. My friend and colleague Judith Kelliher helped me interview Peter several times, and Judy also interviewed Peter’s wife and some of his friends and colleagues.

Peter delivered to me several large cartons filled with documentation that included transcripts of court depositions, police reports from the Connecticut State Police, personnel records from the airline, and recommendations and commendations about Peter.

Together with the material gathered in interviews, the information informed my writing. I prepared a manuscript, which Peter and I subsequently edited together, until it fully resonated with him. (Since Jacques is an air traffic controller, I had him read the book as well, and took his good feedback into account.)

Then, my friend and colleague Lisa Stowe of Florence, Massachusetts, designed the book’s jacket and inside pages, and it was printed by Off the Common Books in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Flight of Integrity is the story of a different time in our history and focuses on troubled race relations and incidents of sexual harassment at the airline for which Peter worked as a ramp agent, or baggage handler.

The ongoing drama centered around three employees who had been known to harass female employees and intimidate other colleagues. Peter took on the role of advocate and defender for those employees who were targets. It was his belief that he could make the airline a better place, where people would want to work. Instead, the situation went in a direction Peter never could have seen coming.

At the reading, I heard feedback from people who have already read the book and described it as a page-turner they could not put down. I particularly appreciated that a woman who worked with Peter, speaking directly to me, said I had done a good job in the writing because the book rang true for her. 

Peter talked about how hard it was to feel persecuted and misunderstood, and he thanked me for bringing his story to light. He said he feels relief now, as if he has had his day in court.

Read Peter’s story, and see what you think!

Contact me if you’d like to plan a cozy reading for a book group or at a public venue in your area.

The post Flight of Integrity Takes Flight appeared first on Beetle Press.

Work of fiction, based on a true story, is the first title for Janice Beetle Books imprint

SOUTH HADLEY—Janice Beetle, owner of Janice Beetle Books LLC, will discuss a client’s book, Flight of Integrity, and read from it on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at South Hadley Public Library. 

Beetle developed the book with Peter Cichon of South Hadley over the past four years. The work, with cover and page design by Lisa Stowe in Florence, tells the story of Cichon’s former career as a ramp agent for a major airline that is now defunct. 

“Peter’s experience there traumatized him,” Beetle said. “His reason for telling his story was to free himself of the shame he felt after he and the airline parted ways.”

Flight of Integrity is the first title published through Janice Beetle Books and carries the business imprint along with that for Off the Common Books in Amherst, which printed the work. Through Janice Beetle Books, Beetle works with writers of all skill levels—as well as nonwriters—to help them carry a book idea through to publication. She also offers writing coaching services.

The reading is free and open to the public; South Hadley Public Library is located at 2 Canal St. 

Beetle will tell the story of how she and Cichon partnered to tell this story, and she will read several excerpts from the book. Beetle and Cichon will answer questions from the audience.

The book is available at https://www.levellerspress.com/product/flight-of-integrity/.

While the book is fictionalized, it is based on Cichon’s life and career path as well as on facts and actual characters and events. 

In it, the main character is James Kowalski, who grew up poor and developed a work ethic that served him well. Kowalski became an exceptional laborer and was praised by every employer he had. Working as a truck driver, he dreamt of changing his career and fantasized about working at an airline. 

When he was finally offered a job as a ramp agent—loading and unloading baggage and maintaining airplanes for Arrow Airlines at Bradley International Airport—Kowalski jumped at the opportunity. He also took on the volunteer role of managing employee payroll because he loved being a part of the success of the airline.

Sexual harassment was common in the workplace, and race relations were troubled. The book details incidents and the players involved and tells the story of how events played out for Kowalski.

Judith Kelliher, a longtime colleague of Beetle’s, helped Beetle conduct interviews early in the process and also copyedited the manuscript. 

For more information, visit JaniceBeetleBooks.com.

The post Authors to Read from Flight of Integrity on Nov. 5 appeared first on Beetle Press.

I’ve been busy with challenging client projects this summer, but I have also made time to redevelop my website.

That’s because I’m a big believer in the idea that websites shouldn’t be allowed to stagnate. As a business grows and develops, so too must its website.

In the spring, I noticed my current site has some growing pains. I no longer do much teaching and consulting, for instance, yet those services are still prominently highlighted.

I wanted a tighter focus on my three key service lines: book development, crafting press releases, and writing content for blogs, websites, and magazines.

I reached out to Elizabeth and Lennie Appelquist of Cider House Design in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and they listened to my thoughts and had innovative ideas for a site rebuild. Lennie also helped me embrace the fact that I am the center of my business and my site should reflect that.

We met together for a Discovery session in May and have been collaborating and sharing ideas since. I expect the new site will soon be live.

I am very impressed with the work I’ve seen thus far from Cider House. The draft site is graphically powerful, and it has features that make navigation clear and simple.

I also appreciate the photography by Judith Kelliher and Craig Fear and am pleased with the content I developed. I think it tells a stronger story about who I am and what I do.

Follow me on Facebook so you can take a look when the site goes live!

And consider taking a closer look at your own website. Does it feature the services and aspects of your work that you most want to grow? Is it fresh and inviting? Intuitive in terms of navigation?

Studies show that visitors can spend as few as three seconds on a website before navigating away.

Elizabeth, Lennie, and I can help you turn those three seconds into a long, lingering, informative read that could translate into an email in your inbox or a phone call.

The post Putting on a New Web Face appeared first on Beetle Press.

Molly and I are staying on a 20-year old coffee farm, filling in for a friend of Molly’s as caretakers. We are high up in the mountains on the Kona side of the island, surrounded by lush foliage from giant banana fronds as big as our bodies to delicate orchids and poinsettia that grow in the wild and not in pots on the windowsill. And, of course, Kona coffee plants are everywhere, on the side of the road and in neat rows on the farms that dot the landscape.

We have been in heaven.

But I have also been working while here in Hawaii. Not a day goes by that I do not check my email and respond to inquiries. I have also compiled Voices of the Valley entries for the Springfield Republican through the end of January.

The major project I am working on here, though, is a novel that I am writing for a client. I began this book about a year ago, and worked on it during a month-long stay in the Marshall Islands last year.

I was hired by my client, who lives in South Hadley, Massachusetts, to tell the story of the span of years he spent working for the airlines, in particular one airline formerly based at Bradley International Airport. My client was what’s called a ramp agent; he cleaned planes, de-iced them in the winter, loaded and unloaded baggage, and in general, made sure things ran smoothly on the tarmac.

The story begins in the late 1980s, back in a time before Anita Hill made sexual harassment a thing and in a place where abuses of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission were rampant. The book tells the story of how my client became a defender for innocent airline employees who were being sexually and verbally harassed by three colleagues who also did not have a respect for their roles and responsibilities. My client eventually became a victim, and I’ll say no more than that. I want to entice you to buy the book and not give anything away!

Because I did want to be active on my vacation while also making some good progress on the book, I had a plan for managing my time. I am good at the work-life balance thing—that’s how I manage to work so well from home—and I’m disciplined! So, I wake up early, before the sun rises. I get up even before the roosters start cock-a-doodle-doing, and believe me, they do, beginning about 6 a.m.

It is chilly here in the mornings, and, in the farm shack, the Jalousie windows don’t close, and there is no such thing as heat. So, I grab my laptop from the desk in the living room and climb back in my bed for two or three hours, under layers of blankets, losing myself in my client’s story. When the sun hits the deck, and it’s time to hit the road for another day trip, I wake Molly, and off we go.

I don’t unplug from the book, though. I take my notes and a notepad to the beach with me, and I keep planning how the story will unfold. I have written roughly three chapters here, and I am fully engaged and looking forward to finishing the book in the month of January. That’s a very doable goal. Then, we must begin the editing process and get the book designed. I’ll let you know when it’s available. Hoping for summer 2017!

In the meantime, create your own adventure and work on your work-life balance!

The post From the Hawaiian Office appeared first on Beetle Press.