Small Potatoes Communications

Deploy your strategy effectively with strong communications.

Today is the five-year anniversary of my time with Small Potatoes Communications. A half a decade has passed since I was laid off two weeks before Christmas, then was introduced to Beth Clauss. I went to the office and in my recollection, we chatted for about 15 minutes before we started strategizing on Papa Johns’ new mission and values communications plan. I call it the easiest job interview ever. Obviously, it really wasn’t a job interview. It was just the most casual and consequential first conversation with someone I’ve ever had. Quite literally life changing, as I sit here five years later as the owner of the company with full autonomy over my career and my time. For all my colleagues and friends, I wish you a phenomenal and beautiful life-changing experience in 2025. One that you’ll look back on in 2030 with fondness and awe. Preferably one that doesn’t start with complete and utter devastation, of course! 😅😉 Happy New Year! (Photo is the only picture I have to commemorate the experience on January 3, 2020. Clearly, I was ready to party with PJ's pizza. Also, I've always been a nerd that loves PowerPoint 💅🏻)

It’s National Tell a Joke Day, and fortunately for you, we’re ready. What’s a pirate’s favorite letter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I can see why you think it’s ARRRRR, but it’s actually C. #nationaltellajokeday

Happy #NationalWellnessMonth. At Small Potatoes, wellness isn't just a monthly focus — it's a daily commitment. 🧘♀️50% of us are medi-taters: Beth Clauss, Katrina Linker and Sydney Jones can all help you get flexible and practice healing breathing through yoga. 🎲 Some of us love hosting and connecting with their community by organizing game nights. (Need a game rec? Michelle Foster 🍟 can give you some options.) 🏐 Others love to travel around the country to play sports. (Please ask Cady Chow about her volleyball skills!) 🏕️ And we have a tater who is rejuvenated by the outdoors, whether camping or gardening (Meg Littmann). One thing we all prioritize is taking #PTO, mental health care and spending quality time with family and friends. Practicing wellness every day helps us stay balanced, energized and ready to bring our best selves to the office so we can give our clients our very best work. If your company has a wellness program that you’d like to tell your employees about, we’d love to help you. Schedule a free consultation to get started! #EmployeeWellness #HealthyLiving #WorkLifeBalance

#olympics on the brain...anyone else?

Sydney Jones thinks she has finally cracked the communications code … unless you disagree, in which case, drop your own definitions in the comments below! Let’s see what you know 🤔

Earworms. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head on repeat? Even if that song is a banger (the kids say that now, right?), it still can drive you absolutely mad. My daughter is almost eight, and she loves to listen to the same handful of songs on repeat. She asks to be “DJ Isla” every day on our way to and from her summer program. It’s gotten to the point where I’ve banned her from listening to her playlist because I wake up hearing the songs in my head. Earworm. I’m sure a lot of parents (or anyone really…) can relate to her current list: only #TaylorSwift. I woke up this morning to my brain passionately singing, “who’s afraid of little old me-E-E”. There is one line of that song that has gained popularity since the release of her new album: “You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me.” This quote made me think of some of the #communications influencers I follow on LinkedIn. I see a lot of defiance and indignance when it comes to being a comms leader at an organization. It’s like there’s a war raging between the communications function and everyone else because the random requests and high expectations keep coming without the corresponding headcount to be successful. Of course, it’s mostly true that many colleagues truly don’t understand the communications department’s role – or even how incredibly valuable it is to the business. That’s very frustrating. It’s also true that unless you have a leadership team that understands communications’ value to the company’s bottom line, communications leaders will have to fight for every penny. Instead of letting that frustration bring you down, be strategic about this lack of understanding. Have specific things you can do to hold your #boundaries and educate other departments on the strategic business value of communications. Continue reading on our blog for recommendations on how to hold the line. #professionalcommunicators #internalcommunications #externalcommunications #communicationsleaders #leadership #inspiration #motivation #marketing #strategy #bestadvice #storytelling

In honor of National French Fry Day, we’ve decided to share one of the many things that makes us ✨ unique ✨. Company values are great. A lovely, succinct(ish) way to show your employees, customers, shareholders, media and other audiences what your company is all about. At Small Potatoes Communications, our values differentiate us because they all include potato puns. We are very cool. 🍟 All In: pardon my French (fries). If it’s not a heck yeah, it’s a heck no. 🍟Let’s rumble: We hash(brown) it out and say things that need to be said for the benefit of all. 🍟 You matter: No (potato) chip on our shoulder. We value and celebrate authenticity, ideas and experiences. 🍟Keep growing: It’s ok to waffle (fries). We’re always learning from our blooper reel. 🍟Funny business: Let’s get cheesy (fries). We love fun, and we love business, so let’s do both. 🍟 Enthusiastic champions: We always root for you. We produce our best work when we are on the same team. As cheesy as these are, they're true. You can expect all these things when you work with Small Potatoes Communications. #nationalfrenchfryday #corporatecommunications #companyvalues #values #internalcommunications #humanresources #companyculture #culture

Repost if this is you 👇 #tatertuesday #workhumor

Happy Independence Day! How are you celebrating? I’m celebrating all of the reasons and more that Taters, including myself, feel empowered to be our best and do our best - thanks to freedom, independence and trust. This art of encouragement is embedded in Small Potatoes Communications, where leadership has embraced #workplaceflexibility that supports our independence. For me, that independence looks like working from the office in the mornings when I am most focused, then working from home in the afternoons when I need to take short walks to get my brain back on track. It also looks like encouraging me to visit family in Cincinnati and Memphis and setting me up for success when I go on vacation so that I don’t have to look at my Slack or Outlook (no matter how much I itch to). Freedom is deeply personal and looks different for every person. On #IndependenceDay, Americans celebrate freedom in all facets – liberation from an oppressive power, choosing our own destinies and declaring our own proud identities. This freedom doesn’t end when employees come back to work after barbecues and fireworks. We carry it with us, from the ways we express ourselves in fashion to our preferred methods of #communication. So, when you go back to work on Monday after a weekend of celebrating, identify how your #organizationalculture prioritizes employees proudly showing and utilizing their strengths and differences. Let us know what you find! - Sydney Jones #wfh #remotework #fourthofjuly #agencylife #employeebenefits