The DatAchieve Team

Invaluable.

That is one word I would personally use to describe my experience working at DatAchieve Digital. This is a testimonial, but not a traditional one. One written by an employee, not a customer. Here is a look into my life from the past year:

I’ve been given an unbelievable amount of opportunities for growth here.

I’ve also celebrated some pretty important milestones during my duration at Datachieve. These included getting accepted to my dream college, my eighteenth birthday, and my high school graduation. I was also chosen out of 100s of other apprentices to speak at the apprenticeship awards ceremony. In my speech I said, “let us celebrate this moment, but let us also look to the future with optimism.” This is something that I can testify to, as today is my last day working for DatAchieve Digital (At least for now- David always says I’ll come back) It’s bittersweet, as I’ve grown closer with this staff everyday.

I’m going to miss the little things. Like talking about movies and music with Matt, listening to David ramble off some story we’ve all already heard once or twice before, and the entire office going to get coffee together after Taylor and I convinced them to join our daily trips over time.

I cannot express how much everyone here has helped me grow professionally.

Their guidance over the past year has been more than valuable to my future. I want to highlight the title of this blog; Learning from the Pros. That’s the best description I can come up with for the past year. Learning from these amazing people has been nothing short of invaluable. Everyone has taught me something influential along the way. This team has done more for me than they know.

Norma and David have taught me the most valuable lesson of them all:

Running a successful business, that feels like a family. The two of them just do it right. Watching the two of them do what they do everyday has been a lesson itself. They have truly been such an influential addition to my life.

Long story short these people have become my family. And my time spent here is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. And if I haven’t said it enough, Thank You Datachieve Digital.

Don’t Get Too Comfy.

Being “comfortable” with a website design can be trouble for several reasons. While comfort might sound like a positive attribute, it can lead to complacency and hinder the website’s effectiveness and success.

Here are a few reason why it’s not a good idea to just be “comfy” with a website design:

Stagnation

Technology, user preferences, and design trends change quickly. If you become too comfortable with your website design, you may miss out on opportunities to update and improve it to match the current standards and expectations.

SEO & Accessibility

Search engine algorithms and accessibility guidelines change, and your website design should comply with the latest standards to maintain visibility and reach a broader audience.

Competitive Disadvantage

If your competitors are regularly updating and enhancing their websites to better cater to their audience, being merely comfortable with your design puts you at a disadvantage.

Brand Perception

An outdated or stagnant website design can make your brand appear less reliable and trustworthy. Regular updates and improvements demonstrate that your brand is active, caring, and invested in providing the best possible experience.

User Experience (UX) Issues

A website’s success depends on its ability to provide an excellent user experience. If you don’t actively seek feedback and make improvements based on user insights, you might have usability issues that can drive visitors away.

Conversion Rates

If your website aims to convert visitors into customers or subscribers, small design tweaks can have a significant impact on your conversion rates. Being comfortable might prevent you from optimizing for better results.

Mobile Responsiveness

As more people use mobile devices, it’s essential to have a responsive design that fits different screen sizes. Ignoring mobile users could lose you a large part of your audience.

Security Concerns

Cyber threats and vulnerabilities are constantly evolving. Regularly updating your website’s design and underlying infrastructure is essential to keep it secure and protect your users’ data.

What you need to know (about me)

My name is Blake (everyone in the office calls me Jake or Balakay)

I have a twin sister (she’s pretty cool sometimes. I feel like this is an important fact about my life)

I work at DatAchieve Digital (obviously because I am writing this blog post)

I will be studying at Salisbury University in a month (I still feel like a freshman in high school. Saying that is bizarre)

Deciding to take an apprenticeship during my senior year was genuinely scary, but it was the best decision I have ever made:

I came into this spot with little to no experience, but I knew in the future I wanted to work in the design/media industry. You have to start somewhere. I’ve always had a passion for photography, but I knew I wanted to do more than just that. The job description for the apprenticeship spot here at Datachieve briefly mentioned photography so my interest peaked. It was thankfully so much more than that. Once I started working I was learning so much everyday. It was overwhelming some days, but I also couldn’t get enough of it.

I was so worried about missing out on ‘senior year stuff’, leaving school everyday for work. But I think what I gained was much more valuable. As someone who played two varsity sports and was in multiple clubs, I don’t think I missed anything. I also believe I’m more prepared for my future than my peers.

Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t productive enough or felt discouraged that what I was doing wasn’t influential. I was constantly reminding myself that I’m still learning, and everyone else here is a professional. It’s going to take time to find what I’m good at, what my niche is. Embracing that was something I had to get used to. I learned to take things slow and to absorb as much information from the crew here as I could.

Thankfully this is the best team I could have asked for. Everyone worked with my busy senior year schedule and I’d say I was able to accomplish (with their help) more than I could have expected. This included working on two websites by myself in the production stages, photoshoots, and many video interviews. With so many opportunities, along with hurdles and valuable lessons, I have learned an unbelievable amount of information regarding this profession and the industry itself. In this case, the risk was worth the reward.

AI & Your Business

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, has become a hot topic lately. We don’t see the discussion or advancement slowing down anytime soon. While AI is a valuable tool and continues to advance and be useful, it’s important to step back and recognize the importance of the human element.

Here are 4 things to consider when approaching the use of AI in your business:

Understands Storytelling

Sure you can ask AI to write you a story, but they won’t produce the same richness and depth in narratives as we do. Think of the last good article or story you read, what stood out to you? Was it personable? Was it about someone’s traveling mishaps that they are sharing for their readers to also not experience? Maybe it was about a teacher having her first year in the classroom post-pandemic. We tell good stories because we understand human emotions, motivations, and complexities. Not completely discrediting AI, it is a great tool to help brainstorm ideas, or maybe write a sentence to be more clear. It’s great for the little things, not the big.

Emotional Connection

This is probably an obvious one, but AI isn’t a tool to rely on to comprehend your pain points. As humans, we have the unique ability to empathize, relate, and truly grasp pain points and struggles. We can connect with others and sympathize with our own experiences. Humans might be a little on the edge of the “what ifs” of AI replacing their jobs. It’s hard not to be if technology keeps advancing the way it is.

But, AI will never be able to replicate human connection which is going to be even more valuable in everyday life and your business. People do not want to talk to a robot or rely on AI to solve their problems. It may know what to say, but only because of solutions based on patterns or data. Emotional connection and intuition come naturally to us and will always be important.

Accurately Define Tone & Brand Message

While AI is a great tool to help write, it also all sounds the same. AI cannot define your tone and brand’s message in a way that you can. More than ever, people are craving relatable content. They don’t want perfection, they want to be reminded that it’s okay to make mistakes and live imperfectly. When you use AI to convey your tone and brand’s message, you are leveraging towards a more generic business. Being able to add personality to what you say is what makes you stand out. So make grammatical errors, show your imperfections, and maybe accidentally say ‘sh*t’ (oops.) AI may produce well-structured and grammatically correct sentences, but it will lack the creativity and personality that you bring to your brand.

Just Simply Not Being a Robot

AI will undoubtedly continue to evolve and be an essential tool in various fields. However, the value of working with actual people will remain unmatched. Collaborating with other people is what brings dynamic conversations and sparks creativity in a way that AI cannot replicate. Working with other people who have years of experience can bring in a new level of understanding and perspective. And most importantly, building trust and loyalty with one another. Whether that be your customers, your clients, or even an employee. They all make up a bigger part of your business.

Final Thoughts

AI will always remain a valuable tool, but the true value lies in working with actual people who bring years of experience, understanding, and empathy that bring better solutions.

How to Turn Small Ideas into Big Wins

Starting a new business can be hard, but it can be even harder without a plan to present, produce, and promote. When conducting research before starting a new business is crucial for informed decision-making, reducing risks, understanding your target market, planning resources effectively, and increasing the likelihood of long-term success. It provides a solid foundation to shape your business strategy and adapt to changing market dynamics.

Let’s break down the ways to make your business turn from spark to success.

Research, Research, and Research

The most important phases of research prior to starting and branding a new business is the market understanding, competition analysis and risk mitigation. Let’s look at how each topic is crucial in the development of a business

Market Understanding: Understanding the ever growing market allows you to identify your target audience, their needs, preferences, and purchasing behavior. This knowledge enables you to tailor your products or services to meet customer demands effectively.

Competition analysis: Researching the competition helps you identify existing businesses offering similar products or services. By analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, pricing strategies, marketing tactics, and customer feedback, you can develop strategies to differentiate yourself and gain a competitive edge.

Risk Mitigation: Research helps you identify potential risks and challenges associated with your business idea. By understanding industry trends, legal and regulatory requirements, economic factors, and other relevant variables, you can develop strategies to mitigate risks and make informed decisions to navigate potential obstacles.

Licenses and Other Things

Identify the licenses and permits required for your business at the federal, state, and local levels. You can start by researching the license requirements on the websites of the relevant government agencies.

Apply Apply Apply! Most licenses will have different processes so make note of the varying instructions, requirements, and fees.

Follow the regulations and requirements of each license and keep up with renewal dates in a timely manner.

Display licenses properly. Once you have obtained the licenses, display them prominently in your business premises as required by law.

What’s Your Offer?

It’s important to ask yourself “What makes your service or product unique?” When starting a new business, it’s crucial to identify what sets your product or service apart from competitors. Understanding your unique selling proposition helps you define your business offering and develop a compelling value proposition for your customers.

Knowing the people you’re working and partnering with also creates valuable and influential connections. Knowing those persons and their intentions can help you bring your idea to life. Understanding what makes your product or service unique helps you differentiate your business from competitors, while identifying suppliers or partners ensures you have the necessary resources and support to bring your business idea to life effectively. Both aspects contribute to the overall success and sustainability of your new venture.

Show Off Your Business

There are so many ways to show off and advertise your brand today. With an unlimited number of social media to choose from, finding your target audience is easier than ever. Check out the blog post “How to Pick the Best Platform to Market your Business” for more information on social media planning and execution.

Don’t Quit

Persistence is a vital trait when starting a new business because it is often the way to success. Building a thriving business takes time, effort, and an unwavering commitment to your goals. Challenges, setbacks, and obstacles are bound to arise along the entrepreneurial journey, but by not giving up, you increase your chances of finding solutions, learning from failures, and ultimately achieving your objectives. Persistence pays off as it allows you to adapt, grow, and overcome difficulties, paving the way for long-term success and fulfillment.

Earth Month Special with Claire

In this episode we interview Claire Snyder, Grazing Specialist of Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (WMRC&D). Their mission is to build and sustain resource conservation programs which raise the quality of social, economic, and environmental development in our region.

Over the upcoming months, our hosts, Blake & Taylor will be interviewing inspiring people in the community for their unique perspectives and stories. We are interviewing prominent women in our community to celebrate Women’s History Month this March. In this episode, we talk with Tekesha Martinez, the Mayor of Hagerstown, Maryland.

Mayor Martinez is the first woman of color to hold this position and is an inspiration to young women and girls in our community. Before becoming mayor, she was a council member and has represented and supported our community in many ways.

Welcome to DataChicks, our new interview series that will feature insightful and inspiring conversations with professionals from diverse backgrounds and industries. The aim of the series is to provide a platform for individuals to share their unique perspectives, experiences, and lessons learned on their journey to success.

We will focus on interviewing based on what the month is dedicated to celebrating. The month of March being Women’s History Month, as well as International Women’s Day, we took the time to put the spotlight on women in various industries and celebrate their achievements.

So, join us as we dive deep into the stories of successful individuals and learn from their experiences in DataChicks.

Heather Guessford

She is the President & CEO of United Way Washington County. United Way is a volunteer driven nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting quality health and human service programs.

Lesley Riley

She is the owner of Mama’s Biscuits. Her gourmet biscuits come in sweet and savory flavors, and are even distributed in large retailers such as Walmart, Target and more.

Mayor Martinez

In this episode, we visit Tekesha Martinez, the recently appointed Mayor of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the first woman of color to hold that position.

March Interviews

March is Women’s History Month and we wanted to celebrate amazing women in our community.

April Earth Month Special: Claire Snyder

Episode 2: Lesley Riley (Mama’s Biscuits)

Our hosts, Blake & Taylor will be interviewing inspiring people in the community for their unique perspectives and stories. For the month of March, we are interviewing prominent women in our community to celebrate Women’s History Month. For this episode we are interviewing Lesley Riley, the owner of Mama’s Biscuits.

Her gourmet biscuits come in sweet and savory flavors, and are even distributed in large retailers such as Walmart, Target, and more. Lesley also gives back to the community in various ways. Whether it is partnering with local agencies to donate hundreds/thousands of biscuits every month, she mentoring young entrepreneurs at the Mama’s Biscuits Culinary Incubator that lives on the campus of Hagerstown Community College.

Episode 1: Heather Guessford

Welcome to the first episode of the new series: DataChicks & Friends. Our hosts, Blake & Taylor will be interviewing inspiring people in the community for their unique perspectives and stories. For the month of March, we are interviewing prominent women in our community to celebrate Women’s History Month. To kick-off the start of the series, we are interviewing Heather Guessford, the President & CEO of United Way Washington County.

United way is a volunteer driven nonprofit organization that is dedicated to supporting quality health and human services. Heather is an amazing woman and offers her unique story and challenges she has faced. Watch the video below to learn more about her and her role!