Brave New Word, Charlotte, NC (2026)

01/28/2022

I love a good notebook, and over the years, I’ve tried dozens. I’ve had multiple Moleskines. I’ve gone basic, back-to-school spiral bound. I bought a handful from this cute little bookstore in Greenville, S.C., that looked like old French “cahiers” (definitely my most pretentious). Now I’m in love with this orange one from - a brand I knew nothing about until I bought this for my son for Christmas and then promptly stole it. (You can tell how well-loved it is by the grease stain on the left.)

I really like the notebook, but what sent me to fan-girl status was the little insert it came with. (SWIPE 👉) It’s folded a little off-kilter. It’s fairly small, but if you take the time to read it, it tells the story of the company. You learn about its roots in book-binding. You learn it took 5 years to design — FIVE YEARS. You learn about its defining features. But this is the part that got me: “These efforts may seem extreme given that by its ephemeral nature this book will eventually wear out and leave you, its short life in tatters, yet carrying with it the patina of your life. But that’s why design and style matter, because life is about the time that you share together, new friends who become old friends.”

I mean, come on!

I love a brand who feels so passionately about its story, it shares it across everything it does. I love a brand with a distinctive voice you can almost hear (“its short life in tatters”). Not every customer will care. Many probably throw the insert out before opening it up. But that’s not the point. For those customers who do take the time to read, you start to build a connection with them. They feel like they know you, and if they like what they read or hear, they’ll come back for more, over and over again.

Taking the time to tell your story matters. Doing your story justice matters, too.

Need help? DMs welcome!

01/29/2021

For me, possibility has always been two-sided: There's the big, beautiful, wide open side that's all about potential and opportunity. Then there's the reality check, the self-doubt, the "how the hell am I ever going to make any of that stuff happen" gut punch that sucks all the fun out of the whole damn thing.

The good news: I've come to believe that my inner realist isn't necessarily a bad thing. Possibility is the beginning of something bigger. It's the start of the process. And it's easy to get excited because it's just an idea. There are no to-do's attached. The process of bringing the possibility to life is when you get into the actual work, the logistics, the how. I have a deep respect for the work. I know how hard it can be. And for a long time, I've been jumping the gun, worrying about getting down to business before I've let myself get good and fired up about what could happen as a result.

So give possibility its time and its due. Let yourself linger in the fire. It will make all the work that much easier. Promise.

-Mary

01/27/2021

Hey y’all. This is John on the mic.

January is always a month where we consider new and exciting possibilities.

What I find most enjoyable about planning is also the most daunting part – we don’t know what is possible. Really, we don’t. One night, you’re looking up at the moon. The next day, you’re walking around on it. Possibility is a beautiful phenomenon beyond our comprehension.

I find the “possibilities” that impact us typically come as a surprise: you get a job, you fall in love, and if you’re like me, you figure out a plant-based burger can be delicious.

So, for all the brainstorming and mind-expanding we associate with planning, make an effort to try something new. It can be fun, original or even silly. What you find may surprise you. You just might be a different person on the other side with a new sense of possibility and where you belong.

And if you make it to the moon, send us a postcard.

01/21/2021

Hey everyone - Kayla here.

When I think of possibility, I think of freedom.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m a planner. I have a to-do list for everything, from my day-to-day work tasks, to the steps I need to take to be the career woman I aspire to be. And, as you can imagine, when I don’t check off the boxes or when I scribble them out to write new plans, I become very stressed. In fact, when I had new ideas and thoughts about my future, I sometimes shut them out because I thought I had to follow the plan I set out for myself.

“Possibility” was never a word in my vocabulary. Everything had to be structured. But after last year, the act of letting go of the planned future I once had has been extremely freeing.

It’s still a process, no doubt, but as cliche as it sounds, I’m learning every day to live in the moment and enjoy the infinite possibilities my future holds. Even in all of the chaos in our world right now, I hope you can, too.

01/12/2021

A lot of folks ask us what we do. As content marketers, we're storytellers for your brand. But what does content marketing mean? Swipe through to find out what we do and why it matters. And if your business needs more content, let's talk. Send us a message!

01/05/2021

For us and so many of our fellow optimists, January is all about "possibility."

But, after a year like 2020, we're not leaning into resolutions. We never liked them, anyway.

Nope, rather than keeping close track of all our goals in 2021 and pressuring ourselves to achieve them, we’re staying open-minded and excited about all of the possibilities that await us this year, personally and professionally.

A resolution can put someone in a box. But a possibility opens doors. It’s infinite.

Throughout the month, we'll let you know what possibility means to each of us. But first, what does it mean to you?

12/31/2020

We talk about bravery a lot here (understandably so), but it feels especially fitting as we approach the end of 2020 and head into 2021. We’ve admired the bravery of healthcare workers on the frontlines. We’ve applauded the bravery of activists standing up for long-awaited change. We’ve celebrated the bravery of parents juggling full-time jobs with virtual school and zero child care. We’ve toasted getting out of bed in the morning when you don’t think you can and putting on a smile for your Zoom meeting even though things are tough — because those small acts of bravery are just as powerful as big, firefighter-running-into-burning-buildings ones. And in a year like 2020, they haven’t gone unnoticed. Thank you for being here. And thank you for being brave. Our world needs it now more than ever. Happy New Year, from all of us at Brave New Word.

12/24/2020

Hey everyone! Kayla here. A big part of my job, and one of the things I most enjoy when working with clients, is composing newsletters for their audiences. I wake up to at least six e-newsletters in my inbox every morning, so it’s exciting to be able to create something that has the ability to reach so many people and add value to their daily lives. Swipe through to find out why you should consider starting a company newsletter, and what you should include in yours. And if you’re curious about where to start, or you don’t have any content to share, send us a message!

12/04/2020

Here are my thoughts for the favorite word post:

Hi all - Mary here, again (twice in one week NEVER happens). But it's my turn to talk about my favorite word, which should come as a shock to no one: BRAVE. It's in the name of my company. It's tattooed on my arm (literally). It's on my Christmas tree. It's the word I use to pump up my daughter as she heads, reluctantly, into her swim class.

For as long as I can remember, I've been drawn to people who embody BRAVE — people who are unapologetically themselves, who stand up for themselves and others, who do things that scare them, like, a lot. The same is true for businesses: The companies I look up to most are the ones who aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe in, to be authentic (even if it means being different or — GASP! — turning some potential customers off).

That's easier said than done, of course. When you want lots of people to buy your product or service, you need lots of people to want to buy your product or service. It's scary to think about alienating any one of them. But here's the thing: When you take a stand and stay true to who you are as a company (and a person), you may turn some people away. But the people who will be drawn to you will be super fans — loyal and committed to you and what you offer. And they're worth more to your business (and your life) than twice as many lukewarm customers. Promise.

So be brave. Turn it into your favorite word (don't worry about the arm tattoo) so you'll embrace it at every turn.

11/29/2020

Hi all - Mary here 👐 Confession time: I was on the hook to write something thoughtful for Thanksgiving on behalf of Brave New Word. And I didn’t. I kept thinking about it — wondering if I should post the picture of my street in all its sunlit glory (see pic #1). Or the picture of my kids or my person or the tiny kid-sized tree we bought to complement our big ass family-sized tree (keeping swiping...). Then I started noticing all the other things around my house that I was grateful for. The vintage bread box that keeps all the bread off my counter and looks super cool. The vast amount of pills that keep my epileptic dog from seizing. The empty wine bottle that makes THE PERFECT vessel for watering my two beautiful Christmas trees. So I’m sharing all of that here — better late than never — because if you’re like me, sometimes you let your head get in the way of taking action. I overthought this post to the point of paralysis and that’s just silly. I’m starting to take a lot more action these days. If this year has taught us anything, it is that tomorrow (and child care) are not guaranteed. So why spend so much time thinking and so little time doing? It’s baby steps now but hopefully soon they will be big, giant leaps forward, for me and for Brave New Word. Happy belated thanksgiving, all! Hope it was wonderful, in ways large and small ♥️🦃🍷

11/20/2020

Hey y’all. John here. This is where the magic happens, where I conjure up my creativity. Often when I’m deep in thought, I envision the wilderness, my favorite word.

When we think of the wilderness, most of us picture the Great Outdoors and for good reason. The allure of parts unknown and lofty mountaintops has bewildered us for centuries, but I believe there’s also a wilderness within us.

So many of the qualities we associate with being human originate seemingly out of nowhere: love, inspiration, kindness, hope and courage. And in moments of fear, our flaws show up too. But each of us has a path that ultimately leads to a different and unique place. With each passing moment, we blossom into fully formed adults. We turn into our parents. Or perhaps we venture toward the opposite pole. It’s up to us to find out.

All of these variables lie within us like minerals waiting to be tapped. Our strength is ready to be explored, but first, we must head into the wilderness.

11/09/2020

Last week, we told you all about thought leadership. Now, we're showing you how it worked for one of our clients! Swipe through to see how we got to the end result, where high-quality, substantive content attracted the client's target audience, and generated strong metrics and response within that group.

Brave New Word

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