Mustard blooming in a Sonoma Valley vineyard

My husband says I am going through a minimization “phase.” I guess a phase could last two years, but to me, this is more than a phase. I am attempting to categorically change the way I view the material things in my life.

It all clicked for me when I read about a woman whose children were grown, yet she had kept several large totes of their baby clothes in her basement storage room. One day, she met a mother who could not afford clothes for her baby, and she was convicted it was selfish for her to keep her children’s clothes in totes becoming musty, with no real purpose, when they could benefit others instead. She also realized she didn’t need any physical objects to help her remember when her children were small. Her memories were enough. So, she immediately gave away her totes of baby clothes to mothers who could use them.

The story convicted my heart, too. Since then I have given away hundreds of items, including some that were easy to hand over and some that were harder to see go. The clarinet I loved so much I named but last was played decades ago during my sophomore year of high school? Gone. Boxes of fancy Christmas ornaments for a tree I never put up? Gone. The tree, too. Wedding gifts only dusted but never used? Gone. I still have a lot more to sort through, but our house feels more and more clutter free, and it helps me focus on life instead of stuff.

It’s also changed how I think about new items I might purchase. I have made a rule that if I buy a new item of clothing, one of the items I currently own must be donated. If a gadget has only one purpose, I don’t need it. If an object is likely just to collect dust and I don’t absolutely see it as beautiful, I can find better ways to spend my time and money. It’s shifted my mindset, and I have found open space in both my home and my thoughts.

Minimization is a good concept to explore in writing as well. Oftentimes, the most complex ideas are fully capable of being communicated in an understandable, straightforward, and concise way. Here are eight tips to create impactful but simple writing.

1. Consider a Paragraph Break. Just like where I have found space in my home through minimization, visual space in writing helps us break thoughts into understandable chunks. Paragraph breaks are a chance for readers to pause and let the previous writing soak in.

2. Eliminate Filler Words. Words like “very,” “actually,” and “really” are usually unnecessary and clumsy words. If you must use them, it might mean you normally don’t tell the truth.

3. Choose Simple Words. “About” has the same meaning as “approximately. “Use” has the same meaning as “utilize.” You do not sound more intelligent by using longer, more complex words.

4. Choose Better Words. Before I publish content, I do a find/replace for words like “get,” “thing,” “put,” and “that.” There usually is a better, more precise word that will have a greater impact. Some “thats” are not necessary at all.

5. Use Declarative Sentences. Simply state the facts. Eliminate unnecessary phrases and clauses. Declarative sentences are powerful, direct ways to convey your point.

6. Replace “Ing” Verbs. Consider these sentences: “I am trying to tell you how to write better.” vs. “I tell you how to write better.” “I am feeling like I am getting a cold.” vs. “I feel like I have a cold.” “It is helping me to clear my head.” vs. “It helps me clear my head.” A shorter verb phrase is stronger language and reduces the number of words required.

7. Convince Someone to Be Your Editor. Everyone needs a good editor. Right now, that person for me is my poor husband. It’s always a good idea to have another person read your writing before you release it to the world. He or she will see the typo you have overlooked a hundred times and tell you when a certain idea isn’t quite as clear as you had hoped. If you don’t have an editor, read it outloud to yourself.

8. Publish Only When You Have Something to Say. This is especially true on social media. Some businesses and people have given themselves quotas for the number of times a day or week they need to post to social media or publish information. All this does is send information out to the world that no one needs. Social media posts that are not engaging and successful also can make subsequent, better posts reach a smaller audience. Writing is something you can work on and edit and improve over time, and spending time writing, even if you never publish it, is never wasted. However, if you are publishing just to meet a quota before your ideas are ready, walk away from the computer. Come back some other day when you are more inspired or have done some much-needed editing.

Bonus Tip: If you still add an extra space after a period, please stop. It hurts the eyes of all of humanity.

Keep in mind: Rules are made to be broken. Even I don’t follow these rules all the time. Sometimes a “really” really needs to be there. But I still do a find/replace on these words to make sure I do want them there before I hit “Publish.”

Minimization isn’t just a phase for me. It has too many benefits to let it phase out. I see it as a long journey, which may never quite reach any destination. The ultimate goal is to downsize our home, which these days is unheard of for two middle-aged people in the midst of their careers. To me, it would be a freeing move, and the work I have done to minimize our possessions will only prepare us for that day. Minimizing my writing is a long journey as well, and my goal is to keep learning. Thanks for being part of it.

A sunset over the plains of South Dakota

H Squared Communications Value #2 – Gratitude
Thankfulness is a great way to begin nearly any communication, and we will show appreciation to both the client and the listener throughout our engagement with you.

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday. Not only is the food spectacular, but the day also includes parades, football games, and none of the commercialism that has overtaken so many other holidays.

I go a little overboard when it comes to rules to protect Thanksgiving. Shopping on Black Friday is not allowed, and shopping on Thanksgiving itself is a sin. (Why spend a day being thankful just to rush out to buy a bunch more stuff we don’t need?) I send Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas cards. No Christmas decorations or music are allowed until at least December 1.

For the past 22 years, I also have written a “Thankful List.” Now, to confess what those close to me know all too well: Yes, I make a list for everything. Lists are sort of my addiction. But my Thankful List is something altogether special. The process is ongoing, as I keep track of items for the list throughout the year as I think of them. In November, I retrace my year by going through my planner to jog my memory of all the year’s events and activities and remind my heart to be thankful for them. It becomes a list I publish on Facebook.

Some of the things I am thankful for this year are substantial and weighty, like democracy and good health. Some are quite small and silly, like bug spray and declarative sentences. Regardless, they make my life better and more joyful, and I am grateful for both big and small things.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post on H Squared Communications’ first value of authenticity. As I began to organize my thoughts around what I wanted this new business to feel like, I decided I needed to be clear about my personal values, and how those would translate to this business I was starting. I greatly value gratitude in my personal life, and I needed to be able to incorporate gratitude into my work, too.

If authenticity is remembering where you are from, gratitude is remembering to be thankful. Yes, “remembering” again. All of us have so many things in our lives that deserve gratitude, but it’s not until we take the time to truly notice them and set them apart in our hearts that it becomes real gratitude. Gratitude is like a muscle that needs to be practiced, worked out, and stretched, because it certainly is easier to focus on the negative. Gratitude first takes recognition, then acknowledgement, then proving through our actions to others that gratitude makes a difference in our lives.

How does gratitude translate into action at H Squared Communications?

1. Gratitude as a Conversation Starter: Life is full of hard conversations, but they are easier when you begin those conversations with gratitude. It’s impossible and unhealthy to avoid having those tough talks, but I sure tried throughout my career. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized when I was true to myself and my value of gratitude and started beginning hard conversations with a word of thankfulness, they went so much more smoothly. Anything that’s hard to communicate is made easier by beginning the conversation with gratitude.

2. Gratitude for Clients: When you own your own consulting business, each and every client and potential client is a reason to be grateful. I will never take for granted your business or your faith in me.

3. Gratitude for Our Audience: I am grateful for each person who consumes the content on this blog, and for each person who is seeking information and truth in the world. As a professional communicator, I am daily thankful for people still reading and learning. When you approach your audience with gratitude that they are there and listening, your message likely will be better received, too.

4. Gratitude for This Opportunity: Starting my own business has been an adventure, and setting it up took so much longer than I envisioned at the onset. But I am so grateful for this risk, this opportunity I can take. This is important work, and I get to do it. I understand how rare this is, and it has the impact of gratitude on my heart.

5. Gratitude for Each Day: Each year, my Thankful List ends with the same item: each day. Since I am not a morning person, I will not claim to wake up day after day thankful. That would be a stretch. But I am grateful for each day, because it means one more opportunity to show love, one more opportunity to grow and learn, one more opportunity to serve, one more opportunity to make the world a better place. If you are reading this, you have at least one reason to be grateful, and that’s for life itself.

This has been a different year for my family and me. We have experienced quite a few changes that required major adjustments, some of them positive and some of them not. Writing my thankful list reminded me of the experiences and blessings from the past year. As the turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are passed around the table on Thursday, I will be flooded with reasons to be grateful for more than just the good food. I will be grateful for a life well lived, and all the dirty dishes to prove it.

We’ll explore the other two values of H Squared Communications in future blog posts, but they are passion and honesty.

My dad, the king of denim

My dad has one uniform: blue denim. The only variance really is how much the denim has been faded. Older shirt/pants sets that have been washed more times go together, and newer shirt/pants sets that aren’t very faded go together. Those are saved for church and special occasions. It’s pretty easy to get dressed in the morning when blue denim shirts and blue jeans are your only choices.

He used to wear Levi’s, but that came to an end years ago when he injured his hand, and the temporary brace no longer allowed him to button his fly. Zippers were easier, so he started buying Wranglers. As it turns out, Wranglers were not only easier to put on but also cheaper, so it stuck. The change was about practicality more than anything else.

It’s a similar story when it comes to the brand of vehicle he drives. We once were a General Motors family. My dad’s 1970 Chevy pickup still bumps across fields and roads, and my mom had an Oldsmobile. After 28 years, they decided it was time for a new pickup, and what showed up in the driveway was a surprise to many of us: a Ford. But for my dad, all it meant was in 1998 he felt they were making better pickups, and he could get the features he wanted. My mom has purchased three Ford cars since the 1990s, too, not because she felt she had to but because they were what she liked.

Last week I wrote about my experiences growing up branding cattle in West River South Dakota and what it taught me about good communications. Another principle I learned from my dad about branding: A good name is better than a name brand.

My dad could not care less about brand names. And he doesn’t want to advertise for anyone either. When he buys his Wranglers, before they ever are worn, he or my mom takes off the leather “Wrangler” patch on the back pocket and as many of the smaller labels as he can. He says it just looks silly. The biggest word that’s noticeable on my dad’s wardrobe? His own name, in capital letters on the back of his belt.

My mom and dad have a pretty good brand reputation based on their own name. They are known as honest people, kind people, content people. They are the first to show up when someone needs help. They fix fences that aren’t even theirs. They have pulled the neighbor’s calf, started stranded hunters’ vehicles, and fought the forest fire threatening a neighbor’s shed. When someone is sick or has passed away, they show up with casseroles and hugs. There are no notarized contracts between my parents and other ranchers who need hay or a place for their cattle to graze. Just handshakes.

Growing up, my mom and dad were constant reminders that the things I wore or owned were not the basis of my value. When I was a teenager, this principle certainly was harder. The other kids in school had designer jeans and big words printed across the front of their sweatshirts. Every once in a while, Mom and Dad (or probably more often Grandma) gave in and bought whatever item I was begging for that I thought would make my life so much better. Of course, none of those pieces of clothing stood the test of time. Today’s teenagers have never heard of those brands.

If you’re a small business like mine, it might seem impossible to compete with the big brand names or the huge, well-known companies. But that’s probably the wrong way to look at it. It is impossible in many ways to compete with them, because they likely do something totally different, and that’s okay. What is your niche that you do better than anyone else, big or small? Maybe that’s providing hands-on, local customer service. Maybe that’s offering a unique, handmade product found nowhere else. Maybe that’s doing one thing very, very well and letting the big brand names keep their plethora of services or products.

That’s your brand, and the theme that should be at the top of your communications priority list. Your brand is your good name that distinguishes your company from others. Your brand is the way people perceive you, and it lives and breathes and changes based on how you treat your customers and the deeply held values you integrate into your business. Your brand is your reputation, and keeping your good name takes consistent and honest communications.

Now as an adult, I am so grateful my parents didn’t place value on brand names. They are why I buy jeans based on fit instead of label and drive the same paid-for boring car, even though it’s not flashy or sexy. My parents’ disinterest in brand names also gave me the confidence I needed to start this small but respected communications consulting company and not feel the need to compete with all the big advertising and digital marketing agencies in town. And now I can help you craft a message and communications plan that will reinforce your good name, too.

Speaking of being grateful, next week’s blog will explore H Squared Communications’ company value of gratitude, just in time for Thanksgiving.

My family’s brand in iron on top of a gate

One day each spring, usually toward the end of April, the population of the cattle ranch where I grew up increased substantially. Our family of four welcomed six or eight strong men (usually unfortunate relatives and neighbors) for a day of hard work, and at least one really large meal. It was branding day.

I still remember the sounds, smells, and sights of that annual occurrence. Nearly every person ended the day dirty, tired, and bruised or otherwise injured. By then, the arguments over sorting mistakes were mostly forgiven, too. The day also ended with all the new baby calves vaccinated and ready to be turned out to graze in the national forest for the summer. By fall, they would be nearly grown, and much fatter.

My family’s brand―a horizontal XS―was acquired by my dad from a neighbor before he was even a teenager. By age 10 or 12 he already had cattle of his own that were separate from my grandfather’s or anyone else’s in the family. My grandfather’s brand was a vertical, connected PS for his initials. My great-grandfather’s brand was a vertical, not connected HH because he was Henry Junior. (It’s not lost on me that I now own a business named for my HH initials, too.) Depending on who all needed calves branded, it could mean a lot of irons in the fire.

Where I came from, branding was permanent, established ownership, prevented mix-ups, and protected property. It was a way to distinguish which cows were ours and a communications mechanism to inform others who to call if they got out of our pasture. Branding in the marketing world means words, designs, or other marks that distinguish your company from others. Your brand also encompasses the way people perceive your company.

My first experiences with branding taught me a lot about good communications.

1. Consistency is everything. In West River South Dakota, a clear and consistent brand meant you could prove what was yours. Likewise, every single printed piece, electronic communication, social media post, sign, and customer interaction should consistently reinforce your brand. And that doesn’t mean just putting your logo everywhere. The message, tone, look, and feel need to help convey to your customers or constituents who you are.

2. Simplicity goes a long way. Our family’s brands are just two letters, pretty straight forward. Conversely, brands that are visually complicated, too hard to pronounce or articulate, or easily confused with others can do more harm than good. Logos should be easily recognizable and replicable in a variety of sizes. Text should be kept at a minimum when possible, and messages should be concise and simple.

3. Branding is hard but important work. When I recently asked my dad about his feelings about branding day, he told me he was always so relieved when that day was over. But he also knew his personal reputation was going to live on with that brand into the future. Similarly, creating a positive and distinctive brand for your company or organization will take time and hard work. You will be relieved when you think the work is over, but I am here to tell you, it’s never over. Your brand lives and breathes and can change in ways you don’t want it to if you aren’t paying attention and continually working to maintain your good brand reputation.

4. Do what you can, be brave, and send it out to the world. When our cows were turned out onto the permit to graze each summer, it was an act of faith. Some years, not all the cattle could be found again in the fall. Occasionally, one would be struck by lightning, hit by a car, or stolen. But my mom and dad always knew they did what they could to protect them, and the rest of the cows were better for having that time in the sunshine eating grass. Company brands can be marred by a bad customer experience or otherwise unfortunate event, but owning up to those mistakes and reinforcing the positive areas of your brand will help you stay above the fray.

5. Leave your mark. Mavericks are cattle that don’t have a brand. Some cattle producers are fine taking their chances and don’t want to deal with all the work of branding. Other people purchase a brand just as a status symbol but never use it. Neither of those possibilities were options in my family. In my mom’s words, “If you want to keep what’s yours, branding is what you do.” In our companies and organizations, we need to leave a mark as well. We need to make sure potential customers think of us first, and positively. Branding is how you do that.

Most people in my industry probably don’t picture a corral full of calves when they hear the word “branding,” and they may even be better off for it. I’ve had quite a few bruised shins and crunched fingers from those days. But I also know what I learned from branding cattle makes me a better communicator today. After all, I have never shied away from the hard work of consistent and simple communications.

Another principle I learned from my dad about branding: A good name is better than a name brand. Watch for that blog post next week.