Brightly Creative’s Pasts, Presents and Future
Posted December 24, 2019
The ghost of Christmas’s past, present and future is hot on our trails this time of year, and since the decade is almost over, the Brightly Creative crew is taking the time to reflect.
A lot has happened in the last decade, both personally and professionally. Alison Wuebbels said: “In the last 10 years, I graduated from high school, moved away from home, graduated from college, landed the most amazing big girl job and got engaged.”
She said she has learned so much in the last 10 years and had many defining moments in between.
“I think every milestone has taught me something very important to become the young woman, professional and partner I am today, and I hope 2020 will bring even more growth and experiences. You know, hindsight is 2020.”
Keith Seiz said when looking back over his accomplishments over the past 10 years, he spent 60% of the ‘10s running a large agency focused on corporate branding.
“On January 2017, Jonathan [Galbreath] and I stepped away, launched Brightly Creative and dedicated ourselves to do only what we love doing with coworkers and clients we equally love working with. Best decision of my professional life.”
Speaking of Jonathan, he said that becoming a father is certainly the most defining moment for him in the last 10 years. “My sons are bright, spirited, humorous, burgeoning Neanderthals. Being a dad is challenging, but I love every other minute of it.”
As for yours truly, I think being able to work from home and actually love the work that I’m doing was something that was elusive for quite a long time in my career. I get to travel, spend more time with my dog and not be a slave to a cube with no windows — especially during the winter. We only live once, and being able to immerse my work within my life has been a huge accomplishment over the past decade.
Moving into the present, Jonathan and his wife made the move to Bend, Oregon. They have moved around the country quite a bit, and for the last 17 years, they lived on the front range of Colorado.
“After the growth of the Denver/Boulder area, and the birth of our sons, we decided we needed a smaller town. Less people. More reality. Same amount (if not more) outdoor activities. My children love their respective schools, the people here are genuinely kind and the Cascade Mountains look different every day. It’s like having a living painting!”
Keith’s favorite professional experience this year was a week the team spent in San Diego with our long-time client and friend Catherine of the National Honey Board. “It was a busy and stressful week with a Honey Beer Session and a Honey Spirits Session, but we were able to sandwich both events with an evening out on a boat in the ocean. “It was great to leave work behind for a night and have fun.”
Alison’s highlight of the past year is snacking! As we talked about in our snacking blog post, From Munch to Lunch, our crazy travel schedules have us going around the country on client trips and I love checking out the new, innovative snacks she doesn’t find at home at an airport or gas station kiosk. “As snacking trends grow, I believe this will lead to all sorts of new snack products, like my favorites Dilly Bites from Oh Snap! Pickling Co. or White Cheddar Popcorn by Smartfood.”
My favorite event of the past year is getting back together with the Brightly Creative team! I worked with Keith and Jonathan in the past, and I’m so happy to be back — it’s definitely even better the second time around.
Calling the ghost of Christmas future! 2020 is near, and Alison said that fruit is the future, especially in the beverage aisle. “I love fruity beer, spirits, cocktails, teas, etc. While I sip my peach tea, I hope to see a fruit boom in 2020. Flavorman predicts citrus and exotic fruits to make way in the new year, but I’d be happy with a glass of apple whiskey or blueberry mead.”
In 2020, Keith is most excited about the launch of our client, Empire State Brands. “We spent 2019 developing the brand and prepping for our client’s investor pitches. Next year, we start building a website and content plan while farmers get seeds in the ground. By harvest time in October, we should be ready to launch something really special.”
Jonathan hopes to keep an open mind and not be too set in his ways in 2020. He has a few health goals for the new year, which include less to no alcohol in 2020. “I’ve eaten ‘vegetarian’ for the last 10+ years, but in 2020 I hope to lean more toward a ‘vegan’ diet.” He also hopes to work out more, making it an important part of his life.
As for me? Well, my Christmas isn’t really in December. It’s in March! In 2012, I was blessed to be able to go to Natural Products Expo West, and who knew, 8 years later, I’d be doing it again! I’m so excited to attend this awesome event, take more photos with mascots, hopefully meet a celeb or two and make my way through the crowds to talk about honey. I’m also excited to travel to other events this year. 2020 sounds like a great year to fly.
Tags: Brightly Creative, Empire State Brands, Natural Products Expo West
CATEGORY: Brightly Creative
