Congratulations to Sweet Stamp Shop on their new website launch! Out & About worked with Sweet Stamp Shop to redesign their website for desktop and mobile. The challenge was to better showcase their stamps, create a more user-friendly platform for sales and enhance the overall site to match their brand. On the launch of their new site, they had record-breaking sales!

by Marshele Scherrer, Marketing Coordinator

A picture is worth a thousand words… or so they say. A picture could actually attract a potential client or express your brand. Photos have always been crucial for advertisers in magazines and billboards, but today, the quality pictures is important for all businesses. Social Media thrives on images and as a business owner or marketing manager, these images are essential advertisements for your brand. That is why it is imperative to maximize your advertising space and choose the correct image size for each social media platform. That way you are not stuck with a big blank space where you could have been showing off how awesome your company is!

Many of you may not be experts in Photoshop, but creating great images has never been so easy. Two good tools that many people use for quickly editing images are Pablo and Canva. Check them out and let us know how it works for you!

So what size photo maximizes your advertising space?  Here is our cheat sheet for the most common social media platforms:

Facebook: 1200px x 628px

LinkedIn: 800px x 800px

Twitter: 1024px x 512px

Pinterest: 735px x 1102px

Instagram: 1200px x 1200px

Here is my disclaimer: We live in a constantly changing world. These dimensions will probably change but as of April 2015, these are the dimensions and sizes you should keep in mind when planning your social media posts.

Out & About Communications is looking for a Marketing Coordinator to join our team! Details are below and here outandaboutcommunications.com/work-with-us/

Please share the link with folks you think might be a good fit!

Cheers,
The Out & About team

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Out & About Communications is seeking a talented Marketing Coordinator to assist with client and internal marketing projects. The Marketing Coordinator will primarily work with our Marketing Manager. Work assignments could include but are not limited to project research, supporting with website updates (primarily web maintenance and blogging), building media lists, basic graphic design updates, and supporting with coordination of special events.

We are looking for someone who is a self-starter, has an aptitude for details, and who has a passion for marketing communications. Fluency in Google Docs, Excel and Dropbox are a must. Basic knowledge of WordPress, Adobe InDesign and Illustrator are preferred.

The Marketing Coordinator role is for support on an as needed basis, but it could grow into a full-time position. You must be based in San Diego. If you are interested in supporting this type of work, please email us your resume, cover letter, social media links and any inquires to hello@outandaboutcomm.com.

Blog by Marshele

Living in San Diego, we have the privilege of having so many great restaurants and coffee shops at our fingertips. I thought I would share a few of my favorites that I have really enjoyed recently.

Brick & Bell
One of my favorite places to go in San Diego is not one of the new and trendy coffee shops (although I do love many of these spots and there are so many in this city). It’s an older, quant spot tucked away in La Jolla. Brick & Bell is located on Silverado right off of Fay. I love stopping by here to grab a cup of coffee when I’m on the go. When I have time, my husband and I like to order one of their delicious pastries or an acai bowl (one of the best acai bowls in San Diego) and sit and enjoy their outdoor patio. Like most places in La Jolla, it is a dog-friendly spot so don’t feel like you have to leave the pooch at home.

Check out other reviews on yelp.
Address: 928 Silverado St La Jolla, CA 92037

The Brooklyn Girl
A new favorite of mine is The Brooklyn Girl in Mission Hills. This is an ideal spot for happy hour with friends. They serve unique flavors of popcorn every day, and I have yet to try a flavor I didn’t love. Their happy hour menu is more than reasonably priced. Their regular menu, on the other hand, is a little pricier (but it’s worth it). What I love most about this place is the chic decor. You will have to see it for yourself.

Check out their menu.
Address: 4033 Goldfinch Street San Diego, CA

Draft Republic
Lastly, if you like craft brews like your fellow San Diegans, Draft Republic is a great place to check out in the UTC area. They have 36 beers on tap as well as a handful of delicious cocktail menu. The restaurant was previously the NY Strip Club and is still managed by the Cohn Restaurant Group. Go with a group of friends and let loose your inner competitive spirit with a game of shuffleboard, foosball, ping-pong, pool or darts.

Check out their menu.
Address: 4282 Esplanade Ct,  San Diego, CA 92122

What are your favorite places and spaces in San Diego? We would love to put them on our foodie bucket list!

Blog by Lauren Hong

At Out & About Communications, we love working with brands to create seamless branding. Below are a few easy tips to tighten up your business branding.

#1 - Create a Style Guide

A style guide is a great way to ensure your branding is uniform across all platforms-- online, print, and in various documents. At the basic level, a style guide includes all of your branding color codes (CMYK, HEX, RGB etc.), fonts, and logo variations. This is a great resource for designers, printers, and web developers who help produce your branding pieces.

#2 - Business Email Address

Create a business email addresses for your team. For example, your email could be name@yourwebsite.com. This helps to polish your brand, and it looks more professional than a name@gmail.com/ hotmail.com/ yahoo.com email address. We recommend creating a business email through Google Apps for Work (~$50/per user per year).  With Google Apps for Work, you’ll have all of the features Gmail offers and more. Click here for details.

#3 - Matte Business Cards

As much as we love the plastic, glossy, and dark colored business cards-- you can't beat how practical and affordable matte business cards are. When you're out meeting folks-- esp. at networking events with tons of people-- it's not uncommon for others to write on your business card. As a graphic designer by trade, writing on business cards makes me cringe. I, however, am guilty of writing on cards to help me remember the conversation/ who I talked with. The plastic, glossy, and dark business cards are pretty, but they just aren't as practical.

#4 - Uniform Headshots

We recommend working with a photographer to take uniform headshots for your team. These photos can be used on the website, LinkedIn profiles, award nominations, speaking bios, and more. We recommend having the photographer take a team photo and photos of your office to use on the website. Fabulous photos are a great way to sell you and your services!

#5 - Keep up with Social Media

If you're going to have a social media page (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.) make sure you keep up with it. Social media is a great way to connect with folks online, build your network, and keep others updated. If you're going to open an account, make sure you're posting and posting content that aligns with your brand and audience.

What are your favorite tips to enhance your business branding?

Guest blog by Paris Mowlavi Torkamani

This week we have the privilege getting the Inside scoop from Paris Mowlavi Torkamani, Esq., who practices transactional and corporate law here in San Diego. Take it away Paris...

Whether you’ve just agreed to lend your brother money, provide professional services to your family friend, or start a business with your spouse, the most important first step that you can take to reduce the risk of future conflict is to memorialize the terms of your relationship and agreement in writing. In fact, this is true for most, if not all, agreements that you enter into. Before you pop open that bottle of champagne and clink your glasses together, stop and take a minute to pull out your pen and paper (or computer/tablet/phone) and write out the terms that will form the basis of your agreement – the name of the parties, effective date, term and purpose of the agreement, relative duties and responsibilities, etc… Far too often, I have seen a relationship that started out in a friendly and agreeable note end in conflict and disagreement. More times than not, the reason for this is that the parties were so anxious to get the ball rolling on a project that they skipped right over the essential first step of figuring out exactly what it is that they are agreeing to do for one another. When parties go through the process of reducing their agreement to writing, they are forced to confront, discuss, and negotiate issues that they may otherwise have completely overlooked.

My clients will often say that they don’t want to memorialize a certain agreement in writing because they fear that it will complicate the matter, offend the other party, or ruin the relationship. I usually respond to those concerns with an earnest warning: if the other person is going to be offended by such a rational suggestion, then I would be wary of entering into a business relationship with them in the first place. Also, any disagreements that may arise at the commencement of the relationship, and in the process of reducing your agreement to writing, will not be in vain, but rather, will contribute to a more transparent and effective business relationship. Moral of the story: minimize the potential for future fighting by taking the time to put the material terms of an agreement in writing.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed in this blog post are intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Reading or using the information in the blog post does not create the existence of an attorney-client privilege. 

Paris Mowlavi Torkamani, Esq. primarily practices business transactional and corporate law in San Diego, California. When not advising her clients on a wide range of business-related matters, she is usually spending time with her husband and son, practicing, yoga, or scoping out the latest fashion trends. You can learn more about Paris via her Facebook page here or you can email her directly at pmowlavi@gmail.com.

Blog by Marshele Scherrer

I have never been a morning person and I doubt I ever will be. For me, getting out of bed is probably the hardest thing I have to do all day (isn’t that true about most things--getting started seems to be the hardest part). One of the ways I try to get myself up and energized is by easing into my day with some super basic yoga stretches. Try these 4 poses tomorrow morning and let me know how you feel.

Child’s Pose: Before I even get out of bed, I usually roll over into child’s pose. It is great to relax the back, neck, and shoulders. This resting pose gives you a calming way to wake up to the day...

Here's what to do:

1. Rollover into a kneeling position.
2. Drop your rear-end toward your heels as you stretch the rest of your body down and forward. with your arms extended in front of you.
3. Make sure to take deep full breaths to start the flow of oxygen.
4. Stay here for about 30 seconds or until you are ready to move on.

Cat-Cow: Next I move into cat-cow. This is a great stretch for those who are trying to work on posture. It is also good for opening up the abdomen, back, and hips.

Here is how it works:

1. Rise onto your hands and knees (wrists are directly below your shoulders and knees below hips).
2. Inhale into cow (your head and tailbone lift up, dropping your belly towards the ground, heart extending forward).
3. Exhale into cat (arch the spine upwards, tuck the chin toward the chest, draw the navel in towards the spine).
4. Move through this 4-5 times.

Standing Backbend & Side-stretch: Now comes the hard part...actually getting out of bed. This is a great full body stretch that opens you up for all the day has to offer. It is also great for balance.

Try this:

1. Inhale your arms straight up and bend back ever so slightly to feel elongation throughout your entire body.
2. Exhale and let one hand slide down the side of your body with the other hand still raised.  Relax your head and neck as you feel a full side body stretch.
3. Slowly inhale up to center and exhale to the opposite side.
4. Repeat this motion 5 times on each side.

Forward Fold: Lastly, I end my stretching with a slight inversion. Inversions give your body the rare occasion for your head to be below your heart to allow for the energizing boost of oxygen

Follow these steps:

1. Exhale, folding forward at your hips.
2. Allow your knees to bend slightly and try to bring your chest towards your thighs.
3. Relax your neck and let your head hang heavily.
4. You will feel this stretch in the lower spine as well as in your legs. Stay here for 10 deep breaths.

Do you have a favorite morning yoga pose or tip that helps you wake up?

Guest blog by Jimmy Moreno

Embrace or deny it: in today’s fast-moving society, almost everyone wishes they could brag about their practically Olympian exercise regimens and their ultra-healthful eating habits. However, almost no one can actually find and stick to a simple, daily routine that does not require extraordinary feats to maintain.

Our mindset is trained to believe you need to buy a gym or sports club membership, invest in miraculous all-in-one body-sculpting exercise machines, or only shop at your local organic health food store to attain the wellness and fitness you seek. But the secret is much simpler. We all have it. We all want more of it. And once you lose it, you can’t ever get it back.

It ‘s TIME.

You only need a few minutes each day to make the shift toward a healthier you. Just a few minutes! Imagine spending 5 fewer minutes on social media, 5 fewer minutes stressing over a problem you can’t find an immediate solution to, 5 fewer minutes complaining to someone about your lack of fitness or your poor diet. Transform those precious minutes into the tools you need to succeed.

Try one or all of the following tips to get you through the rest of the winter and beyond. And save the cash you were planning to spend on that treadmill/clothes hanger to buy an economical pedometer or exercise app.

1) RPM (Rise, Pee, Meditate). Starting off with this little routine will help establish balance and awareness for the rest of the day. Before you go to bed the night before, try setting you alarm 30 minutes earlier and preparing a quiet, restful place to sit. Upon waking up in the morning, do what nature requires (i.e. not checking email or drinking coffee) to make your mindful meditation easier. Also, avoid lying down, or you will fall back asleep! Find your quiet place and simply practice breathing deeply in and out, praying, or just watching the day get lighter. This practice will help set the tone for a day of gratitude and appreciation.

2) Morning Lemonade. This should be your first go-to beverage. You can still have your coffee later in the morning. Although lemons are considered acidic, they in fact have amazing alkalizing properties. According to nutrition expert Michele Chevalley Hedge, lemon juice also allows the body to absorb more iron, which is a necessary nutrient for keeping the immune system working at its best. Lemon juice also helps to reboot your liver function by allowing it to remove toxins. Warm water allows for smoother absorption at the digestive level. So squeeze some fresh lemon into a steaming glass of water, and your energizing morning cocktail is ready to fuel you through the day!

3) Move it! Move it!  A brisk 15 minute warm-up session followed by a simple stretch routine will do wonders to awaken the body and help the flow needed to kick-start your day. After your warm-up (like walking the dog), do a series of static (no jerky bouncing) hamstring stretches by reaching for your toes or doing back bends. This promotes musculoskeletal mobility and the alignment required for daily basic functional movement. If time allows, adding 15 more minutes to your warm-up will also help tap into more of the fat the body loves to hold on to.

4) Be the Plank. This tried and true exercise is so underrated and misunderstood. A cousin of the classic push up, this prone position pose will firm up your…well, EVERYTHING! Starting with your elbows at 90 degrees, position them on the floor under your shoulders. Keeping your arms parallel, fully extend your feet back and balance on the ball of each foot. It is okay if your hips are slightly elevated, but the sweet spot is having your shoulders, back, hips, and back of legs aligned. You will feel the weakest muscles working the most. Holding the position for at least 20 seconds is a solid goal. Test yourself every other day by increasing your time by 5 seconds. Ultimately, once you are holding this position for 3 sets of 1 minute, you will start to notice tone in your chest, abs, deltoids, and gluts. A lot less flabby, not too shabby…

5) 90/10. This is the standby rule to keeping your eating clean and your mind sane. I live in a real world like you do. So, 90% of the time, I focus on eating clean, wholesome, organic and minimally processed foods. 10% of the time, all bets are off. Yes! Hamburgers can be clean and GOOD, just look for grass-fed beef. Enchiladas? Heck yes! Make sure the tortillas are organic. And what about cookies? Of course, but save some for the rest of us! One cookie with a glass of organic milk is a great treat after eating a satisfying, healthful meal…as long as you make sure to savor every bite.

The tips listed above are free of cost and take minimal time out of every day. Let your own imagination go wild as you try new ways to improvise and expand on any these tips.

You already have the time; it’s time to make the time.

Learn more about Jimmy and Santiago Multisport at santiagomultisport.com.

Twitter: @CoachSanti

Facebook: Santiago Multisport

We love living in San Diego! Over the years, we've found a few favorites. We hope you love them as much as we do...

1- Oceanfront Yoga
We love the free oceanfront yoga classes hosted every Saturday and Sunday. It's a perfect 1.5 hours of exercise, ocean breeze, and meditation. Details here: http://www.meetup.com/www-namasteveyoga-com/

2- Pappalecco Happy Hour
Pappalecco (an amazing gelato spot in Little Italy and Hillcrest) has a wonderful happy hour at their Hillcrest location. Just order a glass of wine, and you can enjoy their full counter of food-- tons of bite-sized Italian sandwiches, pizza, cheeses and more! Specifics here: http://sduptownnews.com/hillcrests-big-italian-secret/

3- 85 Degrees
We love 85 Degrees, and we are so glad they opened a location in San Diego! They have a fabulous selection of homemade breads and cakes to choose from. One of our favorite drinks is the Salted Caramel Coffee. When you get it, just shake it up to mix the salted caramel and coffee and enjoy. Yum! http://85cafe.us/

4- Potato Chip Rock
San Diego has some pretty great hiking trails, but we love potato chip for how great of a work out it is. Plus, the reward at the top is well worth the work. Be prepared for a 2.5-3.5 hour hike that will leave you exhausted, but feeling thoroughly satisfied. Get more information here:  http://www.yelp.com/biz/potato-chip-rock-poway

5- Chicken Charlies
Ever just feel like eating some downright bad for you comfort food? Well our go-to place is Chicken Charlies. We personally love their grilled cheese, but they have some pretty killer fried ribs too. Top it off with Dessert Nachos or Deep Fried Oreos for dessert. Check out their menu here: http://www.chickencharliesfrybq.com/

6- Rancho Cocina
The best mexican food in San Diego always comes from those hole in the wall places that you would nearly miss on first glance. Rancho Cocina is no different. This tiny little restaurant serves some yummy Mexican food but with a healthy touch: whole wheat tortillas and vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options are available for everything they make. Healthy never tasted so delicious. Definitely worth checking out: http://ranchoscocina.com/

7- USD Library (Copley Library)
When we need a nice quiet place to sit and read or get some work done, Copley Library is the place to go. There is a room where you can sit and work that looks exactly like the dining hall from Harry Potter. Get a visitor parking pass and enjoy the beautiful views of the campus or stop by the church too if you haven’t been in.

What are your San Diego favorites?

About a month ago, we launched our Instagram account. Take a look here: http://instagram.com/outaboutcomm

We're posting about wonderful San Diego finds--restaurants, events, and happenings around town--positive quotes, and more! If you like what you see, make sure to follow along.