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The burkeMICHAEL+ Blog
Welcome to our blog, where we share our thoughtful, occasionally snarky, insights into the state of the workplace and the world. Authored by our fearless leader Mary Frances, expect laughs, frustrations, and genuine thought leadership.
Read on and enjoy.
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Oct 5, 20212 min read
ON ANCIENT GREEKS + WHOLE PERSON CARE | 2500 Years Of Medicine
Healthcare has always been a big part of the American news cycle. The pandemic has made it the lead story for over a year and half, both...
Mary Frances
Aug 17, 20212 min read
IT’S A JUNGLE IN HERE | Why People Love Plants
If you’re like me, you’re a devotee of that most beloved internet time-suck, Apartment Therapy. Started in 2014 as a weekly home design...
Mary Frances
Jul 27, 20212 min read
DIVIDE AND CONQUER | How To Use A Wall
In the late 1980s, then-president Ronald Regan famously stated, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!’ He was talking, of course, about the...
Mary Frances
May 18, 20212 min read
OUR NEWEST VENTURE | The BurkeMICHAEL+ Podcast
In the past few weeks, our collective pandemic circumstances are evolving to a new normal, and it feels both fast and slow. Vaccination...
Mary Frances
Mar 24, 20211 min read
WOMEN’S MONTH, EVERY MONTH | Building Our Community
It’s taken me a whole month to write this blog post, and even with that, it’s going to be brief. Watching the world slowly creep back to...
Mary Frances
Feb 22, 20213 min read
FROM MASS EXODUS TO MEASURED RETURN | Creating Positive Anticipation For The Return To Work
I read an article in The Atlantic last week that suggested our Covid 2021 summer might be the best one of our lives. As vaccinations make...
Mary Frances
Jan 14, 20211 min read
Our Commitment To Diversity, Equity And Inclusion
STATEMENT | DIVERSITY, EQUITY + INCLUSION at burkeMICHAEL+ At burkeMICHAEL+, we are anti-racist. There is no place in our world for...
Mary Frances
Nov 24, 20202 min read
THANKS, 2020 | A Very Covid Thanksgiving
I don’t know many people who are super thrilled about the year that is 2020. It has been challenging for most of us, and I think we’ll...
Mary Frances
Oct 11, 20204 min read
I AM WOMAN | The Business Legacy Of Helen Reddy
If I were to make a Spotify playlist today, Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” would be on it. Reddy passed recently, as did Supreme Court...
Mary Frances
Sep 2, 20203 min read
LABOR DAY | Your Team Needs You
It’s almost Labor Day. In typical years, this three-day weekend is a time to gather to say good bye to summer, host a barbecue, take a...
Mary Frances
May 31, 20202 min read
GREAT EXPECTATIONS | What Employees Need Businesses To Do Right Now
This is not going away any time soon. As we dip uncertain toes into a return to work and other public spaces, we are keenly aware that...
Mary Frances
Apr 22, 20202 min read
STOP. PIVOT. LEARN. | Another Kind Of Curve
We all know what’s going on. This blog post will not be full of tips about working from home, or tricks to ‘stay sane’. There’s enough of...
Mary Frances
Feb 25, 20202 min read
On Turning Fifty | Half a Century Spent
For most people, including yours truly, turning fifty is a big deal. I welcomed it (for the most part) with open arms, a big party, and...
Mary Frances
Jan 7, 20202 min read
Welcome to 2020 | Embracing the Future (Tense)
It’s the year 2020, so when it comes to planning for the future, there is no time like the present. Now that we officially live in the...
Mary Frances
Nov 12, 20192 min read
Here Come the Holidays | Why Time Away is Critical for Leaders (It's Not What You Think)
The holidays are upon us, and for some, that means planning time away from the office. Before becoming a business owner, I thought once I...
Mary Frances
Oct 13, 20193 min read
Negotiating Fear | The (Very Real) Emotions of Change Management
I LIVE for change. I love when things move from one predictable thing to the unknown. Though it’s exciting for me, I understand not...
Mary Frances
Sep 9, 20192 min read
The Business of Nostalgia (or "Home is Where the Shag Carpet Is")
I’m pretty good at letting things go. Nostalgia isn’t my thing, really. Things change, time marches on, and all that. I’m not...
Mary Frances
Jun 30, 20193 min read
The Democracy of Good Design
Bad design is everywhere. You know what I’m talking about. Our social channels are filled with design fails. Listicles on Reddit and...
Mary Frances
May 20, 20192 min read
The Art of Not Knowing
Being vulnerable is no fun. There’s a reason we have nightmares about showing up to work in our underwear. Our brains crave safety; the...
Mary Frances
Feb 18, 20192 min read
Your Team Is Better Than Office Cake.
Let me start by saying that no one loves a party more than me. But what happens when standard workplace celebrations become a bore, or...
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