Austin’s Butler Trail in the running for USA Today’s 10Best

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The beloved Trail in the heart of Austin, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, is in the running for the USA Today 10Best awards. Currently at #4, you can put them over the top by voting here!

Welcome new client GFO Home!

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Brenda Thompson Communications is now the public relations firm for GFO Home, a wildly successful new homebuilder in Austin and Dallas founded by real estate legend Glenn Gehan.

Glenn was the co-founder and CEO of Gehan Homes, one of the 10 largest privately-held homebuilders in the United States. After 25 years, he sold Gehan Homes and in 2018 founded GFO Home in Austin, the hottest real estate market in the country. In just two years, GFO has become the fastest-growing homebuilder in the city and had $280 million in revenue for 2020, only its second full year in business.

GFO Home is known for its team of experienced real estate veterans, and for streamlining and optimizing the process of building and buying high-end homes with modern designs in some of the best communities in and around Austin and Dallas. The company will expand to Houston in the near future.

The Juicy Leaf featured in Facebook’s Resilient Voices campaign

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The Juicy Leaf, a boutique succulent and retail store in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood, is featured in Facebook’s campaign Resilient Voices: Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month. The incredible amount of attention for the business included being featured as Facebook’s cover video and in multiple posts.

Felix Navarro, who owns the business and manages it with his life and work partner, Felipe Abrahao, has a story of resilience about following his dreams no matter the obstacles and sacrifices required. “Since I was a little kid, I always had my hands in the dirt. I learned everything I know from my mom. To leave my secure job for my passion was absolutely terrifying. I would second-guess myself a lot. I went from being an executive in corporate America, making really good money, to selling succulents at flea markets.

The Juicy Leaf is famous for its succulent arrangements, designer terrariums, and highly curated home decor, and fine art. Since the pandemic, they’ve added succulent arrangement kit delivery with accompanying Instagram Live workshops for people in Los Angeles and around the country. The kits and workshops have exploded in popularity, The Juicy Leaf is becoming even more famous, and owner Felix Navarro is becoming a bonafide plant celebrity. In addition to the Facebook campaign, The Juicy Leaf was recently featured in the Los Angeles Times and in Boys With Plants magazine.

 

 

ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot going virtual

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This year will be the 30th anniversary of the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot, the beloved Austin Thanksgiving Day tradition that typically brings close to 25,000 people together to walk or run with family and friends while also raising money to support ending homelessness. ThunderCloud Subs has raised more than $4 million for Caritas of Austin since the Trot began. This year’s event will be going virtual to keep everyone safe, with plans and details coming soon. Just as it has been for 30 years, the Trot will be all about community and fun, so stay tuned!

 

Now hiring PR Account Coordinator

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New job alert! Brenda Thompson Communications is seeking a part-time Public Relations Coordinator in Austin on a contract basis for 10-15 hours per week now through December, 2020, with possibility of continued work. Hours may vary week-to-week; must be available on Thanksgiving Day for mandatory half-day minimum for major client event.

Public Relations Coordinator duties include, but aren’t necessarily limited to:

  • Create social media posts, including writing and graphics
  • Travel around town to take original photos and video (on a smart phone) for social media
  • Recruit and supervise a costumed mascot to take photos on location
  • Assist with on-site events on specific workdays and on Thanksgiving Day
  • Compile client reports on media coverage, social media, and other activities
  • Conduct internet and other research

Public Relations Coordinator experience/skills required for this job:

  • Previous Public Relations Coordinator work experience (internships, professionally)
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, client service-oriented position
  • Demonstrated mastery of social media platforms
  • Strong writer with grammar, spelling, punctuation proficiency
  • Basic photography and design skills
  • Organized and detail-oriented
  • Demonstrated responsibility and problem-solving abilities

Other things about the Public Relations Coordinator job:

  • $20 per hour, with incentive pay based on performance
  • Flexible work schedule
  • Mostly remote work (meetings via Zoom)
  • Must have all the tech resources required including cell phone and reliable transportation

Please send a letter of interest, resume, references, and one stellar and relevant (to this job) writing sample to info@brendathompson.com.

 

 

 

 

National LGBT Cancer Network announces leadership changes

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Liz Margolies founded the first and only organization in the country to address the cancer-related issues of LGBTQ+ people in 2006. Under her passionate leadership the National LGBT Cancer Network achieved huge things, including producing internationally acclaimed films, creating an awareness campaign with billboards in Times Square, winning major funding from the Centers for Disease Control, and convening more than 170 organizations to urge action to prevent COVID-19 discrimination. She is stepping down as executive director, but the work of the Network will continue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Juicy Leaf featured in Boys With Plants magazine

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The Juicy Leaf, a boutique succulent store in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood, is featured in the second issue of Boys With Plants magazine. The Juicy Leaf is famous for its succulent arrangements, designer terrariums, and highly curated home decor and fine art. Since the pandemic, they’ve added succulent arrangement kit delivery with accompanying Instagram Live workshops for people in Los Angeles and around the country. The kits and workshops have exploded in popularity, The Juicy Leaf is becoming even more famous, and owner Felix Navarro is becoming a bonafide plant celebrity.

Boys with Plants was started by Scott Cain, aka TropicaLoco, as an Instagram account that re-posts images of guys with plants, in October 2016. It’s been featured in Vogue, The Times UK, Metro UK, Buzzfeed and more and has grown into a world-wide phenomenon!

Harvey’s AlphaGraphics franchises pivot to address pandemic

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Jane Harvey’s AlphaGraphics franchises in Austin and San Antonio are getting lots of attention for their new products in response to the coronavirus. The Associated Press covered the story.

Printing and sign company AlphaGraphics of Austin and San Antonio is one of the businesses that has successfully pivoted to meet the intense demands created by COVID-19.

“We see it as part public service and part entrepreneurial business move,” says Jane Harvey, whose holding company A Dog Solutions owns three AlphaGraphics franchises, two in Austin and one in San Antonio. “It wasn’t easy, but there is a lot of satisfaction in making items available to help preserve the health of our communities.”

Harvey’s AlphaGraphics locations are making two kinds of face shields, floor graphics to facilitate social distancing for businesses, and custom acrylic counter guards. With Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s order to re-open the economy May 1, Harvey expects even more demand as additional businesses open with reduced capacity and need to control customer flow and employee safety.

Maudie’s Moonlight Margarita Run goes virtual

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The theme for the Maudie’s Tex-Mex Moonlight Margarita Run benefiting The Trail Foundation is “run now, party later.” The Run will be virtual for the first (and hopefully only) time ever. Watch this fun clip from KXAN’s Studio 512 about how it will work. You’ll wish you had a Maudie’s margarita!

VOX Femina launches Social DistantSing

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VOX Femina, Los Angeles’ premier women’s choir, has had to cancel the majority of the annual season due to COVID-19. It’s more important than ever for the nonprofit organization to raise money, so they’ve cleverly turned their annual Song Cycle event into “Social DistantSing.” In lieu of our usual run-, walk-, bike-a-thon along the Ballona Creek Trail, VOX singers, staff, and board members will set their own home-bound goals from treadmill-a-thons to bake-athons. Check out the creative ways our members are challenging themselves and then support your favorite Voxxies!