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How to Use Colorado’s Natural Beauty to Climb to a Better Business

Before Covid, Denver was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and with that, entrepreneurs and businesses came downtown in droves to take advantage of the increased foot traffic from tourists, new residents and the like.

Downtown became a thriving entrepreneurial scene, bustling with the influx in population. It seemed as if every week there was a new building in the downtown area. 

However, since Covid, Denver has struggled.

When the pandemic hit, corporations that had a large downtown presence sent people home, and many have not returned. As a direct result, businesses and restaurants have struggled to find the success they did pre-Covid.

READ: Adapting to the New Norm — Post-Pandemic Work Culture and the Future of Remote Work

In addition, increased crime has filled the vacuum, and entrepreneurs have had to focus their attention on protecting their assets as well as ensuring they maintain an adequate level of business. For small business owners, this hasn’t always come easy and comes with quite the financial costs. Unfortunately, for some, the challenges have become too much to bear, forcing some of these businesses to shut their doors for good or leave the downtown location.

For some, business may also be affected by personal life changes such as a divorce or new child that impact the ability to maintain your current business or creates pause when business planning for the upcoming year.

While entrepreneurs navigate these challenging times, it’s important that they also take the time to care for themselves and their mental health. We find all too often that this is the case in our line of work as Family Law attorneys.

Similar to dealing with challenging times in your business, going through a divorce can be one of the most stressful and challenging times in one’s life. As such, we always advise our clients to make sure that they take some time to themselves to relax and unplug from their hectic schedules. What better way to do that than to put on your oxygen mask and take advantage of the great outdoors Colorado has to offer? 

As avid hikers who have lived here for many years now, we have found that taking the time to care of our mental and physical health provides immense benefits to our lives. Just taking a few hours every weekend to get outside and hike provides a newfound determination and energy to tackle anything.

READ: Why It’s Important to Invest in Yourself — and 4 Ways to Do So

Luckily, there are hikes for all types of activity levels within driving distance to Denver, so getting some fresh air is easily accessible in our beautiful state.

Some of our favorite day trips include the Boulder Flatirons, Horsetooth Rock in Fort Collins and Roxborough Park. If you’re looking for a bigger challenge, consider a 14er such as Quandary Peak or Mt. Bierstadt, which offer sweeping views of the Colorado Rockies. Honestly, though, you can’t go wrong on any hike and at the end of the day all that matters is taking some time to care for yourself.

While life may feel a bit challenging at times, never forget that investing in yourself will pay dividends as you take on challenges with a newfound vigor and determination.

Times may be hard right now, but signs indicate that downtown is starting to make a slow comeback. In the meantime, always remember what made you decide to open a business in Denver.

Taking the time to get out in nature and recenter yourself will only benefit you in the long run. Some fresh air and activity will give you the energy to make the appropriate business choices going forward. For the times you may need more support or guidance about your business during personal times of difficulty such as a divorce, contact us here at Griffiths Law where we know how to provide the best support while mitigating the most amount of financial harm. 

This article is Sponsored Content.

 

Robert Voorhees headshotRobert Voorhees is an Associate Attorney at Griffiths Law. Robert’s practice is focused exclusively on family law related matters, including divorce, common law marriage, allocation of parental rights, child support, and post-decree disputes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jamie Paine Headshot

Jamie Paine is a Shareholder at Griffiths Law. Jamie is an experienced attorney that focuses her practice on family law. With Jamie’s years of experience as an attorney, she has successfully negotiated and settled numerous domestic relations cases that resulted in favorable results for her clients.

Women to Watch 2023 — YMCA of Metro Denver

Everywhere in Colorado, women are leading our business communities to new levels of success. They each have a unique story that has shaped our state through economic, social and enterprising contributions. Yet, at times, these women go unnoticed. ColoradoBiz is here to change that.


Throughout the YMCA’s history, many incredible women have grown its mission and impact. Today is no different. Across the YMCA of Metro Denver, women are charting the course of the organization under the leadership of President & CEO Sue Glass, who is the first woman to head the organization in its 143-year history. As a non-profit organization, we serve our community’s greatest needs, working to equip our youth and address affordable child care, social determinants of health and individual and family wellbeing. Get to know the YMCA!

 

This article is sponsored content.

4 Prompts and Tips for ChatGPT: A Comprehensive Guide for Marketers

AI isn’t a cure-all for lazy marketers. It’s not going to write every blog for you at the level of quality you want. It’s not going to give you all of the secrets to success. AI is a great tool to help you generate ideas when you hit a roadblock. It’s never going to (or shouldn’t be allowed to) be a replacement for true creativity and human expression. You still add the “human” to the intelligence.

READ: AI Revolution — Unveiling the Transformative Power and Unforeseen Consequences

ChatGPT isn’t going to eliminate your job — but it will eliminate the tedium

The introduction of ChatGPT into the workplace has been met with an array of reactions. On the one hand, there are those who view it as a threat to their livelihood and job security; on the other hand, however, many have embraced its potential to free them from mundane tasks while still allowing them to contribute in meaningful ways. There’s a powerful argument that can be made either way about what types of AI content should/shouldn’t be permitted to be used in the world. But what we’re going to cover here is simple and process-related — and something every business should be learning how to do right now. 

Prompts to help ChatGPT help itself

Perhaps the most important aspect of working with ChatGPT is understanding how to communicate with it. Ask it for clarification. Ask it if it understands your questions and direction. Ask it to ask you questions so it can come up with information that’s actually useful.

ChatGPT is a language model, but it’s an incredibly intuitive language model. It knows what it needs to do virtually any task successfully. Ask how to implement its ideas. Ask where to implement its ideas.

A prompt we’ve used with success: How can I improve the quality and relevance of the prompts I provide to ChatGPT for more accurate and helpful responses?

Prompts to Kickoff the brainstorming process

Brainstorming methods are important tools to have in any organization’s arsenal when considering creative problem-solving. There are many different approaches available, from using visual cues like images or diagrams to creating open-ended discussions with team members.

Prompts can help kickoff brainstorming sessions by providing a jumping-off point for discussion, as well as helping to generate new ideas that may otherwise go unnoticed. Additionally, prompts can provide structure and direction during the brainstorming process, which can lead to better results overall.

A prompt we’ve used with success: How can my team enhance our brainstorming sessions to generate more creative and impactful marketing ideas for our client in the [industry] industry? Give 3 specific examples.

Prompts to help define a marketing strategy 

Prompting techniques provide a foundation from which marketers can create meaningful and impactful campaigns that bring about tangible results for their clients through strategic planning backed up with data-driven decisions regarding budget allocation and targeted audiences.

A Prompt we’ve used with success: What are some key considerations and actionable steps to develop a marketing strategy that maximizes return on investment (ROI) for my business?

READ: From Clicks to Conversions — How to Craft an Effective Online Advertising Strategy

Prompts to help analyze Google Ads data

Data analysis of Google Ads can be a daunting task, but prompts can help in this area of digital marketing as well. 

Sometimes we know why an ad isn’t performing. Every digital marketer on the planet has (or should have) a troubleshooting checklist for ad performance, from copy and graphics to video and landing pages. But sometimes we could use a little help to get the thought process flowing, especially if the answers aren’t revealed in our usual checklist. Google Ads troubleshooting is something that ChatGPT is surprisingly astute at.

A prompt we’ve used with success: How can I diagnose and address the issue of low Click Through Rate (CTR) in my Google Ads account to improve campaign performance? 

The Bottom Line

ChatGPT has been a boon for organizations, allowing them to focus on their core competencies. 

In the way that we’re promoting ChatGPT in this article, it stands to reason that it will in fact HELP creativity, rather than eliminate jobs where creativity is key. 

The prompts in this article are only a few ways we’ve been able to incorporate AI technology into our AI-era workflow. The most important thing to remember when it comes to ChatGPT is that its most intelligent quality is its ability to give you the information you need to get the most out of it. You’re still the one who makes the content human.

 

This article is sponsored content.

Faces of Colorado Business 2022: FirstBank

ColoradoBiz showcases the personalities behind the companies in a range of industries and in all stages of development, from startups to stalwarts.

 

READ — Faces of Colorado Business 2022: Fiore & Sons, Inc.

Late last year, FirstBank rolled out its new strategic plan, which includes an emphasis on “Include All,” or ensuring diversity is represented at each level of the organization and more resources are provided to bolster equity and inclusion within and outside  of the company. To date, 36 percent of FirstBank’s more than 2,700 employees identify as a person of color and 56 percent of the bank’s management team—from assistant manager to the C-suite—are women.

The bank recently introduced several leadership changes including promoting a group of its top-performing Executive Vice Presidents to President-level positions while also elevating its former President of Retail and Digital Banking, Kelly Kaminskas, to Chief Digital Officer, and President of Human Resources, Shannon Jones, to Chief People Officer.

“FirstBank is a big proponent of promote-from-within, and one of the many reasons our organization continues to be financially strong and perform well above industry norms is because we look to cultivate talent and grow our company internally,” said Jim Reuter, CEO of FirstBank.

The company is recognized as one of“America’s Best Top Workplaces” (receiving honors in “Culture Excellence”) by Top Workplaces, LLC, and was named a Top Workplace by the Denver Post for the 11th consecutive year.

 

learn more or contact FirstBank at www.efirstbank.com/business or call 303.237.5000

Women to Watch: PNC Bank

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: PNC Bank

PNC Bank operates a Main Street Model. We know that long-term success comes through a commitment to our employees, communities, and teamwork. We are fortunate to have a group of professionals that embed themselves in the community and are focused on Early Childhood Education, Racial & Social Justice, Financial Empowerment & Affordable Housing. We do this through board service, grant making, volunteerism & community development banking. A sincere thanks to all of you for what you do for PNC and our communities. – Ryan Beiser, PNC regional president of Colorado.

 

pnc.com

Women to Watch: Trio Design

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: Trio Design

Named one of Interior Design magazine’s Top 100 Giants four years running, Denver-based TRIO is one of the fastest-growing design and visual merchandising firms in the nation. With women making up 85% of our leadership team, TRIO is shaking up the construction and interior design industry. From operations and design direction to business development and marketing, this team of talented and innovative women leaders helps guide TRIO’s collaboration on all aspects of master-planned communities, model homes, 55 + resort-style living, clubhouses, sales centers, commercial projects, and multifamily apartment communities.

triodesign.com
303.663.1285

Women to Watch: Tendit Group

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: Tendit Group

Tendit Group is a private equity-backed collective of best-in-class providers that, when combined, provide a full suite of external facilities services that improve curb appeal and keep properties fully operational. Our brands are the best at what they do in every city we operate in, leveraging years of experience and regional knowledge while representing the commitment to exceptional service that Tendit is known for. We have a unique approach in the marketplace, able to provide a complete package of services to building owners – a one-stop shop in a fragmented market. We are growing rapidly and have lots of opportunities for people who want to work hard and grow their careers along with us.

tenditgroup.com

Women to Watch: Vectra Bank

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: Vectra Bank

Megan Severs is SVP and Public Finance Relationship Manager for Vectra Bank Colorado. She is a lender specializing in Tax Increment Financing and District financing, working with developers, cities, and urban renewal authorities to finance public improvements. She also focuses on student housing. Megan began her career at Vectra Bank in 2013 as a Credit Analyst and has been promoted multiple times since then. Her dedication and motivation have created a strong brand reputation in the municipal finance sector. She has been involved with Junior League of Denver for many years, two of which on the Board of Directors.

vectrabank.com
720.947.8393

Women to Watch: Junior Achievement

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Woman to Watch: Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement builds the economic self-sufficiency of young people throughout the region, and these innovative, resourceful Women to Watch help make that happen. Pictured at the future site of the JA Free Enterprise Center, these board members and senior staff leaders are the strength behind the exciting future of the organization. They dream big and make those dreams a reality— with grit, drive and style. This future home of JA headquarters and two experiential discovery centers will impact thousands of students throughout the region each school year. They are the Women to Watch today — building the Women to Watch tomorrow.

JAcolorado.org
303.534.5252