Hello, Manitowoc County! Hello, Wisconsin! Hello, World! I am proud to announce the opening of the TRC Café, the official corporate blog for Two Rivers Creative.

What is the TRC Café?
The TRC Café is an online publication and virtual meeting place for executives, managers, and other professionals who work in Wisconsin. Business communication is our main topic of conversation, though we'll often spill over into marketing, management, training, and technology.

I hear yawns. “Business communication is boring. Dull as ditch water."

Is attracting new customers boring? Improving employee performance? Raising net income? I thought not. This blog looks at business communication with an eye toward increasing your bottom line. Not such an easy task in today's economy.

On the Menu
I'll be writing many of the articles you'll see, and will keep a regional flavor to the blog. You might even detect a slight Midwest accent. But there will be plenty written by others as well. I spend time each day reading a variety of related publications and will pull out all the 'good stuff' and serve it up for you. Great taste, less filling.

Pull Up A Chair
The TRC Café is not just for listening—it’s a place to speak up and interact. Ask questions. Offer help. Tell us about interesting articles or videos you’ve found. Sharing is the backbone of social media, and those who participate reap the most benefits.

And I need to make something clear. Social media is only a small slice of the communication pie that we'll be talking about here. But it is an important slice, particularly if you're a skeptic who has deliberately avoided the whole social media thing. I was a skeptic too until just a short time ago. Hang around a bit and you'll find out what changed my mind.

Come Back Often
A blog is something you visit over and over again because it continually changes. This blog will be updated at least twice a month, and hopefully more often. The easiest way to keep in touch is add your name to our mailing list and I’ll make sure you receive blog updates via email. Do it now so you don’t forget. The registration box is on this page directly under the map of Wisconsin.

There’s one final thing to take care of. 

About the Blogger
It is customary in a new blog for the first post to contain information about the blogger so that readers can put a face and personality to the publication. My name is Laura O’Shea, the founder of Two Rivers Creative. I was born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin but have lived and worked out of state for nearly thirty years. Recently I moved back to Wisconsin, and chose to live in a hidden gem on the Lake Michigan shoreline called Two Rivers. I live with my husband and two dogs, and have family living close by who I see often.

Prior to opening Two Rivers Creative, I worked in a diverse cross section of industries, holding positions ranging from manager of a tiny brokerage firm, to associate producer at a well-known game company, to design director at an HR consulting firm in Chicagoland. I have more formal education than a person needs, yet value life and work experience over sheepskins. But enough about me.

Final Thoughts
This blog is for you -- and it will evolve into whatever you want it to become. But you have to let me know what's on your mind, what you're curious about, or what keeps you up at night. Talk to me. Click the "Leave a Comment" link to add a public note. Or use email to send me a private note. And if you know someone who would be interested in this blog, tell them you found a new little place they just might want to try.

Laura

Chief Cook and Bottle Washer at the TRC Cafe