At a recent Hubspot conference, creative director Katie Dubow learned the importance of getting different perspectives for your idea, brainstorm session or project.

"You can't think in new ways if there isn't diversity of perspective and experience," said Elaine Welteroth, editor-in-chief, Teen Vogue.

The new collaboration between Vogue and Vice is a perfect example of this because as the new Project Vs tagline says, "opposites attract.”

Learn more about Project Vs, set to launch in 2018, and how going outside the box can attract new audiences and strengthen your brand.

Brainstorming can be a great way to come up with the best new idea, product or solution. But how often do you get stuck with “been there done that” or “it didn’t work in the past”? 

I know I get caught up in my own head and cannot get past an idea until it is a confirmed “No” – or I say it out loud to someone and then realize it was probably not the best idea.

Richard Tait knows this all too well. As a creative consultant, he has held brainstorm sessions for countless companies to help solve issues they were facing. He told us an old story about a major department store chain and how they were able to turn around sales with a simple sales conversation and a strategically designed piece of paper. Crazy, right?

During our monthly ‘Lunch with a Pro’ workshop, Richard returned to our office to help our team figure out the best way to brainstorm.

Continue reading to find out what can jumpstart your brainstorm and what not to say to any idea during a brainstorming session.

Creativity and innovation go hand-in-hand at thinking outside the box. It allows the brain to be used to create something out of nothing or even to fix something when it’s not working. But what happens when you get stuck in the box?

The Kirton Adaption-Innovation (KAI) is an evaluation tool that measures your style of creativity and problem solving based on your range of adapting or innovating. If you want to do things better, you probably would score higher on the adaptive range. Want to be different? You’d be on the innovative side. Thomas Edison was probably adaptive, while Albert Einstein was probably innovative.

Richard Tait invited Garden Media to try it for ourselves at our monthly ‘Lunch with a Pro’ workshop.

Richard, who has a Ph.D. in physics, co-founded the DuPont Company’s worldwide Creativity and Innovation Center. Today he is an international consultant in innovation and new corporate and product ventures.

GMG invited Richard for a lunch and learn to help our team brainstorm bigger and better ideas for our clients.

Read on to continue learning about Richard, KAI and what Garden Media learned.

The season’s change provides a fresh start. After being stuck inside all winter, spring is a great time to open up your windows, let in some fresh air, and turn over a new leaf. The spring cleaning tradition stems from these feelings of newfound energy and clarity.

Spring cleaning is a common routine in many homes, both indoors and out. While organizing your house and prepping your yard for spring are both great habits to develop, spring cleaning should be done at work, too.

Continue reading to learn how your business could benefit from a little spring cleaning.

I attended the Millennial Week Unconference in DC a few weeks ago where I was inspired by a handful of speakers to stay motivated, stay positive and stay on top of my personal brand.

Here’s a brief recap of what the speakers had to say.

Continue reading to hear what industry leaders has to say at Millennial Week’s Unconference.

Think about the way you think. Yes, it's a strange question, but are you capable of changing the way you think?

Most people are set in their ways, which can be dangerous working in a creative environment.

Original ideas are essential to repeatedly impressing clients and customers. New ideas often stem from different ways of thinking.

Divergent thinking and inspired brainstorming sessions can be extremely beneficial in the workplace, especially when it comes to developing innovative solutions.

Read more to learn about divergent thinking.

It is true, inspiration can come from anything, at any time. But successful people know their office space makes a big difference. I mean, heck, the average person spends more than 2,000 hours a year at their desk. Why not make it a comfortable space to send emails, make calls, hold meetings and surf the internet?

While it’s impossible to feel inspired 24/7 there’s one thing anyone can do to immediately to spark creativity: decorate the workspace. 

Continue reading for three reasons about the benefits of decorating your workspace.

Those who list “multitasking” as a skill on their resumes should consider revising. According to Devora Zack, CEO of Only Connect Consulting, multitasking cuts productivity by 40 percent.

When we work on two projects at once, our brains are actually switching back and forth between each activity non-stop. Our bodies think multitasking is a good thing because each time we start a new task, our brains gets excited.

Science proves; however, that multitasking decreases productivity and exhausts the brain.

Continue reading for more information about how to focus at work.

It’s raining ideas in the office! Or at least is should be.

Public relations professionals are responsible for generating innovative campaigns and hosting buzzworthy events for clients. But what happens when those ideas run out? How do great ideas go from thoughts to concrete proposals?

Unless your office has a slot machine full of ideas on hand, most campaigns are born, cultivated and nurtured as part of a brainstorming session.

Continue reading for more tips on how a team can brainstorm effectively.