I’m switching it up a little in this issue and sharing something that I hope is useful to others. I’ve been using my professional development tracker for a month now, perfecting the tabs and entries. I’m excited to share it with you below.

It’s also Mental Health Awareness month in the US (week in the UK), so I’m sharing this piece by Later on helpful apps & tools for mental health at work.

Lastly, I’m looking to interview some folks in coffee on their marketing failures and learning experiences. I can keep your identity anonymous. This would be for a series of posts on my blog. If this sounds interesting to you, please reply to this email so we can talk more!

– Jenn

Template: How to track your professional development with Airtable

This year, my goal was to be more focused and that included professional skill development. I thought I’d update everyone on how that’s going and share what I’ve been working on.

Because I’m someone who likes to keep track of things and I need to visually observe progress, I knew I had to create a system that laid it all out. Airtable has many uses for me and this is one where the professional development tracker would shine.

If you’ve never used Airtable before, it’s basically a fancy spreadsheet. You can link between tabs, add different views within a tab, and group/sort/color to your heart’s content.

Use this link to view the template. Or, click through the link below where I walk through how to use it.

I go through:

How to copy the template
How I use it for my own professional skill development
Tips on using it
Customization tips to make it yours

Quick text updates & links on what's new on the networks

Twitter added the ability to add photos, gifs, and videos to a Retweet.

Instagram is retaliating more against likes/follows via 3rd party apps and added an appeal process for post takedowns. It launched the @shop account for curated, shoppable posts. It’s testing: separating new likes from old, unfollower stats for Creator accounts, stickers with song lyrics, 3rd party fact checking, and a Join Chat sticker.

Facebook is restoring the View as Public feature. It launched some new small business marketing tools, like automated ads, appointments, and video creative tools. The Clear History feature is coming soon, allowing people to clear all activity on and off the platform. This is going to affect advertisers if you rely on retargeting ads.

Helpful links on how to improve your digital marketing

The Ultimate Guide to Spark AR Studio for Instagram

The Ultimate Guide to Spark AR Studio for Instagram

Learn why you need to be using Spark AR Studio in 2019: what is Spark AR Studio, how to use it for business, and best practices for creating AR effects on Instagram.

How to Research Your Competitors' Facebook Ads

Discover six ways to research your competitors’ Facebook advertising campaigns and find creative ideas for your next Facebook ads.

8 Great Instagram Poll Ideas to Increase Stories' Engagement

Need Instagram poll ideas? Check out 8 ways to add variety to your Stories and interact with your audience for increased engagement!

On the Unbearable Sameness of Kitschy Corporate Coffee Shops

On the Unbearable Sameness of Kitschy Corporate Coffee Shops

And for as much as there is to admire about the coffee industry, there’s no more active river of these nano-nuisances — no greater contributor to the darkening of shadows beneath an increasingly furrowed brow — than in the world of coffee marketing, where otherwise harmless words are weaponized to manipulate, confuse and ultimately bait and hook consumers.

How Brand Codes And Narratives Can Deceive Us

Facebook rolled out a new updated visual identity for its mobile interface last week. And the desktop version will be launched in the following months. The outer layer of any company – also known as The Brand – only has value, when the inner workings of the business remain intact and have integrity.

When the Next Big Thing in Food Isn’t Actually Next

Success can be a double-edged sword for the chefs and shepherds of marginalized cuisines, with media adoration and cookbook deals leading to unneeded compromises and ultimate failure.

I picked these two cute 3D planters up at my local plant swap meetup. It turns out the maker also has an Etsy shop! I've linked it through the photo above.

Free template: Professional development…