August 11, 2011

Hey Friends,

Just wanted to give you an update on some exciting things going on at 9 Clouds U. Summer is wrapping up, but we are still planning events and launching businesses! Take a look at what we’re working on.

Sandbox Workshop-“Six Things Every Small Business Needs to Do Online”

Our Sandbox Workshop is approaching quickly! We are busy planning content and finishing up some last minute details. Last week we hit the streets personally inviting businesses in the Sioux Falls area to our FREE workshop on August 30th. The personal, hand addressed invitations went over well and we had lots of great feedback. It sounds like it’s going to be a full house! Remember all are invited, so we hope to see you there too!  

Lemon.ly

The designers, Hunter & Marc, are busy creating infographics for 9 Clouds’ new business, Lemon.ly, which will launch in a couple weeks! Lemon.ly does visual marketing by specializing in viral marketing, infographics and data visualization. Stay tuned in on Twitter and Facebook for more information on the launch!

9 U. “Big Project”

Don’t worry. We haven’t forgotten about our 9 Clouds U. “Big Project.” We have a bit more work to do before we launch, but we are excited as ever to see the final project. I’ll finally let you in on a little secret if you promise not to tell…here goes…our “Big Project” is a special toolbar that can be downloaded onto a website to proclaim your whereabouts on the web. It tailors to bloggers who want to advertise where their work has been published and it will offer links to their specific publications.  We are currently in the early stages of developing the website but keep checking in for updates!

More to come,

Amy Thorne

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Summer is winding down, but here at 9 Clouds U. we are busy as ever. The designers, Marc and Hunter, are developing our “Big Summer Project” which I will reveal in a later post, so stay tuned! And Sawyer and I have been busy planning and marketing our end of the summer event, the Sandbox Workshop. On August 30th, we are inviting local small businesses to join us at the Museum of Visual Materials in downtown Sioux Falls for a free hands on workshop focusing on “Six Things Every Small Business Needs to Do Online.” We are very excited to have the opportunity to connect one-on-one with our clients and build personal relationships with each one.

Marc designed our posters and post cards that will be hand delivered to local businesses promoting the event (check it out below). Threadbird is making “Sandbox” stickers for us to hand out as a guerrilla marketing tactic, and Downtown Sioux Falls posted the event on their “Things To Do” list. We will personally email prospective clients and post the event on all social media outlets. All attendees will be entered for a chance to win a free one year subscription to Sandbox ($270 value) and are encouraged to bring a laptop. Hope to see you there!

Ciao,

Amy Thorne

CLICK PREVIEW TO VIEW FULL SIOUX FALLS JAZZFEST INFOGRAPHIC!

Did you know that 396 hours of music have been played, 17,800 cases of beer have been consumed, and that two wedding receptions and 28 high school reunions have been held at JazzFest since it’s inception in 1988? If you are a jazz and blues music fan you won’t want to miss the 2011 JazzFest in Sioux Falls, SD. This FREE jazz and blues festival is a three-day outdoor music event that features two stages of rockin’ music, plenty of sunshine, endless food and crowds of music lovers. 9 Clouds U.’s one and only, Hunter Murphy, created this year’s JazzFest infographic. Take a look at Hunter’s poster below, or attend the festival, to learn more about the upcoming JazzFest on July 14-16 at Yankton Trail Park. Screenprints of the poster will be available for purchase at the event.

Cheers,

Amy Thorne

July 1, 2011

Hi Friends! We want your opinion! At 9 Clouds U., we are researching for our “Big Project.” If you are a blogger, please take 3 minutes to answer these 6 questions. We would love it if you shared this with your friends too! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8M5S9WZ

Thank You!

9 Clouds U. Interns

July 1, 2011

Here at 9 Clouds U. we were presented with an exciting opportunity to design the advertisements for Frontier Bank’s annual summer picnic. Our designers, Marc Wagner and Hunter Murphy, got busy designing their own posters, fliers and handouts.  Take a look at their artwork below and let us know your favorite! 

Marc Wagner: Marc focused on the “Summer Fun” picnic theme. He listened to 60’s surf rock for a lil’ summer inspiration as he designed. Check out those Ray Bans!

Hunter Murphy: Since Frontier Bank is celebrating their 80th anniversary, Hunter found inspiration through 80’s artwork. This just makes me want to break out my high-tops and Zubaz. Hunter’s work reminds Marc and I of ‘Saved by the Bell!’ 

Keep an eye out around town, or stay tuned in to 9 Clouds U, to see which designer’s work was chosen!

Happy Friday,

Amy Thorne

June 17, 2011

This past Wednesday I attended a wonderful event called Drawntown. Once a month, Fresh Produce and the Ipso Gallery host this event. Drawntown provides local artists with a friendly environment to socialize and doodle.

Upon arriving, I was greeted with a smile and a coffee mug filled with chalk and led to a large chalkboard. The next hour flew by. By the end of the session I had filled half of the board.  The process varied. Individuals had a different approach to creating their drawing. Participants were using pencils, pens, crayons, and chalk.  One person even used his iPad. The subject matter also varied greatly. Cartoons, portraits, abstract shapes, and numerous other things were being scribbled onto surfaces. 

Attending Drawntown was an absolute treat. It was the perfect environment to relax and draw. I cannot wait for the next Drawntown session!

-Marc W.

Hunter & Marc working hard at Cottonwood Coffee in Brookings.

Amy staying connected from Scooter’s Coffeehouse in Sioux Falls.

Once upon a time, interoffice communication consisted of a desk phone, circulating memos and maybe an intercom.  Today, about 44.4 Million people work from home full time or at least once a year in the U.S. The World Wide Web, smart phones and social media networks have made this possible by revolutionizing the business world beyond recognition. There is no doubt about it; technology has changed the face and pace of business. As communication and information travels faster and faster, the world seems smaller and smaller.

 It is evident that companies have had to transform the way they communicate almost entirely to remain competitive.  Computers, tablets and smart phones have expanded our scope from a local view to a global one. We are very fortunate that our work at 9 Clouds allows us to work remotely…even globally.  Our Chief Outreach Officer/Bro-founder, Scott Meyer, recently returned to the States after working from Greece for four weeks!

 Here at 9 Clouds U, we interns are having our first virtual workday.  Hunter and Marc are working from Cottonwood Bistro in Brookings and I, Amy Thorne, am writing from Scooter’s Coffeehouse in Sioux Falls. Even though I miss my fellow interns like David Hasselhoff misses Baywatch, Skype allows us to stay connected through video calls and instant messages. We are busy brainstorming names for our 9 Clouds U. “Big Project, ” working on individual assignments and keeping up with our daily work. We use Skype as our primary means of communication and we transfer files and stay up to date through Highrise, Wordpress, Basecamp, Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis. 

Overall, working from telecommunications is highly useful for 9 Clouds because it allows us to be more productive when we have to be outside of the office. The flexibility of working from our remote locations increases our independence and responsibilities, enabling us to work in a more efficient manner.

Designers Hunter, Marc and Amy Colgan working at the 9 Clouds Headquarters.

As the days get hotter and longer, so do our “to-do” lists here at the 9 Clouds Headquarters! We couldn’t be more excited about our current and upcoming projects at 9 Clouds U.! Every day is an adventure and we are constantly learning new things! Read below to get a better idea of each intern’s individual projects.

Marc Wagner is using his talents as one of 9 Clouds graphic design interns. His current focus is on Brofounders, our ongoing comic strip that teaches digital literacy. An exciting upcoming project for Marc is to create a brand/identity logo for an emerging real estate company. Stay tuned in to see his amazing work!

Hunter Murphy is another one of our gifted graphic design interns. Hunter decided to join us this week after his long sabbatical in the Black Hills…must be rough (J/K Hunter!). We like to give him a hard time! Hunter will work along side Marc on the creation of the real estate logo and he’s already off to a great start on our 9 Clouds U. “Big Project.”

I, Amy Thorne, am the marketing/management intern taking the role of Community Manager for 9 Clouds’ new product Sandbox. Each Tuesday Sandbox comes out with a new seminar on a specific social network, digital tool, or web strategy. You can learn about that, ask questions, and talk to other Sandbox members on the wall as well as the forum. Sandbox also has a live chat feature! My other summer responsibilities will consist of marketing our 9 Clouds U. “Big Project” and keeping the crazy designers in line. 

Here at the 9 Clouds Headquarters, we are kicking off a brand-new summer with three newfound interns! Over the next twelve weeks, our interns will work collectively on an exciting business adventure as well as individual 9 Clouds projects. Meet the interns below and stay tuned in throughout the summer!

 Amy Thorne-Marketing/Management Student 

Hometown: Brookings, SD

College: North Dakota State University

Q&A with Amy:

If you joined the circus, which act would you most like to perform? Tightrope Walking

Describe yourself in three words. Dedicated, Lighthearted, Shoe-Fanatic 

Favorite sound? Espresso machines, the sound of my feet hitting the pavement on a long run, rain pitter-pattering on a window

What food could you never live without? Peanut Butter Oatmeal 

Favorite Quote? You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do. —Eleanor Roosevelt

Hunter Murphy-Graphic Design Student

Hometown: Rapid City, SD

College: South Dakota State University

Q&A with Hunter:

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Hunter Green

All time favorite book? The Screwtape Letters

All time favorite movie? “Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”

First thing you would save in a fire? The 1958 Mamiya C-2 that my grandfather gave to me.

If you could switch places with one person for a day, who would it be? Robert Doisneau

 Marc Wagner-Graphic Design Student

Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD

College: South Dakota State University

Q&A with Marc:

If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which one would you choose? Twin Peaks

If you were a Power Ranger, which one would you be? When I was six, I was the original black ranger for halloween. I stand by that decision.

All time favorite book? ”The Sirens of Titan” by Kurt Vonnegut

Any nicknames? Marcle, Mick, and Wags

Which of the four seasons do you most anticipate? I am a big fan of the fall season.

Aug 25th, 2010 3:50pm

As the summer draws to an end, the inaugural class is graduating from 9 Clouds U.  As  a part of that class, I can tell you that we haven’t just been “moosing” around in the 9 Clouds office.  The summer has been filled with a lot of challenges and rewards.  We have accomplished a lot more than anyone thought we could. Below are some numbers that I found were pretty cool.

Before 9 Clouds U, Moose Friendly had 63 followers on Twitter, now they have 141. Before 9 Clouds U, Moose Friendly had 510 likes on Facebook, now they have 1241.

The total amount of online sales before 9 Clouds U was $0/month, now they average over $250/month.  

Since joining with us, Moose Friendly has came up with 3 new designs, Family, Hippo, and Pig.  These complement the other designs already offered by Moose Friendly.

This shows the growth Moose Friendly had since joining 9 Clouds U.

Jason on the IWearYourShirt.com day (August 5th, 2010)

9 Clouds U Class of 2010

Evan (left) Blake (Middle) Me, Travis (Right)