Branding expert Ashia Amavé shares how showing up as your full, authentic self serves community. For our last episode of Season 3 — wowza! — we sit down with personal brand expert Ashia Amavé. She shares why it’s important to both your career and your community to show up as your whole self and blows our minds by describing the personal brand as yo…

It’s hard out there for an entrepreneur — but it doesn’t have to be hard and lonely. That’s the perspective of our next guest, Laura Zug, who works tirelessly to help her clients strategically and organically build community. In short, she helps people find, communicate and nurture their biggest fans. In this episode, we dig into the many aspects o…

Valerie Gangas, author and founder of Juniper Holiday + Home on creating experiences through hospitality and community. Simply put: Valerie Gangas is a powerhouse. She owns and runs 50 — soon to be 100! — short-term rental properties through Juniper Holiday + Home, and she’s also penned two amazing books on life, empowerment and spirituality. (In D…

The duo behind the vibrant network talks about why community matters. In this episode of No Surprises, we add to the nesting dolls of the season — the community of people who have recorded our podcast about community — with Sarah Greisdorf and Sam Zelitch. This dynamic duo helms Squarespace Circle, a network of Squarespace creatives, designers and …

As two of our favorite Squarespace community members, we love to sit down with Will Myers and Christy Price, whether in person at Circle Day or logging on from far-off locales like Texas (Christy) and Italy (Will). Cue the wanderlust! In this edition of No Surprises, Kelsey and Mal talk to these Squarespace leaders about their individual skill sets…

The community engagement expert talks global giving — and taking care of yourself along the way. Kristin Lewis’s career journey starts over pancakes — as many great journeys do — and follows a twist-y path to United Airlines, where as Senior Manager of Global Community Engagement and Partnership, Kristin manages the brand’s non-profit portfolio, in…

As both Community Lead for the education platform and in his everyday life Max Pete is all about bringing people together. You know how there’s that person who you keep intersecting with on your career path? For Kelsey, that’s Max Pete. As two people in the Squarespace design and tech space, their work has woven along their respective journeys, con…

Marketing guru Lindsey Pinchuk on how a community-centered approach leads to success. Community is so hot right now — but it’s always been a part of Lindsey Pinchuk’s ethos. From her very first business to her current work as creator of Dear FoundHer, building and cultivating community is central to everything she does. Meaning that she’s a communi…

The head of community and partnerships talks growth, change and connection She’s the person who brings people together for an app that’s designed to bring people together — meaning that Meagan Allers is basically always thinking about community. The way it grows, contracts, changes and evolves, but how at its root it always comes back to one thing:…

The founder of the Squarespace hub and SEO agency talks building and nourishing community. “True growth comes in community, when there are people pushing you forward.” It’s this quote that makes David Alex not only one of our very favorite collaborators, but the perfect guest for our first episode of No Surprises Season 3, which focuses on communit…

In this minisode — the last episode of Season 2 — Mallory settles into the interviewer’s chair, as she asks Kelsey about her book, “Squarespace from Signup to Launch,” and her new collaboration course with education platform SuperHi. Kelsey shares the book’s origin story and discusses how she wrote the book she wanted to write, making deadlines, an…

Sometimes, a collaboration goes beyond creative magic and into the friendship world. Take Emily Positano, for example. The Founder/CEO of Made Better Brands has become not only one of our favorite collaborators (we’ve created sites for her clients CoLeague and The Channeled Source) but also one of our favorite people. Seriously, folks: she’s a gem.…

In this episode of “No Surprises,” our team gathers from all corners: Kelsey taps in from a Wisconsin cabin, Mal joins from Mexico City, Reyna produces from Tel Aviv, and our esteemed guest — the incredible artist Grace Miceli — comes to us from the cozy confines of their gorgeous NYC apartment (recently featured in Architectural Digest, NBD). We c…

Marketing expert Sonia Elyss talks trends, pro tips and the joys (and occasional challenges) of online communities. In this edition of No Surprises, class is in session, as Mal and Kelsey sit down with beauty marketing consultant Sonia Elyss for a bona fide education. Sure, this beauty expert — who may have invented influencer marketing, NBD — coul…

The communications expert talks building a team, finding balance, and the beauty of editing. You know that feeling of listening in on a conversation between friends? (We know you do.) Sit back and savor your fly-on-the-wall status in this edition of No Surprises, as Mallory and Kelsey sit down with one of their BFFs, Rachel Dickens. But this bestie…

Kelsey and Mal chat about the joys, challenges, and overwhelming guilt of creative rest. Depending on your work style, the idea of taking breaks either sounds like a perfect recharge or a panicky, stress-filled nightmare. Either way, it’s essential to the creative process — but the guilt doesn’t have to be. In our first minisode, Kelsey and Mal sit…

Oh, Wisconsin — how do we love thee? In this episode of No Surprises, we touch down in the Badger State, as Plate Magazine Editor-in-Chief Liz Grossman bonds with Kelsey and Mallory over their University of Wisconsin ties; a deep love of classic Wisconsin supper clubs; and how the Ooni Pizza oven is central to the Wisconsin cabin experience. We als…

In this episode, we sit down with the whip-smart, visionary and delightful brains behind award-winning, DC-based creative agency Seaberry Design: founder Monica Seaberry and VP of Digital Media Adya Beasley! We cover a wide range of topics related to the creative process, including how past careers and artistic endeavors inform design work, the imp…

Live from New York — it’s Alex Kumin and Julia Shiplett! The brilliant comediennes join us to talk about an essential part of the creative process: experimentation. Alex and Julia share their comedy journey (including The Second City and Lincoln Lodge), discuss the inception of their monthly-ish Brooklyn show, Highwaisted (the name Hags was already…

We kick off season 2 with our first guest — the amazing Taja Dockendorf! Taja is the perfect person to kick off this season’s journey into the creative process. She’s the founder/creative designer of Pulp + Wire, the host of The Brand Alchemist podcast, and a WOTW client. Aside from her creative talents, it was this Forbes article — “In Creative Li…

A look back at the first season of No Surprises, and a look ahead at where we go next In our last episode of the season, we take part in one of Reyna’s treasured rituals from Jewish summer camp: roses and thorns. Kelsey, Mal and Reyna each share their favorite moments from season 1 — working together! Learning! Growing! Trying things out! — as well…

You’ve heard her name, you’ve seen her site, and now she’s here — it’s Rachel Gillman Rischall of Three PR! In this latest edition of No Surprises, Rachel sits down with Kelsey and Mallory to talk about her new site and going through the WOTW process for the second time. Spoiler: enthusiasm abounds. Conversations with great friends often bring grea…

We’ve examined a recent WOTW build from the Project Manager’s point of view, and now we turn the spotlight on the developer. In this episode of No Surprises, we talk to the creative force behind the Three PR website, Hawaii-based designer Susan Lee. (The secondhand Vitamin D soothed our Midwestern souls.) As a new addition to the WOTW team, Susan b…

We’ve spent the last few weeks digging into our company values: caring, collaboration, openness, trustworthiness and joy. But how do these values come into play during a Week of the Website project? In this episode of No Surprises, Kelsey and Mallory — or is it Mallory and Kelsey? — take a different approach, focusing more intently on a recent proj…

OK, maybe it’s not as fun as “joy” or as intriguing as “transparency.” But clear roles and responsibilities can be the difference between the success of your team — and subsequently your company — and a “Lord of the Flies” situation that pulls everyone and everything into a chaotic mess. In this episode of “No Surprises,” we look at the importance …

How our entire process starts and ends with this key value. Joy isn’t commonly found on a list of corporate values. But at Week of the Website, it’s truly the foundation of everything we do. Joy motivates us. It creates meaning. It fosters creativity with our team and our clients. And super importantly, it’s the key to weathering the storms of runn…

Trustworthiness is hard to gain, easy to lose, and provides the wireframe of the WOTW process. Clients, contractors, the community, our company, ourselves — the entire WOTW ecosystem is built on trust. That’s why it was an easy inclusion when coming up with our company values. When it comes to the Week of the Website process — and all aspects of ru…

Openness is an umbrella value for transparency, vulnerability and so much more. ‘Openness’ doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. But it’s a value that encompasses so much of what we believe in: transparency, vulnerability, personal connection, communication, authenticity — all things that are essential to Week of the Website. In this episode of “No …

Building a business rooted in working with others starts with our founders. In the spirit of collaboration, we bring our producer, Reyna Abigale Levine (and co-producer Daisy), out from behind the curtain to join us in the next episode of No Surprises. With Reyna’s guidance, we dig into our next company value — collaboration. Collaboration has been…

The Business of Caring Why this simple act leads our list of WOTW values. To kick off our new podcast and video series — dubbed No Surprises — Kelsey and Mallory dig into the idea of caring. In this conversation, the WOTW co-founders talk caring for team members, the emotional lifting of site design, why moms make the best project managers, and how…

Kris & Nicole head to Antarctica to cover the death of Dr. Rodney Marks in May 2000. Tell us your thoughts and theories! Instagram: @thecrimecouple | Twitter: @thecrimecouple | www.thecrimecouple.com | Facebook: The Crime Couple Sources: Britannica World Population Review NSF WestWord.com Men's Journal Lockheed Martin The Guardian Alchetron NIGMS.N…

Kristian and Nicole head over to Japan to cover the Yakuza. From missing fingers to full-body tattoos, the Yakuza history is an interesting one. www.thecrimecouple.com | @thecrimecouple | www.patreon.com/thecrimecouple Sources:https://www.sofakingpodcast.com/yakuza-japans-mafia/, Ranker, Ranker, Dazed Digital, ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, CNN, …

Kristian and Nicole head to Quebec and Ontario, Canada to cover cult leader Roch Theriault and the Ant Hill Kids. Roch fathered 26 kids with his nine wives and all members of the cult, including children, endured heinous acts of torture.Sources: History | A Cult Leader Kills One of His Followers Dark Poutine Podcast Episode 069 - "Roch Theriault an…

Kristian and Nicole head to Southeast Louisiana to talk about a serial killer Kristian went to school with. He’s accused of murdering four people and attempting to murder three others. Want to hear Kristian talk about the time he split his head open, 9/11 clout chasers, Mindhunter, our podcast haters, and a possible name change?! If not, skip to 6:…

In our first ever minisode, Kristian and Nicole head over to Switzerland to talk about one of their worst mass shootings in history. www.thecrimecouple.com | @thecrimecouple | Want more minisodes? Check out our Patreon for access to bonus content! SOURCES: BBC Business Insider Wikipedia Telegraph Murderpedia CBS News News24 Irish Times Scotsman Wik…

Kristian and Nicole head over to Africa to talk about the Rwandan Genocide that happened over 100 days in April of 1994. (Skip to 7:05 if you don’t want to hear the story of how Kris & Nicole met) www.thecrimecouple.com | Patreon | @thecrimecouple Sources: GHOSTS OF RWANDA (Documentary referenced) | United Nations Organization (Site with survivor t…

Kristian and Nicole head to Norway to discuss the Norway Massacre. On July 22, 2011 Anders Behring Breivik detonated a bombing that killed eight and injured over 200. Two hours later, he went on a shooting spree on Utoya Island that left 69 dead and over 100 injured, almost all teenagers. SOURCES: Biography.com tv2 ’22 July’ (A Netflix Film) the uk…

Kristian and Nicole head over to England to discuss the Wests and the infamous 25 Cromwell Street in this week's episode. Check out our website for photos and links to more intense information if you're into that kinda thing. Gloucester, England www.thecrimecouple.com

The murder of Ashkan Farsani.Fiji, May 2019