Meet Heather Rodgers

Posted on August 23, 2024 - 5:08 pm by Heather DeVine

Heather Rodgers is the newest member to the Transcend Ideas team! She will offer support with her design and copywriting skills. She shares a little about herself in this Q&A below.

Heather Rodgers Q & A

1. What are your favorite projects to work on and how do you want to grow professionally?

I would say my favorite projects all focus on helping small brands grow through my designs, especially when I have lots of creative freedom. I love using vibrant colors and organic elements in my designs. Branding and logo design are among my top favorites. Professionally, I want to grow by expanding my skill set. As a self-taught graphic designer, it’s incredibly exciting for me to keep learning and evolving in my craft.

2. Where do you pull inspiration from for creative work?

I am consistently inspired by nature and spending time in the mountains. There’s something about being outside that sparks my creativity. I also love checking out the work of other talented designers and artists. They really motivate me to keep pushing my own boundaries.

3. What’s a bucket list item you’ve held off on completing for years and when do you hope to complete it?

l’ve always wanted to learn how to surf, but I’ve never lived close to the ocean or anywhere good for surfing. Maybe one day soon, I’ll finally get to go to a surfing camp or something like that!

4. What small object in your house means the most to you and why?

I have two small paintings from my grandmother that mean the world to me. She’s an incredibly talented artist, and her work has always inspired me. I treasure these paintings and look at them every single day.

5. What advice do you have for small businesses looking to amplify their messaging and brand?

My advice is to really get to know your ideal audience. Make sure every image, graphic, and bit of copy you put out there resonates with how your target audience will perceive it. It’s easy to lose sight of your core message when you’re so close to it, which is why getting some outside support, like from a team like Transcend Ideas, can make a huge difference. They can help you nail down and communicate what makes your brand unique. And remember, consistency is key—keeping your branding clear and recognizable across the board will help your message stick.

6. How do you like to spend your free time?

I love spending my free time outdoors, with my boyfriend and pup, Zeus. We are always planning weekend adventures.

7. Who keeps you inspired and why?

I’ve been fortunate to meet many creative and talented people throughout my life. My grandmother, as mentioned, is a huge inspiration to me. I also admire the work and entrepreneurship of many of my friends and family. I feel really lucky to connect with so many driven and amazing individuals.

8. What’s your favorite life lesson you’ve ever learned and held on to?

One of my favorite life lessons is to trust the process. Not everything falls into place right away, and that’s okay. It’s important to stay patient and keep moving forward, even when things don’t go as planned.

9. What are you grateful for? What are you hopeful for?

I’m grateful for the opportunity to work creatively and for the support of my family and friends. I’m hopeful for continued growth, both personally and professionally, and to keep finding new opportunities that challenge and inspire me.

10. What are you proud of right now?

Right now, I’m proud of how much I’ve grown as a designer, especially being self-taught. I’ve been able to work on projects that I love and help small brands grow, which is really rewarding.

Would you like to work with Heather Rodgers? Reach out to our team to get in contact with Heather and discuss a future project for you! Find more of Heather’s work at her site https://kinddesignco.com and follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinddesignco_/.

Meet Heather Devine, Principal

Posted on February 12, 2024 - 9:00 am by Heather DeVine

Meet Heather Devine, the principal and visionary behind Transcend Ideas. Heather brings over 15 years of expertise in digital media to all the clients she serves in the Jackson Hole community. She loves supporting small businesses and national and local non-profits in their goals of strategic messaging, website layouts, and marketing solutions. Heather helps propel these businesses forward with thoughtful design strategy and compelling storytelling. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A.

Meet Heather

1. What prompted you to start Transcend Ideas and what are your hopes for the future with the company?

I started Transcend Ideas with the desire to help small businesses and nonprofits amplify their meaningful messages through marketing and branding services. I’ve worked with businesses and nonprofits now for 16 years and with every year that passes I feel pride and excitement to help them succeed.

2. What company is a dream client or what would be a dream marketing campaign to work on?

A dream client to me is one that trusts in us, willing to try new things, and is passionate and excited about their mission and vision.

3. What’s a bucket list item you’ve held off on completing for years and when do you hope to complete it?

A bucket list item of mine would be to speak on a TEDx stage. I have a real passion for connection. I think one day sharing my story will be deeply satisfying and hopefully help a young person on their path some day.

4. What small object in your house means the most to you and why?

A journal that my husband and I have together. We write in it to express our love and appreciation for one another. And another journal that at the end of each year, as a family we tape in memories we’ve collected throughout that year. We reflect on memories together and look back with love and gratitude.

5. What advice do you have for small businesses looking to amplify their messaging and brand?

Keep at it if your heart is in it.

6. What hobby or skill do you have that has influenced your career the most and how?

My greatest skill is working with people. I love listening and I also love helping.

7. Where do you go to pull inspiration for work and your personal life?

I gather information in the form of podcasts, conversations with people, movies, webinars or workshops, and books.

8. What’s your favorite life lesson you’ve ever learned and held on to?

My greatest life lesson is to “give yourself grace.” You won’t get it right all the time, in fact the misteps are when you learn the most about yourself and your journey forward. That applies to any path you walk, whether it be parenthood, marriage, friendships, business, everything.

9. What are you grateful for? What are you hopeful for?

I’m grateful for the team I have at work and at home. We are nothing without the people there to support you a long the way. Thank you to my husband, Mike and my son, Elliott and our dog, Sadie for loving me, my flaws and all. Thank you to Brennan and Rachael for making my life easier.

10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.

I’m proud of how far I have come to step into my power. I am 40 now, woo-hoo! With this new stage in my life I can honestly look back and show compassion and love to myself. I’m grateful for every day I get to wake up and live.

Want to meet with Heather and get insight on your small business or non-profit project? Reach out now to schedule a time to meet up and discuss over coffee.

Heather’s other great love is her nonprofit, People Spread Love. Give a listen to these two podcast interviews where she talk about why this community/heart-centered work is so important to her.

Nov 7, 2023
From Pain to Purpose: Heather DeVine’s Vision for People Spread Love
You Only Go Once Podcast

Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, Copywriter

Posted on September 7, 2023 - 2:58 pm by Heather DeVine

Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her copywriting skills. Meredith helps amplify our client’s messaging through thorough research and thoughtful and relatable writing. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A so you may get to know Meredith in her own words.

Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, Copywriter

1. Where do you hail from? Where do you live now? And how did you come to be there?

I was raised in Maryland but I moved out west for undergrad at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mt. I absolutely love mountain sports and the pace of life here so I doubt that I’ll ever move away! I currently live in Jackson and have called it home for seven years.

2. What do you like to do for fun?

Hiking, trail running, biking, any type of water sport, volleyball and soccer.

3. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? Do you like knowing your work helps others? And what areas are you most passionate about?

I am currently a copywriter. I’ll do anything from blogs to social media posts to editing. When I know that my work helps others it makes me want to work even harder. I’m passionate about conservation, the environment, social justice, finances, history, and public policy. I’m the nerd who goes to museums on vacation!

Meredith Runkle Olson

4. What are you grateful for? Big or small?

Jesus, my husband, our baby girl, Helen, the state of Wyoming, family, friends, and the amazing public lands here in the U.S. (There’s so much more but I’ll leave it at that)

5. Do you have any office mates? Animals? Partners?

My favorite office mate is my seven month old baby, Helen 😉 I’m currently a stay at home mom (the best job ever!) and I work part time as a copywriter. My husband works in town and tries to come home on lunch breaks so that all three of us get some quality time together. No doggos, although Helen LOVES animals.

“When I know that my work helps others it makes me want to work even harder.”
Meredith RUnkle Olson

6. What are you looking forward to this Summer?

I’m trying to train for a big trail run in the grand canyon so I’m looking forward to running in the Tetons or the National Forest this summer. Ooo, I can’t forget the people’s market, grass volleyball in May park, and outdoor concerts. There are just so many things in Jackson! No matter what I do, I love to show Helen my favorite spots and activities. My pace of life has dramatically changed since having a baby but I’m learning to love every day and be thankful for the little things.

Image of Meredith Runkle Olson in the Tetons. — Meredith in the Tetons

7. Do you have advice to a business or organization that wants to connect with their community and customers these days?

It’s simple, ask the people what they want.

8. For whom do you feel responsible?

I feel the desire to raise Helen and other children we have, in a healthy way. I want them to love nature, eat healthy, stay active, love others, serve those in need, and learn how to be mentally tough. Plus, I definitely feel responsible for the environment. At the rate that the whole world is going, our future generations won’t experience what we do. I want to help our communities focus on sustainable practices in every realm of life. I also want my children to understand finances. Most people my age were never taught how to avoid debt, wisely invest, budget, live frugally, and think about life in the long term. I want to change that for my family. Most Americans have out of control spending habits and I refuse to be a part of that.

9. What are you hopeful for this year?

I want to fully embrace being a great mom! It’s such an important role. I can pursue other things later in life but I can never get back this precious time with my baby. That being said, I still want to be active and show Helen how my hobbies and passions are important to me.

10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.

My husband and I are debt-free (besides a mortgage), I did all 42 miles of the Teton Crest Trail in a single day, and even though I decided not to go this route, I studied hard and got into law school with a great scholarship, and I created life.

Meet Rachael Kennedy

Posted on August 7, 2023 - 3:37 am by Heather DeVine

Meet Rachael Kennedy, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her project assistance and web skills. Rachael helps amplify our clients through technical adjustments to websites, SEO work, social media and more. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A.

Meet Rachael Kennedy, Project Assistant & IT Support

1. What do you like to do for fun?

I love going on long drives to look for wildlife with my family. Whether we are birding, finding moose, bears, or other large mammals in the Greater Yellowstone. Grand Teton has been one of my favorite places to get great animal pictures. In May, we will see how many brand-new baby bison we can get photos of in Yellowstone. We are looking forward to trying to find some burrowing owls at the start of the summer, too.

2. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? Do you like knowing your work helps others? And what areas are you most passionate about?

I help with marketing, SEO, and website work. I love serving people with technology – it is a field that has many barriers to access and can cause a lot of frustration when things don’t work as anticipated. Taking a load off of people in any small way is rewarding. I’m passionate about front-end work on websites, or UX/UI design. Making navigation across a website for a user as simple, intuitive, and beautiful as possible is a great challenge on every project.

3. What are you grateful for? Big or small?

Connections and community. I find it in a hundred small places now – chatting and laughing in the line at the grocery store with someone about my kiddos, FB groups, family group texts or potlucks, and community events. Maybe especially since Covid, I feel like the world needs each other more than ever and I’m grateful for the beautiful communities I’m a part of.

4. Do you have any animals?

I don’t have any animals, there are too many allergies with my siblings and extended family to have ever had a pet with fur. I have a wide assortment of tropical houseplants that have become my second babies though 🙂 My favorites are the alocasias and calatheas.

"Technology has a lot of barriers to access and can cause a lot of frustration when things don't work as anticipated. Taking a load off people in any small way is rewarding." - Rachael Kennedy project assistant, IT support graphic.

5. What are you looking forward to this summer?

I’m looking forward to all the dreamy photoshoots of my babies. The one I’m most excited about is taking my daughter to the lavender fields in Utah for her 4th birthday photos. I still have to decide what I will do for my son’s pictures for the summer – it’s always fun to figure out the perfect setup.

6. Do you have advice for a business or organization that wants to connect with its community and customers these days?

Make your values apparent through your messaging. That’s the fastest way for a potential customer to resonate with your brand. Sharing what you value cuts through a lot of noise.

7. For whom do you feel responsible?

My two darling kiddos <3 They are hilarious and already have their independent little personalities shining through. My daughter is the vibrant, busy socialite, and my son is the laid-back California smile and happy-to-hang-out guy. Both of them bring me so much joy!

8. What are you hopeful for this year?

I want to be more creative in the quiet moments, trying for a few more photos or sketches with the babes during big art messes, laughter, and exploring the world. Telling our stories in more ways and with more mediums than I have done in the past and digitizing assets as I do. This has to be one of childhood’s most magical times, and I don’t want to miss or forget a thing.

9. What are you passionate about?

There are so many complex problems in the world. The problem I seem most drawn to is coming up with economic initiatives for small and rural communities. Access to opportunity has a lot of ripple effects and touches on so many other problems our world faces. Finding ways to cut through conflicting/distracting messaging by building authentic and impactful websites and marketing campaigns that will make a difference in the world is something I think about a lot. Building great relationships and telling a great story – isn’t that the goal of any beautiful life 😉

10. What are you proud of right now? This could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.

I’m in the building routines stage with kiddos right now – when they ask for something in a patient way or don’t have a tantrum when they have to wait, I swear the entire world just stops to enjoy the peaceful moment with us. I want to try a few other things like colored boxes for toys and a visual schedule to keep building on their independence, but it’s all at a great place right now and I’m content with where we are at.

Have you met Meredith? She’s also on the Transcend Ideas team and she is now a new mommy! 🙂
Have you met Brennan? She’s our copywriter and illustrator always ready for adventure.

Are you excited to learn more about the team and look into working with Transcend Ideas on your next project? Let’s get coffee!

Meet Brennan Hussey, Content Creator

Posted on July 19, 2023 - 2:04 pm by Heather DeVine

Meet Brennan Hussey, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her copywriting and illustration skills. Brennan helps amplify our client’s messaging through thorough extensive research, curiosity, and thoughtful writing. Her illustrations bring a new flavor to our client’s marketing campaigns and for that we are grateful. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A so you may get to know Brennan in her own words.

Meet Brennan

1. Where do you hail from? where do you live now? and how did you come to be there?

I grew up in Kansas City & Savannah GA, respectively. So therefore I’m a Southerner without a Southern accent. I still say Y’ALL because ‘Y’ALL means ALL’ 🌈

After college, studying Advertising and Communications at UGA, in the best music town in the country, Athens, GA – I migrated out west to be in the mountains. ⛰️ I’ve since lived in Jackson Hole, Idaho, Alaska, and now call Denver home. <3

2. What do you like to do for fun?

FUN?! Oh yeah, I have it.

I live to cook & eat and especially love spending way too much on ingredients for an elaborate meal that will take me over 4 hours to complete. This, friends, and a nice bottle of Chenin Blanc is my idea of the perfect night.

I make an effort to spend as much time outdoors as possible – snowboarding, hiking, biking, playing tennis, & going on hot girl walks around the neighborhood. Cue Tina Turner in the Airpods -may she rest in power.

As a Sagittarius Sun – I’m an absolute walking cliché because I’m a travel addict. The minute I was able to make my own money, I started collecting stamps in my passport. I value how much understanding it has given me about the world around me.

And I LOVE anything to do with art whether that’s creating my own, listening to music, reading books, or indulging in tv and film. Give me all the art. Above anything else. Always.

3. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? do you like knowing your work helps others? and what areas are you most passionate about?

I wear a few different hats for Transcend Ideas as a Content Creator.

First and foremost, I do work as a Content Writer which is a little more in-depth than it sounds. For blog posts and other content, I conduct detailed research, interview experts when needed, draft concise articles, carefully edit, upload it to the client’s CMS, arrange the layout, and amplify the SEO for maximum visibility. There’s a lot to it!

I also work as an Illustrator and Designer which includes drawing custom illustrations, designing event posters, visual content for social media, logo design, and even entire branding campaigns.

I also help collaborate and brainstorm with Heather on working concepts for clients and coming up with new marketing ideas and strategies. We work and communicate really well together and share healthy constructive feedback with one another. I really value her voice and appreciate that she also values mine.

And of course, I like knowing my work helps others. It’s one of the reasons I do what I do. As a writer, I cannot fathom doing anything but speaking my truth and sharing that with others.

My passion burns for a variety of topics. Cross-country skiing, yes. Girl empowerment, absolutely. Renewable energy, but of course. How to identify noxious weeds, bring it on. That’s one of the reasons I make a marvelous content writer, I can get excited about pretty much anything. And we all know excitement can be contagious.

4. What are you grateful for? Big or small?

BIG: The past year has been a year of asking for help. I’m so grateful that my requests have been answered. I feel so supported by my partner, friends, and family. I will always be grateful for that.

Small: ice water, tinted SPF moisturizer, Spindrift seltzer, boiled peanuts, T-Swift, vibe lights, Squishmallows TM, TikTok

5. If your house was on fire and you could save 3 things, what would they be?

Let me preface this by saying, I don’t have any pets (yet). I’d probably grab my Monstera plant, a piece of framed art, and the box of cards & memories I keep under my bed.

6. What are you looking forward to this summer?

Getting out into the mountains and seeing some live music outdoors. Oooh, also seeing the Barbie Movie that comes out in a few weeks. But would you hate me if I admitted I’m secretly pining for fall? 🍂

7. Do you have advice to a business or organization that wants to connect with their community and customers these days?

I think something that is oftentimes overlooked is not engaging with community members of all ages and demographics. I think we, as a society, can get locked into our own little bubbles and echo chambers. As a millennial, I’ve often felt overlooked by older generations. I don’t want to do this to the younger generations. I want them to know that their opinions matter. So to businesses and organizations, I advise you to cast a wider net and stay open-minded. The wisest among us know they don’t know everything.

8. What can you not stop talking about right now?

Station Eleven. I’m obsessed. It’s a limited series on HBO MAX. After I watched the show, I gobbled up the book it’s based on. It’s a post-apocalyptic story done differently than anything I’ve ever seen in that genre.

9. What are you hopeful for this year?

I’m on a journey of building upon my portfolio and building up my self-confidence. These two things are interconnected and I’m putting the needed work into nurturing them both. And, yes I’m feeling hopeful about it. I’m trying to remind myself to stay hopeful on down days as growth is not linear.

10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.

Learning how to say NO and protect my peace. I don’t feel like our society values this as much as it should. Looking out for your health and well-being is important. Learning to say no to things that will not serve us can sometimes feel counterintuitive. But always listen to your gut. The Olsen twins say it best, “NO, is a full sentence.”

Contact Transcend Ideas today to get Brennan busy working on an illustration or design project for your company!