Startups

Terkel – Where the Question Is the Marketing Solution

Terkel is a question-and-answer site that turns any professional question into an article featuring expert insights. More than 7,500 leaders and professionals from organizations like Google, Harvard, VISA, Southwest Airlines, Airbnb, the NFL and more answer questions on Terkel to build their brand and share their expertise. Meanwhile, more than 300 brands, among them Calendly, GoDaddy, Zapier, Amazon, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, use Terkel to create content for their blogs.

“We created Terkel to solve the biggest challenge facing our marketing agency: building visibility online,” says founder Brett Farmiloe. “Our agency tried everything to promote our smallbusiness clients. Ultimately, we found that sharing our client’s expertise and experiences was the best way to build authority and visibility online. This approach not only delivered results for clients but was also profitable for our agency.” Farmiloe’s agency started working on this solution in October 2020, and spun Terkel out as a separate company in January 2022. “After ten years of running the agency,” he says, “we decided to sell the agency to focus and fund Terkel full time, and to give agencies an alternative to platforms like Help a Reporter Out.”

Terkel is a dual-sided marketplace with experts and publishers. “Any marketplace has a ‘hard side’ to scale and also has to find a strategy to get through the ‘cold start’ problem,” Farmiloe explains, likening it to “the chicken or the egg” scenario. “If you don’t have enough experts, publishers won’t ask questions. If you don’t have enough questions from publishers, experts don’t come back.”

To get through those challenges, Terkel borrowed a page from Cameo and focused on “less famous, super willing” users on the hard side of its marketplace, and also employed that strategy within the particular industry vertical of human resources.

“Terkel is more than a marketing tool. It’s a platform that presents an opportunity to reimagine access to earned media, and expand the publishing capabilities of brands,” Farmiloe says. “We’re working to give voice to small businesses and benefit our stakeholders, including publishers, agencies and journalists.” —RaeAnne Marsh

Terkel terkel.io

Brightside Studios’ weekly classes offer a creative outlet for something more structured or a unique night out with friends, while the café is designed to be a place to recharge, study, network or meet with a client. And local musicians rock the house with free shows each weekend.

Brightside Studios – More than a Co-Working Space for Creatives

Brightside Studios opened its doors to “the creatives of Arizona” on February 22, 2022, offering a large creative space for traditional artists of all types along with live music, an art store and delicious coffee for the public.

“At Brightside, artists of all types and skill levels can enjoy our open-concept studio, catered to most artistic needs. It’s a bustling atmosphere of color and charm — filled with inspirational music and the fresh smell of coffee,” says Brad Kuenn, co-owner with his wife, Vanessa. He likens the concept to a massive “art gym” where membership allows access to the entire studio and free use of equipment and supplies. “The large, naturally-lit studio is developed to be a fun, safe and productive workspace for the many creative hearts in Phoenix.”

The Kuenns vividly remember what inspired them, back in 2016, to found Brightside Studios, when Vanessa was pregnant with their first child, Noah, and Brad painted a mural for the nursery. Says Brad, “We gave painting a try and the rest is history!”

Challenges have ranged from big — like COVID-19 and Brad’s Multiple Myeloma cancer diagnosis — to small — like the Phoenix summer and paint spills. Addressing them, Brad says, “Our philosophy has always been to ‘fail fast’; to try new things and, if it doesn’t work, adjust quickly and keep moving forward.”

The couple also credits success to advice from Brad’s father, Arnie Kuenn, himself a successful entrepreneur, who told them, “You’ll be amazed at just how far genuine respect and kindness will take you.” Putting that into practice, the Kuenns believe, “Treating your team with respect, and being kind to those around you (especially in the service industry) can directly impact your success in a leadership role.” —RaeAnne Marsh

Brightside Studios brightsidestudios.com