Blog | burkeMICHAEL+

The burkeMICHAEL+ Blog

Welcome to our blog, where we share our thoughtful, occasionally snarky, insights into the state of the workplace and the world. Authored by our fearless leader Mary Frances, expect laughs, frustrations, and genuine thought leadership.

Read on and enjoy.

Oct 5, 20212 min read

ON ANCIENT GREEKS + WHOLE PERSON CARE | 2500 Years Of Medicine

Healthcare has always been a big part of the American news cycle. The pandemic has made it the lead story for over a year and half, both...

IT’S A JUNGLE IN HERE | Why People Love Plants

Mary Frances

Aug 17, 20212 min read

IT’S A JUNGLE IN HERE | Why People Love Plants

If you’re like me, you’re a devotee of that most beloved internet time-suck, Apartment Therapy. Started in 2014 as a weekly home design...

Mary Frances

Jul 27, 20212 min read

DIVIDE AND CONQUER | How To Use A Wall

In the late 1980s, then-president Ronald Regan famously stated, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!’ He was talking, of course, about the...

OUR NEWEST VENTURE | The BurkeMICHAEL+ Podcast

Mary Frances

May 18, 20212 min read

OUR NEWEST VENTURE | The BurkeMICHAEL+ Podcast

In the past few weeks, our collective pandemic circumstances are evolving to a new normal, and it feels both fast and slow. Vaccination...

WOMEN’S MONTH, EVERY MONTH | Building Our Community

Mary Frances

Mar 24, 20211 min read

WOMEN’S MONTH, EVERY MONTH | Building Our Community

It’s taken me a whole month to write this blog post, and even with that, it’s going to be brief. Watching the world slowly creep back to...

FROM MASS EXODUS TO MEASURED RETURN | Creating Positive Anticipation For The Return To Work

Mary Frances

Feb 22, 20213 min read

FROM MASS EXODUS TO MEASURED RETURN | Creating Positive Anticipation For The Return To Work

I read an article in The Atlantic last week that suggested our Covid 2021 summer might be the best one of our lives. As vaccinations make...

Our Commitment To Diversity, Equity And Inclusion

Mary Frances

Jan 14, 20211 min read

Our Commitment To Diversity, Equity And Inclusion

STATEMENT | DIVERSITY, EQUITY + INCLUSION at burkeMICHAEL+ At burkeMICHAEL+, we are anti-racist. There is no place in our world for...

THANKS, 2020 | A Very Covid Thanksgiving

Mary Frances

Nov 24, 20202 min read

THANKS, 2020 | A Very Covid Thanksgiving

I don’t know many people who are super thrilled about the year that is 2020. It has been challenging for most of us, and I think we’ll...

I AM WOMAN | The Business Legacy Of Helen Reddy

Mary Frances

Oct 11, 20204 min read

I AM WOMAN | The Business Legacy Of Helen Reddy

If I were to make a Spotify playlist today, Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” would be on it. Reddy passed recently, as did Supreme Court...

Mary Frances

Sep 2, 20203 min read

LABOR DAY | Your Team Needs You

It’s almost Labor Day. In typical years, this three-day weekend is a time to gather to say good bye to summer, host a barbecue, take a...

GREAT EXPECTATIONS | What Employees Need Businesses To Do Right Now

Mary Frances

May 31, 20202 min read

GREAT EXPECTATIONS | What Employees Need Businesses To Do Right Now

This is not going away any time soon. As we dip uncertain toes into a return to work and other public spaces, we are keenly aware that...

STOP. PIVOT. LEARN. | Another Kind Of Curve

Mary Frances

Apr 22, 20202 min read

STOP. PIVOT. LEARN. | Another Kind Of Curve

We all know what’s going on. This blog post will not be full of tips about working from home, or tricks to ‘stay sane’. There’s enough of...

Mary Frances

Feb 25, 20202 min read

On Turning Fifty | Half a Century Spent

For most people, including yours truly, turning fifty is a big deal. I welcomed it (for the most part) with open arms, a big party, and...

Welcome to 2020 | Embracing the Future (Tense)

Mary Frances

Jan 7, 20202 min read

Welcome to 2020 | Embracing the Future (Tense)

It’s the year 2020, so when it comes to planning for the future, there is no time like the present. Now that we officially live in the...

Here Come the Holidays | Why Time Away is Critical for Leaders (It's Not What You Think)

Mary Frances

Nov 12, 20192 min read

Here Come the Holidays | Why Time Away is Critical for Leaders (It's Not What You Think)

The holidays are upon us, and for some, that means planning time away from the office. Before becoming a business owner, I thought once I...

Negotiating Fear | The (Very Real) Emotions of Change Management

Mary Frances

Oct 13, 20193 min read

Negotiating Fear | The (Very Real) Emotions of Change Management

I LIVE for change. I love when things move from one predictable thing to the unknown. Though it’s exciting for me, I understand not...

The Business of Nostalgia (or "Home is Where the Shag Carpet Is")

Mary Frances

Sep 9, 20192 min read

The Business of Nostalgia (or "Home is Where the Shag Carpet Is")

I’m pretty good at letting things go. Nostalgia isn’t my thing, really. Things change, time marches on, and all that. I’m not...

Mary Frances

Jun 30, 20193 min read

The Democracy of Good Design

Bad design is everywhere. You know what I’m talking about. Our social channels are filled with design fails. Listicles on Reddit and...

Mary Frances

May 20, 20192 min read

The Art of Not Knowing

Being vulnerable is no fun. There’s a reason we have nightmares about showing up to work in our underwear. Our brains crave safety; the...

Mary Frances

Feb 18, 20192 min read

Your Team Is Better Than Office Cake.

Let me start by saying that no one loves a party more than me. But what happens when standard workplace celebrations become a bore, or...