Elevate Next

"The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times."

— The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture

Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery on June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived with troops in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of slavery, finally freeing more than 250,000 enslaved Black people.

Established in 2021, Juneteenth became the nation's second Independence Day and 11th federally recognized holiday. This year marks the 161st anniversary of Black freedom from slavery, a pivotal turning point in U.S. history.

To celebrate independence with the Emerald Coast community, there are two fantastic festivals free to the public happening this weekend:

💛 Gallery Night Pensacola's Journey to Juneteenth
📅 This evening (Friday, June 19) | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Downtown Pensacola (featuring local culture, live art, and music)

💛 City of Fort Walton Beach's Juneteenth Celebration
📅 Tomorrow (Saturday, June 20) | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 The Fort Walton Beach Landing (featuring live entertainment, music, food, and dance)

You can find full details for both of these community celebrations—plus everything else coming up this summer—on our Elevated Experience calendar.

🔗 View the full calendar: www.elevate-next.com/events

Happy Juneteenth! 🖤 ❤️ 💛 💚

A rare mid-month hello! 📧✨ Our latest Elevated News experience hit inboxes this morning, featuring a chance drawing for an exclusive Gulf-front getaway benefiting Dog-Harmony and a curated shortlist of standout Independence Day celebrations across the Emerald Coast.

A peek at what’s inside:

🏖️ A Gulf-Front Getaway: Only 100 entries are available to win a 2-night stay at Westwinds in Miramar Beach, directly benefiting our friends at Dog-Harmony! 🐾

✨ Juneteenth Celebrations: Honor the holiday at Gallery Night Pensacola's Journey to Juneteenth on June 19, and then catch the Juneteenth Freedom Festival at the City of Fort Walton Beach Landing on June 20.

🇺🇸 The USA’s 250th Anniversary Guide: We’ve curated great family-friendly 4th of July weekend celebrations from sunrise parades to late-night fireworks across the Emerald Coast.

We’re always updating our calendar, so if you missed this news issue, join the experience by clicking below so you’re first to know what’s happening on the Emerald Coast and beyond: www.elevated-news.com/subscribe.

Every workplace has its monsters — the difficult personalities that quietly drive your best people out the door. And the Gallup data is scarier than the costumes: employees are 4x more likely to quit over culture than pay, and 42% of departures were preventable.

Our latest article, inspired by a recent EmEmerald Coast Public Relations Organization, ECPRO presentation by Thrive People Services, breaks down 5 strategies to neutralize workplace "monsters" before your top talent flees. Who you gonna call? 👇

https://www.elevate-next.com/blog/meet-the-monsters-haunting-workplace-retention

Attendees of Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization, ECPRO's Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker Jen Higgins of Thrive People Services learned how to identify the monsters that haunt the workplace (aka the various types of difficult personalities) and how to remediate the situation.

The Halloween-themed presentation made an uncomfortable topic very memorable–and best of all, humorous. Higgins introduced the five antagonists that lurk in the workplace, ready to “haunt” employee retention:

- The Zombie: “Not dead, just not invested.”
- The Energy Vampire: “They don’t bite, they drain.”
- The Ghost: “Here today, gone when it matters.”
- The Drama Werewolf: “Calm until chaos.”
- The Web Weaver: “Gossip is the web, trust is the catch.”

The key to remediation, according to Higgins, is to remember that “what you tolerate becomes your culture.” Common themes to address these malevolent characters include re-engagement, resetting the situation, making accountability visible, setting clear expectations, and providing redirection focused on the facts.

Thank you to ECPRO for another great Lunch & Learn and to Jen Higgins for a memorable presentation that offered practical strategies for dealing with difficult people in the workplace.

Also, congratulations to Naomi Roberts, one of three outstanding high school graduates to receive ECPRF scholarships this year, who will pursue a degree in journalism at Mississippi State next year.

Elevated News is our monthly newsletter — a curated mix of community news, client highlights, upcoming events, and marketing and PR insights worth knowing. If you're a small business owner, a community connector, or just someone who likes knowing what's happening from the Midwest to the Emerald Coast, it's worth a spot in your inbox.

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The June issue of Elevated News is out! 🎈

This month, we're talking about why rising gas prices are a strategic PR decision for small businesses — and why staying silent is the wrong move.

Plus: art highlights from Tennessee, to the Emerald Coast; Dog-Harmony's therapy dogs bringing literacy to life in Okaloosa and Walton County libraries; community events worth marking on your calendar; and JC's Gourmet's très chic new French egg salad recipe making its Seaside debut this summer.

Read the full issue here: https://www.elevate-next.com/elevated-news/news-to-elevate-your-summer

On Memorial Day, we remember the cost of war — and recommit to the work of peace. To all who served, and all who were lost: we won't forget.

⛽ Gas prices are up 44% year-over-year — and most small businesses are making the same mistake: saying nothing.

When customers notice price increases without explanation, it generates brand distrust.

The businesses that will come out of this stronger are the ones communicating openly right now — about what's driving the increase, what they're doing to offset it, and why their customers' loyalty matters.

We broke down exactly how to do that in our latest article: https://www.elevate-next.com/blog/rising-gas-prices-are-a-marketing-problem-too

PRESS RELEASE: This summer, Dog-Harmony's Paws and Pages program is bringing animal-assisted children's literacy sessions to four public libraries in Okaloosa and Walton Counties — and the science backs it up.

Research identifies four conditions children need to make real literacy gains: self-efficacy, motivation, a sense of reading as a social activity, and a calm environment. Therapy dogs are non-judgmental, social animals whose calm presence naturally reduces stress and anxiety, making reading a fun activity.

"Paws and Pages is about more than just books — it's about the connection between the child and the dog that opens the door to a lifelong love of reading," said Nancy Bown, founder of Dog-Harmony. "We see children who were once hesitant to read aloud suddenly blossom when they have a dog by their side."

Families can sign up now for reading sessions on a rotating monthly basis at libraries in Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, and Freeport. Registration is through each individual library.

Read the full press release: https://mailchi.mp/elevate-next/dog-harmony-animal-assisted-childrens-literacy-library-programs

252,756 miles from Earth, Artemis II Mission Specialist Christina Koch summed up the whole experience in one word: humility.

The May issue of Elevated News has the full story — plus art, events spanning the Emerald Coast to the mountains of Tennessee, and a few people doing good work on the ground.

🔗 https://www.elevate-next.com/elevated-news/humility-art-and-a-little-moon-joy