Ridwell Wants Your Campaign Signs

Ridwell Wants Your Campaign Signs

Seattle company offers free pick-up after the election

We’ve all seen campaign signs remain up well after election season. Ridwell is out to do something about that…

Saving for the Sunset

Saving for the Sunset

Six strategies for retirement, no matter your age or income

Planning for your retirement can feel overwhelming, even intimidating. As a Seattleite who has spent more than 35 years guiding clients in achieving their retirement goals, I’ve worked with people of all ages and incomes. Throughout the years, I’ve guided them through fears, implemented new approaches, and helped them shift their mindset and habits. The…

Political Ping-Pong

Political Ping-Pong

How to manage sensitive discussions in the workplace

With the 2024 u.s. presidential election around the corner, talk of politics is a constant on our televisions, in our social media feeds, and around our dinner tables. What happens when those discussions enter the workplace? Surveys consistently show that political discussions at work increase anxiety and decrease productivity. This is not a new issue;…

Report: Seattle’s Vacant Offices Could Become Shared Living Spaces

Report: Seattle’s Vacant Offices Could Become Shared Living Spaces

The city has the capacity to develop affordable, co-living micro-units

A new report says Seattle could become a national leader in office-to-housing conversions to tackle homelessness and a growing affordable housing crisis…

Sweetgreen Expands Again with Capitol Hill Opening

Sweetgreen Expands Again with Capitol Hill Opening

The fast-casual chain now has three Seattle-area locations

Clearly, Seattle loves fast-casual salads and customizable grain bowls. With two locations already in South Lake Union and Totem Lake, Sweetgreen is opening a third spot at 11th and Pine in Capitol Hill on Oct. 22. This new Capitol Hill location will be the first in the Pacific Northwest to feature the Infinite Kitchen —…

The Sea Boss Retires

The Sea Boss Retires

From the Ocean Pavilion to Seattle’s Waterfront makeover, Seattle Aquarium CEO Bob Davidson leaves a legacy that will last for generations

When Bob Davidson visited the Seattle Aquarium 22 years ago as newly appointed CEO, he brought his three college and high school age sons along to tour the facility…

Shrinking Starbucks

Shrinking Starbucks

Customer visits are on the decline. What’s going on?

Been to Starbucks lately? For a company that helped put Seattle on the global map, the coffee giant sure receives a lot of criticism, whether it’s about product quality, founder Howard Schultz’s bungling of the Sonics during his ownership tenure or wait times…

New Overlook Walk Draws Crowds

New Overlook Walk Draws Crowds

Downtown visits are up significantly

Foot traffic along Seattle’s Central waterfront is spiking since the new Overlook Walk opened earlier this month. From Oct. 4 to 11 — the first week Overlook Walk was open — nearly 50,000 people visited, a 142% increase over 2019 levels. The Walk connects Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle to Puget Sound and the…

Whitman Nabs State’s Top University/College Ranking

Whitman Nabs State’s Top University/College Ranking

UW places second in WalletHub study

In a battle fought in the classroom and not on a field or court, a new study ranks Whitman College No. 1 in the state. Personal finance website WalletHub compared more than 800 higher-ed institutions across the U.S. in more than 30 categories (including post-graduate salaries) for its College & University Rankings (2025). Whitman, in…

‘Transformative’ Overlook Walk Opens Along Seattle’s Waterfront

‘Transformative’ Overlook Walk Opens Along Seattle’s Waterfront

The elevated walk is another sign that the massive renovation is almost complete

Seattle’s multi-billion-dollar waterfront renovation was always about connecting Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle to Puget Sound and the new 20-acre Waterfront Park. With the Oct. 4 opening of the elevated Overlook Walk, that dream has been realized…

The Wonderpreneur

The Wonderpreneur

Aegis founder Dwayne Clark is an author, philanthropist, filmmaker, and a highly successful business executive

Dwayne Clark was standing on a crate washing dishes at the tender age of 7 in an airport restaurant where his Mother, Colleen, was a cook. He grew up without a father. He was, he says, “at the bottom rung of the economic cycle.” The biggest influences in his life were all women: his grandmother,…

A Medical Journey

A Medical Journey

Jody Elsom has spent a career designing health care facilities. She never expected to become a patient in one of them.

Jody Elsom never imagined she’d wind up a patient in a health care center she had designed. But there she was at the recently opened True Family Women’s Cancer Center on the Swedish Hospital First Hill campus shortly after an unexpected diagnosis for breast cancer. “It wasn’t what I expected, but it was actually an…

Lori Hill: The Seattleite

Lori Hill: The Seattleite

The commercial real estate veteran is upbeat about the future of Seattle

Lori Hill has seemingly worked at just about every job in commercial real estate. Last September, she pivoted to the leasing side at Clise Properties, where she serves as executive vice president. Her resume includes stops at Unico Properties as senior vice president of investment management, and as managing director of capital markets at JLL….

Jon Jones: The Mindful CEO

Jon Jones: The Mindful CEO

Jon Jones isn’t your ordinary boss, and Brighton Jones isn’t your ordinary company

Jon Jones is a business executive by trade and a guiding light by nature. The culture at the wealth management firm he co-founded with Charles Brighton 25 years ago, Brighton Jones, is a mix of spiritual, practical and, when appropriate, lighthearted. Acronyms such as “MESI” and “RLP” spill from his tongue like a free-flowing river….

A New Life in the Sea Suite

A New Life in the Sea Suite

Kristi Schooley left a long career in hospitality to follow her passion

As a lifelong Seattleite, Kristi Schooley always loved being surrounded by water. She bought her first boat in her 20s. “After that, being on the water became a part of my life and a true passion,” says Schooley, who launched a second career as a senior captain at Argosy Cruises 20 years ago after spending…

Play's the Thing

Play’s the Thing

Kimberly Bartlett uses play therapy to help children deal with their problems

You can call it trauma therapy. Child mental health. Or even the more straightforward family or child therapy. Kimberly Bartlett prefers a more lighthearted term to tackle a serious subject: integrative play therapy. Bartlett launched Evergreen Play Therapy in Seattle two years ago to help children and families heal through play. She combines various therapeutic…

Left to Her Own Device

Left to Her Own Device

Monica Plath couldn't find a suitable tracker for her young kids, so she invented her own

Monica Plath wants her two young children to be safe. She feels the same way about yours. Plath created Seattle-based Littlebird Connected Care after a concerning care experience for her child. The wearable tracking device, called the Littlebird Toddler Care- Tracker, is a wristband for kids that helps parents ensure that their children are safe….

Lots of Joy, People and Pie

Lots of Joy, People and Pie

Lorrie Baldevia: 'If you can't change the environment, change the game & how you play'

As Lorrie Baldevia says, “It’s not who you know. It’s who remembers you.” Baldevia, a native of Guam, was recently promoted to platform president at insurance brokerage AssuredPartners, where she oversees Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. The company is closing in on $100 million in annual revenue, and the region includes about 350 employees. Baldevia,…

Statshot: The Silver Economy

Statshot: The Silver Economy

Washington state fares better than most when it comes to older adults

Washington state is considered among the best places in the country for older residents due to its natural beauty and thriving economy, though it does have a relatively high cost of living. Seniors are significant players in the state’s economy. Here’s an economic snapshot: 38.5 Median age in U.S. 37.7 Median age in Washington state…

Gym Journey

Gym Journey

Chris Travis launched SSP to help others in the same situation he once found himself in

Chris travis remembers working 80 hours a week after starting a new job at Amazon’s Kindle division back in 2010. Not surprisingly, it took a toll on his health. He was eating poorly. He had developed a bad back, and wasn’t exercising. He wasn’t really even moving at all. He spent all of his time…

Deliberate, Direct, Decisive

Deliberate, Direct, Decisive

At Davidson & Associates, culture is nurtured on a daily basis

Don’t be confused by Tony Johnson’s use of the word “deliberate” to describe the culture at his insurance company. Think thoughtful, not laid-back. And it all begins before an employee even sets foot in the door. “We are ‘deliberate’ about ensuring personalities will mesh well with our culture in the hiring process,” says Johnson, principal…

On Reflection: Telecommuting Triumph

On Reflection: Telecommuting Triumph

Seattle and Washington state score high for remote work

If you’re reading this from your home office, you’re not alone. Almost one-third of employees across Washington state work from home on at least a part-time basis. A report from web hosting company Hostinger says slightly under 2 million people, or 32.7% of the state’s workforce, worked remotely at least one day out of the…

Editor's Note: So Common, Yet So Underappreciated

Editor’s Note: So Common, Yet So Underappreciated

Most of us have been, are, or will be caregivers in our lifetimes

My mother’s voice was calm, even more measured than usual. “Your father’s breathing tube came off last night while he was sleeping,” she said over the phone from Portland. “I had to take him to the hospital. He’s doing fine.”
This was almost three decades ago, and I still vividly recall not being surprised that something had happened.

Sonic Gloom

Sonic Gloom

The NBA delays its much-anticipated announcement of the return of the Sonics 

I had never seen my friend Carter so perturbed. “This is a load of crap,” he said, reflecting the views of NBA fans across the city. “I’m starting to wonder if this is ever going to happen.” Carter — who remains an avid NBA fan, unlike many other Sonics loyalists — was reacting to an announcement this week by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who said the league would deal with expansion at some point in the season…

Habits Of Happiness

Habits Of Happiness

How to maintain mental health in a busy work environment

National surveys show that, in a given month, more than 77% of employees experience work-related stress, which can lead to emotional exhaustion or workplace burnout. Thankfully, mental wellness is more consistently addressed and discussed in our society at large and in our workplaces. “Employers are moving past stigmas and creating safe spaces for those with…

Pay Gap Gets Personal

Pay Gap Gets Personal

The Washington State Women’s Commission unveils campaign for equal pay

It was his laugh that I remember most. I had just been offered the biggest job of my career, but the salary was not what I had expected. It was low. Shockingly low for the responsibility and public scrutiny I was about to have. So, I tried to negotiate. The president of the company laughed…