Overflow

While we didn’t take home the title of Small Business of the Year at this year’s , being named your “Fan Favorite” means the world to us!

As the only award chosen by public vote as part of the Small Business Celebration, it’s not about the win, but what it signifies. It represents the voice of our community and highlights the meaningful relationships we’ve formed within it. These connections are what drive us and inform the stories we get to tell – and we are so grateful to be a part of our community’s story. Thank you again to all who voted!

And thank you to Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Startland News for spotlighting this honor!

Public vote picks KC Chamber ‘Fan Favorites’ ahead of Small Business of the Year reveal In a display of growing support and recognition for the Kansas City companies, Overflow and Emerson & Co have been crowned this year's “Fan Favorite” winners by the KC Chamber — marking the only award chosen by public vote as part of annual Small Business Celebration.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of Kansas City’s economy, strengthening our community and propelling us forward. It was a privilege to celebrate with many who are driving this progress—and to be honored as a Top 10 Small Business—at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Awards Luncheon.

Our region truly is the best place to do business – and the future looks brighter than ever. Cheers to our outstanding Kansas City business community!

One more round of applause for all of our fellow Top 10 honorees and award winners: Blue Symphony, DMC Service, Inc., Perfect Promotions, Quantum Resource Professionals, SnapIT Solutions, Stellar Image Studios, Taliaferro & Browne, Inc., The Next Paige Agency and the Mr. K Award winner, Walz Tetrick Advertising!

In this data-driven day and age, organizations rely on strategy to define goals, inform decisions and allocate resources. But what if we told you that using storytelling alongside that strategy is crucial in getting buy-in from people?

What makes them such a compelling combination is that strategy drives direction, while storytelling fuels connection — which is ultimately what drives people to act. Strategy brings the “how.” Storytelling brings the “why.”

Learn more about this dynamic duo and how to craft your own strategic story in our latest Insights post. 👇

Experience Design Our process with clients involves three main components to get ideas adopted: strategic story, experience design and creative multimedia production. In this post, we’re going to dive into the concept of experience design – what it is, how it’s designed and why it matters.

We had a wonderful evening learning from the leaders of 2024’s top small businesses — including our own CEO & Principal, Tammy Broaddus — at last week’s Small Business Celebration Top 10 Reception.

The panel covered topics ranging from AI and DEI to workforce challenges and employee engagement. We left with valuable insights from all and were honored to share the room with the nine other incredible businesses doing impressive work in our community.

Looking forward to coming together again with even more of our team to at the awards luncheon in June!

Event photos courtesy of Rivas Photography
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month, so we felt it only fitting to highlight one of our recent campaigns:

Created in partnership with the Kansas City Healthy Lifestyles Collaborative at Children's Mercy and the Kansas City Physical Activity Plan, which brings together organizations from many sectors in the community, is a campaign to inspire and promote a culture of physical movement for every body in the Kansas City region.

The goal: to build a public awareness campaign with a standardized brand for promoting physical activity in Kansas City, consistent with current federal physical activity guidelines

The process: collaborative strategy sessions, concept and brand development, social & communications strategies, graphic design, video production, web mapping, implementation toolkit creation

The outcome: a recognizable campaign designed to be adaptable for any community member or organization to make it their own — encouraging both physical movement and forward progress for the metro region

Ready to get moving? Check out Move Together KC for inspo.

We believe in the power of stories.

They inspire, form new connections and create lasting impressions that bring ideas to life. A great idea simply isn’t enough. The power to influence change begins with a well-told strategic story.

Everyone has a story. At Overflow, we know that the hardest story to tell is often your own. It helps to recognize that you have a story people care about and a plan to help them see it through. That’s a strategic story. When you tell it well, you connect the dots between purpose and process and create intentional change.

Not sure where to start in sharing your story? We’d love to connect!

POV: You just found out you've been named a Small Business of the Year Top 10 finalist!

We can't get enough of all the small business celebration content! Check out these photos of our principals receiving the *surprise* reveal at UMB Bank last week.

Thanks again to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for bringing the fun! 📷: Startland News

"'This year, 60 candidates applied for awards, and we were awed by the talent and dedication of every one of these innovators,' said Joe Reardon, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. 'Year after year, it is abundantly clear that our region’s small business community is vibrant and so deserving of recognition.'"

Read on and meet the nine other businesses who share recognition with us in the Top 10:

Startland News

Meet the Small Biz of the Year finalists: KC Chamber surprises Top 10 Mr K contenders The Kansas City Chamber just unveiled its hotly anticipated Top 10 finalists for the 2024 Small Business of the Year honor — surprising leaders from a wide range of industries with their tickets to the next round of the city’s most prestigious business competition.

Let the good times roll! For over 35 years, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce has recognized small businesses across the region and we’re proud to join the ranks as a Top 10 Small Business. It is truly an honor, both to be recognized and part of Kansas City’s vibrant business community.

We can’t wait to see who will earn the title of 2024 Small Business of the Year this June. Thank you to the Chamber for making this such an exciting process — and congratulations to our fellow Top 10 recipients! 👏

The time has arrived for the announcement of the tenth and final Top 10 Small Business.

We are thrilled to announce that Overflow completes this year’s list of those small businesses who will advance to compete for the KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year honors!

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to present the Gen Z fentanyl awareness campaign — You Never Know — at the Opioid Symposium hosted by Johnson County Prevention and Recovery Coalition. Our team partnered with the Coalition and Keepin’ Clean for Coop to create the campaign, which employs social norms messaging and a targeted social media strategy to increase awareness of fentanyl and fake pills among young people.

It was powerful to be in the room with over 200 community members to hear about the important and necessary work being done to combat the opioid crisis in Johnson County.

To learn what you need to know about fentanyl, visit youneverknowjoco.org


Johnson County Mental Health Center
Johnson County, KS Government

We 💙 this shot of our booth from the Chamber's Small Business Celebration. We also loved making meaningful connections with those in our larger business community!

Thank you to everyone who connected with us at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Small Business Showcase! It was a fantastic evening of networking — and great to be in the room with so many amazing innovators, creators and entrepreneurs shaping our region’s business landscape.

If you haven’t already, would you do us a favor and vote Overflow for Fan Favorite? We’d so appreciate your vote! ✅ 👉 bit.ly/4aQ0d0o

Overflow’s Creative Director, Erica Short, was recently featured as one of Kansas City Business Journal's People on the Move - and we’re excited to celebrate her!

Erica is dedicated to storytelling in all forms and values the opportunity to tell stories that matter while managing all sides of creative production. Her multi-disciplinary background allows her to focus on story structure and multimedia production in unique ways — from Emmy award-winning video production to content strategy. Erica’s expertise in copywriting, photography, video editing and more makes her an invaluable member of our team and we’re so grateful to work with her!

~ ~ ~
Erica and our team at Overflow help changemakers create stories and experiences to get ideas adopted. We have a large suite of services — ranging from multi-media campaigns and social impact platforms like Zero Reasons Why® to meeting planning and full-scale event production — to energize groups and move innovation forward for the common good. To learn more or work with us on getting your ideas adopted, visit overflowco.com

Erica Short | People on The Move - Kansas City Business Journal Erica Short Professionally Recognized at Overflow LLC

We're looking forward to the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Small Business Showcase this Thursday at Union Station — if you'll be there, be sure to stop by our booth to connect with our team and grab some fun swag!

Come one, come all to the Small Business Celebration Candidates’ Showcase! Join us in the Grand Plaza of Union Station on Thursday, April 11 for the first public event of 2024’s Small Business Celebration.

Between 5-7:30 p.m., we invite you to enjoy strolling through all the display tables as you learn more about the products and services of this year’s small business award candidates.

Learn more about the Candidates’ Showcase and register now at: https://membership.kcchamber.com/events/details/small-business-celebration-candidates-showcase-2024-14486.

One of our mantras is "work where you're most productive." For our team, sometimes that means the beach! 🏖️

Earlier this year, the team traveled to sunny shores for our first incentive travel programs of 2024 with two returning clients — and we're already planning their 2025 trips! If you’re looking for a unique and effective way to recognize or motivate your team, let’s connect to see how we can support through incentive travel.

Why choose an incentive travel program?
🏖️ Incentive travel has been shown to boost employee productivity by up to 20%
🏖️ It’s effective for team building and relationship strengthening within organizations
🏖️ It can be a strong incentive for attracting top talent or new members to your organization or group
🏖️ Research shows that non-cash rewards like incentive travel are more effective at improving performance than cash

What questions do you have about incentives? Send us a message or comment below!

We celebrate all of the remarkable women who bravely share their stories, strengths and ideas to build a better and brighter future for all. Brené Brown said it best: no one belongs here more than you!

Overflow is proud to be a certified Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and a certified Women-Owned Small Business by the SBA. We’re grateful to work alongside talented women on our team and in our community to bring about positive change in people, organizations and our world.

Overflow is honored to be recognized with a Small Business Superstar award by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce!

The Small Business Superstars program celebrates client-nominated Kansas City area companies who contribute to the economic vitality of the region. Congratulations to our fellow 2024 Superstars and cheers to all those who celebrate and support the vibrant and flourishing Kansas City business community. KC is on the rise and we're excited to be along for the ride. 🌠

Our team recently partnered with Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC) to create a five-month digital campaign to raise awareness for the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. This three-digit dialing code provides around-the-clock connections to free, confidential mental health support.

Through voices and stories from crisis call specialists in Johnson County, the campaign answers common questions about 988, like when you should call and what to expect when you do. Campaign messaging, videos and assets were created to emphasize that there is always someone available to help, just a phone call away.

By reaching audiences across popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, JCMHC hopes the campaign will help the community make the connection between 988 and the mental health support it provides.

You can learn more about the campaign by visiting joco988.org or following Johnson County Mental Health Center.

Capabilities employed:
Strategy Development
Script Writing
Creative Direction
Video Production
Graphic Design
Organic & Paid Social Strategy

Johnson County, KS Government
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services

Overflow was proud to partner with Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC) on this important campaign to raise awareness for the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. This simple dialing code provides free, 24/7 mental health support to anyone who calls.

Through voices and stories from four crisis call specialists answering 988 calls in Johnson County, the campaign answers common questions, like when you should call and what to expect when you do. Each video emphasizes that there is always someone available to help, just a phone call away.

Learn more about the campaign and follow along as it unfolds by following JCMHC on their socials.

Johnson County Mental Health Center launched a five-month digital campaign on Wednesday to raise awareness for the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline, the simple dialing code that provides around-the-clock connections to free, confidential mental health support. Calls to 988 from Johnson County phone numbers are answered by Johnson County Mental Health Center (JCMHC).

Through voices and stories from four crisis call specialists answering 988 calls in Johnson County, the campaign answers common questions about the line, like when you should call and what to expect when you call. Each video from the campaign ends with one message: “We’re here to help, just a phone call away.”

“When someone calls 988 in Johnson County, we want them to know there’s guidance, encouragement, hope, and zero judgment from the voice answering their call,” said Rob MacDougall, Director of Emergency Services for JCMHC. “They’ll reach a trained, local person who can share the resources we have available in our community.”

Results from a Pew survey released in May revealed that only 13% of adults nationwide had heard of 988 and were aware of its purpose. By reaching audiences across popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, JCMHC hopes the campaign will help the community make the connection between the easy-to-remember number and the mental health support it provides.

“We want reaching out to 988 for mental health support to become as second nature as calling 911 is for medical or safety emergencies, and an awareness campaign like this one is a big step toward making that happen,” said MacDougall.

The campaign is a part of a grant program through the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to fund local su***de prevention efforts across the state. Governor Laura Kelly announced $500,000 in funding for 15 organizations in March.

JCMHC worked with Overflow, a Kansas City-based storytelling and idea adoption firm, to create the campaign.

Nationally, the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline also offers text and chat options, as well as specialized connections for Spanish speakers, veterans, LGBTQ+ communities and deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

You can learn more about the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline and see content from the campaign by visiting joco988.org or following JCMHC on Facebook and Instagram.

Read the full press release: bit.ly/jocomnh-news-11-1-23

We are excited to share that Overflow was nominated for a 2023 Mid-America EMMY® Award for JoCo’s One Small Step, a video podcast series created with United Community Services of Johnson County and produced in partnership with The Church of the Resurrection.

One Small Step is a podcast framework provided by NPR’s StoryCorps in an effort to remind us of the humanity in everyone, even those with whom we disagree. We’re honored to receive this nomination for a project that aims to bridge divides and create stronger connections within our community.

Check out the episodes here: bit.ly/3EuNrXm


Mid-America EMMY Awards/NATAS

Get to know Overflow and what makes story meaningful to us. 💡👇

"Robert McKee defines story as, 'a series of causally connected dynamic events that change a person's life.' Stories are meaningful and memorable because they do just that – reveal how lives are changed because of events that unfold often beyond our control."

That is what intrigues me most about stories – the learning process that occurs individually and collectively. What we believe and the values we hold as individuals and collectively as a company, society and global community are the result of the stories we believe, relate to, and accept as our own. Stories don’t have to be true to be believed. Often the best stories are not true as all – they are fiction." - Tammy Broaddus, Principal & CEO

What makes meaningful or memorable for you?

Don't be a hero. Be a sidekick.

The sidekick's primary role is to help guide the hero or protagonist to overcome obstacles, make progress and achieve their noble goal. But many organizations face the challenge of casting themselves as the hero — becoming so internally focused that they and lose sight of what matters to their customers (the real hero).

Story structure helps organizations reframe by defining who plays what role and why any of it matters by asking these questions:
1. Who do you help?
2. What is their goal?
3. Why do they need help - what obstacles stand in the way of their goal?
4. How can you help them overcome said obstacles to achieve that goal?

Ron & Hermione, Yoda, Buzz Lightyear…
We all love a good sidekick — your customers will, too.