The Columbus Chamber and Capital University have partnered to bring the first business-themed podcast to Columbus. During cbuzz, Columbus-based brand journalist Mikaela Hunt will speak with local business owners, entrepreneurs and community leaders and allow them to tell their story and highlight their organization, while further inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit that is buzzing in the city.
For nearly 15 years, Portfolio Creative has been helping businesses solve creative workforce challenges by connecting clients with top talent in fields from marketing and advertising to content and design.
On the latest episode of the Columbus Chamber’s cbuzz podcast, Portfolio Creative President & Co-Creator Catherine Lang-Cline recounts the agency’s beginnings.
Cline was a graphic designer with a broad range of experience, both in types of work and in clientele. Her career was spent bouncing between businesses and freelancing. She crossed paths with her now business partner Kristen Harris while Harris was working at the Limited. Harris was always on the lookout for freelancers – and wanted to help other businesses find them, too.
Cline had the clients, Harris knew the talent and soon the duo started plugging the two together, launching Portfolio Creative.
During the podcast, Cline discusses the resources that have been helpful in building their business in the last decade and a half.
It’s really about finding peers, she says, from people who were startups like them, to experienced business owners they could learn from. Cline says joining groups like NAWBO [National Association of Women Business Owners], and various other boards like the Columbus Chamber Small Business Council, is one of the best things she has done for her business. Opportunities abound to learn from peers, to be exposed to new ways of thinking and to make an impact. She also recommends looking for professional affiliations in a business’ given field to access programming, trainings and more. For Portfolio Creative, it’s the American Staffing Association.
Cline also doles out lessons in hiring during the podcast. Hiring – and firing – is a costly endeavor for a business. Cline talks about how they help clients find the right fit that goes beyond just a resume. She also highlights solutions offered through Portfolio Creative like “temp to buy” that allow businesses to try out employees before making a permanent hire.
Once a business finds that right talent, what can they do to keep them? It’s not only about vetting hires from the beginning so there are no surprises, but finding out what’s valuable to the team and what in today’s seemingly endless array of work perks really matters to them.
Tune into the full podcast to learn more about why Columbus has been a great place to build Portfolio Creative, what Cline sees for the future of the city and more.
Never miss a cbuzz podcast! Visit the Columbus Chamber website for more great stories and advice from local business owners.
— The Columbus Chamber of Commerce offers news, information and other resources that are free and available to all businesses at columbus.org. —
