The state of gun violence in the US, explained in 18 charts

If you’re a millennial like me, your first memory of a mass shooting in America is likely April 20, 1999.

Another Tragedy: What Do We Do Now?

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She’s Always Buzzing Just Like Neon, Neon

“This is a roadside attraction,” said Wednesday. “One of the finest. Which means it is a place of power.”

The Obama Foundation on Twitter: "Only two days until civic leaders like @aimeewoodall gather at the inaugural #ObamaSummit. Be a part of it: https://t.co/WdBQALg9je… https://t.co/AYdRSHVyq1"

Sometimes, we take our inspiration from in-house. Today we look no further than our very own fearless leader, Aimee Woodall.

Thanks, Obama [Foundation Summit].

Ferrari 512 BBi Is A Piece of Art - Petrolicious

Putting Purpose in the Driver’s Seat with Ferrari

The 1981 Ferrari 512i BB has a horizontally mounted direct-injected V12 engine that produces 335hp, 333lb/ft of torque and has a claimed top speed of 179mph.

RESCHEDULED: A Community Gathering and Human Rights Conversation

Our world today is full of daily struggle and strife. But we didn’t need to tell you that—you’re living and breathing, too.

Our world today is full of daily struggle and strife. But we didn’t need to tell you that—you’re living and breathing, too. Each week, the already long list of tragedies and injustice grows longer and longer. For things to change, we must better understand where we fit in the fight for equality, access and justice, and learn how we can join those organizations that are taking action to make a bigger impact.

Ode to Working Women: American Business Women's Day

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It’s Okay To Talk Derby – Hard Hitting PR Lessons from Houston Roller Derby

If you’re familiar with roller derby from the 70s, you probably remember gigantic wooden-banked tracks, hardcore body slams and over-choreographed rail flips. Today, though, the game is more of a sport than a spectacle. After reemerging as an “old game, new sport” in 2003, contemporary roller derby has made considerable efforts to rebrand itself. And we have to say – these ladies have been on a serious roll.

The Houston Roller Derby Championship Bout is September 21 and we’ll be there, front and center. Sure, there’s always the risk of becoming a landing pad for a projectile derby girl, but who are we to shy away from anything?

Whether you’re wearing skates and taking names or trying to revitalize a PR campaign, we think you should listen up and take a few hard-hitting PR pointers from our own derby gal, intern Katie Thomson – or Betty Watchett. This gal GOES HARD.

This Ain’t Your Mama’s Roller Derby
Just as the game has reemerged into a more youthful, athletic and empowering sport, a good PR campaign should show a little rebellion, too. Textbook methods insist that you stick it to the old techniques and follow history’s classic marketing formulas. DON’T. It’s okay to try new moves by jumping the apex, especially if you can wow your audience AND stick the landing. Do something new and fresh. We’re not suggesting you completely reinvent the wheel, but try getting your “roll” on in a different fashion.

Great Jammers Always Get ‘Lead’
In roller derby, the first jammer (point scorer) to get out of the pack is awarded a special privilege called “lead jammer,” which allows her to stop the jam at any time. If she gets lead, she retains control.

If you get YOUR lead in a PR campaign, you’ll be racking up the points, too. The key to success is breaking out of the pack to get ahead of your competition. Take risks and do things no one else is doing by finding those holes. It may feel scary, but it really gives you the upper hand as a leader in the game.

Play the Star
The objective of roller derby is to block the opposing jammer – who wears a helmet covered with stars – out of bounds, while trying to balance getting your jammer past the other team’s blockers. All the while, you’re dodging hits and trying to keep up with everyone on the track. While it may seem intimidating, sticking to your guns is something every PR pro can get behind. Set your goals from the beginning and stay laser-focused. Do everything you can in your power to block out interfering details or issues. Multitasking and tangential thoughts can slow you down. Always push ahead and you’ll maintain your lead to be the big winner.

Roller derby shows us that you can reinvigorate your PR campaigns with new energy. Taking a step towards a new image might be risky (and some might always latch on to your old brand), but the outcome of a fresh perspective can inspire a new identity and appeal to a completely different market. Roller derby never remarketed itself as a completely new concept — it just promoted itself as a youthful, energized community and became a culture more fans could be a part of. Take some risks, step out in front of the competition and stay focused on what you want to convey.

If you find yourself sitting in the front row at Houston Roller Derby’s big game next Saturday, see the action up close and take some notes on rebranding. Remember, it’s okay to talk derby every once in a while – just prepare to cover that beer if a skater lands in your lap!

It’s Okay To Talk Derby – Hard-Hitting PR Lessons from Houston Roller Derby

Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time

Breaks on a bus, brakes on a car
Breaks to make you a superstar

Rap Battle: Storytelling on the Beat

But these here breaks will rock your shoes

As writers, communicators and marketers working in a cause-driven field, we are no stranger to the importance of untold stories.

War Stories: A Voice For The Voiceless

As writers, communicators and marketers working in a cause-driven field, we are no stranger to the importance of untold stories. We use our words and creativity to create urgency and inspire action. Sometimes these stories are lost in a noisy world. Unheard.

Hung Up on a Rung: Ladders, inference, assumptions and YOU!

If you’re anything like me, your mind moves a mile a minute, and not always in a good way.

If you’re anything like me, your mind moves a mile a minute, and not always in a good way. You know that saying about assumptions? The one about you, and me, and a less pleasant term for a donkey? Yeah. Been there—painful. 

“We’re all going to have big losses in our lives, maybe a job or a career, relationships, love our youth.

The Beautiful Awful

“We’re all going to have big losses in our lives, maybe a job or a career, relationships, love our youth. We’re going to lose our health, people we love. These kinds of losses are out of our control. They’re unpredictable, and they bring us to our knees. And so I say, let them. Fall to your knees. Be humbled. Let go of trying to change it or even wanting it to be different. It just is.”

Black Sheep has been working with BakerRipley (formerly Neighborhood Centers) for a long time—nearly since the inception of our company.

HUMAN, A BakerRipley Campaign

Black Sheep has been working with Baker Ripley (formerly Neighborhood Centers) for a long time—nearly since the inception of our company. It’s impossible to enumerate the effects they have had on our agency.

When you give the right old man an Instagram, he’s going to want to post—a lot.

When You Give an Old Man an Instagram

When you give the right old man an Instagram, he’s going to want to post—a lot. And when he wants to post, he’s going to need content. And when he needs content, a masterpiece emerges and the universal cuteness meter is blown to smithereens.

Locally based Brazilian graphic designer Renata Senna had a vision for our chalk wall as soon as we contacted her. Merging feminism with gorgeous illustrations and graphics, Senna envisioned a mighty image of Supergirl combined with a strong statement. Between us gals (And guys. And everyone.), this is one of our favorite Blank Slate pieces. Ever. It’s simple but packs a powerful message: The future is female.

Blank Slate — To Femininity And Beyond!

Locally based Brazilian graphic designer Renata Senna had a vision for our chalk wall as soon as we contacted her.

To Femininity and Beyond!

Wholesome Humor and Weird Twitter’s Jonny Sun

Internet culture is alive and real and moving and sometimes it scares me.

Internet culture is alive and real and moving and sometimes it scares me. But if I’m honest, I spend most of the time that I’m breathing on Twitter. I’ll never apologize. It’s part of me now. I sit down, fish my slightly-broken iPhone out of my pocket and get lost in the depths of Weird Twitter, basking in the never-ending bad memes that somehow leave a gross taste in my mouth and refresh me simultaneously.

Why an Out of Office Retreat is Good For Camaraderie

The Lady Gaga Guide to Forming Emotional Connections

You know that feeling when you jump out of a building? Nope.

You know that feeling when you jump out of a building? Nope. I haven’t either. Sheep rarely jump off stuff—that’s why you see them up so high in the mountains, surefooted and attached to the ground at the hooves.

Find Your Values, Let Them Lead You To Action

Values have become a checklist item. Behind “Mission” and “Vision,” they’re the next thing to tackle before you startup, rebrand or launch a new culture handbook. But they really shouldn’t be. Real values are baked-in to your DNA. They’re like eye color—natural, striking and permanent. You can throw on contacts, but the truth remains behind the lens.

ONE BILLION IMPRESSIONS. One billion. It’s an incredible amount.

ONE BILLION IMPRESSIONS

ONE BILLION IMPRESSIONS. One billion. It’s an incredible amount. It means that we’re on to something. That the right eyeballs are finding their way to Better Make Room’s message. That we’re breaking through to those we serve. Our journey to a billion has been wildly important for education around America, and to us as an agency.

A few years ago, I read the book Brilliance by Marcus Sakey.

Pattern Recognition

A few years ago, I read the book Brilliance by Marcus Sakey. I don’t want to spoil it for you by giving away the plot, but something stuck with me—enough to read this book again for inspiration—was how the characters in this novel have special abilities. Realistic ones. One character could visualize the movement and patterns in crowds, giving her the ability to seamlessly weave through people for quick escapes. Another man was blessed with infallible emotion-recognition skills, making him a human lie detector. They had super powers but not necessarily supernatural ones, as Jess helped me summarize. (Thanks, Jess!)

The world is loud with urgency, and it’s easy to feel stretched thin by everything demanding our attention. We get it. That’s why we’re channeling our energy, creativity and care into a focused set of Social Impact Areas—issues that move us and guide the work we do every day.

These are the issues that stir us up and move us forward—areas where we’re choosing to go deeper instead of trying to do it all at once. They give shape to our research, creative work and client collaborations, helping us stay grounded in what matters most.

For 2025, we’re digging in on three core impact area themes: 

We believe joy is fuel for change. It connects us, uplifts us and reminds us what we’re fighting for. From LGBTQ+ rights to building more inclusive workplaces, we’re elevating the moments that make us feel seen, celebrated and free.

Everyone deserves to feel safe. But right now, too many people don’t. We’re examining the systems that shape that reality—from reproductive rights to housing, climate, and community violence—and working toward a world where peace, dignity, and protection are the norm.

Young people aren’t just the future—they’re leading right now. We’re showing up to support their vision, amplify their voices and make sure the next generation has the tools, mental health support and community power to dream big and drive change.

These themes aren’t limits—they’re launchpads. Inside each one lives a network of vital, interconnected issues: from LGBTQ+ rights and work culture to gun safety, reproductive healthcare, mental health and climate justice. We’ll be writing, building, reflecting and co-creating throughout the year, and we’d love to have you in the mix.

Want to follow along, get inspired or share your work with us? Sign up for updates here.

Progress takes all of us. By learning, building and taking action together, we can push for a future that’s more just, joyful and secure.

So much needs fixing. Where do we even start?

Finding Focus in a Noisy World: Our Social Impact Areas

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How do you stay focused when everything feels urgent? We’re grounding our work in three Social Impact Areas to explore the issues that matter most and move with more purpose in 2025.

The Black Sheep blog is turning up the volume on community engagement, social media strategy, Houston happenings and what it means to lead a purpose-driven life.

The Black Sheep Agency | Social impact and nonprofit blog

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