Making a splash… NEWSLETTER / July 2026 KIND WORDS: “The secret to finding a great PR partner like Word PR is the quality of their Rolodex, and that’s something only time and professional experience can create.” – Edward Riddell, Marketing Consultant and Strategist, JLF Architects 
ON THE WATER “Where there’s water, there’s life,” writes Chase Reynolds Ewald in Mountain Living’s July/August issue, chronicling the decades-long design-build collaboration between JLF Architects, Big-D Construction and Verdone Landscape Architects that has “made flowing water an art form.” Of an 1890s stone creamery rebuilt as a Jackson Hole home with a separate boathouse, shown here, JLF’s Paul Bertelli tells ML, “Jim Verdone designed a beautiful dam; the water trickles down from constructed to natural, becoming increasingly integrated into the natural landscape.” (Photo: Audrey Hall) 
SHINING STAR A decades-long passion project for Jeremiah Young, the brick-and-mortar Kibler & Kirch – an extension of his interior design business of the same name – has been earning acclaim as the only home store of its size, scope and curatorial distinction in Montana. The latest kudos come from Home Accents Today magazine, naming Kibler & Kirch a Retail Star, one of 50 from across the country. Stores that made the cut were chosen for their “outstanding product assortments, merchandising creativity and all-around excellence,” writes the magazine. Says Jeremiah of the shopping experience, “It’s about creating a personal connection with the items you bring into your home.” 
LIVING THE DREAM At a time when mountain resort towns struggle to hire and retain staff, Antlers at Vail hotel boasts employees with 10-, 20-, and even 30-plus-year tenures. And every team member with 10+ years of service enjoys a fully paid four-week sabbatical – just one of a long roster of employee perks. It’s no wonder Antlers recently took home Best Place to Work honors from Vail Valley Partnership’s 2026 Success Awards, which noted the hotel’s “commitment to employee wellbeing through innovative benefits, housing support, education programs and a culture that empowers staff to build long-term careers in the Vail Valley.” PR TIP OF THE MONTH Make Your Website Sticky Websites remain our ultimate selling tool – more than ever in an age of AI. But are your website visitors sticking around? Here are four fast ideas for evaluating – and fixing – your website’s engagement. 1. Speed is everything – check your website across a range of devices. The 3-second rule is real. Need more speed? This is the kind of thing AI is made for: Ask for a list of things to check and how to fix them. One important tip for designers’ photo-heavy pages, use free tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce file sizes without losing quality. 2. “Clarity is power.” –Robin Sharma, leadership expert and author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. Another reason visitors lose interest quickly? Confusing, chaotic designs and overly complex navigation. Designers can get so caught up in the look of a page that they forget to step back and approach their website like a newbie just arriving on your home page. Is your menu easy to find and use? Is content easy-to-scan in small, digestible bites, bold headings and bullet points? Focus on one main goal per page and use white space to keep things feeling clean and calm. And make sure your contact info is easy to find! 3. Track your data. We’ve said it before but it’s worth saying again, set up Google Analytics to see how well pages are working – which are most popular and where do people linger the longest? – and how people are finding you. 4. Build trust. Testimonials matter – people trust other people who speak plainly about why something worked for them. And don’t forget a press page; the third-party credibility of editorial coverage by respected media is priceless, but don’t let it be a one-and-done. Load covers and article PDFs and arrange in a way that’s designed to impress and easy to access. Need help with your website? We’re always happy to take a look and make some suggestions! Sometimes small changes can make a big difference in results. |
