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	<title>The MatriX Files &#187; Matrix Group</title>
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	<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net</link>
	<description>a blog by Joanna Pineda, CEO, Matrix Group</description>
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		<title>How We Doubled Our Facebook Fans and Raised Money for the Gulf Recovery Effort</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/how-we-doubled-our-facebook-fans-and-raised-money-for-the-gulf-recovery-effort/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/how-we-doubled-our-facebook-fans-and-raised-money-for-the-gulf-recovery-effort/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 04:30:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=2226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[10 days ago, the Matrix Group Facebook fan page had 280 fans.  As of tonight, we have 576 fans, more than double our starting number. How did we do it?  We launched a campaign and created an incentive for people to &#8220;Like&#8221; us.
The Background
Matrix Group has had a Facebook fan page for a couple of years now and we had been slowly building up our fan base.  We did all the usual things to generate new fans: we let our customers know about our Facebook page, we linked to it from our Web site and blog, we asked staff to invite their friends to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/how-we-doubled-our-facebook-fans-and-raised-money-for-the-gulf-recovery-effort/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Moving the Matrix Group Underground to the Foreground</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/moving-the-matrix-group-underground-to-the-foreground/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/moving-the-matrix-group-underground-to-the-foreground/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:31:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=2202</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With all the hiring we&#8217;re doing right now, my team decided that we better revisit all of our orientation guides. Orientations work like this at Matrix Group:  we ask staff members from all teams to help with the orientation; we give them an outline and they do the session.  Spreading the orientation schedule around means we cover more in a short period of time and new staff get introduced to all teams in a more meaningful way.
When we started reviewing our existing guides, we found that the majority of them were too sparse. If you were lucky enough to do orientation with an earnest old-timer, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/moving-the-matrix-group-underground-to-the-foreground/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In Business, I Get the Chance to Win Gold Every Week</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/winning-gold-in-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/winning-gold-in-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:30:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[software development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1927</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m watching the Women&#8217;s Downhill competition during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics this evening.   I saw several women crash on the course, their Olympics dreams and year of preparation, go up in smoke.  Business books are full of sports analogies, but for my part, I&#8217;m glad that the world of business is not really like the Olympics.  Here&#8217;s how:
The Olympics are for the Young
Although there are a few 30-something and 40-something athletes, the Olympics are dominated by elite competitors in their teens and 20s.  After a dozen years of competing, their careers are over.  I&#8217;m grateful that after 18 years in the online business, [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/winning-gold-in-business/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Great &#8220;Work From Home&#8221; Experiment</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/the-great-work-from-home-experiment/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/the-great-work-from-home-experiment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1918</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Thursday, when the National Weather Service was calling for a blizzard in the DC area, I had a choice to make:  open on Friday but probably close early, close the office OR keep the office open but let everyone work from home.  On Sunday night, with roads still largely impassable, federal and local governments announcing closures and public transportation down for the count, I faced a similar choice: declare the office closed on Monday and give everyone a snow day OR keep the office open and let everyone work from home.
While I&#8217;m sure most of my staff would have loved a snow day or [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/the-great-work-from-home-experiment/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is it Easy to Do Business With Your Company?</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/is-it-easy-to-do-business-with-your-company/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/is-it-easy-to-do-business-with-your-company/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:04:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1908</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was arranging lunch with a vendor and suggested Kora, the hip, new Italian restaurant in Crystal City.  I wanted to e-mail my contact Kora&#8217;s address, phone number and a link to a Google map.  Alas, the entire Kora site is in Flash, which is beautiful, but it&#8217;s not very user-friendly.  The biggest problem?  I can&#8217;t copy and paste the contact info to include in an e-mail and  paste into Google Maps.  I know, I know, it&#8217; s not a big deal to retype the address, but I&#8217;m a picky consumer.  I want to be able to copy and paste easily.  Even better, I&#8217;d love [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/is-it-easy-to-do-business-with-your-company/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dear Doctor, Don&#8217;t You Know Me By Now?</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/dear-doctor-dont-you-know-me-by-now/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/dear-doctor-dont-you-know-me-by-now/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:33:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1881</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I went for my annual physical yesterday.  I love the practice I go to, but I hate feeling like I&#8217;m a nameless, faceless patient, even though I&#8217;ve been a patient for a decade. I also hate that I have to fill out the same infernal forms over and over again and write my name, address and insurance information multiple times.  My check-in went something like this:
Me: Hello, Joanna Pineda, here for a 3:15 appointment.
Receptionist: Hello, please sign in. Has any of your information changed since your list visit?
Me: No.
Receptionist: Okay. Wait, you need to fill out new forms. (Hands me blank forms)
I sit [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/dear-doctor-dont-you-know-me-by-now/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why Matrix Group Didn&#8217;t Send Paper Holiday Cards This Year</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/why-matrix-group-didnt-send-paper-holiday-cards-this-year/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/why-matrix-group-didnt-send-paper-holiday-cards-this-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2009 03:15:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1757</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For the past ten years, it&#8217;s been a Matrix Group tradition to send out holiday cards to clients, partners and friends and have staff sign the cards personally.  This year was different.  For the first time ever, we didn&#8217;t send out snail mail holiday cards and instead sent a holiday e-card.
You&#8217;d think that sending out an e-mail over paper would be an easy choice.  But the holiday cards were a big deal.  Each staff member signed the cards for all the clients they supported and partners they worked with.  The new biz, net admin and administration teams signed every single card.  I am famous for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/why-matrix-group-didnt-send-paper-holiday-cards-this-year/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Are Your Company Traditions?</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-are-your-company-traditions/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-are-your-company-traditions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:20:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1605</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On my way to work this morning, I heard a story on NPR about how immigrants to this country have adopted the Thanksgiving tradition and made it their own.  A Greek chef talked about how his mother made a Thanksgiving turkey but every other dish during the meal was Greek.  The story reminded me of the importance of traditions.
We tend to think of traditions as part of our personal and family lives.  But if we look closely, most companies have traditions as well and they bind staff to the company and to each other. Here at Matrix Group, over the past ten years, we&#8217;ve amassed [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-are-your-company-traditions/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In the Event That Miss Universe is Unable to Serve&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/in-the-event-that-miss-universe-is-unable-to-serve/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/in-the-event-that-miss-universe-is-unable-to-serve/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:59:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1563</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I haven&#8217;t watched a Miss Universe pageant in a long time, but a part of the program will stay with me forever:  the part where Bob Barker says to the 1st runner up something along the lines of:  In the event that Miss Universe is unable to serve, you will take the crown.
What on earth does the Miss Universe pageant have to do with running a business?
Well, it turns out that if you run a business long enough, no matter how successful you, there are times when you don&#8217;t take home the prize.  I can remember deals where we came soooo close to winning the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/in-the-event-that-miss-universe-is-unable-to-serve/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Recruiting Top Job Candidates Through the Barry Deutsch Method</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/recruiting-top-job-candidates-through-the-barry-deutsch-method/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/recruiting-top-job-candidates-through-the-barry-deutsch-method/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:33:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1508</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A few years ago, Matrix Group was looking for a Network Administrator. We had been looking for 18 months with no success.  The situation was bleak. The candidates coming in were awful, my team was overworked and desperate to make a hire, and recruiters were failing us miserably.
Then I attended a presentation by Barry Deutsch, CEO of Impact Hiring Solutions, an executive search firm.  Barry&#8217;s presentation had such an impact on me and my company that Barry Deutsch is now a verb at Matrix Group.
When a job announcement is not pulling in the candidates we need, I tell my staff to &#8220;Barry Deutsch&#8221; the description.
Barry [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/recruiting-top-job-candidates-through-the-barry-deutsch-method/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Art and Science of Business Cards</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/the-art-and-science-of-business-cards/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/the-art-and-science-of-business-cards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:21:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1440</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When we moved to our new office in Crysta City, it meant reprinting all of our marketing materials.  While it was simply a matter of updating and reprinting most of our collateral, we decided to redesign our business cards.  Matrix Group Creative Director Alex Pineda wanted to update the design with the refreshed logo and show some more personality.
Here are some sample cards that demonstrate what we were trying to achieve.

Here&#8217;s my card.  The front is purple so it&#8217;s easy to find on a cluttered desk or stack o cards.  The corners are curved because Alex says the Matrix Group brand is curvey, node-y.  The [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/the-art-and-science-of-business-cards/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>At Work, as in Marriage and Friendship, A Sense of Humor Rocks</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/humor-in-the-workplace/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/humor-in-the-workplace/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:15:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1400</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last Wednesday afternoon, I was harried and stressed.  I was leaving for a conference on the West Coast. and if I didn&#8217;t leave the office by 2:30pm, the drive to BWI was not going to be pretty.  But I had two people to call, five e-mails to write, three people to see and it was already 2pm.  I decided to delegate a couple of the tasks to Ray, my new biz manager.  Just at that moment, he walked into my office and I said, &#8220;oh, thank goodness you&#8217;re here.&#8221;  Without missing a beat, Ray deadpanned, &#8220;You&#8217;re surprised I&#8217;m here?  I&#8217;m always here.  I work for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/humor-in-the-workplace/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Flight 93 National Memorial Web site</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/projects/npf-flight-93-national-memorial-web-site/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/projects/npf-flight-93-national-memorial-web-site/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:55:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>cdwyer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Projects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Matrix Group worked with the Flight 93 Federal Advisory Commission and the Flight 93 Memorial Task Force, to design and launch the Flight 93 National Memorial Web site. The purpose of the site is to raise public awareness, funds, and commemorate  the memorial, so that future generations may learn, and remember how the brave actions of few, can make a profound difference.
Matrix work included:

A Web site that carries over  design elements and functionality from the National Parks Web site to the Honor Flight 93 Web site.  Including,  familiar navigation, imagery style and messaging.
 A  “Give Now” form, encouraging public engagement and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/projects/npf-flight-93-national-memorial-web-site/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Does Your Corporate Underground Match Your Company&#8217;s Size and Needs?</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/corporate-underground/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/corporate-underground/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:27:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corporate culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1165</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was working with a prospect recently and lamenting to my team that the organization felt like a bunch of stovepipes, with the VPs competing for resources and influence.  I said something along the lines of &#8220;Arrgh, this organization is too small to be so silo&#8217;d!&#8221;
Then it hit me: the company had gone through a fairly large downsizing recently.  The corporate culture was one I was more likely to find in a much larger organization because the culture had not adjusted to the new realities of the smaller organization!  Ick.
Then I realized the opposite can happen as well.  As an organization grows, the culture, communication [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/corporate-underground/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How SCRUM Made Our Office Move Great</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/how-scrum-made-our-office-move-great/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/how-scrum-made-our-office-move-great/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:59:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Office moves are never fun. Our move was months in the planning, but we were still scrambling last Friday night, the day before the movers arrived.  The plan was to complete the physical move on Saturday, then have all staff come in on Sunday to set-up their own work areas, test the network and phones, and help unpack the common areas.  There were a million tasks to be done?  How was it all going to get done? Then we had a great idea: let&#8217;s use SCRUM, do a one-day sprint and complete as much of the move as possible.  Here&#8217;s what we [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/how-scrum-made-our-office-move-great/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>An Office Buildout Is Just Like a Web Site Redesign</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/office-buildout/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/office-buildout/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:15:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Matrix Group is getting close to moving to its new space at 2711 Jefferson Davis Highway in Arlington (Crystal City), VA.  This is the first time that we&#8217;re doing a buildout and I&#8217;m looking forward to seeing how our physical space can support how we collaborate and do our work.  I&#8217;ve also been fascinated to realize that a construction project is like a Web site design project in many ways:
User Experience

Our construction project began with our Architect visiting our existing space, interviewing staff, and learning how people work together and on their own. This is akin to the user experience part of all of our [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/office-buildout/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Celebrating 10 Years With a Microsite</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/10-year-microsite/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/10-year-microsite/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:39:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[User-Generated Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web 2.0]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web Design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=1085</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We did it! We launched a microsite for the Matrix Group 10th anniversary! It took us several months and a whole lot of research, but we did it.  Why create a site for the occasion?
10 years feels like a real milestone to us, especially to me.  Like I say in my &#8220;Where We&#8217;re Going&#8221; letter, when I started the company, I wasn&#8217;t thinking about balance sheets or Web standards.  I just wanted to help companies with their Web sites.  And when my Advisory Board Chair asked me about my five-year plan (during year one), I just laughed; I was so focused [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Happy 10th Anniversary, Matrix Group!</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/matrix-group-10th-anniversary/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/matrix-group-10th-anniversary/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2009 02:54:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=785</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I can&#8217;t believe that Matrix Group will be 10 years old tomorrow. A decade.  10 years!  When I started Matrix Group in shared office in Georgetown, little did I know that the journey would be difficult, challenging, exhilarating and deeply satisfying.
It feels like just yesterday that I was renting furniture to impress a dotcom client coming in (year 1), getting our own cabinet at the data center (year 3), and celebrating at the Torpedo Factory (year 5).
Looking Back on the First Five Years
I found the e-mail that I sent out to clients, partners and friends inviting them to our 5th anniversary party back in 2004.  [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/matrix-group-10th-anniversary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>What Clients Want: To Be Understood</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-clients-want/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-clients-want/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:54:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[project management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=660</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of my Project Managers (we call them PMs at Matrix Group) was struggling with an account.  The client was frustrated, the Project Manager was frustrated, so of course, now I&#8217;m frustrated.  I called the client, had a long de-brief session, worked through some issues, and with a few tweaks, the project was back on track.  The PM wanted to know how I did that.  My secret? I put myself in the client&#8217;s shoes.
As a business owner, I get to be manager of staff and projects AND client to our many vendors.  As the chief salesperson for the company, I interact [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-clients-want/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>What Customer Experiences Are Core To Your Business?</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-customer-experiences-are-core-to-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-customer-experiences-are-core-to-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:28:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=415</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[During the last couple of weeks, I made presentations to a couple of clients.  The first client thinks we&#8217;re good but they&#8217;re not raving fans.  The second client thinks Matrix Group is fantastic, we are a solid partner and we have contributed greatly to their success.  I asked my Client Services Directors: why is there a difference in how these two clients perceive us, our work and our value to them?
The ensuing discussion was an interesting one. We decided that all talk of what we actually do aside (Web design, integration, content management, hosting, yada, yada), what ultimately makes a client a [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/what-customer-experiences-are-core-to-your-business/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Have You Googled Your Name Lately?</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/have-you-googled-your-name-lately/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/have-you-googled-your-name-lately/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:42:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Site search]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=297</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the goals of the last redesign of the Matrix Group Web site was to make my bio more prominent in search engines.  I had previously resisted putting any information about me on the Web site for a variety of reasons, but my new biz team reasoned that since I do a lot of speaking and writing, people will Google my name; when that happens, we want the Matrix Group Web site to pop-up on the first page, if not first on the list of results.
I typed &#8220;joanna pineda&#8221; into Google tonight and this is what I found:

An interview that I did for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/have-you-googled-your-name-lately/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Surviving in this Hellish Economy</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/surviving-in-this-hellish-economy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/surviving-in-this-hellish-economy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:17:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=268</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Okay, it&#8217;s official. The economy is in a recession, but what are you doing about it? What is your company or organization doing to weather the storm or even thrive in it?
I was recently interviewed by Jill Foster for the Network Solution blog on a variety of topics, including using social media for recruiting and what we&#8217;re doing here at Matrix Group to survive this hellish economy.
When our fiscal year ends next June, I want to be able to say that we were counter-trend and that our company grew, despite the recession.  Here are my top strategies for surviving this economic bloodbath.

Stay close to our [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/surviving-in-this-hellish-economy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Why Perfect References Aren&#8217;t Always a Good Thing</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/why-perfect-references-arent-always-a-good-thing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/why-perfect-references-arent-always-a-good-thing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=200</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My favorite business guru, Tom Peters, blogged recently that &#8220;hiring is the most important aspect of business&#8221; and I couldn&#8217;t agree more.  I know down to my core that if we hire the right people, they will take care of our customers, they will be passionate about our business, and they will always strive to do the right thing.
Why is why, in addition to interviewing well and having great writing/coding samples, candidates for positions at Matrix Group must have great references.  Paradoxically, we&#8217;re less inclined to hire a person with a perfect track record and perfect references, you know, the person who has [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/why-perfect-references-arent-always-a-good-thing/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Where Do Broken Web Pages Go?  The Internet Library, Of Course</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/where-do-broken-web-pages-go-the-internet-library-of-course/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/where-do-broken-web-pages-go-the-internet-library-of-course/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 01:27:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Data Recovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Site search]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web 2.0]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=196</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whitney Houston sings &#8220;Where do broken hearts go?&#8221;  Me, I have often wondered what becomes of broken or lost Web pages &#8212; you know, the URLs that used to work but now display a 404 or file not found error.  Are these pages deleted from the servers?  Or have they just been unlinked?  And what do I do if I really need the information and it&#8217;s now gone?
You&#8217;ll be glad to know that there is a whole movement devoted to changing the content of the Internet from ephemera to artifacts.  Internet libraries are springing up everywhere to catalog and preserve [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/where-do-broken-web-pages-go-the-internet-library-of-course/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Start Wearing Purple</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/start-wearing-purple/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/start-wearing-purple/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 01:20:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=180</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It seems purple is the color of the season and I&#8217;m not complaining. If you know me, have been to my office, or spent any time on the Matrix Group Web site (or this blog for that matter), you know that purple is an integral part of the Matrix Group experience.
I was pleased to see that Yahoo! has launched a Start Wearing Purple campaign. Even though the logo on the Yahoo Web site is red, it seems that purple has long been the company&#8217;s official color.  Why purple?  Yahoo says purple is associated with innovation and imagination.
Hmmm&#8230;. I always thought purple was associated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/start-wearing-purple/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Happy Anniversary, Matrix Group!</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/happy-anniversary-matrix-group/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/happy-anniversary-matrix-group/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:02:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=103</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Lots happening at Matrix Group these days.  Matrix Group celebrated nine years in business last May 1, 2008, but we didn&#8217;t get around to celebrating until a couple of weeks ago.  We also launched a redesign of our Web site last Friday.  The Web site is not quite where we want it to be yet, but check out our website if you want a sneak peak.
Over nine years ago, around May 1, 1999, I started Matrix Group International, Inc.  We&#8217;ve come a long way and we have much to be thankful for &#8212; amazing staff, loyal and wonderful clients, supportive friends and partners.  The Washington [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/happy-anniversary-matrix-group/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>New Blog on the Block &#8211; MatriXFiles</title>
		<link>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/new-blog-on-the-block-matrixfiles/</link>
		<comments>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/new-blog-on-the-block-matrixfiles/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:16:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>jpineda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matrix Group]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.thematrixfiles.net/?p=12</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Okay, we finally did it!  Matrix Group launched a blog, MatriXFiles.  After helping dozens of clients develop their blog strategies, I decided it was high time we had one. We established our own blog strategy and brand, created an awesome design, put together the content plan and now we’ve launched! I’d love your comments about the site.
The strategy, which includes the site title, is most critical. It sets the tone and image you want to communicate. So, the Matrix Group blog had to have a movie-themed title. You see, every person at Matrix Group is assigned to a team and every team is [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.thematrixfiles.net/blog/new-blog-on-the-block-matrixfiles/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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	</channel>
</rss>
