How to interview like a late night talk show host

Barbara Walters, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman—we’re coming for you.

Barbara Walters, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman—we’re coming for you. Ever wonder how the pros make media interviews look so effortless?

Read on for a Top 10 Media Interview Tips List (you know, Letterman style) from a seasoned interview pro in his own right: Craig Cohen, host and executive producer of Houston Matters.

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Mentor Me This: Natalie Dishes on the Perks of Being in the Loop

It was a sweltering August day when I, at the age of 21, drove from my small hometown in Louisiana to Houston to start my new life with my new husband.

It was a sweltering August day when I, at the age of 21, drove from my small hometown in Louisiana to Houston to start my new life with my new husband. He likes to joke that he never actually saw me driving my car because I’d followed him so closely that I wasn’t visible in the mirrors. I’d graduated that summer with my B.F.A. and was eager to begin my grown-up career in graphic design. Pedal to the metal, despite how intimidated I was heading in this new direction.

2 billion impressions is great, changing the future with college bound students is better

First impressions matter, right?  So what happens after 2 BILLION impressions?

First impressions matter, right?  So what happens after 2 BILLION impressions?  We found out with our Michelle Obama’s #CollegeSigningDay partnership this year.

How I Survived 30 Days of Biking in Houston

There are bike-friendly cities and then there’s… Houston.  When I tell people that I participated in #30DaysofBiking, I’m met with blank stares and more than a few questions.

The Art of Overcoming Fear, With Artist Katy Holton

Have you ever been frozen with fear? Felt like the stakes were too high?

Have you ever been frozen with fear? Felt like the stakes were too high? That there were too many obstacles in your path? Too many dragons to slay? That you’re stuck on the wrong side of a ravine, yet everything you’ve ever wanted was just on the other side? So has Katy Holton, a Houston-based artist from Austin’s design studio DesignGood. Katy took on our Blank Slate chalk wall this week to encourage the Flock to overcome fear through a dazzlingly bright explosion of colors. 

The best damn reading list you’re going to find if you’re looking for something to fill your soul in 2018.

2018: Booked Solid

Cha Cha Cha is Black Sheep’s community gathering that brings together nonprofits and people looking to get involved in the community.

Cha Cha Cha

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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

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.”

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.

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.

He doesn’t need an introduction, but we’re going to give him one anyway: The Convoy Group’s Mark Austin is the man to talk to when you want to understand the current state of the Houston music scene and how important Record Store Day is to independent record stores.

Record Store Day: Q&A with Mark Austin

Record Store Day: The Remix

Pardon Our [Old] French, But Charity is a Four-Letter Word

The word charity conjures up Dickensian ideas of people struggling. Small street urchins in newsboy caps or little red-headed orphans singing their heart out. It’s not our favorite word. Not because the sentiment isn’t spot on—it is. The idea of charity is based on an Old French word, charité, meaning “benevolence for the poor.” It’s a beautiful thought: To be charitable is to be kind. To be kind is to care for your neighbors. And to care for your neighbors? There’s no more Houstonian trait than that. But the word “charity” itself comes with a lot of baggage. Like TSA, we’re here to open up that luggage, unpack it and repack it with a deeper meaning.

If you aren’t already taking a sabbatical from the airline-based atrocities making their way across the internet, never fear.

#NuggsForCarter: The Art Of The Meal

If you aren’t already taking a sabbatical from the airline-based atrocities making their way across the internet, never fear. Once again, we’ve been blessed with a worthy cause: nuggets.

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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