Internal Communications & Newsletters

The Challenge

In early 2024, I noticed a critical gap in internal communication: there was no central place where employees could access updates across departments. With teams spread across multiple locations—remote, corporate office, and on-site properties—many colleagues felt siloed. Conversations revealed that people often learned about major company developments months after the fact, which further contributed to low morale during a period of organizational transition.

I wanted to change that. For two years, the idea of an internal newsletter had been on my bucket list. When the need became urgent, I created IN THE LOOP to unite our team, highlight wins, and rebuild a sense of connection.

The Action

• Concept & Launch: Created IN THE LOOP from the ground up in Canva, developing the branding, content structure, and quarterly distribution schedule.
• Content Development: Partnered with department heads to gather updates, either ghostwriting blurbs for them or editing their submissions into a consistent, engaging voice.
• Leadership Collaboration: Sent drafts to senior leadership for approval and alignment before publishing.
• Team Support: Initially produced the first issues myself, then trained and mentored my Marketing Specialist to co-manage content production as responsibilities grew.
• Distribution: Delivered the newsletter through Outlook and Microsoft Teams, ensuring visibility across all work settings.

The Impact

• Culture & Morale: Employees consistently shared feedback that the newsletter helped them shift their focus from daily challenges to positive momentum, with one colleague saying it made them “forget all the bad things and focus on the wins.”
• Team Connection: Created a shared hub for updates, spotlighting achievements across property management, leasing, maintenance, accounting, and corporate culture.
• Leadership Recognition: Featured motivational messages from executives that helped reinforce company vision and values.
• Retention & Engagement: Q4 featured metrics like a 31% turnover rate (down from 37% the year prior), improved resident retention, and expanded DEI and philanthropy initiatives—all achievements celebrated through the newsletter.
• Sustainability: The newsletter evolved from a personal project into an ongoing internal communications tool.

To illustrate the story, I selected the two strongest selections, our Q1 issue and our Q4 issue. Read them below!