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Masterbrand – Fieldstone & Starmark Rebrand
  • Masterbrand
  • Branding
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Envu – Innovation Trade Show Experience
  • Envu
  • Branding
A women wearing bright colors and makeup with text in the background that reads: Enter the Cryptoverse.

CINQ by Coinstar
  • Coinstar
  • Branding
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Envu – Share the Spark
  • Envu
  • Campaign
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Marriott Bonvoy
  • Marriott
  • Digital
A sketch of a jockey riding a horse with central text that reads: "Channel Seedsman Ignite 2023"

Seedsman Ignite
  • Channel
  • Branding
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Justice for Some
  • ArchCity Defenders
  • Campaign
A women walking hand in hand with her young child down a path leading to a city.

Envu – Global Brand Development
  • Envu
  • Branding
A flyer that read "Stay on top of root Health" and "Introducing Resilia. A first-of-its-kind solution to protect your roots." A golf ball is located in the top right corner over a pink and purple gradient background.

Resilia
  • Envu
  • Campaign
Two men from Channel in a field with large crop reviewing data on a tablet.

Channel Brand Campaign
  • Channel
  • Campaign
  • 03 Dec 2025
  • News

Moves That Matter: The Alchemy of Connection

Alchemy of Connection

Exploring the Hidden Ingredients That Strengthen How We Work Together

At HLK, we know impactful work does not begin with a brief. It starts with people. Strong ideas grow from the way we listen, the questions we ask and the depth of understanding we bring into every interaction. MOVES sessions are designed to strengthen these abilities, helping us think beyond tactics and explore the human elements that make brands and teams connect with greater purpose.

The base, the enemy, the surprise, the expression.

The Alchemy of Connection, led by Emily Heath and Cori Wilson, focused on the idea of unseen connections. These are the motivations, skills, and experiences that quietly shape how we engage with one another and how audiences experience the brands we build.

Why Unseen Connections Matter for Our Work

Brands are shaped not only by what they say but by the people who influence them. When we understand the layers within ourselves and the people around us, we can:

  • Uncover deeper audience insights
  • Strengthen client relationships
  • Collaborate more effectively across disciplines
  • Create work that reflects real human behavior

This session gave teams the opportunity to practice recognizing and applying our "secret ingredients."

The base: 1oz of rum. The energy: 2oz of pineapple juice. The surprise: 1-2 dashes of siracha. The expression: pineapple wedge and leaves

Strengthening How We Listen and Connect

Through storytelling and active listening exercises, participants surfaced hidden ingredients shaped by past roles, hobbies and life experiences. These activities went beyond simple icebreakers. They helped reveal how different strengths and perspectives show up in daily problem-solving and team communication.

A demonstration of mixing the drinks.

Teams also explored how a single insight can serve multiple purposes. One person may use it to build connections, another to unlock a solution and another to better understand an audience. That flexibility is an important part of strategic thinking.

Mixing New Perspectives

The session concluded with a collaborative cocktail, or mocktail, built where each ingredient represented part of the human connection. Participants worked with components like core strengths, personal energy, unexpected edges and the unique flair each team member brings.

A display of drink mixing utensils.

The purpose was not the drink itself but the recognition that meaningful relationships, much like meaningful brands, require layers, balance and an interest in what sits beneath the surface.

Bringing It Back to the Work

The workshop closed with a conversation about how these ideas apply to client work. By recognizing strengths beneath the surface in ourselves, our teams and our audiences, we can create strategies that resonate more clearly, ideas that carry greater meaning and relationships with clients that grow stronger over time.

People participating in the activity.

When we understand the hidden ingredients that shape people AND brands, we don’t just connect — we craft experiences that resonate. Cheers!