Articles by: Hanna Brooks Olsen

2014 was a big year for podcasting, and not just because the This American Life spinoff Serial saw such huge download numbers and so much media attention. Podcasting networks like Radiotopia and Maximum Fun raised money, added new programs, sold out their events in minutes, and experienced cross-platform success.

[caption id="attachment_11100" align="aligncenter" width="620"] via Wesley Eller on Flickr.

[caption id="attachment_10898" align="alignnone" width="620"] Image by Jeff Sheldon[/caption] Though the Bureau of Labor Statistics still doesn't really count freelancers in their monthly statistics, plenty of other brands and companies spent a lot of time and effort in 2014 trying to figure out exactly how deep the self-employed, sole-prop, part-timing world of freelancers runs. Freelancers were found to fuel the economy and help fill gaps in businesses, while pulling down higher-than-ever rates and gaining access to more key services than ever.

[caption id="attachment_10774" align="alignnone" width="620"] Image via Pantone[/caption] Scientifically, we know that color matters to people -- it impacts the way we feel, what we buy, and even how much we eat -- but rarely is it more clear, socially-speaking, than when Pantone announces their Color of the Year. This year, it's a wine-inspired burgundy-brownish shade called Marsala, which Panton calls a "tasteful hue.