Yes you CAN create image-rich presentations
The rusty-haired man from the third row was next in line to talk with me, scrolling Instagram while he waited. When it was finally his turn, he moved his phone to his left hand and shook mine with his...
View ArticleMaster Messenger League: multiply and communicate!
Congratulations! Through practice, focus, and sheer brilliance, you have developed an invaluable superpower—and a reputation for making your business look and sound amazing on the page. You are The...
View ArticleIns and outs, ups and downs: wisdom for writing at work
“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” I wish I had said that, but it was the author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Regardless of how you felt about The Scarlet Letter when you read it in high school, your...
View ArticleIf your message were empty, would anyone notice?
While I was stewing about what to write for this month’s post, “Every TED Talk Ever” entered my line of sight. Care to watch it without spoilers? Go ahead. You can meet me in the next paragraph in...
View ArticleWhat do you call the people who matter to your business?
As a career-long business communicator, I’ve been challenged to refer to human beings in many ways. Whether driven by industry standards, corporate culture, or the druthers of a senior executive, most...
View ArticleYou’re so emotional. That’s why you get results.
My husband lost his job this month. Quite unexpectedly, and effective immediately. For his employer, this was purely a business decision—a cost-cutting measure that would save the company some money by...
View ArticleTrigger phrases to torch in these challenging times
The other day I was lacing up my shoes to take my favorite podcast for a walk. The episode was one I’d started earlier, having left off at a commercial break. So when I pressed play, an advertiser...
View ArticleA short list of phrases to SAY and STIFLE right about now
Things are a mess right now. I’ll spare you a detailed description of “these challenging times” and instead offer a litany of key words so your creative brain can fill in the blanks: division, unrest,...
View ArticleHow a teeter-totter can help you craft a persuasive message
As a kid on the playground, one of my favorite attractions was the teeter-totter. Maybe you called it a seesaw. A teeter-totter is a dangerous apparatus, not to be shared with anyone but a friend you...
View ArticleAre Unspoken Loudspeakers interfering with your message?
“What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Shhhh! I’m trying to hear you. I really am. I know you’ve put serious thought into those words you’re trying to...
View ArticleIs that even a word? If you have to ask, change it!
While Jill and I were guestcasting* on the Grounded Content podcast, Jill said: “You can take one piece of content and repurpose it in a hundred million different ways, and each of those...
View Article“I don’t know” is an opportunity, not a shortcoming
As 2022 drew to a close, several of my friends announced that they were stepping away from social media, at least until January. To detox from the digital noise, they chose to disconnect. Stepping away...
View ArticleAdvice from smart small businesses in my tiny town
About a year ago, I relocated to a small Midwestern farm town called Geneseo, Illinois. It’s a picturesque little community full of Victorian-era homes and tree-lined streets. Straight out of a...
View ArticleMeasuring = Paying Attention
Last week Jeff Herrington told me about a clever set of metrics he created to help businesspeople master the lessons he teaches in his writing workshops. His approach is so smart, I’ve been thinking...
View ArticleThought leaders need thought partners
So, you want to be a thought leader … Or maybe you feel pressure to become one … Or perhaps you’ve already reached this place of influence … Whatever your status on this continuum, as thought leader...
View ArticleNo budget? No problem. Talk to a communicator.
Everyone in business seems to be grasping for budget these days. Okay, maybe not everyone. But enough of my clients, colleagues, and collaborators have mentioned funding frustrations that it feels like...
View ArticleMatch your message to the market, the moment, and the mood
“There’s a saying in fly fishing,” my husband said. “You ‘match the hatch.’ You choose a bait that mimics whatever’s recently hatched, because that will be appealing to the fish.” Mind you, I don’t...
View ArticleNon-compete: creative collaboration in a business community
When consulting with mammoth corporations, I encounter a lot of protectionism. Big brands are fierce guardians of their assets, investments, and position in the marketplace. They are obsessed with...
View ArticleWhat I learned from a snowman. Or was it a duck?
“Do you know what this is? Of course you do. It’s a snowman!” That’s how I opened my 60-second video post this week. (Every Monday I share a quick bit of instruction or wisdom for people who want to be...
View ArticleHow to detox your outbox
I thought by now email would be a thing of the past. I guess I imagined it would go the way of fax machines, Rolodexes, and land lines. Antiquated and nearly gone if not forgotten. But no. Somehow this...
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