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Make ‘Em Laugh When Public Speaking
One day in my stand-up workshop, we were given a handout. The article is titled Laughter IS the Best Medicine for Holding Audience Attention; my mentor had found it online and, based on that title, added it to his files without even reading it. Well, then we tried to read it. Notice how I did…
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Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
I recently made a comment about how our brains will do whatever it takes to stay in its comfort zone. The problem is that the comfort zone is comfortable and rarely exciting. Thus, inspirational sayings like: “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” “Great things never came from a comfort zone.” “When was…
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Are You an Introvert Forced to Network? Become the Help.
Introverts tend to hate networking. Here’s a simple trick for surviving the networking experience while gaining results!
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It’s Only a Delusion If I Don’t Talk About It
My last blog about taking back journalism inspired the following response: “I like you, I really do but this is a romantic delusion. Nowadays journalism is driven by ratings. With the ever expanding number of sources all grasping for attention integrity has been watered down to the point of being lost. Call it collateral damage.…
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Fix it Yourself, Hire a Pro, Start from Scratch?
In my mom’s toolbox, she had the basics for twisting (phillips- and flat-head screwdrivers), pounding (hammer), holding (crescent wrench and needle nose vice grip), sticking (duct tape and marine epoxy), and loosening (WD-40). As we all wore glasses, a set of jeweler’s screwdrivers was also a must in our house. With other odds and ends,…
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Wanted: Passionate, Fun, Nonjudgmental Business Owners
Who is your Ideal Client? This comes up with great frequency in the world of entrepreneurs and I frequently feel as if my answer is inadequate. The goal is to be able to describe this person so well, that people can see him/her in their mind. You want your description to be so complete that…
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Finding My Writer in Hallmark Movies
I love my sappy Hallmark Christmas movies. I found it interesting that writers seemed to make up a disproportionate number of the heroines with the last crop. I know I watched three surrounding writers – but there were two that connected with me in more than just the, “I need a tissue, because love wins…
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What Makes a Good Blog Topic?
The answer is, of course: it depends. What is the purpose of your blog? Are you establishing your expertise? Are you in a field where the rules change (legal, financial)? Are you in a field where the players change (sports, politics)? Are you in a field where there’s always more to learn (tech, medical)? Are…
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Politics, Thought Leadership, and Morals
As a member of the board of my local chapter of the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators), I was involved in a conversation about should we be talking politics. We didn’t come to a conclusion. Also with that group, I’ve been in conversations about thought leadership – what is it and who are some…
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List Building: The Free Download
One of my coaches is encouraging me to increase my engagement by offering something. You know, the ubiquitous “Free Download” that tons of people sign up for and almost no one reads. I know that almost no one reads these things because I have a computer folder filled with the free downloads that I think…