IDEAS
Is Storytelling C.R.A.P.?
Is my life’s pursuit of great storytelling now defunct, cast into the bin of “that used to be a good idea?” I ask this because…
What it means to be a writer: Pay Yourself First
While you couldn’t say my father was on the quiet side, he wasn’t the type to make small talk about the weather. Instead, he spoke…
Love Affairs Come and Go…Even With An App
You might call me a serial dater. I fall in love quickly, get bored or flummoxed, then off to the next one I go. Love…
Do You Say Yes?
Are you the type of person who says Yes? The other week I was listening to extemporaneous speeches given by our students in a leadership…
Writers Who Wait
Playing Waiting Games I’ve been a little obsessed with the idea of waiting, the joys and pains of it. Expectation and anticipation are a form…
Tools of the Trade: Where Did I Put That List?
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t keep some kind of list, whether it’s grocery, ToDo, or “bucket” style. Entrepreneurs have become millionaires by creating methods…
Here’s the D@mn Formula
Don’t Get Mad. Make It Up. It started out as a joke, a silly way for us to blow off steam. We invented something out…
How Long Is Too Short
When it comes to professional development, how long does a training have to be? The answer of course is, it depends. Imagine preparing to teach…
Smile! You’re On Camera
Video. When I watch myself in a video it’s sort of an out-of-body experience; is that really me on the screen? Do I look like…
Happy HoliDog
Each holiday, my wife puts out HoliDog. This cute little bit of fluff gets gussied up depending on the holiday. Last month it was a pumpkin…
Am I Out of a Job?
Have you see Flippy, the robot designed to manage the fryer in fast food restaurants? It’s pretty amazing until you watch it for a few minutes and…
Do You Have The Right Time?
The best writers–creative and business–understand the importance AND POWER OF TIME I’m waiting for the plumber to arrive. Ever since our revered plumber/friend Larry retired,…
Blockages suck
I don’t believe in “writers block,” although that doesn’t stop me from whining about not being able to write. Clearly, I’m not the only one.…
DON’T Mind the Gap
Have you ever ridden the London tube? “Mind the Gap” is what you hear over the loudspeaker every time the Tube stops and the doors…
The Case For (and against) Creativity
Creative arguments It is a fact widely known that I like to argue. Debate might be a better word because a good debater must understand…
It’s Getting Starting, Not Crossing the Finish Line
Why would you write something if there wasn’t a need for it? If you write mostly for work, it’s a fair question. Yet, we do…
To Listen, or Not To Listen
Podcasts are all the rage and they feel like one of those those pop culture things that I just don’t get. I’m not trying to…
It’s the Commas that Terrify Me
Semicolons aren’t so bad. But that whole don’t end a sentence with a preposition really gets me, sort of. And what exactly is a run-on…
Can You Meal Prep Your Blog Posts?
I’d rather just skip a meal if I can’t think of what to make or I don’t have something easy already prepared. Hmm, sounds a…
Productivity Makes Me Feel Bad
“Some words have a meaning to them that we don’t often think about but yet still affects us, which has applications to persuasion, social influence…