“That’s great! Have a good night!” That is me, tiptoeing backwards. Because the other person won’t stop speaking. Sure, there’s a technique for handling this. But unfortunately not one that I ever mastered. “Did you say goodbye? I have a great story about goodbyes.” Oh no. Oh no. “Hang on just a second, I’ll walkRead… Read more »
I’ve been doing branding for a very long time. And one thing sets my best clients apart from the losers: Their ability to take sound advice. One client flat-out refused to pay. Another threw a shit fit at my boss. A third became enraged at me directly. The things I say aren’t rocket science, really.Read… Read more »
“People are as individual as snowflakes, they kinda look alike but no two are the exactly the same, and all classification is the root of prejudice.” ― Craig Ferguson, host, “The Late Late Show“ I’ve been a creative as long as I can remember. Writing, photography, slideshows, web, social media, fashion design, PR, writing for magazines,Read… Read more »
The other night I gave a talk in my personal capacity (not as a representative of the National Archives, or the U.S. government) for the University of Maryland University College MBA program, which was kindly hosted by UMD’s Universities at Shady Grove. The video is now available here. It’s an hour-long webcast; you’ll see me answeringRead… Read more »
“What do you want to order?” my husband always asks me at the Chinese restaurant. After fifteen years going there, we know the three lunch specials among which we rotate but imagine it is always a choice. “Oh, I’ll just have what you’re having,” I always say. Because no matter what you order there, itRead… Read more »
We all know how powerful networking can be when we’re on the hunt for a job – but what we don’t often talk about is how important it is to network within your organization while you’re happily employed. If you’re looking for a promotion, a pay raise, or to avoid being downsized, you can’t justRead… Read more »
Everybody’s got a LinkedIn profile, a Twitter feed, and a Facebook page. But few are making the most of these tools to enhance their professional value. Here are 5 things you can do right now to better promote yourself. They don’t cost any money. Why not do them all, right now? 1. Profile photo. I’ve beenRead… Read more »
You think your reputation is excellent. After all: Your recruitment video is top-notch. Your “brand ambassadors” are the best on campus. Your marketing materials are beyond compare. But your news coverage is kind of…pesky. Employees “talking trash,” who never took their case to you before “spilling it.” Consider these examples: The U.S. Customs and BorderRead… Read more »
A few months ago I did a brave thing (for me) and finally registered to vote as a Libertarian. It was a tough thing to do. For one thing Libertarians have a sort of crappy brand. For another they’re a little weird. Thirdly they’re not mainstream, and so they influence rather than win elections. ButRead… Read more »
Packaging. Why do government communicators, marketers and brand strategists do it? To find out, take a look at a gift wrap site. Honest. The parallels between wrapping a gift and packaging a person are striking. A friend at work gave me a wry smile and said maybe he’d let me package him sometime. I reckoned that heRead… Read more »