beckysue 
My father died a year ago tomorrow, on September 11 of all days, and I was privileged to deliver a eulogy. For anyone struggling with this task, my advice is this: the first rule of writing a eulogy is there are no rules. And ignore anyone who pretends there is. Ignore the Rules At the … Read more
I must be a bad writer, because very often my first drafts are pretty good. And pretty close to what the final product ultimately looks like. Maybe my standards are low. Maybe I’m not the writer I think I am. Maybe I’m not a very good editor. Hemingway famously said, “The first draft of anything … Read more
In today’s attention-deficit world, you have to grab your audience right off the bat. So you can’t afford to make unforced errors at the start of your presentation. That’s why I put together this new quick-guide called 7 Fatal Presentation Errors and How to Avoid Them. It takes you through the seven worst mistakes speakers … Read more
Sometimes the best way to improve your writing is to stop editing and tackle it from a completely different perspective. The Limits of Editing and Revising When I wrote my first book, I figured that after almost a year of revising and editing, I pretty much had it nailed. Then I went on to write … Read more
Ashton Kutcher’s speech at the Teen Choice awards is getting a lot of attention, as well it should. It offers some solid public speaking tips that we can all learn from. Kutcher does a lot of things right. He clearly connects with his audience and speaks with passion and intensity (he is, after all, a professional … Read more
An elevator pitch can be a handy tool for networking, but it will only take you so far. If you really want to make a connection and influence people to act on your behalf (hire you, buy from you, help you in any way), you need to learn how to craft and tell the story … Read more
The news that Jeff Bezos bought the Washington Post was a shock. Almost as shocking was the textbook way he handled the delicate communication to employees. The Post is much more than a newspaper. It’s practically a national institution — one that many people, not the least of which are its employees, hold dear. So … Read more
I’m presenting a webinar this Thursday that will offer advice on how you can use storytelling to better persuade audiences and make your ideas stick. It’s sponsored by Ragan Communications and there is a registration fee. You can check out the details here. Here’s the program description from the Ragan website: Nothing beats a well-told … Read more
I don’t always post about grammar and usage. But when I do … it’s fascinating. This is one of my latest peeves. And it’s more than just a nitpick. When people spell the past tense of the verb lead as lead it really trips up my reading. And while we’re at it, the past tense … Read more
Studies suggest that millennials are more focused than previous generations on achieving fame and wealth. You can blame reality TV or a culture of celebrity worship, but the idea of equating success with material reward and status is so embedded in our culture that it’s hard to pinpoint a culprit. Maybe we’re all part of … Read more