Here are the five most important lessons we can learn from the world of acting about communications: Create an authentic connection with your audience by truly understanding who they are, what they want and where you fit in. Otherwise, your communication will be tone-deaf. Tell stories that resonate. You can find stories everywhere and use … Read more
Chris Farley used to do this great bit on SNL, where he played this typically rumpled character who bemoans his lack of communication skills. As he catalogues his various deficiencies, he punctuates each one with great, sausage-fingered air quotes: Maybe I’m not “the norm,” I’m not “camera friendly.” I don’t “wear clothes that fit me,” … Read more
This is the first in a series of videos we’re doing to bring the Act Like You Mean Business lessons to life. It’s basically a condensed and “out-loud” version of The Fugitive story, which is one of my favorites from the book. There are so many lessons from that one scene: Focus on what’s essential … Read more
I’m getting a sense of deja vu from this article [link no longer available] about Tina Fey’s book, Bossypants. The author applies lessons from Fey’s book to business. Several of his points hit on things I discuss in my own book, including the “agreement” and “yes, and” concepts you learn in improv: Fey explains that the … Read more
There’s a critical scene in one of my favorite movies, The Fugitive. Dr. Richard Kimble (played by Harrison Ford) is the man wrongly accused of killing his wife. Tommy Lee Jones is the federal marshal sworn to bring him to justice. When they have their big confrontation down in the bowels of that giant hydroelectric … Read more
This weekend we shot a series of web videos to accompany the book, and it reinforced several important lessons: Keep your videos SHORT. One minute is great, two minutes is okay if it’s good. Longer than that? How do you plan to keep people watching? Right now I have nine tabs open in my web … Read more
With the iPod, iPhone and iPad — not to mention MacBook and iMac — Apple has been on an almost decade-long roll. But in a rare stumble, the company encountered multiple setbacks that delayed introduction of the heavily anticipated white iPhone for almost a year. When at long last the company unveiled the device a … Read more
Oh, man, the agony and angst just getting to this point. I swear the outside of the book has taken more out of me than the inside did. Speaking of the inside, we are now going over the galleys and getting that into shape and looking at publication as early as July. Less than three … Read more
With the book basically done — at least the writing part — I’ve started focusing more on the marketing, starting with a new fan page (since Facebook doesn’t let you change the names) and continuing this video series, and scripting out a bunch of new ones that I’ll be appearing in. So humor is the … Read more
It seems a new article appears somewhere every week validating the premise of the book. On Sunday, Maureen Dowd did a column about Jerry Brown’s return to the Governor’s mansion in California. Here’s a particularly interesting insight: Noting that he followed actors into the Statehouse twice, Brown observes: “A lot of this is theater. How … Read more