If you’ve spent any time at all on match.com … well, I feel for you. Don’t worry, I’ve been there, too. My point is, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of the profiles sound alike. People enjoy long walks, thunderstorms, snuggling on the couch, etc. Human nature, I suppose. And they often describe themselves with … Read more
The RFP process is a terrible way to start a business relationship. It signals from the outset that you’re looking for a vendor instead of a partner. It’s one of those things that communicates without you even being aware you’re communicating. Mostly it communicates that you’re going to be a major pain in the ass … Read more
The key to being interesting is to take an interest in other people. Years ago I was at a party in New York where I didn’t really know anybody but my then-girlfriend. At some point we each went our own way and I found myself next to the bar with one of her friend’s boyfriends. … Read more
You hear it all the time in speeches, announcements, Facebook posts and every awards presentation that’s ever occurred: “I’d like to thank …” “I’d like to introduce …” “I’d like to congratulate …” Practically everyone does it, which is reason enough to be suspicious of the phrase and want to purge it from our usage. … Read more
There may be no place like home for the holidays, but these gatherings can be precarious affairs. It seems even the most innocuous remark comes loaded with extra freight — a lifetime of built-up resentments and slights. “Nice haircut! I love your hair short!” “I know, I know — you’ve always hated my long hair!” “How’s … Read more
Conventional wisdom would tell you that doing a radio interview in the actual studio would be a more comfortable, natural experience than conducting it over the phone. But that’s just another proof point for how conventional wisdom gets its name. As I found this weekend, being face-to-face with the host is not that big of … Read more
“Don’t hire anyone you wouldn’t want to run into in the hallway at three in the morning.” – Tina Fey, Bossypants This has always been my approach when interviewing people for a job. Not that my kind of work would have me roaming office hallways at 3 in the morning. (Much. I think I did … Read more
Every time I help a client create a video, it seems someone during the planning stage brings up narration: “And here the narrator should talk about …” And I’m thinking, “No, there will be NO narrator!” But I don’t usually bring it up at that point because for some people it’s too difficult to imagine … Read more
Right now I’m reading Cleopatra: A Life, which is excellent so far. In it I found this pearl of wisdom handed down from Cicero: “As reason is the glory of man, so the lamp of reason is eloquence.” No offense to Cicero — he was clearly no slouch — but that is obviously the traditional view … Read more
When I was a kid I visited the LBJ Library & Museum in Austin with my grandfather. One of the stories that stuck with me was that President Johnson had a voracious appetite for news. In fact, he was so driven to stay ahead of everyone else that he had AP and UPI ticker machines … Read more