* Watching the Broadway show, “Beautiful,” about the life of Carole King, I could not help but think about the creative collaborative process she and her then-husband, Gerry Goffin went through. Together they penned classics including the chart-topping songs, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Up on the Roof,” “Will You Still Love … Continue reading From Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn to George Burns and Gracie Allen – What Creative Yin-Yang Collaborations Teach Us
Novelist, poet and journalist George Eliot once said, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” Her statement speaks volumes about personal brand and our ability to influence not only who we are, but also the perceptions about us. Consultant and author Ron Ashkenas agrees, “We have the power to determine … Continue reading Women Leaders say Personal Brand is Vital for Success: But Most Don’t Have A Vision or Plan
Since the new documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” about Fred Rogers came out earlier this year, there has been a well-deserved resurgence of interest in him, his PBS Television Show (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) and the many topics he addressed. Numerous articles have been written about the ways we can learn from him, be better … Continue reading Mr. Rogers: Five Essential Truths of His Communication
As the world mourns the passing of Anthony Bourdain, we, as we often do when someone great leaves our midst, are struck by the indelible impression he has made on us and what we took away from our relationship with him. His storied career, launched from a single article that was published in The New … Continue reading What Anthony Bourdain Gave us Without Reservation: Lessons from the Master in Cross-Cultural Communication
“More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity. It will steal you blind.” Marcus Tullius Cicero uttered these wise words over 2000 years ago. And they are just as relevant today. Decision-making is central to the character and ability of a leader to effectively lead. It defines organizations and … Continue reading Decisions: How to Make Them Better and Faster
In our contemporary world of communications, whether it is for personal or professional use, social media is ubiquitous. Last year, 81 percent of all Americans had a social media profile and this year over 2.5 billion people are expected to be social media users worldwide. By 2021, that number will grow to over 3 billion … Continue reading Followers and the Content They Pay Attention To
This is the second article in a series of two articles. The first article published on December 5th explored background on the issue of sexual harassment, the extent of the problem and the role of silence. You can find it here. Victim Response on Sexual Harassment As we consider the severity of the issue of … Continue reading Sexual Harassment: A Workplace Pandemic (Part Two)
This article is the first in a two-part series that explores some of the issues surrounding sexual harassment. The year was 1980. It was my first job in private industry and I was working in a division of a company that would later become part of what is now Verizon. To make a long story … Continue reading Sexual Harassment: A Workplace Pandemic
Spanish Philosopher José Ortega y Gasset once said, “Tell me what you pay attention to and I will tell you who you are.” So, as organizations sit in their Boardrooms and deliberate to come up with the right list of values, how much meaning, importance and identity does the organization ultimately associate with them? Many … Continue reading Values: Organizations Must Make Them Real
Every day a new drama unfolds in the media leaving us dismayed and disappointed. At the highest levels, we see behaviors and commentary from PR spokespersons that make us reluctant to turn on the television, open a newspaper or log on to social media. It is as if public relations has become a combination of … Continue reading Contact Sport and Reality TV? Six Traits of a Credible PR Spokesperson
Personal Brand… is this a topic that you think or care about? Or do you discount it saying to yourself, “I don’t need to be concerned with this.” As entrepreneur, author and humanitarian activist Dan Pallotta stated, “Brand is everything, and everything is brand.” Just as companies care about their brands, you should too. Part … Continue reading Seven Steps to Developing Your Personal Brand
How prepared are you if you come under social media attack? If a certain someone posts a defamatory tweet about you, your company or your products are you prepared to do anything about “it”? And in what ways can you best prepare? This was a subject at the recent Strategic Corporate Communication and Research Conference, … Continue reading Eight Steps to Prepare for that “Tweet” that Comes out of Nowhere