Over a year ago, 2 of the world's best people invited a bunch of other great people out to a gorgeous slice of cliff-top land along the southern coast of England, where sparks (literally) flew. A few weeks before that gorgeous day, Lauren, the bride, not only asked me to read at the wedding, but also … Continue reading On Lauren & Jay & Celebrating Love

The other day, I was watching a certain political TV drama that I've become uncharacteristically attached to, when I heard some pompous character comment on how he could never do the type of work that would involve sitting at a computer and selecting fonts all day. Watch out, prime time. Libby's getting on a soap … Continue reading Let’s Not Belittle the Communicators

So... I don't usually do this. But I might be doing just a bit more of it over the next month or 2, because (have I mentioned?), I have book coming out, and my co-author and I have been working on some great guest posts in the lead-up to publication. Since I happen to think that this … Continue reading Motivation, Compensation, and the More-Is-More Philosophy

Recently, I had the pleasure of joining some clients for a sort-of impromptu tagline brainstorming session. And it got me thinking about all such conversations I’ve been part of over the years—and all the things these conversations seem to have in common. Often an early step in positioning or messaging, tagline definition can be an … Continue reading Your Best Tagline: 3 Pitfalls to Avoid

I have loved language all my life—from the day I first sounded out the word “vicinity” off the cover of my parent’s phone book and composed a small yet riveting masterpiece of stapled notecards (aptly titled The Best Book) about the fascinating people who inhabited said vicinity. The problem was, once I found my passion … Continue reading What Tax Returns & Marketing Content Have in Common (Seriously)

When I visit a small business website, I often check out the blog to get a sense for the personality and focus of the organization. And if that blog hasn’t been updated in 3 months, I immediately make a decision about the brand: I see it as stale, uncommitted, a bit behind the times. And … Continue reading Don’t Blog Like Me, but Don’t Be Afraid to Start Slow

As many of you know, I just took some time off to have a baby. So the past couple months have been a foggy stretch of exhaustion, elation, and general insanity as we figure out our family’s new normal with the help of 1 toddling terror of a 2-year-old and 1 colicky princess of an … Continue reading Mini Marketing Lessons: Dinosaurs, Poop, and the Power of Persuasion