About this blog
I write about communication, leadership and change, drawing on a 30-year career in journalism, public relations and management.
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Category Archives: Communications
‘Ain’t That Peculiar’
Sometimes a word strikes our fancy, delighting us like a rainbow after a storm or refreshing us like a splash of cold water. Maybe a word is used in a novel way. Or it sparks a connection, triggers our imagination … Continue reading
Is your blog on life support?
(This post originally appeared on the Aartrijk blog.) Do you have a blog that you haven’t posted to in a while? You’ve been meaning to write something, but you just haven’t gotten around to it. Or maybe it’s a company … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Technology
Tagged Blogging, content marketing, Social media
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Email and echo chambers
I’ve been doing some work for Aartrijk, a content marketing firm in the property-casualty insurance space, for the past year or so. I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I met Peter Aartrijk years ago when I was working at the National Association … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Marketing, Technology
Tagged Aartrijk, diversity, echo chamber, email, mobile devices, Social media
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Writing: the fundamental building block of communications
Last month, I was interviewed by Jimmy Minichello for the Public Relations Society of America – National Capital Chapter’s Insider newsletter. I talked about the basics of good writing in this video. I firmly believe that good writing is the fundamental building … Continue reading
How to succeed in business the ‘indie’ way
Last month, I invited Ami Neiberger-Miller and Sandra Wills Hannon to speak at our Independent Public Relations Alliance meeting about what it takes to become a successful independent practitioner. Both Ami and Sandra are long-time members of IPRA and have … Continue reading
Credit unions are proving to be a smart alternative to banks
Credit unions are on a roll. In March, I wrote about the gains they’ve made in auto lending (“Credit unions rev up for growth”). In the most recent issue of The Federal Credit Union, I write about their equally impressive progress in the … Continue reading
Posted in Communications, Credit unions
Tagged Auto lending, member service, Mortgage lending, NAFCU, Wells Fargo scandal
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Can’t think of a good lead? Try writing a story
Remember those boring expository writing assignments in high school? Everything had to fit neatly into a three-step formula: 1) an introductory paragraph with a thesis, 2) supporting paragraphs and 3) a conclusion that summarized your ideas. Those kinds of essays are … Continue reading
Posted in Communications
Tagged expository writing, feature, inverted pyramid, news, storytelling, Writing
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In sales, the first or last person up may have an advantage
Is there an advantage to being the first or last person when giving a presentation, interviewing for a job or making a sales call? You might think that it wouldn’t make much difference, but it turns out that it does. … Continue reading
Does writing well still matter? Let me count the ways
Kudos to Deborah Brody of Deborah Brody Marketing Communications for launching a new feature called “On Writing.” Each month, she’s interviewing a communications professional on the craft of writing and then posting the interview on her blog. This month, I had the pleasure of discussing why writing well still … Continue reading
The Wayward Journey 