Against the Ideology of Stupid
I was bullied through most of school. A lot. Not just for being a non-conformist—eyeliner, torn clothes safety pins, as early 80s as you can imagine. Not just for being gay. Not just for coming from a single-parent household. There was a much deeper stigma… I was effortlessly, unstudiously, and unapologetically smart (i.e., good at […]
Eleven Years Ago, I Made a Move That Changed My Life
Eleven years ago today, a tow truck took my car and movers emptied my house in New Jersey as it poured down rain. It looked like another sad story of the brutal financial crisis. But, no. I was getting on a plane headed to Los Angeles, on my way to a new house I had […]
Cultivating Grace in Thought Leadership
What does it mean to talk about graceful thought leaders? What could thought leadership have to do with grace in the first place? And what would it look like to step away from spamming, pitching, shouting in crowded places? Your thinking and attention might just feel…better I’ll be writing about the why, what, and how […]
Should There Be a “Trauma-Informed Consulting”?
Thinking about your relationship with client stakeholders, you may want to consider their past professional experiences. Workplace trauma is all-too-common.
People Are Humans, Not Targets
Marketers like to ask questions like “what is the client/customer’s pain point?” You know what it often is? It’s burnout and frustration. It’s a lack of autonomy. It’s mental health. It’s the impossible double bind called work/life balance. It’s illegitimate power. It’s a burning planet. Why am I posting this screed? Because I want us […]
Amplify your Qualities
“Has anyone ever told you that you are too kind or too nice? Be kinder anyway.
Toxic Premises
A “toxic premise” is an unstated assumption that defines and undermines professional relationships, meetings, or projects. It almost always remains tacit, even unsayable, but people can learn to hear it emerge from all the things that remain unsaid. And it’s not about blaming or judging others. Everyone risks operating on the basis of toxic premises […]
10 Kindness Imperatives
An effective communication strategy must always be predicated on kindness. In fact, everything we do entails such kindness imperatives. Here are 10 ways to activate kindness in your daily work and life.