Measuring Impact, Not Just Hype
“Wasted $25K on a content project that disappointed everyone.” (or $50k, or even $100k) Is that something you’d ever want to put on your year-end self-eval? Is that something you want to explain in a performance review? Probably not. I’m hoping you’re not faced with that for 2023, but if you want to avoid it […]
A Plea for Better Video Conversations
I know… we are somehow “supposed to” do video now, but seriously…if you have to, please stop chewing your camera. I don’t want to sit here watching you come at me like I’m a ghost and you’re a Pac-Man that just ate power pellets. No chomping, no chasing. Just conversation. Relax. Tell me something good. […]
The Content Buffet
Like many Americans on Thanksgiving, AI is gorging itself on the products of our harvest, cultivated in fields it took from others. And if AI actually meant to save us from all the hard and annoying things about work, it would not only consume all the content but also poop it back out in private […]
Unveiling the Power Play Between Lions and Foxes
Would you rather be a lion or a fox? I just went down the best Internet rabbit hole—and it’s full of allegorical animals! I didn’t know that Pareto (the “80/20 guy”) is also known for using the analogy of lions and foxes to describe that elite 20% that tends to hold 80% of assets. You […]
Mastering Authenticity in Your Content Strategy
Authenticity isn’t (just) a way to get what you want. Still, the “A” word has been a running theme in my discussions with clients about 2024. It’s generally a good principle. People trust people. Authenticity can anchor thought leadership, storytelling, community building, and connection. Content that is actually about what we have to say in […]
The Synergy Between Ideas and Stories
Seth Godin calls it story. I call it ideas. They function in many similar ways. They amplify each other. They spread. “The reason that our attention has been strip-mined is that the system that evolved seems to reward short-term players that take the direct, easy, and lazy way out. While it seems like we have […]
To Redistribute or To Derive?: Unmasking the Contradiction
It’s “wrong” to seek redistribution, right? Yet, somehow, accumulation, appropriate, and derivation are a “success story.” An example: It would be absurd if someone called for big tech companies to pay out the entirety of their profits to people around the world. Of course. But it’s brilliant that these same companies ingest our creativity and […]
The Art of Mindful Living
When do your lights flash red? Do you have a way to manage them? People often describe me as calm, reassuring, steady, focused, unbothered, and empathetic. It’s not inaccurate, but almost no one knows about my clenched fists and feet, my tight jaw muscles, my hypervigilance, my inner hermit always looking for the exits and […]
How Marketing Can Embrace Conservation Science Wisdom
Marketing could learn a lot from conservation science.
Humanizing Marketing
Marketers have a basic humanity problem. They see people as targets. They talk about people as targets. This mindset must end. The sad part is that most marketers I know are fantastically good people. Warm, humane, and thoughtful. I’m honored to work with them. But all of those qualities get lost in the mix of […]