Pilgrims, Thought Leaders, and Reunion

From Reboot to Reunion  Jerry Colonna asks hard questions. In his earlier book, Reboot, he asks leaders how we have been complicit in creating the conditions we say we don’t want. It is a kind, generous, and loving question that invites us to use tools of radical self-inquiry to become better leaders.  Now, in Reunion, he broadens […]

What the French?

Career Change in a Changing World People often ask me how I got from a PhD in French literature to founding and running a thought leadership agency for institutional finance. It’s one of my favorite stories to tell—not because it’s about me, but because it’s about transformation and resilience. It’s about taking what you have, […]

Thought Readership: Escaping the Content Cage

Big Content has failed us. It emerged when content became a separate marketing specialization. But then, discipline became dogma. Talk about content devolved into truisms and slogans. Bromides and misconceptions. But perhaps worst of all, it pulled content away from its fundamental direction, serving intermediaries rather than writers or readers.  It’s no wonder that so […]

Thought Leadership and Grace

What is “graceful” thought leadership? The answer is buried in the name “thought leadership.” If there’s no thinking and it leads nowhere, it won’t work—especially when a growing content glut swamps decision-makers’ attention and steadily teaches them it’s most likely a waste of time.  What am I doing talking about grace?  Everybody likes to talk […]

Sense of Simplicity

I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, but I do like thinking about my intentions for the year through the lens of an annual theme. For 2022, it’s “simple.” Like most simple ideas, there’s a lot beneath the surface: decency, kindness, strength, vulnerability, and humans loving humans even when it’s difficult. For me, that sense of […]

Eight Ways That SEO Can Mean “Screw Everyone Over”

Trying to game search engines makes the Internet a worse place. Customers, companies, and the common good of the Internet itself all suffer when you generate content pollution. While there are plenty of legitimate ways to make your content more findable, none of them should take priority over content authenticity and effectiveness. Publish good content, […]

Three Simple Reasons That Cause Unsubscribes

Disappointed in your rate of email unsubscribes? Make sure to attend to three simple reasons that may be draining your audience. 1) The email list is under-segmented. In other words, you are sending emails that are not targeted precisely enough. Recipients don’t find your emails relevant to their needs or interests. Tip: Instead, use whatever […]

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