powerful counsel | powerful messages | powerful conversations
Brains like patterns. Our brains are wired to lay down neural pathways and then to encourage us, via clever deployment of hormones like cortisol and dopamine, to stick to those pathways. Your brain knows that if you do what has kept you safe before … [Read more...] about Change is hard!
We continue to debate and evolve our definitions of paid, earned, and owned media. For a marketing person, these distinctions may be vital, but my advice as a communications coach to clients is the same no matter which channel they’re … [Read more...] about Earned, Owned, Paid
Let’s talk about words. If I say “ruby” to someone at a jewelry store, I’m going to get something very different than if I say “Ruby” on GitHub. Shared vocabulary is a prerequisite for any successful conversation. It’s your responsibility both as … [Read more...] about Words. They matter.
‘’Perception is reality.” Lee Atwater coined this phrase in political campaigning because he saw that what people think is more powerful than what’s true. Objectivity does not exist. This can be super frustrating, but it’s TRUE. People do not … [Read more...] about Reality?
Let me state the obvious: The three minute presentation you give at a university recruiting day should be radically different from your board meeting. The language you use at a biotech conference to a bunch of doctors is different from the language … [Read more...] about Context matters!
Founders bring companies into being because they don’t take no for an answer, because they bravely tackle obstacles, because they never, ever give up. But these qualities play havoc with founders when they try to communicate externally. Ninety-five … [Read more...] about Proof
Whenever you communicate with anyone you are crossing a bridge. You are trying to get part of what’s in your mind into the uncharted territory of their minds. This is always a non-trivial process. Because every person you speak to has their own … [Read more...] about Perception = reality
My favorite kind of communicators are people who understand that communication is a discipline, a skill that must be taken seriously. They invest time and energy not just in creating content, but in learning how to deliver it well too. Are you a … [Read more...] about Do your work, grasshopper
What’s a crescendo? In a symphony or an aria, it’s a swelling of music that tells listeners that THIS is the most important, the most lush, the most beautiful part of the piece. Composers do so many intricate and wonderful things to build to … [Read more...] about Your talk can be a symphony
Do you want to know if you’re robotic or empathetic when you speak? Analyze yourself. Watch recordings of yourself speaking. When did you look natural? Enthusiastic and energized? When did you look nervous or robotic? Note the time … [Read more...] about Are you a robot or a human?
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