if you're bored, you're not paying attention
Unfinished or quasi-finished prose that hasn’t been published elsewhere
I arrived at the conference a little late. Everyone had their coffees, and most of them were already at the tables, chatting amiably with old friends. The only seats available were right in front or way in the back.
I figured, why would I come all the way to a speechwriters’ conference in Washington, DC, only to sit in the back of the room?… Story continues … “How giving speeches can make you a better speechwriter”
On the fourth day, we walked slowly into the labyrinth, step after step, walking around one loop, turning, and returning along another, when tears started welling up in my eyes. I was weaving closer, then turning away, gradually approaching the center, but always indirectly.… Story continues … “Into the labyrinth”
Andy Raskin is a legendary strategic narrative consultant whose clients have included Salesforce, Uber, Square, Yelp, VMware, Intel and General Assembly, as well as venture-backed companies funded by Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, GV and other top investors.
Whenever I need to work on a presentation, I return to Andy’s crystal-clear 2016 post, The Greatest Sales Deck I’ve Ever Seen.… Story continues … “Andy Raskin on the art of strategic narrative”
Last week, I gave a copywriting workshop in Alpharetta, Georgia, to a marketing team of about 80 people.
It was my third workshop so far this year and the biggest in-person group I’ve addressed in years.
When I walked into the room, my heart sank a little.… Story continues … “How the WE model can help you write better”
Nick Adams Pandolfo is a content creator and strategist, executive comms specialist, ghostwriter, and general storyteller. After spending much of his twenties as an ESL teacher in New York and abroad, he pivoted to a career in journalism, with stints at education publication The Hechinger Report and freelancing for The Boston Globe Magazine.… Story continues … “Why empathy is crucial for creating content: A chat with Nick Adams Pandolfo”
This post is my 2,000th on this website.
It’s also the first in a new direction.
I am so grateful to everyone reading this. I don’t take your attention for granted.
So if you’ll indulge me for a moment, I’d like to share a very brief recap and then tell you what I’ll be bringing to your inbox in 2025.… Story continues … “Breathwork to breakthrough: Embracing creative freedom for post #2000”
Sam Diaz is a Senior Vice President of Digital Content at Burson, a role that draws on his background as both a longtime technology journalist and a corporate communications professional. He works across the agency’s full client portfolio, with an emphasis on technology companies, developing content strategies for brands and executives.… Story continues … “The craft of content creation: A conversation with Sam Diaz”
LinkedIn can be a powerful social platform for professionals of all kinds, and it’s not just for job searching anymore.
I created this overview for members of Guide Garden, a marketing and business development network for heart-centered professionals like therapists, coaches, mindfulness instructors, yoga teachers, and more.… Story continues … “LinkedIn strategy guide”
Rafe Needleman has been covering technology for over 25 years as a journalist and communications leader.
Needleman’s technology journalism experience started at InfoWorld, where he was the reviews editor. Later, he became editor-in-chief of one of the original computer magazines, Byte, and then was founding editor of the first glossy enterprise technology magazine, Ziff-Davis’ Corporate Computing, which is where I met him.… Story continues … “‘People will always pay for good stories’: A tech journalist’s perspective with Rafe Needleman”
This week, I’m excited to share an interview I did recently with Ben Worthen, founder of content agency Message Lab. Ben’s one of my role models in the content business, as he’s built Message Lab into a standout content agency – one of the few to effectively combine top-notch storytelling and the effective use of metrics.… Story continues … “Message Lab’s Ben Worthen on the enduring value of a great story, well-told”