Okay, that’s a pretty bold title, and it may put some folk off, but sometimes you have no other way of saying something without diluting it. I was watching a conversation unfold on Twitter the other evening about public relations, and why a lot of the PR industry is in disarray. While the “bloggers and journalists don’t like us” line was shared a few times, one of the points that came up a lot was that the industry is still…

Children fear nothing. They may be scared of something, but it’s a different kind of fear. They want to check out everything around them. They look at things differently from us. They see unique and new; we see “been there, done that”. Children have that innocence that says everything has yet to be discovered. They don’t care about the safe, the boring – they want fresh and exciting. They see the world through the eyes of someone that doesn’t know…

I received an email today that said I’m a “Twitter snob”. The reasoning behind it was that my follow-to-follower ratio was skewed – I had more followers than people I follow. Therefore, I wasn’t using Twitter correctly; instead of following everyone back that followed me (which I should be doing, according to the email), I was obviously a snob that only followed the “elite” and I should “re-evaluate my Twitter use”. The email ended by saying I shouldn’t advise on…

James Dyson looked at the vacuum cleaner and gave people a different way to do things – no bags. Simple. EasyJet looked at international flights and gave people a different way to fly – no thrills affordability. Simple. Sony looked at video games and gave people a different way to view gamers – cool mass appeal chic. Simple. We don’t always have to build something brand new. We don’t always have to spend millions on research when the audience is…

There’s a fine line between offering pre-project consultancy advice and actually moving into billable hours. Some clients get this; some don’t. Some clients keep moving the goal posts; some are grateful for your advice and experience and will pay for it. If you’re wondering how to define this line and where it’s safe to instill a cut-off point, take a look at this video and see how much of yourself and your clients you recognize. If you’re nodding your head…

Your voicemail is permanently on (or your secretary is diverting calls). Your office is a no-go area except to the limited few. Your cell phone has dedicated ringtones so only three people get through (and they’re all “Yes” people). You’re permanently in meetings that you’ve arranged that don’t need to happen – the earth won’t fall away if you miss one of them. Simply put, you’re so busy that your life is one big “Do Not Disturb” sign. Your competitors,…

You don’t have to be a superstar. You don’t have to be the top dog. You don’t always have to be the number one. It helps. It can offer kudos and creedence to your name. But superstars fade. Top dogs become old. Number ones can fall by the wayside and soon drop out the Top 10 altogether. Stop solely concentrating on the numbers and positions. Instead, think about being a bridge builder. We’re in a people business. Yes, people work…

So as I mentioned in my previous post, it’s been pretty quiet around here this week as I’ve eased in to a new project. So quiet, in fact, that I never realized that this blog’s one-year anniversary had come and gone on September 30. To be honest, it doesn’t feel like a year. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, but it seems only yesterday I decided to go full-on self-hosted blogging as opposed to the Blogger and…

Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk by Plain White T’s  Download now or listen on posterous 05 Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Dr.mp3 (3159 KB) Slightly late here, but better late than never! Have a great weekend folks – hope you’re all having a good time so far and keep smiling!

It’s been a little quiet around here the last few days. And, for that matter, on Twitter as well (not so much Facebook, as that’s not one of my more popular haunts). Anyone that knows me will know this isn’t normal fare – I’m usually much more vocal (although the silence may be preferable to some!). The last week or so has been hectic, hence the silence. Here’s why. Following some conversations with both Shannon Boudjema and Maritz Canada, I’m…