Three years ago today, I posted the first article on this blog. It was a pretty simple piece – short, and more of an overview of what to expect in the days ahead. Three years later, and it’s interesting to look back and see how I’ve changed in that time, both in style and in views on a variety of topics. While I’ve been blogging on and off since 1999, this blog is the one that I’ve made my own,…

In life, we often place merit on someone by the job they have. We may not mean to, but it’s no real fault of ours if we do – it’s been ingrained from us almost since we could walk. Parents tell us to get an education, or we won’t get a good job. Teachers tell us to study harder, or we won’t get a good job. Potential girlfriends and boyfriends can decide whether or not we’re worthy of their attention,…

This is a guest post by Marjorie Clayman. A few years back, Yoko Ono released a comprehensive anthology of tapes that John Lennon had left behind. It’s a treasure trove of songs, some that you would know right away and others that he hadn’t yet gotten finished. One of the latter is a song with the blog title as the chorus. It is, of course, acerbic and hilarious, as one might expect from John Lennon. This song popped into my…

Acumen and accruing. Two words that share a few letters, and yet are miles apart in every other sense. Acumen means you have something of use; accruing means you’re in the process of gathering stuff that isn’t necessarily useful. Acumen means you connect the dots between idea, execution and success; accruing means you’re more concerned with collecting the dots as opposed to connecting them. Acumen means you know your shit; accruing means you think anything below a certain number is…

Over on Facebook yesterday, technology blogger Robert Scoble opened a discussion about Twitter versus Facebook versus Google+, based on an observation by Digg founder Kevin Rose and how these platforms offered different engagement. One of the commenters, Aimee Giese, left her take, and offered a counter to Robert’s view that Twitter was basically a dead zone now, and all the social media interaction is happening on Google+ and Facebook. To which Robert offered the reply as seen in the image…

This is a guest post by Marcus Sheridan. I’m going to sound like the most conceited jerk in the world for a few sentences here….but bear with me. Over the past few years I’ve probably sold more swimming pools than any single person in the country. My company, which happens to be one of the country’s top fiberglass pool installers, has done quite well during this time period and I’ve been the driving force at the kitchen table, helping hundreds…

There’s a great scene in the movie Jerry Maguire. In it, Tom Cruise’s sports agent character has finally lost it with his one client (a football player brilliantly played by Cuba Gooding Jr.). Frustrated by Gooding Jr.’s frosty relationship with the media, Cruise implores, “Help me to help you.” It’s a pivotal moment in the movie for both characters – and it’s one that should be used more in the PR industry. Although it’s true of many industries, public relations…

According to the LinkedIn press centre, 1-in-20 of all LinkedIn profiles are held by recruiters. Additionally, Oracle’s Chief Finance Officer Jeff Epstein was headhunted for the position via his LinkedIn profile. And with 80% of companies using LinkedIn as a recruitment tool, it’s clear to see that social media (at least from LinkedIn’s side) is a great tool for any recruiter or human resources department to find their next employee (or for employees to find their next position). But what…

This is a guest post by Nancy Davis. How many times have you stumbled across a blog and felt that something is missing? They have great content. They even have a really cool photo to draw your eye in. The text is large enough to read easily. The blogger kindly responds to your comment, yet you never go back. Why? I hate to tell you this – you leave me cold. I read your post with excited eyes, but you…

Want to know the only marketing tip you’ll ever need? People. Want. Things. That’s it. It can be anything – good luck charms; medicines; food; drink; news; shoe polish. Anything. With the exception of air, everything else costs. So there’s a need to be filled. How you fill that need is where the difference comes into play. Some folks will go for service; some folks will go for price; some folks will go for nationality; some folks will go for…