Communication

“If a picture is worth a thousand words
then a story is worth a thousand assurances.”
–  Annette Simmons, The Story Factor

 
Once upon a time a young woman worked as a marketing professional. Her career spanned 15 years before she found herself working for a toxic boss. The boss regularly verbally attacked members of the team. As a result, eventually a full, 22-person department turn over occurred under that person’s leadership (or lack thereof). The woman in marketing decided that if ever there…

I'm a big fan of assessments. It's not that I believe assessment tools are 100% true or because I'm certified in the DISC assessment. I like them because they provide us with a framework for discussing things we normally don't talk about. Things like: 

• How are you being perceived? 
  
• What stresses you out?  
• What matters to you the most?

Assessment tools don't make us more intelligent in terms of I.Q but they do make us more aware and that awareness helps us deal with people more effective…

I’ve been meeting a lot of new people lately. If you’re a soloprenuer, coach, or consultant then you know just how important networking is to your success.

The trick to networking is making it effective by elevating your brand. The challenge is, how do you define “effective” networking? Do you think networking is only effective if it results in sales? If you said yes, then I have to blast the buzzer on you and say: EEEE wrong answer! Here’s a story to prove it: 

I recently went to a lunch with…

Words have power. They can create. They can destroy. This is as evident historically as much as it is today. They are the key tool used to influence.

When it comes to business, the mark of an influential brand is when it’s gets woven into the fabric of our lives through language. For example, do you search things online or do you Google them? Do you send overnight packages, or do you FedEx it? When you hear, save 15% in 15 minutes or less, you know it’s a Geico commercial.

These brand-associat…

We are living in a time where we are surrounded with confrontations and conflict. As you know, it can be quite stressful!  

When you get stressed out, emotions run high, and you may find yourself reacting in a way that doesn’t portray you as the best version of yourself (or your personal brand).

A prominent psychotherapist, Virginia Satir, pointed out that we react to both stress and threats to our self-esteem (ie. think intelligence insults) by taking on one of five defensive communication st…

I bet you want to be wealthy. I know I do.

Some might read that as greedy or selfish. That makes me curious…what is your definition of “wealthy”? And how much time do you spend evaluating other types of wealth beyond financial?  

What does Wealth Mean, Really?   

First, we tend to think of wealth as it applies to being financially wealthy. But there are other types. As far as finances go, doesn’t it make logical sense that if your needs are met, then you can more effectively help others? If y…

Most communication coaches and consultants focus on improving public speaking and leadership skills. They may help you prepare for your next big event presentation or lead your team with confidence in meetings.  

But here’s the problem... You get so consumed with what you say and how you say it that you forget who it’s for.

And let me be clear, public speaking is a very valuable skill. And giving a speech in front of an audience can be very powerful for your brand and business. BUT…   

…havin…

As Shakespeare famously wrote, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” This, from Romeo and Juliet, is about the fact that names mean what we make them mean, as they did for the Montagues and Capulets. 

So, what is a brand name anyway? Who decides the strength of a brand -- the consumer or the company founder? And how can you improve the strength of your own brand? 

Let’s break it down.

WHAT IS A BRAND?

As language evolves and perspective widens…

No one wants to be “salesy.” I know this, because my entrepreneurial clients they tell me so! It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been in business; this feeling still comes up. The word “salesperson” still seems to conjure up the image of the used-car salesman and it feels “pushy” and “invasive.”   

But newsflash – we are all in sales (in one way or another) – especially as entrepreneurs! So, whether we are:

• selling ourselves to get a contract,
• selling our ideas to key stakeholders,
• selling…

I’m no early adopter but I am interested in exploring new opportunities. So, as Clubhouse started blowing up in popularity recently, I got curious… and an unsolicited invite.

So, I joined, turned notifications on and participated in a few “rooms” to check it out. This audio-only, community-based social media platform does have its advantages:

• bringing together without the pressure of video, meeting and connecting with people worldwide, getting access to big-name leaders, to name a few.

Bu…