Category: Voice/Tone/Trust Building

Stand-Up, and Be Counted

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4 COMMENTS

As I write this, I am enrolled in a four-session stand-up comedy class at the esteemed (I guess) American Comedy Institute. I did this once before, pre-Covid, and found it so valuable and enjoyable, that I decided to jump in again. Unlike my first experience, my fellow students are (mostly) either professionals or wannabees, which makes the whole thing way more intimidating and scary. But, since these days, straying out of my comfort zone happens rarely – and when it does, it’s usually something like buying an item at the grocery […] Click to read more…

Insight Beats Information

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9 COMMENTS

Alert readers may recall that last fall, I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder. All went well and while it’s been quite some time, you will be pleased to learn that the window for sending get well gifts is still open (mailing address below). Unfortunately, my left shoulder has now been acting up. And so yesterday, as a follow-up to an MRI earlier in the month, I went to see my orthopedic surgeon. He didn’t waste any time. He walked in, shook my hand, and said, “Well, your left shoulder is in […] Click to read more…

What a Difference a Difference Makes

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12 COMMENTS

Yesterday, I stumbled across an AI-powered service called Portrait Studio. The concept is simple… Upload a bunch of selfies of your head from the neck up and Portrait Studio will create professional style, high-definition photos of you in a variety of outfits, in a variety of settings. The perfect alternative to an expensive, time-consuming, in-person photo shoot. It was just $24 to try it out, so in the name of science (I never stop working for you), I gave it a spin. The results were … interesting. I was amazed, frankly, at […] Click to read more…

Simply *Not* the Best

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5 COMMENTS

Have you ever heard of a man named Braxton Key? Let me give you a hint: He’s a professional basketball player. Still not ringing a bell? Don’t feel bad. I had never heard of him either until I did some Googling (who says I don’t do research?). That’s because, among those who play in the National Basketball Association, Braxton Key stands out, skill-wise, for just one reason: He is arguably the worst player in the league. He plays for the Detroit Pistons – the team with the worst record this past season – and […] Click to read more…

The Time Is Now

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5 COMMENTS

I don’t read many “standard” business books. As a one-man band with no interest in expanding, books about CEO excellence, leadership strategy, hiring, firing, motivating others …  little of it applies in my world. Plus, between you and me, I find those topics kind of dull. Instead, I like and read a lot of social psychology-ish books: Different, Nudge, The Paradox of Choice, Made to Stick. And while they aren’t intended to be business books, they are very much about how people think, behave, and make decisions. Which, if you boil it all down, is […] Click to read more…