How many decisions did your organization make last year? How many ideas did committee members implement? There’s a good chance a bunch of those were legitimate news or great feature stories — and you may have missed some opportunities for more media love. You might dismiss the work you do in the background because it’s just the normal course of business. You’re also so busy doing what you do that you function as though you don’t have time to tell anyone. What would happen if you did a press … [Read more...] about Why your editorial calendar is key
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A military mom’s struggle with pride
Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, so that may be part of the reason I struggled with using the word — or acknowledging it — when people would say I must “be so proud” of my daughter serving in the military. I felt excitement for her. I was happy for her. I was elated for her the day she shipped out to basic military training. But, I couldn’t refer to it as pride. This was her path. My focus was on her health, safety, and future. That was, until on the drive home from waving goodbye … [Read more...] about A military mom’s struggle with pride
Giving an email the middle finger is not a good sign
Holy crap. I just gave “the bird” to an email after I hit Send. This is not a good sign. I should be more highly evolved, but I’m just not. This guy has given me more than an uneasy feeling for a couple of years. I really liked, respected, and appreciated him at first. There’s the rub: at first. I’m a horrible judge of character. I give people about a million chances. I have noticed as the years pass that I’m less tolerant of slime bags because I’m running out of time. The older I get, the … [Read more...] about Giving an email the middle finger is not a good sign
Dancing with business growth is more fun with partners
Growing a business sounds like a great idea until you find yourself in the thick of change — and choices. If you can’t dance with business growth, you might as well leave the party. Change can be cause for celebration, but the reality of it can send the strongest among us into a spin. (Hi, nice to meet you.) I was four percent shy of February being my best business month. A couple of people in my tribe suggested I count it as my best business month because the work was complete, the invoice … [Read more...] about Dancing with business growth is more fun with partners
Nonprofits can get a boatload of media coverage
A statewide environmental group recently had a photo-op with a very Republican governor. The event was all over Facebook. Photos and stories were shared like banana-cakes within hours. There was an accompanying link to an announcement with most of the posts. It was very cool. Imagine your favorite enviro-group getting quality facetime like that — and a pledge from a governor to support the group’s efforts. It was a legitimate time for celebration. Sure, there were haters. One FB comment … [Read more...] about Nonprofits can get a boatload of media coverage
Is your biz your best client?
How do you treat your best client? Lemme guess. You drop everything for them. You take care of them during evening and weekend hours — even Sundays. You do this with an “of course” attitude. You don’t serve them begrudgingly, do you? When they pop up on your radar or have a big project with a looming deadline, you step up. Their projects receive quality time in fairly big hunks, don’t they? Entrepreneurs and especially solopreneurs seem to struggle with this one. I get it. I’ve been … [Read more...] about Is your biz your best client?
Ode to Dead Dogs
WARNING: If you have no appreciation for ghastly humor, don’t bother reading this. If the recent death of a family pet still upsets you to the point of tears, don’t read this just yet. I tend to poke people with my sick sense of humor. Why I’m like this could be another blog post. I’ve suffered the loss of beloved pets far too often — and from a very young age. All sorts of these tragic stories are sprinkled with the macabre that can come with time and perspective. Let’s take the time my … [Read more...] about Ode to Dead Dogs
How to Celebrate the Holidays in Media Land
People working in the media like to take time off during the holidays, but it’s tough for them. Nationally recognized holidays mean they need to prepare stories earlier than normal, often with a skeleton staff. Why should you care? (I know you might be tempted to not care at all, considering the general media disdain blossoming these days, but hang with me.) There’s something in it for you. I’ve walked in their shoes, so I know what it’s like trying to meet an early deadline. Imagine what … [Read more...] about How to Celebrate the Holidays in Media Land