thought leadership
October 2021
Moving Ideas Forward Using Creative Practices
“Creativity is the magical human act of doing something that might not work. If you know it’s going to work, then it’s management.” —Seth Godin A tattered official notice from the local fire department tacked to a wall stated a maximum capacity of 130 people were allowed in the darkish restaurant. Included in that headcount would be the few waitstaff bustling by tables filled with strangers seated elbow-to-elbow, and the musicians readying to entertain us. Established...
September 2021
Finding a Path Forward … Quickly
Beyond the worry, fear and suffering caused by the pandemic, people have managed to remarkably change directions in their personal and professional lives, demonstrating great resiliency. Take a step back from the flurry of pandemic-time workplace changes to notice how your coworkers are able to quickly set aside best-laid plans when current products or services aren’t meeting the needs of the market. Pre-pandemic, a change of direction would likely be identified and resolved at a slower...
A visual creative’s job is to dazzle the reader using a well-executed convergence of concept + imagery + graphic design + words. This dynamic combination wins views … and peer-judged awards. Our team recently received national recognition in an industry awards program for a 2020 series on security awareness training featuring a fictitious company. We earned a National Silver Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. The series previously earned a Silver Award...
There’s a lot of buzz these days around non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, tied to blockchains and smart contracts previously outside creatives’ domains. But recent sales of $300 million in cryptocurrency for digital art assets is turning heads—and shaking them too. Just what is going on, and do these tech topics benefit creatives (beyond the obvious financial gains)? I’ve listened to numerous podcasts and scoured a dozen articles on the topic. Though less hazy on what’s...
February 2021
How to Manage Distractions During Your Workday
The nature of my work and industry has allowed me to be either a work-at-home employee or an on-site employee for stretches of time. For over a decade of those years, my circumstances were quite challenging as I juggled career and family responsibilities as a single mother of two. Both work environments have their challenges for any parent, but, as a friend told me long ago, “You find a way.” My children were very young...
February 2021
The B2B Writer, Reader and ‘New to Know’
Generating content that appeals to a variety of audiences is among the more perplexing aspects of B2B writing. The high-level, highly scannable copy favored by chief executives likely will disappoint the detail-oriented practitioner in need of instruction, not just insight. That’s why it’s critical the intended audience and/or personas for any content marketing be well defined. What also is important, and sometimes overlooked, is the writer’s comfort level with a given topic. Does this person...
October 2020
Lessons Learned from Building a Company
Last week I wrote a piece on LinkedIn about the seismic changes in cybersecurity since I hitched my journalism wagon to that field 20 years ago. I talked about what constituted a “content producer” back then. I noted how easy it was to break into the industry as both a practitioner and paid observer. And I discussed some of my most amusing moments to illustrate how far we’ve come as professionals. What I didn’t delve...
Your company has its values established and adheres to them … right? And if they do, as an employee, you know your company’s values and abide by them … right? (Even better for all if your personal values align with those of your company.) “Yes” and “yes” should ideally be your response. The core standards that companies embrace are what shapes the essence of their identities. These standards, or values, support a vision that create their...
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