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the one about the flaming saxophone…
Quick hypothetical question… Say you’re looking to take a special someone out on the town. You know your sweetheart adores live music. But you? Music’s never really been your thing. You just REALLY want to show your favorite music buff a great time. And as luck would have it, you’ve never heard any of the…
Read MoreEver have a WTF moment when listening to a voicemail?
That happened to me today. I was writing up a storm and when I came up for air, I saw that I had missed a call. I checked voicemail and listened to the message, paraphrased below: Hey Angie, I saw that you went to one of our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes. I wanted to…
Read MoreAdjectives are your enemy
“The road to hell is paved with adjectives.” – Stephen King I hate adjectives. Adverbs, too. They sneak into our sentences like cat burglars and rob us of our meaning before we know what’s happened. Relying on adjectives leaves your sentences open for interpretation. Your version of painful might be in traction in the hospital. Your reader…
Read MoreSanity check: are you creating problems or SOLVING them?
There’s something intriguing about visionaries – – you guys see stuff nobody else can. You imagine a bright, bold future filled with wonderful gadgets and commonsense solutions to everyday challenges. Stuff that makes life easier. Stuff we take for granted because it works so seamlessly we don’t even have to think about it for it…
Read MoreHow to ignore customers and still give great service
Ahh, that dreaded moment when a customer complains. Maybe you experience gut-wrenching frustration to the point you want to punch someone, scream, or do both (might be a good time to investigate that new kickboxing class, perhaps?). Or maybe you get sick to your stomach, agonizing over how to respond. My thoughts? Sometimes you just need…
Read MoreWho's driving Facebook traffic the RIGHT way?
We’re talking about someone whose marketing team knows EXACTLY what they’re doing. They posted a 0:17 video clip that was watched north of 770K times as of this afternoon. Thousands of shares. 50K+ Likes. The strategy was simple really: give ’em a tease. And nowhere has that phrase been more appropriate than Ellen interviewing Channing Tatum…
Read MoreI have a new personal hero
And he’s not from the Marvel Universe or DC comics. My hero is this guy who held a sign in a subway asking for a job. What he’s done is not ground-breaking. Let’s be real – he’s not developing the cure for cancer. But he IS doing something a lot of people refuse to or…
Read MoreWriter's Block is BS
I was talking to my sister earlier today, who is also a writer. Two writers in the family, go figure. We got to talking about how to write when you’re feeling blocked and uninspired. Seeing as how she’s just starting out, she was a little surprised at what I had to say: Writer’s block is…
Read MoreWhat angry IHOP people can teach you about business.
I had a shitty moment at IHOP today. It damn near ruined my whole day, too. For those of you who don’t already know me, I’m a rather feisty redhead with a foul mouth who just so happens to have several visible tattoos. Image credit | _gee_ I am also a writer. Specifically, a copywriter. I…
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