How to write a great event recap
“Are you just a really amazing note-taker or great with shorthand to get the info you need?” That’s what a colleague asked me recently, wondering how I take down the notes I turn into event summaries (recaps). Shameless flattery accepted. I do often recap events for...
(Almost) everything you want to know about certification
Who doesn’t want to be recognized for knowing your stuff? For many professions, certification gives you unbiased recognition that you know what you’re doing. Accountants, engineers, Human Resources professionals, financial planners and more have certifications. Now,...
Employees need the inside scoop from leaders
“Never assume anybody knows anything.” That’s Lesterism #1, a truth about communications from Les Potter, ABC, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Fellow, and a senior lecturer at Towson University in Maryland. Les explains, “Organizations are...
SEO tips: Feed the beast to land on page one
“Your website is a beast you must constantly feed,” writer and search engine optimization (SEO) specialist Marnie Hughes told a group of entrepreneurs this week. That means constantly updating your site with blog posts, news or other content to help reach your...
How to protect yourself from digital data attacks
A classic line in the movie Spaceballs reveals a secret password is 12345. Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) says, “That’s the stupidest combination I’ve ever heard in my life! That’s the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!” Of course, it is exactly what...
Weasel words still all too common
“There’s a lot of year left,” says Mark Peters, who writes a column called Evasive Maneuvers. But the word “re-accommodate” is already a front-runner for the Euphemism of the Year, he tells Time’s Katy Steinmetz. A euphemism substitutes an inoffensive expression for...
How to keep your marketing e-newsletter in the spotlight
Email newsletters are back – or maybe I should say are still – in the spotlight. And whether sent by large companies, media giants or solo entrepreneurs, email newsletters can be a powerful marketing tool. For example, the content marketers at Copyblogger get massive...
Finding the human side of academic research
Readers appreciate when the writer does the heavy lifting to explain the complex and figure out “what’s in it for me?” That’s a big part of what I do. In 2016 and 2017, I had the honour of interviewing brainy researchers at Western University’s Faculty of Science. My...