Blog
I’ve always been intrigued by the art of stand-up comedy. I love getting wrapped up in the storytelling of a skilled comedian who can leave me breathless with laughter! Humor is so unique and specific to each of us, but it’s also a universal connector. Even when you don’t speak the same language, have the…
Read MoreMay is Mental Health Awareness Month, so it feels like a good time to address the deeper pressure that comes with helping organizations communicate in a moment when everything just feels so complicated. Communicators are being asked to develop clear, values-driven, credible content while also navigating changing expectations around language, politics, and stakeholder trust. This is…
Read MoreIn my work with nonprofit leaders and communicators, I continue to see how communications is expected to accomplish so much with so little. The money required just can’t keep up with what’s needed to create insights-driven content and activities that move people to give, engage, partner or support. This year, I had the opportunity once…
Read MoreCuriosity has served me well throughout my communications career. I grew up in corporate communications departments where I had access to people across the business — and I used that access. I’d meet regularly with colleagues in marketing, HR, legal, investor relations, sales, and product development to understand what was happening across the organization. Part of…
Read MoreIt may feel counterintuitive, but I’ve often had to recommend to leaders that they slow down just as it seems their business is about to take flight. That’s because I’ve seen far too often how challenging it becomes for communications to keep pace in a meaningful, strategic way when a company scales quickly. When it happens, you start…
Read MoreAs this year comes to a close, I’m reflecting less on what happened in 2025 and more on what it revealed. One clear revelation is that organizations moved forward when leaders truly understood the value of strategic communications — not as output, but as a disciplined path to impact and results. I saw leaders and their teams…
Read MoreI’m often in conversation with CEOs and business leaders whose calendars are packed with client meetings, “quick syncs,” conferences, and community engagements. They’re usually well-read, well-prepared, and genuinely committed to growth. And yet they still struggle to find the time to just…think. Strategic thinking helps leaders identify emerging opportunities, anticipate market shifts, and prioritize resources, but…
Read MoreYou can have the smartest strategy, the best creative, and a full calendar of campaigns, but if the messaging across your organization isn’t aligned, impact slips through the cracks. Mixed messages don’t just confuse audiences; that misalignment creates internal chaos, too. They show up when: Sound familiar? Here’s what I’ve seen time and again: misalignment doesn’t…
Read MoreLast month, inside the Strategic Communicators Collective, we spent an hour with futurist and business strategist Marvin Dejean of Gilead Sanders. We dove into what the future business landscape will demand from leaders and, importantly, from us as communicators. Big takeaway: AI isn’t a tool you simply “add on.” It’s becoming the operating system on which…
Read MoreHappy September! The season of spiced lattes and cooler weather is upon us, which means you’re probably rolling out final campaigns of the year and planning for 2026! Brands both big and small are navigating how to “get it right” in an environment where consumers are increasingly making values-based purchasing decisions. The fallout of missteps…
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