I’ve pitched and landed some new clients lately. When we do our first “kick the tires” meeting, I always send them an invite from my Zoom videoconferencing account — partly because it works, and partly because of the impression it makes. Here’s why you should, too. My clientele are entrepreneurs, business executives, and publishers. I … Continued
I was recently in a competitive situation for an editing job. A first-time author with a book contract was seeking an editor, and someone she trusted had recommended me. She was also considering others. Strange as it may seem, this doesn’t usually happen with me. Usually, people who pick me want me. And I flubbed … Continued
The Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives released its proposed articles of impeachment against President Trump. Normally, in this space, you’d see me analyze the language in those articles. I won’t. Most of the facts are clear. Trump had a call with the president of Ukraine. The government withheld aid required by Congress. … Continued
The Verge exposed the toxic culture at direct-to-consumer luggage startup Away. The CEO Steph Korey sort of apologized, then got replaced. The whole sordid saga illustrates how not to run a company. The Verge feature article by Zoe Schiffer was well reported and devastating. Away has dispensed with internal email — everything runs on Slack. … Continued
Elizabeth Warren disclosed that she made $1.9 million since 1985 doing legal work for companies like Travelers Insurance. To put this in context, you need to understand what consultants and lawyers do and who they do it for. My experience as a consultant and analyst — an illustration When you work for a law firm, … Continued
Uber released its safety report for the years 2017 and 2018 for the US. It documents 5,981 sexual assaults. Ergo, Uber is a menace, right? Before you read on, please know that I consider sexual assault to be evil and awful. Anyone who commits one should be punished and, to the extent possible, prevented from … Continued
Peloton made a controversial holiday ad. Then it dug a deeper hole with a non-apology that blamed people for being offended. Here’s the ad. What do you think? What’s the problem here? For one, the woman is hella skinny even at the start of the ad. The implication is that her husband thinks she needs … Continued
CBS This Morning did a profile taking viewers inside the home of Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. It was a big wet smooch. Will this help Zuckerberg and Facebook? Sure. Now we know that rather than being a robot with an evil product, he’s a human. Every CEO has an image, and tech … Continued