No matter what you’re creating, when an audience is involved, you are the host. When someone visits you for a story, they are now your guest. Likewise, when you write an article, you need to think of yourself as the host, presenting your subject to an audience. The Emily Post Institute, the source for...
There are three elements that I focus on when helping someone change the story they're telling. These elements are the product, the audience and the delivery....
Two enduring movie characters from the 1980s embody the idea of being a cool teen. However, it is impossible to argue that either of their movies is about them because they both end in the same place they were at the start of their stories. Marty McFly is a vest-wearing teenager who also happens...
The magic isn’t there on the first try. If you hear a good interviewer, watch a polished video series, or read a compelling blog, you see the tip of the iceberg. Everything below the surface is the practice rounds worked behind the scenes and in previous performances. It would be nice if you could...
What does it look like when we take an activity we enjoy and try to turn it into our profession? For a minute, assume that you enjoy bowling. If you just said to yourself, “I hate bowling!” Please, for the next two minutes, tell yourself, “I enjoy bowling!” Bowling is a great way to...
While it may seem like I’m sending similar content every week, I’m actually building towards more ambitious projects. In the system that I’ve developed since I started working on Those Stories, I’ve focused on how smaller pieces could build toward my goals by sharing small doses of insight. Instead of going straight for the...
When wildlife starts changing behavior, we’ve been locked down for too long. With the return of some normalcy, of course, a cat wouldn’t take the hint. Coors Field is one of my favorite empty places. Home to the hopeless Colorado Rockies baseball team, sometimes having an empty field is preferable. As a former employee,...
You probably have loyalty cards. These cards provide a free prize after you buy things from a store multiple times (a free sandwich after you buy ten sandwiches, for example). They’re supposed to give an incentive for customers to keep showing up. The thought is that we’re more likely to choose businesses if there...
Look at me.Look at me!LOOK AT ME! A kid will scream “Look at me” 10 times before a parent finally says “What?” and the child spins in a circle, or says “Hi,” or holds up a stick. The exasperated parent can’t believe they fell for it again or that they interrupted what they were...
As snow pummeled Colorado early on Sunday, I found myself helping a Tesla SUV get unstuck from the middle of the road. It took about 20 minutes and a lot of shoveling, but eventually, we were able to get the car of the future on its way. It made me think about the purpose...