Hard Work or Talent?
I believe there is a direct relationship between hard work and success. Those who work harder achieve more. And that applies equally to individuals, families, ethnic groups, and nations. Yes, talent helps. But talent is not something we can choose. It is given to us, as are so many other…
READ MOREWho’s Your Marlon Brando?
Recently on Turner Classic Movies, I watched a documentary simply titled “Brando.” There was a moment in it that sliced through my heart. It didn’t come from the legendary movie actor himself, though.
READ MOREMake Life Easier: Find One Thing You Have in Common With Your Foes
We all have “enemies” — unpleasant individuals we can’t avoid because of work or social obligations. As a general rule, we deal with them by staying away as much as possible. When we must interact, we speak as little as we can. Just the facts and goodbye. However, there’s a…
READ MOREThe Self-Confidence Question
I have an entrepreneur friend who is an engaging speaker. He always gets high marks on audience evaluations. On stage, he comes off as quite confident. Watching him, you’d think he was loaded with self-esteem. In fact, the opposite is true. And at a recent presentation, he let his audience…
READ MORE5 Ways to Make Your Meetings More Productive
1. Start on time. 2. If there’s someone with a reputation for tardiness without whom the meeting can’t take place, schedule a briefing with him 15 minutes beforehand. If he gets there on time, use that 15 minutes to discuss the big issues. If he’s 15 minutes late, he won’t…
READ MOREHave You Done That One Great Thing? NO? What Are You Waiting For?
Time passes so damn quickly. And as you get older, it speeds up so much that, if you don’t do something about it, your life will take place without including the person who’s buried deep inside you. You know the person I mean. The dreamer. The bright, starry-eyed optimist who…
READ MOREWho Do You Work For?
As a development manager for a real-estate project I consult with, SB takes direction from three people: a profit-center manager, a project manager, and me. Most of the time, our advice and recommendations work together. Sometimes, however, we disagree. And when we do, it throws SB into a frenzy. SB…
READ MORESummarizing Is Death
In all forms of expression, summarizing is lethal. But that’s what many copywriters do. At the end of a sales letter, they methodically recount all the important points they just made. What happens is that the energy of the copy is dissipated, the blood drained off. A much better approach…
READ MOREWhat Is the Tipping Point for Online Success?
KJ, like many of my subscribers these days, wants to get into Internet marketing. But she feels frustrated and unable to move forward. “Where should I begin?” KJ asked in her e-mail. “What was your tipping point to online success?” My answer: “The tipping point in Internet marketing success is…
READ MOREA Word To Use Next Time You Get a Chance
I learned a lovely word today: MacGuffin. A MacGuffin is an irrelevant interest grabber — a story whose purpose is to draw attention to itself and away from something else. It comes from a plot device invented by Alfred Hitchcock. He borrowed it from a shaggy-dog story that goes something…
READ MOREMy Heart Went Out to Her… and Then Came Back!
Profiled in The Wall Street Journal the other day: A single mother, hit hard by the recession. She can barely keep a roof over her family’s head. Her salary was cut by 60 percent. And buying even the basics is a struggle. A story we’ve heard again and again. “How…
READ MOREA Concatenation of Confusables
In my reading, I frequently encounter misused and confused words. Here are five recent sightings, most from major newspapers: “Anyone who passes even feint praise on anything containing Adam Sandler…” The writer means faint praise — not very much. A feint is a deceptive or diversionary action.
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