Blog

The other day I got a phone call from a guy who wanted me to join his association. He made a strong case: reasonable dues, good people, great networking. When he asked for the sale (or in this case, the membership), I paused for a few seconds before responding. “Mark, my policy about saying no is, ‘I don’t say it enough.’ So, for that reason alone, my answer to…

So, today is my 483rd blog post. Do you know what that means? 483 hits on Google 483 (more) hits on Google than someone who DOESN’T blog 483 press releases (but better) 483 instances of delivering value 483 reinforcements of my brand 483 ideas for future speeches and products 483 validations of my expertise 483 expansions of my expertise 483 reasons for the media to inquire 483 opportunities to…

I don’t claim to be the greatest writer in the world. But I’m definitely better than I used to be. And ultimately, that’s all that really matters. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years… 1. Don’t plan; just write. 2. Write something every single day. 3. Share your writing with others. Blog it. Do it anonymously if you have to. Let the world be your editor….

Think back to September 2004. It’s the height of the Napter-Metallica-Filesharing craze. And Green Day decides to make music history by becoming the first ever musical artist to sell blank albums. That’s right. Hordes of fans were buying thousands of Green Day CD’s with no music on them! Were they crazy?! Not even. For the sake of taking a different approach in dealing with music downloading – legal or…

A is for ATTITUDE B is for BREAK PATTERNS C is for CONSISTENCY D is for DISCIPLINE E is for EVOLUTION F is for FRIENDLINESS G is for GOOD WITH NAMES H is for HAPPINESS I is for IDEAS J is for JOY K is for KNOWLEDGE L is for LAUGHTER M is for MUNDANE N is for NAMETAGS O is for OFF BUTTON P is for PAINT YOURSELF…

My friend Steve found this article in USA Today. Pictured is Ernst & Young Global CEO Jim Turley, who talks to Brigham Young University students at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, on March 18. The company uses the event, E&Y Extreme, as a recruting tool. Look closely at the signage on the lecturn behind Jim. Wow. Not only did they use the name of my company and…

The other day my friend Jess asked me, “How did you learn so much at such a young age?” And I realized something: I get that question a lot. Now, while I’m not claiming to be brilliant, nor am I claiming to be some sort of genius, I DID do some serious thinking on my answer(s) to that question. So, here’s (yet another) one of my ridiculously long lists:…

I used to address the issue of smiling in my talks. Then I realized how overdone the subject was. So I took it out. Not that smiling wasn’t important. After all, it’s the #1 symbol of approachability in the world! But I just figured that most people were tired of hearing another author, speaker or manager talk about “the value of a smile.” “Smile, you’re on stage!” “Smile when…

I don’t claim to be an expert on blogging. I have, however, managed to leverage my blog over the years as a powerful tool for: Delivering value. Earning new business. Generating (a lot of) word of mouth. Therefore, today I’m going to take you through my daily process of writing blog posts. NOTE: this is NOT the only, the best or the preferred way to blog. It’s just how…

So the Cardinals’ opening day was yesterday. (They lost 6-1 to the Mets. Dang it. Guess New York wanted payback from last year.) Anyway, I had a thought. Here’s why I love David Eckstein: Because every grounder matters. Because he gives it his all, every time. Because he plays harder than anybody. Because he actually sprints on and off the field, every inning. (Maybe that’s why he won the…