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I think I finally got this RSS thing down: it’s like TiVo for the Internet. What you’re looking at are all of the appropriate buttons (located on the right of the page) that will enable you to subscribe to this blog. Now, since RSS (which stands for “Really Simple Syndication”) is on the cusp of its tipping point, I thought I’d use Seth’s explanation to help you (and me!)…

In landscape architect Laurie Olin’s mind, the approach to the most soaring of the capital’s monuments had to be friendly and simple – and safe, says the breaking story from the AP wire. In addition to “anti-terrorism design measures,” softer lighting and more benches “that lend themselves to comfort and sociability” were placed around the monument’s base. “It looks like a pillow,” said a nearby tourist sitting on one…

ChangeThis is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread. And just like them, I too am on a mission to spread important ideas and change minds. That’s why I need your help: Please vote for my manifesto! (It’s called, not surprisingly, The Power of Approachability.) It takes…

In a recent article from the Oregonian, Albert Mehrabian, a psychologist at the University of California at Los Angeles, says his research shows that names can evoke desirable or negative images. “A person’s name is intricately intertwined with his or her self-image,” he says. But Martin Ford, an education psychologist at George Mason University in Virginia, says such images are superficial and fall away like vapor when a face…

According to a recent article bashing iPods at work (sniff!) portable music players such as iPods are increasingly showing up on the job, a trend that’s being praised as a boon to productivity as well as criticized as a safety risk and employee distraction. Furthermore, the article explained: “The use of MP3 players isn’t music to everyone’s ears. While many employees who use the miniature music players believe they…

When I interviewed with the WSJ a few weeks back, the article addressed the narrow window in which people have to make first impressions: 10 seconds? 5 seconds? 2 seconds? Whatever. Just remember that it’s quick. But also remember that some of our most UNFORGETTABLE first impressions come from our LAST impressions. By that I mean, “The last words out of your mouth during the final transaction with a…

Just got back from a speech in San Diego with my client, Remodelers Advantage. I spent the whole weekend there to soak up the sun and enjoy the scenery. On Friday morning I took a barefoot walk down to the beach at about 8:00 AM. I saw people running, biking, wakeboarding, surfing and lounging. And my first thought was: does anyone in San Diego ever work? By the time…

I used to work in retail, so I know how important approachability can be when it comes to encounters between salespeople and in-store customers. That’s why when I read this article from CNN.com called Best-kept secrets of the world’s best companies, I also peed my pants. Yes, that’s how amazing this idea is. Check it out… Car shopping as entertainment has always been the draw at Planet Honda in…

Was Kevin Costner accurate in Field of Dreams right when he said: “If you build it, they will come…”? Maybe. You can take that quotation in all kinds of directions. And I think one way to transfer his words is into the realm of marketing, or as I call it, professional approachability: If you build it = a front porch for you and your company that projects approachability… They…

I just got the audio recording of my keynote @ WOMMA’s Basic Training Conference in January. A couple of great clips are included in this week’s podcast, including (what I think is) the funniest thing that’s ever happened to me during a speech. Guess you’ll just have to listen to find out what it is! LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s the funniest moment you’ve ever experienced during a…