I don’t need International Women’s Day (#IWD2021) to recall one of the women who has had a profound impact on my life.

She passed away in 1994, yet to this day, I talk about and think about her. Every. Single. Day. 

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Her name was Nettie Freeman. My sisters and I called her "Mama." She was our maternal grandmother. 

Mama was born in 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. She was married for 63 years (to the same man), had three children and nine grandchildren. She lived to see 12 of her 21 great-grandchildren. She died at the age of 95.

How would Mama, who had a high school diploma and never worked outside the home, be an inspiration for International Women’s Day?

• Mama had never been on an airplane.
• She never lived anywhere except New York, and a short time in New Jersey.
• So what could Mama have taught me about business and my career in the 31...

He had the stories in his heart and his head.

But David couldn’t get them out on paper.

No, it wasn’t a sales presentation or media coaching.

David was an accomplished project manager and engineer who was referred to me by a mutual business acquaintance.

He had a personal communication project that was new to me.   

Look, I had ghostwritten nearly 1,000 posts, articles, bios, speeches, editorials and messages during my 35  years in the news and communication industry.

But never one like this.

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David needed a Father of the Bride speech for his daughter Melissa’s rehearsal dinner.

This was big; 150 people at the dinner and 500 for the wedding the next day. David knew some of the guests intimately; the others he had never met.

People would be watching.

And judging.

It could be a tough crowd.

And David—whom...

Stories around the holiday season run rampant.

From family and generational tales to Biblical passages, stories bring us together as human beings. 

It is the words within the stories that wield true power. 

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Words move us deeply.

We listen, watch and read with wonderment, curiosity and emotion. Well-written and well-told stories have the power to move us to laughter...and to tears.

One thing I’ve noticed in business as “Life’s Little Observer” (being a people-watcher and listening with a keen ear as a news reporter) is this...

The highest paid people in the room are exceptional storytellers.

Believe me, I have interviewed everyone from homeless people to presidents. During my 35-year career, I have seen it all! 

My point for everyday business pros like you is this: 

• Nail...

I keep hearing people talking about their coaches—business, marketing, Mastermind groups, sales…on and on. “I’m working on my online presence and SEO…” and “I’ve got accountability partners in my sales coaching…” and “I’m in a high-level group with ---"  

If you’ve been working with coaches either privately or in groups, I wanna let you in on a little secret.  

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Actually, it's not a little secret- it's a HUGE secret that will make ALL the difference when it comes to your ability to get amazing, like-minded ideal clients excited to invest with you.

The secret is: You don’t need more Instagram posts or lead gen to grow your business and live your dream life. YOU are the message and you're likely repelling prospects and it has nothing to do with your posts OR the quality...

Hundreds of people over the years have asked me why reporters and podcasters are so dang hard to reach.

Why are they grumpy, uninterested and non-responsive?

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Here’s the secret:

Ninety-five percent of the pitches and “great story ideas” that are sent are irrelevant. They aren't newsworthy. They aren't valuable and “worthy” of an audience’s attention and interest.

It's that simple.

I was a radio news reporter and on-air anchor. I received thousands of pitches during my 10-year career in newsrooms in New Jersey and New York.

I decided what was newsworthy. I was the gatekeeper.

My audience depended on my sound judgement to share important, compelling and interesting stories that affected them.  The same is true today with reporters—and podcasters. They want subject matter experts—people like YOU!  

Chances are, you’re getting your business story—and marketing copy—all wrong. Don’t worry; you’ve got plenty of company, myself included.

Listening to a presentation by Donald Miller, author of the best-selling book “StoryBrand,” I was laughing—and cringing. The focus of Miller’s talk was clarity around how we present our offerings (products and services) to prospects.

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Here are 10 gems from Miller’s keynote at the EntreLeadership Summit. The final one is a video clip (above) from my follow-up interview with Miller.

1. On knowing your place: “Your brand is not the hero. Your customer is the hero.”

2. On helping your customers survive: “Everything humans think about is about survival. Associate your products and services with your customer’s survival, or...