Messaging

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

It happened again. Yet another local business has taken to social media to lament their lack of success. The writer, for some reason, feels that it is everyone else’s fault that their business idea isn’t gaining traction. I’ve seen this behavior before and I’m always puzzled by it. Several years

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

I know you believe you understand what you think you heard me say, but I’m not sure that you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. This statement is more true today than ever. While most people understand that effective communication is essential to personal and business

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

Timing is everything in life. Or so I’ve heard. Recently this came in to play as I set out to meet a new acquaintance. We’d never met, but had conversed via email. I did my due diligence and looked him up prior to our meeting so I would know a

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

Scolding and threats don’t work. People who’ve known me for a long time know that if you scold me and tell me I’m not allowed to do something I’m immediately challenged to do it. If you threaten me I’m likely to do the opposite. I’m an adult, I don’t need

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

I love trees. In fact, I was a tree hugger before there was such a thing. I’m fortunate to have many trees on my property. Most are over 50 feet tall. They bring me peace, tranquility and shade. They also cause me stress. I’ve known for some time that a

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

Unforced errors create havoc in business. Almost all businesses will experience bumps along the way. Public relations professionals know that it isn’t what happens, it’s how you respond. Particularly with unforced errors. We know unforced errors when we see them. It’s the type of thing that makes you shake your

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

Bobby was full of information when I was in elementary school. He was the Google of our time. He told me how babies were made (it made me cry), why our teacher had bad breath (lint in her dentures), and about the monsters living just under our feet in the

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

“Buffaloes will bite your toes”. I was a wee-tot and I had a lot of unanswered questions churning inside my head. When we drove by a herd of buffalo grazing in a game refuge, one of those questions popped out. “Why do buffalo always have their heads down?” “Buffalo aren’t

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

Hand outstretched, I reached across the aisle to deliver my message. I fumbled. My note, intended for one person, lay exposed on the floor. My heart pounded. My eighth-grade teacher pounced. “What have we here?” He held the note for all to see. “Surely if this is important enough to

Originally published in the Boulder Daily Camera and the Longmont Daily Times-Call.

There I was, trapped in a secret bathroom in a remote corner of an unfamiliar house. Recently at a large family gathering, someone showed me the secret bathroom far away from the crowd. Once inside, I discovered the bathroom’s secret. It came equipped with a pocket door. That pocket door