I write a bi-weekly column on Silicon Valley for the Korean newspaper Electronic Times. Here’s my latest column (before translation) on the quest for engineering talent when demand far exceeds supply. “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys Don’t let ’em pick guitars and drive them old trucks Make ’em be doctors …more
I’ve been impressed by UPS and how the company’s PR team embraces storytelling techniques. I highlighted how UPS landed a Journal article around training, not the type of topic that typically cracks a national daily. A second post on UPS analyzed BusinessWeek Bloomberg coverage titled “Squeezing More Out of Brown.” UPS gets it. Which is why I was so surprised …more
I met with Peter Lewis over a cup of joe yesterday morning to discuss a storytelling workshop that we’ll be tag-teaming on soon. We went through the exercise of comparing notes on the storytelling front. Peter, who now teaches at Stanford’s J school, offered a journalist’s perspective reflecting stints at The New York Times and Fortune. My input shaped from toiling in …more
That’s the title of the IABC lunch panel that takes place in Silicon Valley on April 21. I have the pleasure of joining social media guru Steve Farnsworth for what should be a lively discussion. Steve does believe in storytelling. And I absolutely embrace social media. Still, there’s plenty of provocative turf to navigate around these two areas. …more
In the world of entertainment, there’s nothing quite like that “hero twist” at the end. But the hero in business isn’t dodging bullets. Kari Ramirez, one of our account managers in Silicon Valley, contributed today’s guest post on this very topic. As you’ll see, even an enterprise computing company can have heroes (roughly 97,000 for those counting). By …more
Exactly. Taking the “every company is the media” mantra to the next level, Intel publishes the Free Press. While I’m not big on the name – it is free, but not exactly the cleverist moniker – the execution is pretty darn good. Which brings me back to tattoos and one of the articles in the Free Press that …more
I’ve enjoyed the back and forth with Jonathon in bringing his perspective on “chasing down words” and storytelling to this neighborhood. Before jumping to the final question, a few thoughts – I spend $3.50 on a large Red Sea (coffee) at Philz a couple times a week. The Dictionary of Slang retails for $450, though Amazon has shaved …more
Today brings the second part of the series with lexicographer Jonathon Green. Yesterday, Jonathon discussed the chase behind slang which he noted “far outweighs the kill.” While one doesn’t typically associate entertainment with dictionaries, I was struck by the storytelling in his writing. I asked Jonathon about this. Q: I can see through various articles that your writing brings …more
I rarely read TIME magazine. Fortunately, I made an exception last month. The TIME story about Jonathon Green’s Dictionary of Slang demanded attention: “It provides a surreal, anachronistic delight one might have gotten from hearing Freud lecture on Charlie Sheen’s recent verbal diarrhea.” How often do you hear a dictionary described as a “delight?” To borrow from Gossip Girl, …more
