What is wrong with this country? What sensible human being thinks it’s OK to put what’s essentially a machine gun in the hands of private citizens? The tragedies keep coming with the latest mass shootings in Boulder and Atlanta leaving 18 dead. Here’s the problem. These events serve as a form of smelling salts, helping …more
Even though COVID-19 has swung a wrecking ball through higher education (like much of society), universities have continued marching on. In a few weeks, the Spring class of 2021 will be tossing their virtual caps in the air. The days of cramming all night for a final have come to an end. Once the effect …more
By Chris Owen, Director, Hoffman Europe We’re on the lookout for a recent graduate to join the team here at Hoffman, which means navigating through cover letters and CVs, both of which constantly veer between the brilliant and the downright stale. The former invite interviews, the latter the bin, yet both are born with …more
Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap, shared his thinking on social injustice and current events in what is more essay than email. This is what happens when a CEO says the hell with the corporate filters and legal reviews, I’m going to say what’s on my mind. The writing flows like that of a seasoned novelist, …more
A zillion college graduates are about to descend on civilization with shiny apples in hand. The demand versus supply equation doesn’t work in the graduate’s favor. And it’s even tougher this year. COVID-19 has swung a wrecking ball through the economy. Every day brings headlines about more layoffs in Corporate America. I haven’t seen the …more
I will get to Clorox in a minute. Allow me to set the stage. President Trump set a new bar for weirdness (polite way of saying “stupidity”) during last Thursday’s White House briefing on the novel coronavirus suggesting people grab a mug of their favorite disinfectant to fight the pandemic. His words: “I see the …more
David Ogilvy penned his infamous advice on writing on Sept. 7, 1982 in a memo to his employees. His point of view still has relevance for anyone who touches business communications, not just the jingle jockeys and slogan makers. Still, they could use a refresh for 2020. Toward this end, I’ve captured Ogilvy’s 10 …more
To avoid taunts of “fake news,” allow me to clarify. I’ve dusted off the post from a year ago that commemorated the publishing of my 1,000th post. The odometer now reads 1,087. Yet, the post has even more relevance today as companies navigate the Coronavirus era, making judgment calls on what to communicate to the …more
These three newspapers, arguably the most powerful dailies in the U.S., came together to publish an open letter to the Chinese government asking it to reconsider kicking out select journalists from the country. But the real audience for this letter isn’t the Chinese government; it’s the American public. Avoiding hyper and hyperbole, the letter takes …more
