There’s no debate: there are lots of advertising strategies that work

I once had a gig teaching debate and classical rhetoric to high school students. The neat thing about policy debate is that you have to see and present both sides of every issue. Not just grasp both sides: see both sides, believe both sides. You can’t debate effectively if you’re just a cynical mouthpiece for [...]

Good question

My immediate answer: keep pedaling like mad up this hill. Sent from my iPhone

Papaw rocks with Fox in Socks

Today I uploaded a video of me reading my favorite children’s book to my grandsons or anyone who likes Dr. Seuss.  

I miss you, Dave

Today is a good day to remember my best friend from junior high and high school, Dave Gregorek. He died 40 years ago in May, and today is the 40th anniversary of the last model rocketry contest he competed in, NARAM 11. After he died his dad gathered up his rockets, put the finishing touches [...]

The Three M’s of Motivation – part 1: Cross the Moat

As part of my ICAA presentation on “Using Video: When it’s powerful, when it’s not”, I first talked about how we think and what motivates us. To set it up I used a clip of a little boy who I had interviewed. I asked him, “If you could change the world, what would you change?” [...]

Kickback kick-in-the-pants

I’m a joker. But jokes in print are not the same as jokes told in person, eyeball to eyeball. I have learned how to wink in video, but have had mixed results trying to wink in print. (I wish I could bottle some of the lightning of Mark Twain, Garrison Keillor, or Penelope Trunk!) A [...]

“And the wind died…”

Note: this post was originally written some time back with the name of the client, but at his request I removed it to protect his privacy. From time to time I share some of the deeply personal stories that have enriched me as I ply my trade as a storyteller. This one dates back almost [...]

Picasso on Van Gogh

Picasso on Van Gogh: “There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who, thanks to their art and intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.” Van Gogh on Kindig: