Stop shaking like a hamster and break out of your cage
Anyone who has children knows that his house eventually gets turned into a scaled-down zoo. Dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, and even snakes turn your rooms into their smelly habitat, and sometimes you get treated like a zoo animal. You might even feel like a hamster, fearful and awkward before the world. Is this how you feel about public speaking?…
The day I dissed a billionaire
I have a confession to make. Many years ago, I demanded a certain percentage of a job for which I hired a friend. I insisted on getting 10% of the overall pay. “Ben, shovel the walk. I’ll collect the money.” “Why can’t I collect it?” “I need to take 10% of the pay. I promise I’ll give…
Mike Ditka and the power of push
Every football fan who was around during the ’85 Superbowl knows of the hard-hitting coach Mike Ditka. “My grandmudder could tackle better den you guys,” is the kind of thing he would bark to his players. And they responded. The hard-knuckles approach of “Iron Mike” worked. Yes, he was a hothead. He did throw a…
Boost your mailed fund appeal with this one trick
Just a few days ago I received a fund appeal letter from a worthy organization. It was well written, and listed a lot of accomplishments that this non-profit had carried out over the months. Wouldn’t it be nice if I received a follow-up email from the same organization about five days later? The email could…
Fit-ty cents, please, is my marketing pitch
A shabbily dressed man steps through a conductor’s door on Chicago’s “el” train that rattles on in the evening hours. “Folks, I hope you can help me out,” he implores. “I just need a little money for a cup of coffee.” Passengers warily glance up from their ipods and earbuds. The man talks more and…
