I’m glad I’ll never be susceptible to that charge. "You have nothing to lose!" I’m often told by people in positions of authority. They envy my freedom. I can speak my mind. I can engage with dangerous people. I don’t have to worry about my reputation. Can you imagi...

I wrote about this topic previously in A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime. People come into our lives for different reasons. The internet is a wonderful tool to meet new people. I met some of my best friends online. Perhaps because internet sites tend to call people “friends” people slide in...

Comcast customer service is an oxymoron. The monopolistic cable giant is one of, if not, the worst examples of poor customer service. In fact, I'd put Comcast right at the top of my all-time "rude, indifferent and boorish behavior" rankings alongside TSA agents, NJ Transit conductors a...

Everyone’s trying to figure out personal branding and Twitter. Twitter is everywhere in the news right now – just yesterday the Wall Street Journal published How To Twitter: “But I have to admit I didn’t understand the appeal of Twitter when I joined, at the prodding of friends, in Novem...

Personal branding is WoW and Final Fantasy; you just don’t know it yet. What is your goal when you’re playing a role playing game?  Your goal is to level up your character, unlock every secret, find every hidden weapon, beat every boss, and ultimately, beat the game with a 100% completion ratin...

While marketing budgets are being cut or shifted, many companies are holding on to public relations — especially B2B companies.  A recent story in BtoB Magazine, “Marketers stay in the conversation with PR,� tells the story of a company that relies on case studies as part of their public rela...

This story from The Guardian in UK is so astounding I kind of wonder if I am being hoaxed. I just got off a call with a student researching online crises and crisis management and one of the questions essentially was: do companies today “get it� when it comes to the online risks. I said I they w...

I've only seen two of this year's Academy Award-winning films, but thought one far surpassed the other in every conceivable way. The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, held me in a Full Nelson grip throughout. The story of a down-and-out wrestler and his stripper girlfriend w...

Once you’ve designed your personal brand and have a personal brand name, use this handy list of suggestions to implement your personal branding strategy. General purpose Show your expertise as much as possible. Publicize your brand-related successes and achievements. Make yourself easy to cont...

I’ve advocated that there are some times in a reputation crisis when you have to take the gloves off. I know I have done this on several occasions, particularly when the activist/opponent shows little regard for the truth and they are getting traction. These battles always come down to credibi...