Most years I enter the holiday season in a fog of to-do lists and fierce nostalgia. I think I look like this: I’m Jimmy Stewart, obviously. When in reality, I look like this: We don’t get much snow here in Virginia, but I imagine that lovely thick snow blankets the hills with serenity and calm….
Remember when you were 2.25 years old and you cuddled on the couch with your mom? You both stared at a picture book splayed out in your lap, and she pointed to an illustration and asked, “What animal is that?” “DEER!” you shouted, beaming. And your mom smiled back. Or perhaps you gave the wrong…
It’s the nightmare inquiry made of every soon-to-graduate liberal arts major in America. The niggling worry of every newly committed entrepreneur. The unscratchable itch burning every person who hits upper tiers in Maslow’s hierarchy. “What do you want to do with your life?” The question sounds harmless when posed by the inevitable guidance counselor, business…
As a child, I consumed the written word the way I now consume brownie batter: in small, rapid bites, each flavor distinct but devolving quickly into a flurry of blurred indulgence. The pleasure never gets old, even though I seem to. After devouring all the text on a cereal box, in a library book, or…
You’re staring at a blank Word doc, watching the cursor flash, when suddenly the thought hits you: Would anyone notice if you just crawled under your desk, curled into a ball, and nursed a bag of Swedish Fish until tomorrow comes? And by “bag” I mean “bottle.” Dear reader and fellow writer, I get it….
Walking through Wal-mart the other day, I happened upon a mid-aisle display of pumpkin- and foliage-scented Glade air fresheners. Images of hayrides and color-changing leaves wreathed the cardboard display, which touted the “feelings of fall.” To an outsider, it looks innocuous, a gentle reminder that autumn is here and you can decorate your space with…
Raise your hand if your morning routine looks like this: Your alarm goes off (or a little one crawls into bed with you). You open your eyes, silently beg the ceiling for strength to tackle the day, then reach for your cell phone and open your Mail app. Maybe you’re fastidious about cleaning out all the…
Do you get the heebie jeebies when you think about your About page? Maybe you (gasp) haven’t written it yet. Or maybe you have, but you kind of hate it. You don’t like promoting yourself. You think your life’s boring. You think your About page is too salesy. Or WAY too personal (and therefore unprofessional)….
The first rule of The Writing to Sell Club is: do not confuse your readers. The second rule of The Writing to Sell Club is: do NOT confuse your readers. Unfortunately, 100% of my copywriting clients (coaches, creatives, and consultants) struggle to pull this off. Which sucks because it results in lost sales, stalled social outreach, and…
Dear Diary… On the first day of high school, my best friend and I tumbled out of a bus in front of a squatty 1970’s brick building that looked not unlike prison. I was sweating bullets. We were fresh meat: shiny new members of the school’s performing arts program. The building and class sizes were…
