Shane, Stagehands & the Power of Black

“He came into our valley that spring, a solitary figure, loping silently down the rutted dirt highway, seemingly at one with the stallion who carried him effortlessly closer to our homestead.  As he neared the porch where I sat, savoring the afternoon, his slim figure took on shape and dimension.  He paused for a moment at the gate to our farm, gazed at me, contemplating the choice; then turned and proceeded down our lane.  Dressed

Seduction in the Dark

“Seymour told me to shine my shoes.  I was furious.  The studio audience were all morons, the announcer was a moron, the sponsors were morons, and I just damn well wasn’t going to shine my shoes for them.  I said they couldn’t see them anyway, where we sat.  And, it’s a radio show!  He said to shine them anyway.  He said to shine them for the Fat Lady.  I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about, but

Conquered into Liberty

Conquered into Liberty?
Ordered into Effectiveness?
Hypnotized into Greatness?

“Why the title ‘Conquered into Liberty?’ It begins with the remarkable decision by the Continental Congress to launch an invasion of Canada in 1775 – before the United States had declared independence.  In advance of the invasion(s) the revolutionaries spread

Talking Back

“I don’t care what they say about me as long as they spell my name right.”

-P. T. Barnum
American Impresario
Founder of Barnum & Bailey’s Circus
(1810 – 1891)

It’s a frustrating and demanding pleasure to put out a weekly column/blog. But there are Friday mornings, when the comments

It’s a Pitch, Yes! But also a Negotiation

“Be careful what you Pitch for; you might just Win it!”

-Nina Rolaine Stetson
American Planner, Renowned Pitch Meister
(1959 – )

Pitching teams are faced with layer upon layer of demands for information and compliance