Finally, a real poet! Twenty-two-year-old Amanda Gorman’s poem, as part of the inauguration of President Joe Biden, signals a return to real poetry. We’ve seen what used to be described as “free verse,” but there’s rarely been any verse at…more
Because I love all things positive (No BIMBOs), here is a listicle featuring the top ten things you can DO to stay sane, productive and positive when working from home. #1 DO CREATE A QUIET SPACE where you can concentrate…more
Have you ever heard an expert talking about a topic and thought, “That’s right on target but … it’s missing one important component”? Doctoral Fellow Dana Kanze’s TED Talk, “The real reason female entrepreneurs get less funding,” shared her analysis of why the amount of venture capital (VC) funding women receive is so disproportionate (2 percent) to their market share as company…more
Trust is a major buzz word these days. Joel Peterson, chairman of JetBlue Airways and successful serial investor, wrote “The 10 Laws of Trust” just in time to contribute to the discussion. No one is against trust, but rarely does…more
Today is a special day for me. It’s the anniversary of the release of “The World of Henry Orient,” the movie I did with Peter Sellers and Angela Lansbury. Just five years ago, I was back on the red carpet…more
Amazon’s recent announcement of its HQ2 sites created quite the buzz and left other cities feeling like big losers. However, some city officials still won with their post-announcement communication – others, not so much. Winner – Dallas How could we…more
News outlets and commentaries are talking about the tenth anniversary of Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy, an event that many experts believe pushed the U.S. into the worst recession since the Depression. Analysts are again debating the wisdom of the Treasury Department…more
The Transportation Security Administration has set off a storm of criticism for its proposal to stop screening passengers at approximately 150 of the nation’s small airports. Travelers, regulators, elected officials and others are conjuring up scenarios of brazen criminals and…more
Maybe the Wall Street Journal’s crack writer on personal technology, David Pierce, should talk to our team of up-and-coming stars. He recently wrote “Voice Chat is Way of the Future” and I started to think that this was one more…more
It’s going to happen. The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is so comprehensive and far-reaching, that at some point a company that thought it had covered itself will get hit with a charge of non-compliance or data…more
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European regulation drastically changing how companies collect and track everyone’s data. There are scores of articles about it – and that’s the problem. There’s too much information! How should you inform and enlist…more
One of my favorite annual events is the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s legislative briefing (near and dear to my heart because my late husband, Tex Lezar, co-founded TPPF). This year, former Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and former Rep. Kent Hance,…more
We remember the brave members of the Columbia crew who lost their lives 15 years ago today when the space shuttle disintegrated in a tragic accident as it re-entered the earth’s atmosphere. If we wish truly to honor them, we…more
Here’s a news flash. If you talk to someone who disagrees with your ideas, if they can hear your voice, your inflection, maybe the passion you feel for the topic, they are likely to listen more carefully and think more…more
An article published by Bulldog Reporter details a new study from GuideSpark based on research from marketing firm IDG. It highlighted the not-surprising finding that employees think their company’s communication to them - about the company’s mission, about their future,…more
We started training people for job interviews as a lesser known, but core specialty, years ago. The techniques are remarkably similar to interviews with media. Our efforts started in the mid-90s, when one of our clients, now the CEO of…more
It’s official, at least according to HR Magazine, the monthly publication from the highly influential Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM.) The No. 1 “worst job” is newspaper reporter, followed by broadcaster. The first reaction of many of us in…more
Check out Merrie’s take on the subject featured in the Daily Signal ("This Altercation in Texas Exposes the Heart of Fake News") as she breaks down the actual events surrounding recent “news” about a physical fracas on the floor of…more
Just like BIMBO comments are all around us, we are also living in a world of social media crimes. Before we write you a citation, check to see if you’re guilty of the following: Sending a Facebook post to Twitter…more
Can I take some credit for this? When I was director of Public Affairs at the FTC, our chairman, economist James Miller III, used data and charts to back up charges that regulations chill competition. No traction. The Washington Post…more
#MarchMadness is officially upon us. And although I will admit to being a total homer for @SMUBasketball, the most interesting communication lesson comes from Illinois State. @Redbird_MBB was left out of the field of 68 after what appeared, on paper,…more
Spaeth clients know that we will travel anywhere and everywhere to work with them. I have been a member of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce for two years now, but I am based in Columbus, Georgia—a three to five hour…more
What do current movies like “Jackie” and “Moonlight” have to do with your ability to communicate to your employees and customers? Well, besides watercooler talk about both films touting Oscar nominations this year, they’re video-enabled stories. This is something you’ve…more
Does it seem as if social media platforms are proliferating faster than rabbits? Many of us are barely keeping up with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and yes, Instagram, but now Snapchat has been dubbed by The New York Times “one of…more
In this hectic political season, let’s take a step away from politics and toward something truly nourishing: food. You may be wondering, what does Spaeth—a communications firm—have to say about food? Well actually quite a bit (and not just because…more
While we’re usually preaching about the importance of storytelling, we also pay attention to delivery skills (#PhelpsFace anyone?). Here’s the latest: putting your left hand over your heart signifies that you feel deeply, are humbled by the attention or are…more
Welcome to the Summer Olympics, or another two weeks of watching Michael Phelps dominate the news coverage. We’ve all seen his adorable infant son (who convinced him to break his rigid routines), got caught up in his physical therapy methods…more
With all the chatter – and even a rejected resignation by the speech writer – related to Melania Trump’s convention speech, I’d like to call your attention to a matter that made a splash on the fashion radar. Stick with…more
There’s a new stage fright: 48 percent of people say they worry more about how they’ll look on a video conference than what they’ll talk about according to a Highfive/Zogby poll. The top four excuses for wiggling out of a…more
Donald Trump’s most recent quote in The Washington Post should officially disqualify him from becoming the Republican nominee for President. There has been such a stream of “bad words” from Trump that it has been hard to identify the most…more
The storied history of the Masters, latest crushing defeat for Jordan Spieth and surprising win by Danny Willett conjures memories of another famous golfer: Tiger Woods. Woods has lived most of his life in the public eye, becoming a golf…more
Spring training must be in the air because here I am engrossed in “Moneyball”, Michael Lewis’ 2003 bestseller about the 2002 Oakland A’s. As the farthest thing from a baseball fan, I can attest to Lewis’ tremendous skill at making…more
Now that Marco Rubio has ended his campaign, commentators are rushing to recount what went wrong. The writing was on the wall well before Rubio delivered his honorable speech Tuesday night. But what can communicators learn from the (imagined) rise…more
Social media darling and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (#PMJT) is currently frolicking in Washington (instead of with pandas) for the first Canadian state visit in 19 years. Appropriately, @JustinTrudeau turned to Periscope to livestream his press conference with President…more
Like many of you, I was glued to the television on Super Tuesday, watching the presidential primary returns. During the candidates’ speeches, my focus was drawn to a secondary player: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Granted, we don’t know what…more
The internet is abuzz with the CDC’s latest set of recommendations to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome. Or, as it turned out as a USA Today headline: “CDC: Young women should avoid alcohol unless using birth control.” Preventing fetal alcohol syndrome?…more
President Obama’s last State of the Union was Kabuki theatre, the stylized Japanese drama combining highly-scripted and predictable copy, plot lines and elaborate staging. Such was the State of the Union. Spaeth clients can scrape a few lessons – also…more
While Spaeth is well known for promoting the benefits of video-enabled communication, the healthcare industry is on the cusp of an exciting change that will not only improve outcomes, but increase patient satisfaction. What is the magic solution you might…more
Tuesday night’s debate was interesting in many respects, but the closing statements offered one important lesson for everyone in today’s non-reading world (people listen and watch –but they don’t read)! In the closing statements, most of the candidates understood that…more
Tuesday night’s GOP debate showed a number of what we call formula questions. One of these is the “guarantee” question: Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush got two. First, he was asked, “Can you guarantee that you will have tax reform in…more
Articles abound about how young people—Millennials, Gen Y, snake people—are all social media addicts, just interested in texting, Snapchat, Instagram or whatever. Forget boring conversations and face-to-face meetings. I was pleased to see a study conducted by Mattersight Corporation of…more
Wednesday night’s GOP debate provided a lot of the drama and excitement CNN and its audience wanted, along with a fair amount of substance. With 11 people on the stage, standing out was a necessity, as most candidates are waffling…more
“You’re ending your emails wrong,” wrote Rebecca Greenfield in Bloomberg Businessweek’s “Rant.” She doesn’t like using “best” or any version of it, like “Best regards,” or “Warmest regards.” Greenfield traced the literary family tree of valedictions (the action of saying…more
While social media certainly has a role to play in the upcoming election, its meteoric rise as a game-changing influence has been snuffed out. President Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign is often heralded as the first to truly embrace social media…more
Earlier this week, an Italian magazine leaked Pope Francis’ first major encyclical on climate change. Just like we saw most recently with Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and his “bro with no ho” comment, the mic is always on and someone…more
Last year, I worked with an about-to-be-published author and realized that today’s authors face special challenges due to the changes in the media landscape and book publishing world. I have a few words of advice. First, the “media” doesn’t exist…more
As the resident Spaeth intern for the past ten months, I’ve been both working and writing—gulp, my senior thesis. In my paper, I set out to explore how “designated” social class affects workplace communication and success. With heavy inspiration from…more
As I was moved from my L&D (that’s labor and delivery for those of you not versed in the healthcare jargon) suite to my postpartum room, a million thoughts were running through my mind. “Will I be a good mom?”,…more
In a world of ever-shrinking attention spans, one of the most effective ways to share a snapshot of information is through infographics. I love infographics to the point that I subscribe to a free daily service. I review these for…more
If you’re a regular reader or have been to any of our seminars, you know we are the apostles of video and learning to speak to audiences through a camera. However, I came across a sobering reminder of the limits…more
I’ll never forget the first time I was pleasantly surprised by a visual aid. I was facilitating a Persuasive Presentation SkillsSM training and taping the last of the participants’ five minute speech. While this gentleman didn't have the strongest delivery…more
If you want to know which state listens to the most bluegrass, there’s an infographic for that. (Spoiler: it’s Oregon). If you want to know which American cities most closely align with your dialect, there’s a quiz for that. It…more
Have you seen September’s Bank Marketing magazine? If not, here’s an excerpt of Merrie’s article, “Is Public Relations Obsolete.” To find the answer, read below or click here to read the full article. Is Public Relations Obsolete? No. It simply…more
“What’s a hashtag?” My father (who qualifies for the senior discount some places but not most places) asked me in the midst of a normal phone conversation. At first, I thought he was joking. Perhaps he had seen the same…more
While studying journalism in college, I was often asked if I thought journalism was dying. My studies and experiences taught me that the correct answer is that journalism is changing. While I was a student, my university rebranded their journalism…more
Lies, damned lies and you know what? This week I came across an interesting example of how statistics can be fundamentally misleading but can shape a debate when they are repeated over and over. Perhaps you’re following the national discussion…more
Most webinars suck. Sorry, but it’s true. Over the years, we have benchmarked hundreds of webinars and they have all left a lot to be desired. We’re rarely impressed with the approach and more often than not we found ourselves…more
Personal videoconferencing is expected to continue to increase in popularity for both personal and business use according to Wainhouse Research, a Boston market-research firm. Videoconferencing has become the fallback approach in job interviews when in person interviews are prohibitive –…more
A version of this article originally appeared in the Winter 2011 issue of Public Diplomacy magazine. Communication today moves faster than ever. Consider this recent example: a large international consumer products company introduced a product based on new technology. One customer believed…more
