Elizabeth Shih
Some years ago, I rented office space in a large building, where there was an unusual building manager, an individual unlike any other in that role whom I’d ever met. We’ll say her name was “Maud” (not her real name) and although she had moved here from sunnier climes, she was (in honest characterization) of European descent, middle age and spoke with what most would call a middle-class accent.
Continue reading ““It takes courage not to know”: How do you lead entrepreneurially or in business?”
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” (19th century idiom)
“I find television very educational. Every time someone switches it on, I go into the other room and read a book” (Groucho Marx)
As a freelancer, I find weekday mornings start with me reading or listening to email and voicemail messages and cueing up projects for the day. Since I’m also committed to keeping healthy, most mornings I fit in a workout at my nearby gym (where rigorous cleaning practices reduce the risk of the pandemic).
Continue reading “Do you fear creative rejection? What one Canadian “Reality TV” show can teach us”
A few nights ago, I was leaving a friend’s apartment on the third floor of my building. My arms were filled with the leftovers of a pan of lasagna that I had contributed to a small, “socially distant,” dinner gathering.
I had four floors to go to return to my unit: ordinarily, I’d take the stairs. But the messy, tomato-drenched sauce that was swirling in the lasagna pan made me think: “No, this would be a good time to use the elevator.”
So I did. Or rather, I tried to.
Updating a blog posting from May 15, 2014
Since I started my copywriting business nearly 10 years ago, I have been interested in the format of electronic newsletters. Why? They’ve “hooked” me with their capacity to share knowledge and insight from my clients with their prospects–to sell indirectly, based on a relationship filled with valuable knowledge and skill.
And, at the end of the day, who doesn’t love reading a short, informative e-newsletter?
Continue reading “Are e-newsletters still worth your investment?”
In the May 5th episode of the online show, “Harvard Business Review Quarantined” hosts Adi Ignatius (editor) and Joshua Macht (publisher), aimed to address how entrepreneurs can cope with the Covid-19 crisis. They interviewed psychologist Angela Duckworth (University of Pennsylvania) on the topic of “how to find your grit in a crisis” like the 2020 pandemic.
Duckworth is best known for her 2013 TED Talk, “Grit: The power of passion and perseverance.” It received 20 million views and was followed by a bestselling book of the same name (published in 2016). Duckworth also runs the non-profit organization, “Character Lab,” that researches practices that develop human character.