This could be a break-up story
My dear friend,
I haven’t written to you for a while, and it’s been even longer since we have seen each other. In fact, I think it has been over five years. That seems like a particularly long time since we once had a hot relationship, and we saw each other regularly. We had a special bond and I would love to rekindle our cozy relationship.
It thrilled me to learn this week that you can visit me here in Canada starting August 9, when our border opens back up to you. Of course, you can only come if you…
Gamechangers for your writing
Each of us writes for a reason. Some of us want to quit our day jobs and earn our livelihood writing; for others, it’s a source of additional income in uncertain times; and for some it’s part of the job — reports, proposals, emails, letters, and internal communications.
The tedious task of editing and proofreading our writing usually falls on us because we don’t have the time or luxury of hiring a professional editor.
As writers or professionals, we know readers lose interest when something is poorly written. In a business setting, sending off a proposal or report with typos…
Because helicopter parenting was not invented.
I rarely saw my parents. My father had left for work by the time I got up to get ready for school. My mother pushed me out the door at 8:45 with a quick peck on the forehead, admonishing me to hurry up and not be late for the 9 a.m. school bell.
At the end of the school day, I was free. If it was rainy or cold, I watched my favourite TV program Razzle Dazzle (a Canadian program in the 1960s starring Howard the Turtle who told jokes called groaners) and played with my dolls or got lost…
Hint: it has nothing to do with healthy eating or saving money
My mother was an awesome cook. Among her friends, her dinners were legendary. But she didn’t teach me a thing — not even how to boil water.
The kitchen was her domain, and she was too impatient to explain what to do or wait while I chopped veggies, never quite exactly the way she wanted them. So I learned to stay out of her way.
Even though she didn’t teach me anything in the kitchen, her love of cooking taught me a surprising and valuable life lesson. In fact, it was a priceless lesson about friendship and relationships.
The good, the bad and the bat-shit crazy parts of this writing life on Medium
Medium is like a lover who has you wrapped around their little finger. You wrack your brain trying to figure out what will make them happy. You are despondent when they pay no attention to you; giddy when they do.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Medium. But I hate the feeling it has any control over me. I need to get a little perspective on this relationship.
Medium is very clever. It keeps us running on this little hamster wheel, addicted to checking our stats — how many views and how many claps. …
I can’t afford to wait.
I have 7665 days left on this planet, according to my life expectancy calculator. So there is a good reason why I can’t afford to wait for some distant day in the future to start living my life and acting on my dreams.
You can make your own calculation of how much time you have to get your sh*t together.
Thank God my vices are minimal, and I live in Canada — among the top countries for life expectancy — topping the United States by a few years — but I still won’t allow for any complacency.
So I’m letting…
6 tips to avoid a faux pas
Restaurants are opening up in my part of the world after an eternity of takeout. As I walk down the street, in my pandemic uniform of sweats and a tee-shirt, I see people dining out after a long hiatus.
Brave souls, I think to myself. I wonder if they experienced any reopening anxiety? Was it easy to return to dining out after so many months of eating at home?
I also visualize a few awkward scenarios playing out in restaurants.
- Your boss, who bears a close resemblance to and is just as intimidating as Miranda Priestly, the Meryl Streep character…
The art and craft of getting the attention you deserve
Ask a journalist how many press releases hit their desk every day. Plenty. And then ask them which ones get their attention.
Writing a press release is both an art and a craft.
A good public relations person who knows the tricks is worth every penny they charge. But maybe you can’t afford a PR agency. Or if you can, how do you know they’ve done a good job?
I’m a former public relations consultant and now editor. Here’s how to write a press release that will get you, your company or your project the attention it deserves.
What is a press release?
A press…
After interviewing hundreds of candidates, here are 5 ways to stand out
You have just spotted a posting for your dream job. How do you rise above the two dozen candidates that will probably apply? And how will you get your foot in the door when you are a little short of relevant job experience or lacking some of the skills required?
Perseverance. Determination.
Don’t roll your eyes just yet and say, “Yeah, yeah I know that.”
I’m going to tell you how you show a prospective employer you have what it takes.
Over the years in my entrepreneurial career, I’ve had the opportunity to interview hundreds of candidates for positions in…
Motherhood was not what I expected.
“Tell me about when I was born.”
I always start with once upon a time, the phone rang super loud in the middle of the night and woke us from a deep sleep, and we got the news that you were born. We were so excited.
Then, I tell him what it was like meeting him for the first time and describe his strawberry blonde thatch of hair. I tell him it was love at first sight — even though it took a full 24 hours to fall in love — and how I couldn’t have babies, and so we…
