Years ago, I presented a Tongue Fu! seminar about conflict resolution and put up a slide with my adaptation of Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote which said, ‘No one can make us mad without our consent.’ A woman raised her hand and said, “I agree because I’ve lived through it.
Browsing CategoryCommunication
Banish Boring Breakouts – The Better Newsletter #75
Instead of leading meetings and virtual events that fall flat, I suggested building in connection opportunities with breakout sessions, so your participants feel seen, heard and valued as part of the community.
But here’s the thing—breakouts can be game-changers or total time-wasters.
You’re Now Free to Forget – The Better Newsletter #74
As Emcee of the Maui Writers Conference, I walked the beach every morning. One morning, I saw Pulitzer-Prize winning author Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes) writing away on two high-school composition notebooks… I was intrigued and asked, “Frank, quick question, what are you doing?”
Show Don’t Tell – The Better Newsletter #73
Years ago, I judged a pitch competition called The Dolphin Tank. I reviewed the business plans the night before, including one for a hook you put in your car to put your purse on…
Are You Listening? – The Better Newsletter #68
Years ago, my son Andrew started a non-profit called Dreams for Kids in D.C. He landed a 15-minute meeting with Dr. Roberta McLeod, the Director of Howard University, where he was going to ask to use their Campus Center—for free—to host the Dreams for Kids annual holiday party. A few minutes in, Andrew realized…
Connect The Dots Forward – The Better Newsletter #67
A few months ago, I did a book-signing at the Conscious Capitalism Summit. I asked a man near me what he wanted to set in motion by the end of the year. He said, “I want to do more speaking.”
Have ‘Em At Hello – The Better Newsletter #64
Years ago, I was the Pitch Coach for Springboard Enterprises (which has helped entrepreneurs generate $37 billion in funding/valuation.)
One of their members, Kathleen Callendar of Pharma Jet, told me, “I’ve got good news and I’ve got bad news.”
Tell Stories That Stick – The Better Newsletter #63
Pete, the sound engineer for my recent Audible book, pulled me aside after recording and said, “I wish I could tell stories like you, but nothing interesting happens to me.”
I told him, “Everyone has interesting things happen to – or around them – that can be turned into stories.”
He smiled and said, “Like what?”
Wealthy In What Matters – The Better Newsletter #62
When I submitted my book proposal for SOMEDAY Is Not a Day in the Week to my agent, she told me, “Sam, you’ll get a better deal if you have a bigger platform.”
In other words, my book deal depended less on my track record or the topic’s relevance and more on my social media following.
So, I did something I have never done…
What’s Your Story? – The Better Newsletter #59
Years ago, I read an article by Shankar Vedantam in The Washington Post about genocide and famine.
Rather than leading with data, Vedantam shared a story about an oil tanker that had caught fire off the coast of Hawaii…