Don’t hate me, but storytelling is not the answer to everything—and I’m someone who teaches storytelling for a living! At the Message Design Institute, we do a lot of work with story. And for good reason. Story is incredibly effective at helping people connect—to you, to an idea, to a moment in time. It makes […]
Where storytelling falls short Read More »
Rhetoric, strategy, and change—right where you can reach them. I end up reading a lot over the course of a year (178 titles read on my Kindle so far this year!). Yes, part of that is because I’m in a doctoral program. But mostly, it’s because I’ve been obsessed with one topic for about 25
3 Books That Belong on Your Message Design Bookshelf in 2025 Read More »
So you want to be a thought leader? Great—truly. The world needs more people who are willing to share what they see that others don’t. But I’m going to gently invite you to aim for something slightly bigger, and I think, better: Be a Thinking Leader. At the Message Design Institute, we’re a community dedicated
Why “Thinking Leaders” Will Outlast Thought Leaders Read More »
You don’t want your ideas—or worse, you—to fail. Of course you don’t. But sometimes success feels maddeningly out of reach, doesn’t it? You know your ideas have value. You know they can help people. So why doesn’t everyone else see it? There are lots of reasons, of course. But whenever someone asks me why their
The 3 Things Your Idea Needs to Succeed Read More »
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our messages—no matter how carefully crafted or how important they are—just don’t land. It might be something as small as a misunderstanding with a teammate. Or it might be something as big—and potentially damaging—as a campaign or initiative that falls flat in the marketplace. When that happens, one of
The If/Then Test: A Simple Way to Make Sure Your Message Makes Sense Read More »
I know what you are. You’re a sensegiver. It sounds a little academic, I know—but stay with me. Because once you understand this, you’ll start to see your work (and yourself) differently. Here’s the deal: if you want someone—or a group of someones—to do something different, they first have to think something different. And if
How to Help People Make Sense of Change Read More »
A few weeks ago, my friend and negotiations expert extraordinaire, Fotini Iconomopoulos, sent me a post from Daniel Pink. Now, I adore Dan Pink. I loved his work long before he graciously blurbed my first book (Find Your Red Thread). So when I say I disagree with him here, know it comes from a place
Agency or Agreement? The Hidden Choice Behind Persuasive Questions Read More »
What really happens in a moment of truth? And I don’t mean Procter & Gamble’s marketing definition—or even Google’s “zero moment of truth.” I mean those internal, undeniable turning points when the traffic light in your mind suddenly flips from red to green. It’s the instant you decide: go forward, stay back, act, or change.
The Green Light of Change: How Moments of Truth Really Work Read More »
Y’all, I am officially calling foul on the misuse of a few words. And yes—if I had a whistle, I’d blow it. There’s been a lot of talk lately about talk. Specifically: “dialogue,” “discussion,” and “debate.” They’re often tossed around as if they mean the same thing. But they don’t. They fall under the larger
Dialogue, Discussion, Debate: Why the Words (and Order) Matter Read More »
