“Dr. Faller, this one’s for you.” As I wrap up my first year in the doctoral program at Teachers College, Columbia University, I’ve been reflecting on the concepts that have shifted how I think, work, and communicate. These aren’t just academic theories—they’re tools for transformation. Tools I believe can help all of us make the
Adaptive vs. Technical: The Shift in Thinking That Changes Everything Read More »
What makes “A diamond is forever” one of the most recognizable taglines of all time? Why do phrases like “The early bird gets the worm” or “Haste makes waste” stick in our minds for generations? The answer lies in their proverb-like quality – a powerful message design technique you can use to make your ideas
How to Create Messages They Can’t Forget: The Power of Proverbs Read More »
One of my favorite sources for interesting stories to use in presentations and content is DailyArt. It’s an app that shares a work of art and the story behind it every day, and a recent entry stopped me in my tracks, because it was a beautiful and unusual illustration of how constraints drive creativity and
How could you use it? What a silhouette can teach us about success Read More »
How do you change someone’s mind about something false that they believe is true? Is it possible? My friend and change psychologist, Owen Fitzpatrick, recently recommended the book How Minds Change by David McRaney, where one of the central stories of the book is all about someone who changed his mind about 9/11 conspiracy theories,
Countering Conspiracy Beliefs with AI Read More »
Have you ever wondered why some brands or ideas are instantly recognizable, while others blend into the background? The secret isn’t just in their logos or taglines – it’s woven into the very fabric of their message. In my book “Say What They Can’t Unhear,” I explore how lasting change happens when your message aligns
Make it Recognizable: Weaving Your Signature Into Every Message Read More »
I’ve been thinking about how people think, how they change, how they think about change, and how they think to change… which is why I’ve been thinking we need a new way to think about not only how people think but also how they think about changing. In other words, I believe we need a
A New Metaphor for Motivation Read More »
“You’ve never seen Alan?!,” my husband, Tom, asked me. “Alan” in this case is a Saturday Night Live sketch, but one that was “cut for time.” That means the cast ran and recorded it in dress rehearsal, but for various reasons, the show decided not to include it in the live version of the show. The premise
Why your pitch deck needs a “primer” Read More »
If you’re struggling to justify: What it is that you do, Why it’s important, Why you’re the right person to do it, or even Why you’re the right person for a dream job you want to do …then there’s something I want you to do: I want you to start thinking about that justification in
Need to justify what you do? Start here. Read More »
For those of you familiar with my first book, Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible, I talk about what I call the “problem pair,” or more familiarly, the “duck bunny,” after an old 19th-century optical illusion of a duck that looks like a bunny, or a bunny that looks like a duck,
