What we’re thinking about

J-School 101
nym Lyle Smith nym Lyle Smith

J-School 101

What happens when you think your writing is no good? Not deep enough. Not strong enough? Not compelling enough? Not... enough? It happens to the best out there. You have it inside, but it's not flowing out through the pen.

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Getting good
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Getting good

There are three things I find myself telling my son over and over and over again. One - You don't get good at anything without practicing. Two - You have two ears and one mouth so you should always listen twice as much as you talk; and Three - You don't have to have an opinion about everything.

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How do you listen?
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How do you listen?

It's funny this photo came across my screen today as I'm thinking about streaming services. Shopping for the right one for me, actually. I'm doing the free trial of Apple. My 14 year old son thinks Spotify is awesome. How do you do it?

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Inspiration on International Women’s Day
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Inspiration on International Women’s Day

Today is International Women's Day. And it's a little what? sad, unfortunate, that we have to set aside a day for something the value of which we should all recognize every day, but if it gives us a moment to celebrate, acknowledge, and pay attention to the women in our lives. I think that's an excellent thing.

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Keeping it Simple in a High-Stakes World
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Keeping it Simple in a High-Stakes World

Thomas Jefferson was pretty good with words. The stakes were high at that time. And this. And it’s the same reason you need to take the time to consider and write down the reason you’re doing what you’re doing and why in the simplest terms you can come up with.

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Use ‘em. Or lose ‘em.
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Use ‘em. Or lose ‘em.

Despite old adages, you don’t capture readers. You earn them. A long time ago. In a career path far, far away. I learned this rule. Not a rule, so much as a natural law of reading. And I still use it every, single day. Their time belongs to them. And they know it.

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The case for a ghost
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The case for a ghost

How many times have you heard something like this said by someone in your company? Boy, I should really blog about that.

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Base hits win ballgames
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Base hits win ballgames

Sports metaphors for life and business are overused to the point of heads exploding across meeting rooms and business seminars.

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Who’s your hero?
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Who’s your hero?

If everybody is the hero of his or her own story, who’s yours? And be careful. The right answer may not be the answer you want to give.

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