Category: Uncategorized

  • In brand guidelines, “write like you’re talking to your best friend” is bad advice

    There, I said it. This is the single most common thing I see in brand guides — in any industry — because brands want to come off as approachable, friendly, and empathetic. “Write just like you’re talking to a friend.” “Be friendly and casual — like you’re talking to a friend.” “We’re warm, approachable, and funny…

  • Questions to ask before you hit “post”

    Questions I (try to) ask myself before I post something online (or in a group, or etc.):

  • Building in private is good for you

    You don’t have to build everything in public. In fact, when was the last time you made something only for yourself? A watercolor, a sketch, a painting? An essay? A journal entry? A meal? When was the last time you did something and didn’t try to mine it for a moral, a LinkedIn lesson, a…

  • Don’t make the moldy blueberry mistake

    I love blueberries. (Who doesn’t?) I usually buy the smallest container. After all, I’m just one person. But after weeks and weeks of eating that tiny container in two days like a feral toddler, I decided: it was time to level up. The big container of blueberries happily accompanied me home. I ate some as…

  • Is formality really a sign of expertise?

    “We need this to be a bit more formal, we’re talking to business leaders here so we need to position ourselves as the expert.” Meanwhile, business leaders and experts I know: Formality and “signaled” expertise absolutely have their place. In the same way that design, color theory, and other visual clues can instantly and often…