a day in the life: on gratitude
It’s the coldest start to summer in Sydney for fifty years. People are complaining. I’ve been complaining. And I’ve been thinking about that; my expectations and satisfaction with the life Continue reading
like a boss: five ways to be a better one
Some of us seek out management; most have management thrust upon us. It’s a curious assumption, when you examine it, that being good at something automatically means you’ll be good Continue reading
the dead social media practitioners society
I’m at Ad:Tech today and I just learned a valuable lesson. Not, in fact, from any of the speakers, though a few have had interesting things to say. Last night Continue reading
accentuate the positive: constructive criticism in Adland
Sitting in the audience at yesterday’s Battle of Big Thinking, one of the most extraordinary things was the accompanying conversation on Twitter. It was free from the usual slights, snarky Continue reading
telling stories
I recently discovered a lovely Tumblr called “the great untold,” which is a collection of opening lines from the greatest tales never told. It reminded me of a story a Continue reading
you know you are a dreamer…
I had a funny dream last night. I know this is a socially unacceptable opening gambit (unless the dreamer reveals they dreamt of having sex with their interlocutor), but it Continue reading
how to understand what women want
My response to Mark Pollard’s piece on getting a man to open up – apologies for the crass generalisations and largely hetero bias. Some of my best friends are men, Continue reading
my blog post brings all the boys to the yard: on self-promotion and vanity
The people whose self-selling skills I admire are all bound by a common thread. They communicate their intense passion and love for what they do in a way that leaves ego at the door; creating a separation that suggests it’s almost incidental that it happens to be “me” that did this – the accomplishment itself transcends the personal. Of course, go too far down this path and you’re in all kinds of Messianic trouble; next thing you know god’s writing your next album and whispering secrets in your ear about who might most enjoy a lovely glass of Kool-Aid…
Everyday’s a schoolday: what I learned from Hopenhagen.
I’ve often had a tendency to be impatient with consumer-facing companies who are reluctant to dip their toes into the ocean of the social web, taking the view that if as a brand, you’re already being talked about, like it or not, and a decision not to participate means you relinquish not only control but the ability to respond or learn.
However, my experience of effectively putting myself in exactly that position gave me a new appreciation for the fact that giving up control is a scary thing to do. The internet can be a hostile and terrifying place.
Growing up online: why the days of our digital adolescence are numbered
Growing up online: why the days of our digital adolescence are numbered. It’s depressing to see that one consequence of new social spaces is a marked increase in the amount of genuinely awful behaviour performed by otherwise functional adults. Seeing ill-advised tweets, oversharing via Facebook updates and emotive personal posts, I’m reminded of the giddy immediacy of my teenage years, in which I existed in a state of selfish isolation, immersed in the frenzy of the Now.
