Interpersonal interactions, policy decisions, anti-racism, inclusion, inspirational leadership, innovation, sales and marketing, learning - all fall flat without compassionate empathy. Having empathy alone isn’t enough. But practicing emotionally intelligent, compassionate empathy? That’s a skill worth working on, and soon it will be table stakes for leaders who prefer their staff doesn’t mutiny. The good news is you can start growing your compassionate empathy skills instantly and can learn and improve them forever.

There are many very good, empathic people who are not good allies because they don’t want to cause a fuss. But what we tolerate, we perpetuate. To be really good, we have to be okay with looking bad while the people who are harmed get to feel whatever they feel about the situation without also having to fix it themselves.

I’m sharing this because a big part of my purpose is to prove there are better ways to use our skills and knowledge that don’t involve manufactured competition, unqualified oversight, and a focus on money and power over people. And to tell you the truth that it’s still hard, but in a different way, and in my opinion exponentially more rewarding. And to reassure you that if you’ve been wondering, there’s space for you out here.

One of the top reasons business leaders - across size and industry - struggle with marketing strategy is not knowing how to say the right thing to the right people. Add “using the right tools” and what you have here is a messaging strategy problem. Remain calm. We can get you out of this.

If you’re tired of constantly compromising, but speaking up all the time is exhausting, and you don’t really think much will change anyway, allow me to introduce you to the fine art of Patriarchy Undermining. One of the reasons it’s hard to feel like we’re making positive change is because we tend to look at the system as One Big Thing. What’s easier to envision is changing the parts of the system that are closest to you. Starting with how you view, talk to, and treat yourself and the people around you, and the rules you follow.

As long as people are involved, I can make an argument about emotional intelligence as the foundation for anything, but here are several really timely reasons you should focus on it in your marketing strategy.

These are the moments when you turn desperately to Google, or download yet another freebie from that Instagram ad you keep seeing, hoping to find an external solution. And you might get lucky! But the truth is, if you’re struggling with where to focus your marketing efforts, the solution is to look within. Are you a Sustainer, Connector, Influencer or Creative?

It’s easy for marketing strategy to get a little, let’s say, messy. Staff turnover, the allure of trying trends you can’t sustain, budget challenges - there are lots of reasons to lose the thread. Deciding where to begin putting your marketing strategy back on track is one of the biggest challenges small business and nonprofit leaders face. You can’t plan how to get somewhere new without knowing where you are now. Learn how to execute a simple marketing tactic inventory to make more strategic decisions.

I wanted to write about the choices we have in who we talk to, and how we spend our time. It was meant to be a way for me to formalize for myself some ideas about the pending New Normal so I could add definition to the kind of life my instincts were shaping. The trouble is the rest of the world. What if we’ve already made our choices about the new normal and are about to simply watch them unfold?

Maybe you’re starting to see business slow down or donors fading away and you’re thinking about a little rebrand yourself. Before you start looking for a graphic designer to revamp your logo, consider these steps first. Understanding not just how you want to make your audience feel but what it takes to get them to feel that way are the details designers dream of having when asked to create a brand look. But more than that, when your logo is complete, you’ll have something else to say besides “here’s our new logo.” You’ll be able to describe how that change reflects who your business is and how you want to relate to the world around you.

Branding and marketing, whether for personal or business purposes, isn’t something you do once and then hope for the best. It’s a conscious, ongoing effort that can be summed up by asking yourself at the start of each day “who do I want to be in the world?” And then asking yourself at the end of each day, “was I who I set out to be today?” Learn how to uncover and share your most authentic brand.

I recently conducted a survey to learn more about what was holding people back from taking charge of their marketing strategy and the one answer - given in a bunch of different ways - was TIME. I get it. Marketing feels too big to tackle, or you’re already doing so much. But there are ways to make marketing work that feel good and get results - without taking too much time.

All the gurus said don’t give away your time for free. But I was never a good rule follower, and happily discovered something pretty valuable by making time to just to chat.

Dealing with the pandemic as a single mom hasn’t been easy, but there are things my kids and I created together that I’m not sure I’m ready to give up.

Are you overthinking, or are you just thinking? There’s a lot more to consider when making any kind of decision, big or small. Before you judge yourself, consider all of the conditions you’re likely in. And if your thoughts are still getting tangled, take advantage of a few tips for getting them straight.

Ready to hire a marketing consultant but not sure where to begin? Start by asking yourself a few key questions, then explore 3 different kinds of marketing consultants - skills based, agencies, and marketing strategists - to determine the best fit for your nonprofit or small business.

When you’re managing a small business or nonprofit, hiring an in-house marketing expert can feel like a just-out-of-reach expense. You might fill the gaps with your own marketing background, interns, volunteers, or the combined lackluster efforts of people who definitely don’t have marketing in their job descriptions. It’s a, let’s call it, scrappy approach. Meanwhile, you know you need to ramp up your marketing efforts to help you grow. A conundrum! Where do you even begin? Start here.

Even when you want to make positive change - it’s hard because it’s more complicated than we, as humans who love to compartmentalize would like. Changing your diet means changing how you socialize. Changing your job means changing everything from your commute to your health insurance.

If you looked back on your journal from 20, 10, 5 years ago, what version of yourself would you see? If she could glimpse into the future at you today, what would she think? Explore the way you’ve grown over time with a writing prompt about connecting to other versions of yourself.

There’s something magical about getting your thoughts out of your head and onto the page. You commit, you release, you create a space between your thoughts and you so that you’re better able to get a picture of how it’s all going. Learn how I made my way through the first 365 days after my marriage ended with a daily writing prompt.