Visual Communication

Your slides don’t have to suck

By |2023-08-30T18:01:29+00:00August 30, 2023|Categories: Presenting, Visual Communication|

I hate PowerPoint. More accurately, I hate the materials so many people produce with PowerPoint. Most slide decks are dumping grounds for all that’s known on a subject. They’re encyclopedias of facts, figures, and far too much info. Newsflash: A dumping ground does not inspire understanding, belief, or collaboration. And an encyclopedia is not a favored [...]

Are you having fun yet?

By |2023-07-30T18:29:09+00:00July 30, 2023|Categories: Creativity, Visual Communication, Writing|

Last week my husband took his camera on an image-seeking adventure across the plains. Since starting his full-time gig as a professional photographer earlier this year, he’s experienced a full range of highs and lows. On the best days, he’s exhilarated by the hunt for a new vista, proud of a sharp and well-composed image, and uplifted [...]

6 online marketing lessons from smart businesses in my small town

By |2023-04-25T22:08:57+00:00April 25, 2023|Categories: Everyday Communication, Learning, Storytelling, Visual Communication|

About a year ago, I relocated to a small Midwestern farm town called Geneseo, Illinois. It’s a picturesque little community full of Victorian-era homes and tree-lined streets. Straight out of a Hallmark movie, you know? You really should come and visit us sometime. When my husband suggested we ditch the Chicago suburbs and move to Geneseo, [...]

Want your point to have power? Here are 7 things NOT to say.

By |2023-01-27T03:32:22+00:00January 27, 2023|Categories: Presenting, Storytelling, Visual Communication|

Lucky you! You get to speak at an industry event, corporate conference, or team meeting.  No doubt, your presentation will include a set of slides. Slides are a de facto requirement for most business presentations. You gotta have ‘em, right? Incidentally, Jill and I have decided we don’t gotta have ‘em. In Story Mode, we avoid [...]

Unspoken Loudspeakers are drowning out your message

By |2021-09-30T14:55:38+00:00September 30, 2021|Categories: Creative Confidence, Everyday Communication, Presenting, Storytelling, Visual Communication, Writing|

“What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Shhhh! I’m trying to hear you. I really am. I know you’ve put serious thought into those words you’re trying to share right now. Whether your message is written or spoken, I know you want me to “get” what you’re [...]

Persuasion: the teeter-totter of business communication

By |2021-08-31T15:33:48+00:00August 31, 2021|Categories: Creativity, Everyday Communication, Learning, Presenting, Storytelling, Visual Communication, Writing|

As a kid on the playground, one of my favorite attractions was the teeter-totter. Maybe you called it a seesaw. A teeter-totter is a dangerous apparatus, not to be shared with anyone but a friend you can trust to keep the thing in balance. I still recall the pain and humiliation of thudding to the ground [...]

A creative entrepreneur’s pandemic journey: an illustrated tale

By |2020-10-29T14:23:48+00:00October 29, 2020|Categories: Creative Confidence, Creativity, Everyday Communication, Learning, Visual Communication|

(inspired by Laura Numeroff, one of my favorite children’s book authors; illustrations by yours truly) If you give a creative entrepreneur a moment—say, a few months of no travel and reduced client demand due to a global pandemic—she’s going to get an idea. Maybe even a bunch of ideas, thanks to her relentlessly creative partner-in-brainstorming. Let’s [...]

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