Celebrating the birth of this nation and its independence gives me pause to reflect on the meaning of freedom. William Ralph Emerson was an architect and second cousin of the famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. In addition to designing many houses and inns, William Ralph Emerson helped to design some of the first buildings at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. In this poem, Emerson reflects on the aspects that make a nation strong. It’s not the wealth, weapons, or...

Over the years, the various social media platforms have become a huge influencing factor in the way we communicate online, conduct our business and engage with potentially billions of people. I am personally active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Clubhouse. In my article Addicted to What? I raised some concern regarding these social media platforms but there are of course benefits to using them as well. Here are the top 25 reasons why you ought to use social...

Laurel and I took a road trip to Duck, North Carolina this past week, where she officiated a wedding of a former student and his new bride. Generally, we would fly, but without any direct flights and the need to rent a car to drive the 2 hours to the nearest airport to the resort in Duck, we figured it would take about the same amount of time. Thankfully, we decided to stop on the way in Washington DC after...

When I chat with new prospective clients who want to strengthen their thought leadership through their web presence, I employ a simple test to measure their confidence and expertise by asking, “what is the greatest challenge your clients face and what are 3 recommendations you offer to resolve this challenge?”  I am surprised when some, who claim to run a very successful business, are unable to articulate the answer quickly and powerfully to my question. Rather, they say, “I need...

When our most wonderful mutt, Noodles, passed away two years ago at age 17, I told Laurel, in no uncertain terms, that there would be NO more dogs for us! I didn’t want the daily responsibility and restrictions of being able to just go away for the day or week that came with owning a 4-legged pal. That being said, my words went unheeded and now I’d like to introduce our new puppy, Juno, who arrived two weeks ago. She’s...

I was recently asked what questions we should ask ourselves to generate the biggest impact. Although this list could be enormous, here is my condensed list: What are you avoiding (and why) that would positively propel you forward and what do you wish you should have done several years ago that you still have not? What new habits and rituals should you focus on building, and which are the ones that have generated the highest levels of success for you...

I was recently a guest on Gerald Leonard’s Workplace Jazz™ podcast show when we discussed some of the following topics: What are the key mistakes people make with their sites? What do million-dollar entrepreneurs do that others don’t? Where do great ideas come from? How do you create instant credibility on the web? What is the Internet Strategic Profile? The importance of protecting our work with trademarks. What is the million-dollar blueprint for success? What advice would have given your...

Not quite 15 months ago, right before the coronavirus shut down life as we knew it, Laurel and I participated in a community event attended by the Greater Cleveland Congregations; representatives of area synagogues, churches and mosques. Along with lay leaders, congregants and clergy, the dais was filled with government executives, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, judges, defenders, and city officials from as far away as Cincinnati. Laurel was a guest speaker who shared our family’s journey with our son’s addiction...

I watched the movie, The Social Dilemma, for the second time the other day. It raises serious concerns as to how the social media companies have developed the technology and platforms that have taken control of our lives, our privacy, our society and possibly the future of our democracy. Here are the key takeaways I’d like to share with you and as always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback: The business model for these companies has changed from selling products...