Jane Genova: Speechwriter - Ghostwriter

129+ Degrees in Locations in Kuwait, Iraq - Not Much Cooler in Tucson, Arizona

It's the heat. And we human beings are totally undone.

It's amazing more of us are not being shot in road-rage incidents. Yesterday, after the driver in back of me honked, once we stopped at a light I struggled for control.

What I wanted to do was get out of my car, walk to his, and announce that I didn't have a gun but that I wished that I had had one. I didn't do that. That's why I wasn't arrested yesterday. But today, another hot one, I am still not centered.

As The Washington Post reports, it's more than 129 degrees in parts of Kuwait and Iraq. Here in less-exotic Tucson, Arizona, the temperature this summer has reached more than 117 degrees. 

On the Internet I am keying in cities in Maine and other less heat-oppressed areas of the U.S. and the price of apartment rentals. In 2014, I relocated to the Southwest primarily because of the Polar Vortex in New England. Maybe that was a mistake. 

Meanwhile to get through the Summer of 2016, I have to monitor myself at all times. It is all too easy to cross that line from irritation to what could ruin my life and my communications boutique. 

 

Pope Francis Is Finished - President Donald Trump will shut Vatican out

Political smarts is everything in a world economy.

After all, the interactions among global leaders create the platforms on which financial transactions play out. And in taking on Donald Trump, Pope Francis showed he is not as astute as the media had presented him as.

Now that it is looking more and more like The Donald will be the GOP nominee, Francis is looking like he's finished. As Americans become more frightened about the American economy, they are more apt to vote for the conservative Trump versus the liberal Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. That will leave the Vatican out in the cold.

President Trump likely won't allow Francis to have a presence in his America. There will be no more gadfly pontificating on the evils of capitalism or the rules of the road on contraception and abortion.

As is his performance art genius, Trump will position and package Francis as a doddering old man out of touch with economic, cultural, and social realities. End of that story.

World Economic Forum, Davos - Has It Mutated Into Vanity Fair Oscar Party?

  The World Economic Forum (WEF) will meet in Davos, Switzerland from January 21 - 24, 2016. About 3000 are expected.

That global pow-wow is a prime networking event. Deals can be opened or even closed at private parties.

Also, it's a extraordinary media opportunity. Leaders in whatever and those aspiring to be perceived as leaders of whatever will be involved in interviews and photo-ops. One year, owner of a Manhattan public affairs boutique, Bob Dilenschneider, even brought along his own media relations guy, Dick Kosmicki.

Presenters at the conference such as public relations powerhouse, Richard Edelman, will attract not only new business. They can piggyback on their appearance there for a year's worth of self-promotional material.

But, one truly wonders if the WEF any longer serves its mission: Improving the state of the world. Perhaps the Climate Conference in Paris - COP21 - will accomplish more than WEF has in a long time.

Has this prestigious meeting in Davos mutated into an analogue of the Vanity Fair Oscar party. You certainly want to be invited. You certainly want to be seen there. You certainly will invest in hustling media opportunities.

But the Vanity Fair gala doesn't make the world a better place. The difference between it and Davos, is that Vanity Fair doesn't pretend to be on a mission. WEF indicates that it is.  

Your Thought Leadership Isn't Resonating - How To Crush Again

Once you were the thought leader about environmental issues.

Now not one media outlet has contacted you for your input about what the world can expect from the Paris climate conference - COP21. Your tweets received no retweets, loves, or comments. And lobbying firms aren't requesting consultations.

Obviously, your thought leadership isn't resonating. In a disruptive era, that happens all the time. Hot yesterday. Not even part of the buzz today.

The good news is this: In a disruptive age it's also possible to rebrand as a DIY venture. Social media is your friend.

Here is a check list of must-dos:

Assess your knowledge base, positioning and packaging. One, two, or three may be out-of-date. It could be a simple situation of leveraging the wrong framework or buzzwords. Or it could be that your assumptions don't align with fresh research. Or it could be that your commentary isn't a plug-in with emerging controversies.

Get out there as a contrarian. A moderate amount of controversy can be managed. This is a risk you have to take when not in the winners' circle. If the dominant meme is that the conference won't be effective, you point out why it can.

You can get your message out there without the gatekeepers. Here's how. LinkedIn Pulse can be a powerful tool of influence. But first retrieve and analyze the posts which are getting a lot of attention. Then leverage the strategies and tactics which fit your voice.

Re-learn content marketing. Points of view are entities which must be marketed. The playing field has become competitive and tilted toward those up-to-date in the how-to of social networking and social media.

A free tool is the digital publication Web Marketing Today, edited by Paul Chaney. Your WordPress website itself may need "help." Here is a Web Marketing Today article on the WordPress platform by Daniel Kedinger.

Reach out to new networks. The shelf life of a network is getting shorter. The economy has shifted to a project one. We gather together as employees, contract workers, vendors, and consultants to get X done. When that's accomplished or abandoned, the members of the group move on, at least in their focus. That means we have to continually seek out fresh sources of information, insight, contacts, and actual referrals.

Let the past vaporize. Yesterday has become a dirty word. A Manhattan public affairs former thought leader has cut himself off at the knees by continually citing the big job he had in the early 1990s. It's downright odd, driving away new business and talent to hire.

Be patient. Rebranding is a process. It takes time. It really does, even in a fast-paced time period.

Two years ago, my thought leadership stopped resonating in the New York area. My mindset and style no longer was a good fit along the Northeast Corridor. As an experiment, I relocated and rebranded my communications boutique as a West Coast one. It took longer than I anticipated for that to work. But work it has.

COP21 - Making World Economic Forum At Davos Seem Yesterday

The 2015 Paris Climate Conference or COP21 is where the movers and shakers want to be seen. Its influence could make the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos seem so yesterday.

At COP21 are, reports Chas Danner in New York Magazine, "more than 100 heads of state and 40,000 attendees from more than 190 countries." The goal is to hammer out international agreements which will slow down climate change.

If that succeeds, it might be able to accomplish more in two weeks than the WEF has in decades.

In addition, being in Paris right now gives those at COP21 unique insight into the impact of terrorism on a sophisticated society. They can crank out articles, white papers, books, and documentaries.
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Mickey Rooney - Yes, We Can Prevent That Kind Of Career Meltdown

Mickey Rooney had a very strong start. And a very early one.

He was a hit on stage from age two. So much so that the powers that be in charge of the show invested 50 bucks, big money in those days, to have a pint-sized tuxedo made.

Then by age 30, he was finished. Yet, he couldn't figure out how to make a comeback. The curse of early success does not explain much, really. After all, other young wonderkinds like Shirley Temple and Steve Jobs managed to put together The Next.

The details of that career tragedy are captured in the 2015 biography "The Life And Times of Mickey Rooney." The authors are Richard A. Lertzman and William J.Birnes. Here you can order it from Amazon.

Sure, there's a well known syndrome of how success tends to provide the platform for failure. Jim Collins chronicles that in "How The Mighty Fall." Here you can order it from Amazon. However, the reality is that at each step of our careers there are ways to circumvent disaster. The interesting part is not the peril inherent in success. But how we can prevent it.

Here are four of the very wrong moves Rooney made that we who do endure avoid or quickly fix.

Never growing up. It wasn't that Rooney was stuck in the role of Andy Hardy. It was that he was incapable of making the transition to adulthood. Not professionally. Not personally. Right into his old age he insisted on doing what he wanted, at least at the time. That ranged from not showing up to compulsive gambling.

Usually if we could make the transition from college or graduate/professional schools to accommodating reality, we can make that leap into being grown up. On my legal blog I chronicle the careers of JDs who are stuck in what they decide ought to be.

Blaming. Rooney died with only $18,000 in his estate. Bitter. Among those he fingered as villains were his money-managers. However, along the way, he was the one who didn't take charge of his affairs. The game, especially in these volatile times, is about continual course correction. X, my mentor from my first job, is no longer good for me. So, how do I navigate away nicely?

Being sarcastic. That's an adolescent trait, endearing during that time of self-exploration. Later, it gets in the way of productive professional communications.

A few years ago, I assisted Boston Millennial entrepreneur, Andrew Bachman, with a communications project. Like so many, he had his fall from grace. Since then he has settled with the FTC. But, the odds may be against a roaring comeback because of his seeming inability to communicate without what I experienced as merrily mowing down people with his mouth.  

Hiding. Rooney tended to vanish into the ether when things got tough. After whatever mini or major disaster, there's the sensible response of laying low. Then there is also the career-killer of hiding. Usually that takes the form of withdrawing into ourselves. In there we can't spot opportunity. And no one can reach us to guide us out.

If we believe William Shakespeare and Sigmund Freud, mankind is wired to screw up. That's our dark side. But we can manage that. It's not the mistakes, even the whoppers. It's our humility to admit destructive moves and course-correct.

Why couldn't Rooney pull that off? His drinking problem may explain much. Like many alcohol abusers, he became trapped in a web of resentment. After all, from the age of two, he supported his family. Resentment is one of the most sticky emotions. It stuck to Rooney.

Politicos, Trial Lawyers, Unemployed - Likeability Is Inside Job

Long before the social media phenomenon of  'Like," journalist Hedrick Smith documented that likeability is a form of power. It's right up there with access to the brass, wealth, and title. That was all in his now-iconic late-1980s book "The Power Game."

Now that Facebook contemplates a "Dislike" button, we are also going to find a lot about the power of not-liking.  But we don't have to wait for that, of course. We are seeing it played out in Campaign 2016 as the unlikeable Hillary Clinton flounders. The details of that downward trajectory are captured by Edwin Klein in the new book "Unlikeable: The Problem With Hillary." It will be released tomorrow.

According to Klein, Clinton had been given coaching on how to come across as more likeable. What every public speaking expert, as well as we speechwriters, knows is this: Likeability is an inside job. Practicing a laundry list of techniques won't do it. The buzzword for that inside job is learning to become "authentic."

There is no one version of likeability. Flighty Betty White is likeable. So is no-nonsense Queen Elizabeth II. Rascal Bill Clinton is likeable. So is straight arrow Pope Francis. Therefore, there is no option but to become authentic in who you are. Pull that off and you have a shot at being likeable. Those unable to become authentic will never be able to enter the zone of likeability.

We vote for politics we like. With all his weaknesses, George W. Bush was likeable. In the Rhode Island lead paint trial II, members of the jury, whom I interviewed, liked defense attorney, John Tarantino. They let his client off the hook, while finding guilty the other three. Employers hire those they like. No one wants to work with an unlikeable. That's added stress.

So, how do you find your authentic self? The first step is self-acceptance or loving who you are right not. That's a fundamental from wildly popular (and likeable) American Buddhist nun, Pema Chodron. That's the platform you will work with.

The next step is to develop a real interest in The Other out there. That's straight from Dale Carnegie, Dan Goleman's Emotional Intelligence, and, come to think about it, Jesus Christ. Once you do that, listening will be easy.

The third is identify ways to be helpful. No, you don't have to be a good-doer or want to change the world. In capitalism, that's called "The Favor Bank." You work from home and your neighbor's child care fell through. Offer to take over for that one day.

The beauty of likeability is that those who aren't trapped in themselves can achieve that state of being. It doesn't require pedigree, wealth, education, or even accomplishments. Dogs are inherently likeable. That's because they take a sincere interest in us.

 

The New Bohemians (Part 1): Educated, Minimalist, Stubborn About Work We Will Do

An unexpected side effect of working at crazy jobs is discovering that you are a member of what could be called "The New Bohemians."

Our values, lifestyles and lack of wealth mirror those of the 1970s Counterculture, being a graduate student or even how people made it during The Great Depression.

Regarding the latter I know all about the fun parts of that. As a Baby Boomer, I grew up with immigrant family recounting the good old days when everyone had nothing and everything. The everything part refers to a sense of self, generosity from friends and optimism that "this too will pass."

Essentially, we New Bohemians are educated, minimalist ranging from our residence to what we will deign to worry about, and stubborn regrading the work we will do. Enough money to pay the bills is enough.

More than that means the option to travel between jobs or careers or hunker down and write some short stories about the ethos of the lap dance. One of my colleagues, a Gen Xer with an Ivy pedigree, could emerge as the thought leader on the undiscovered artistry present in strip clubs.

What makes a job qualify as a "crazy one," at least according to us The New Bohemians? It is outside our career paths (at least those road-most-traveled ones). It pays from $10 to $18 an hour. Most co-workers have advanced degrees. Management is enlightened, respectful of our labor. And there is no drain on our brain power so that we can do the tasks and still retain our identities as kinds of philosopher kings. We insist on thinking, all the time.

Between crazy jobs we usually pursue our real careers. Those might be contract document reviewers, writers, spirituality instructors or even ordained ministers, landscaper, gypsy scholar, executive coaches, consultants, dog breeders, contract paralegals or forever students. Given the rollercoaster economy, increasingly those interim sources of income become necessary. Yet, we are picky about what we do. I turned down an offer because it was obvious my future co-workers took things way too seriously.  

Of course, crazy jobs aren't new. In high school, I was part of the fun bunch who operated machines injecting two pennies as change in cigarette packages for vending machines only taking quarters. That left me with a permanent comic mindset about the world of work.

This is the first of reflections on The New Bohemians. The possible takeaway is this: You won't frame what you do to pay your bills with great gravitas and you will give yourself permission to not be rich or even try to become that.

 

"Michelangelos" - Titan Brings Ceiling Ads To MBTA Trains, Buses

Yes, we look up. When stuck on the subway or bus and determined to avoid eye contact with fellow riders, we tend to stay looking up. That's what the Titan Advertising Agency in the Boston area knows.

For its long-term client the MBTA, Titan is piloting the placement of ads on the ceilings of trains and buses. The experiment is called "Michelangelos." As you recall, it was the design genius by that name who put religious art on the ceilings of cathedrals.

So far so good. What's especially good for MBTA revenues is this: The cost of the ceiling "art"  is about double the cost of traditionally placed ads. This would help keep green - that is, public transportation - sustainable. 

This new venue for ads can unleash fresh promotional campaigns for those doing the advertising. For example, personal injury lawyers can mount ceiling ads which say, "If you are having trouble bending your neck to read this ad because of an auto accident ..."

Here is the coverage of this innovation by Steve Annear in Boston Magazine.

Edelman: Not a Mean-Spirited Mindset

Who hasn't gotten in the soup over wording?

Language, from the time of Socrates, has been a weapon to use against humans by other humans. That's the game mankind, unlike our trusty canine and feline companions, play. Read George Orwell for more about that.

Public relations agency Edelman got slammed because of how its words were interpreted by so many layers of media and watchdogs. Here is Stuart Elliott's account in The New York Times. 

However, Edelman's mindset wasn't mean-spirited. Not on climate change and not on the death of Robin Williams.

In indicating that it wouldn't rule out taking on as clients those which deny climate change, Edelman was thinking like a business. Some would find that praiseworthy. A wiser choice of terminology might have been to change the phrase "climate change denier" to "those not aggressively supporting climate-change activism."

In using the term "opportunity" associated with Williams' death, it was again thinking like a business. Business is about spotting, pouncing on, and exploiting opportunity. Only, perhaps that might not have been the best choice of words. A better one might have been "mandate" to accelerate the global conversation about clinical depression. 

Of course, all this will blow over. But Edelman as well as so many of us learned or re-learned the horrific lesson: Words can and probably will be used against us.