My Drew Peterson Doughnut Dilemma

Remember Drew Peterson?

He's still in the news, still a free man, and his fourth wife Stacy's whereabouts remain a mystery. In contrast to his national media exposure (NBC's "Today" show, People magazine cover, among others) of last November, the intensity of interest has waned since he first became a dubious household name in America.

Exactly one year ago, on Nov. 11, 2007, I became part of the media horde pursuing this saga.

I was one of a rotation of Chicago Tribune freelance reporters and staff writers stationed outside the former Bolingbrook police sergeant's home.

During my stake-out that Sunday morning, I was the nearly-speechless recipient of two dozen doughnuts from Drew's brother, Paul. Later, I tried to use those same sugar-filled treats to secure an interview with Drew.

For the full blow-by-blow, check out My Drew Peterson Doughnut Dilemma.

No Guinness World Record, Doggone It!

The mass dog wedding that I publicized, I Do, Doggone It!, may have set a record for the most same-sex dog "marriages" on Saturday in downtown Oak Park.

However, that is not yet a sanctioned Guinness World Record category.

So the 87 total marriages, while certainly one of the biggest in pooch history, fell shy of the Guinness mark (178), set in May 2007 in Littleton, Col.

To check out some video that I shot during the whimsical festivities, you can check out the blog DogWedding.info.

You can also visit a Chicago Tribune photo gallery of the event.

An Open Invitation To The Obama Girls

It's not every day that you invite the President-elect's daughters to come to a mass dog wedding.

But when it comes to a great cause, has a logical link to a pledge that Barack Obama made before the world on Tuesday night, and Sasha and Malia just happen to be in the neighborhood anyway...well, it just seems like the right thing to do.

Check out excerpts from the Guinness World Record attempt news release, touting the canine conjugals tomorrow in downtown Oak Park. It all starts at 11 a.m. for those dogs that need a speed-dating service, with bow vows at 1 p.m.

Even if the Obama girls aren't able to join in the fun, plenty of people will and you're invited along too. Here, you can check out the history of I Do, Doggone It!

No Good Deed Shall Go Un-Videotaped

In an Inside Edge PR blog post a few weeks ago, I mentioned a public relations variant on an age-old saying: "No good deed shall go unpublished."

Of course, with this variant comes a corollary: "No good deed shall go un-videotaped."

I followed my own advice recently, as I prepared to spread the news of a donation of about 60 computers, from Keith Carrizosa of Azure Horizons, an Oak Park computer consulting company, to Roberto Clemente High School in Chicago.

Below is one of three brief interviews that I shot and uploaded onto YouTube. The other two videos are here and here.

Read It! Obama: From Promise To Power

It's a few minutes past 10 p.m. on Election Day, it appears Barack Obama is about to vacate his seat as the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois, and I can only imagine what must be going through the mind of David Mendell.

He's the author of Obama: From Promise To Power, a thoroughly balanced and thoughtfully written book that was published in August 2007.

In late-January 2008, I was pleased to meet Mendell for the first time, for a pre-arranged interview. At the time, Obama's campaign was on the ropes and Hillary Clinton appeared to have the inside track on the Democratic nomination for president.

You can see the result of that meeting in a profile that I wrote for the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest.

Since that bitterly cold winter night, Mendell and I have kept in touch by e-mail. So it was uncanny timing that, of all days, I'd bump into him this afternoon (almost literally, nearly tapping his parked car as I navigated into a parking spot in downtown Oak Park).

At this moment, as Obama stands at the center of the world's attention, Mendell must be musing about the many times he was the only one following Obama around, during the early stages of his run for U.S. Senator only five years ago.

To anyone who wants to glean significant insight into our President-elect, and who would be intrigued to come alongside Mendell during those formative times in Obama's rapid political ascent, I encourage you to dig into Obama: From Promise To Power.

Listen Up! ...And Follow Studs' Example

In September, I was invited to speak to a gathering of the Illinois Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

As an association member was preparing my nametag, he asked how I should be described. Since I was going to be addressing the group, the logical answer might have seemed to be “speaker.”

But, really, my career has been weighted much more heavily on the receiving end—more than anything else, I’ve been a professional listener.

So I asked that “Listener” go on my tag, and the association member obliged.


This comes to mind this morning as I read about Studs Terkel, and his remarkable legacy of drawing out stories from a wide spectrum of individuals.

Studs, who passed away at 96 years old three days ago, set an example that we should all strive to emulate, whether it’s capturing stories as I do with my service known as Your Front Page or simply paying respectful attention to anyone and everyone, even if our self-absorbed and preoccupied inclination is to think they probably don’t have much of interest to share.

When I speak, I rarely learn a thing—beyond the fact that I’m reminded I ought to do it more succinctly. But when I listen, I rarely come away without picking up some helpful food for thought.

Listening, truly listening, is at the heart of “PAVE The Way to Powerful Communication,” one of the services on the training front that I have developed in recent years. Here's the PAVE foundation:

Practice active silence--be a sincere audience
Ask engaging questions--find out what makes people tick
Value all people--everyone has a story to share
Expand your comfort zone--you may be surprised by what you learn

REALTOR Blog Hails The Wizard of Roz

REALTOR magazine senior editor Wendy Cole today posted a piece ("A WICKED Good Time To Buy") on the marketing exploits of Realtor Roz Byrne, which I wrote about yesterday.

You could say it's a "spook-tacular" ditty, but you'd merely be echoing a turn of phrase that Wendy employs in the "Speaking of Real Estate" space she shares with others at the Chicago-based publication.

The Marketing Wizardry of Roz

Roz Byrne has always had a flair for fun. In her radio days, as a rock 'n' roll DJ, she was "Rockin' Roz" and worked alongside the likes of renowned contrarian Michael Moore.

For the past seven years, she has rocked the world of Chicago real estate, going the extra mile for clients in a variety of ways.

From her base in Oak Park as one of the top Realtors at Gloor Realty, she has compiled a listing of service providers--a kind of personalized Yellow Pages--that she updates periodically and gives to hundreds of people, including newcomers moving into the area.

She donates $100 from every closing to the charity of her client's choice. And she has gained specialized certifications, such as the Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation, which underscores her training and ability to help seniors find housing, often as they downsize.

And this Halloween week, she has transformed into The Wizard of Roz. As she ventures into shops throughout the Oak Park-River Forest-Forest Park area, Byrne is delivering Hershey's chocolate bars, her business card and this clever message:

"Don't be afraid of the real estate market. It's a wicked good time to be a buyer."

After all these years of outgoing behavior, Byrne may be confused for someone who can pull off these gambits at the drop of her colorful wizard's cap. But like any successful person, she continually fights through her comfort zone to do those things--like dress up in outlandish style and approach people who might think she's off her rocker--to get her message out and move her business forward.

In the midst of a decidely down real estate market, that willingness to venture into scary territory is one of the keys to Byrne's thriving career. And it's also central to successful public relations in any field.

Go to Roz Real Estate to learn more, click on the video below to hear some of her wizardry--and think about how you can apply some of the same principles in your endeavors:

Mobile Billboard Advertising Should Stay

The same fine folks who specialize in wasteful spending via patronage and other forms of bureaucratic bumbling--I refer, in this case, to the Chicago City Council--now are considering telling mobile advertising units to go away.

The latest example of government lackeys' penchant for sticking their noses where it's neither desired or necessary is a proposal to ban mobile billboard vehicles. In this piece in the Chi-Town Daily News, reporter Megan Cottrell reports that a council committee is mulling whether to assess a $5,000 fine "on any vehicle primarily used for advertising purposes."


The lame rationale, as put forth by Alderman Bob Fioretti, is that the vehicles "pollute the environment, cause traffic congestion and distract drivers." The first two concerns relate to any vehicle, so that doesn't carry any weight. And as for distracting drivers, isn't that the point of any ad--to get your attention?

What's next--banning billboards? Pretty women strolling along the sidewalk? No, thanks, Big Brother.

The story notes, "Consideration of the measure has been delayed until now because Alderman Fioretti's staff said they needed more time to gather resources and evidence."

In layman's terms, they're winging it. Here's hoping this lamebrain idea crashes and burns. In my experience, mobile advertising is far more effective and interesting than most any other form of advertising out there.

Wayne Arner: From Huff & Puff To Buff

By my calculations, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas consume precisely three days of the calendar.

But somehow it all translates into a two-month comfort-and-junk food fest, when people tend to pack on some additional pounds. (OK, I'm projecting from my own experience--it's my seasonal pattern, anyway!)

So it was with great admiration that in developing a news release on his triathlon journey, I recently interviewed Wayne Arner, a member of Five Seasons Sports Club in Northbrook. It began in September 2006, when he tipped the scales at 206 pounds and resolved to dip his toe in the water, literally, at the Five Seasons' indoor pool.

Since then, via these two photographs, you can see the distance his fitness has traveled: above, with his daughter, Annie, in 2005; and below, in a national triathlon championship in Oregon last month.

For anyone who has ever huffed and puffed after, say, swimming only a brief distance, as was the case with Wayne two years ago, let this news release serve as inspiration.

And this sidebar release, drawn from insights shared by Five Seasons Sports Club Group Fitness Director Marie Pearson, is your caution.

The Inside Edge Partnership Pledge

One of my favorite clients is someone who challenges me regularly to explain what I'm up to.

Just today, she asked me about the placement of a news release on a user-generated website owned by the Sun-Times News Group. Why, she wondered, was the piece placed on a community page many miles from where she will be delivering three talks in the next few weeks?

I had a ready reply.

It's because the Neighborhood Circle website's "default" page happens to be that particular community. I assured her that the release had been simultaneously posted on a few dozen community pages, including some much closer to where she'll be speaking.

It's vital that I had a logical response. But even more gratifying to me is that my client felt the freedom to question me bluntly on the issue. Candor and transparency are so important that over a year ago I developed the Inside Edge Partnership Pledge.

I share it with each new client, and post it here in the hopes that it may help you in whatever endeavors you pursue:

"I am excited that we have embarked on our partnership.

I highlighted "partnership" in the first line not in the legal sense, but in the spirit of how I view my work with your business. I do not regard myself as a vendor simply providing services to another entity, but as someone who is now a motivated, independently contracted part of that entity with a vested interest in your—more accurately, our—success.

In retaining me, you now have someone who will provide you with clear, honest feedback about any matters pertaining to your business that I believe would be helpful for you to hear—even if they do not directly relate to my Public Relations and Media Services.

Success occurs more frequently and resoundingly in an environment where trust, mutual respect and open, honest communication thrive. I am excited about working with you and on behalf of (your business/organization/association.)

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about anything that arises out of our business relationship. I truly appreciate the opportunity to help serve you and your business."

In short, this is permission marketing with my clients, and it sets the tone for an honest, constructive relationship whose focus is not on preserving anyone's ego (though I take great pains to do that) but on helping the client achieve his/her/their goals.

No Good Deed Shall Go Unpublished!

"No good deed shall go unpunished."

I first heard that phrase from Mike Bailey, my curmudgeonly (in a classic newspaper way) former editor at The Courier News in Elgin, Ill. That's Mike's mug you see here to the right.

I know Mike didn't originate the phrase, nor did George Steinbrenner, the longtime (and often curmudgeonly) owner of the New York Yankees baseball empire, pictured below. I summon George's name because I saw the same phrase on a pillow in his office. That was in January 2001, during an impromptu Yankee Stadium tour that I was fortunate enough to receive.

In effect, the "no good deed" is a humbling reminder that even our best intentions, and best actions, can be met with derision or, befuddlingly enough, strong opposition.

But as I embark on some publicity for a client who is making a significant donation to schoolchildren, I would like to offer a new, more hopeful saying that spins off the jaded "no good deed shall go unpunished."

Here it is: "No good deed shall go unpublished."

(I realize that I'm not coining a phrase here--a check of Google turns up seven listings with that PR-tinged line, which, I should note, is about 5,000 fewer references than the more commonly expressed "unpunished" line.)

WWW: Let The Three W's Work For You

Today I provided some copy-editing recommendations to a client who had mentioned his website, but without the "www." part, in an advertisement.

Fact: you need not type "www" into the Internet address bar to trek from one website to another.

Reality: that fact notwithstanding, if you want to catch the reader's eye, include "www." in your writing, whether it's an advertisement, business card or news release. The three Ws help the web location stand out; they also brace the reader to the fact that a URL is about to come his or her way.

Remember, too, that we live in a world of hyperlinks.

So while typing "DogWedding.info" into your address bar will get you to the I Do, Doggone It! mass dog wedding site that I developed and maintain for Downtown Oak Park, if you're hyperlinking someone there you still need some http and www. action so you don't leave your audience scratching fruitlessly at the cyber-door.

By the way, in case this is the first you're learning of the mass dog wedding, it's a Guinness World Record attempt that's happening on Saturday, Nov. 8th, in Oak Park, Illinois. Just click on the links above to learn more.

Hey, Joe The Plumber: It's Just The Start!

The moment I saw my brother's text message last night, I suspected that we had the latest media sensation on our hands.

"Joe the plumber making waves in debate," Andy wrote.

At first, I thought some guy named Joe had commandeered a microphone at last night's third and final Presidential Debate and blasted Barack Obama or John McCain, or both. Instead, as I later learned, McCain had simply referred to this fellow named Joe, oh, about 4,000 times. "Joe the plumber" became a mantra as McCain sought to connect with the nation's beleaguered middle-class.

Now comes news that Joe is not actually a licensed plumber. Horrors! What next?

Of course, that's just one detail among hundreds that have already emerged about the suddenly famous 34-year-old from the Wurzelbacher clan. Typing "Joe the plumber" into Google nets 900,000 hits, easily outdistancing "Joe sh*t the rag man," one of my mom's favorite expressions.

Mark my words: in 2012, 2016, 2020, and every four years thereafter, Joe the Plumber (the "p" will be capitalized by then) will be sought out for his views of that year's Presidential race. That is, if the Ohio man can live through all the nutty media scrutiny.

By the way, a certain Amarillo, Texas plumber with a fortunately named website and a hilarious Dan Aykroyd-in-Saturday Night Life style illustration on the home page is bound to see an uptick in business.

And a certain Houston plumber must be getting some increased web traffic, too.

Can a "Joe the Plumber" political party be far behind?

No, Not Again!! It's The Silly Season!!!

"I don't normally pass these types of e-mails along, but..."

The "Silly Season" is upon us and so, too, are e-mail chains that begin with phrases along the lines of the one that started this post.

Growing up, I learned about Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. I even enjoyed the music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.

But it was only when I started covering political races, in the early-1990s, that I was schooled in the Silly Season, also known as the final stages of an election campaign.

This phase was filled with all manner of dubious accusations, insinuations, and no-holds-barred mud-slinging. Along with my colleagues at The Courier News of Elgin, Ill., I would navigate this terrain with mounting skepticism of "breaking news" as Election Day approached.

Three or four days before the election, we'd halt any kind of "he said, she said" sniping and provide just-the-facts coverage reminding readers who was running, their basic positions, and where voters could cast their ballots.

Now here we are, three weeks away from choosing John McCain or Barack Obama as our next U.S. President, and the national dialogue (OK, "cacophony" is more apt) resembles a fast-paced contest of Ping Pong. Only the white ball has been immersed in so much cow dung.


So next time you get an e-mail that purports to bear actual news (you know, that stuff known as information that we haven't sifted through time and again for the past two years), be extremely leery of its contents.

By the way, one of the most effective ways to spread an untruth is to make it just credible enough, with names, phone numbers, email addresses and ancillary information that "check out" on the surface so that it disarms our skepticism.

Often, a trip to Snopes is all you need to screen a tale's veracity. Be careful, though: Snopes can't do it all, or report on it all.

If you want to help, not harm, the cause of truth, then it often takes time, effort and discernment to weed out the facts from the fiction. Sadly, all three commodities are in short supply, especially during the Silly Season.

Alphabet Soup: Consume With Caution

We live in the USA--the United States of Acronymia.

What's your initial reaction to that twist on our country's name? LOL?

See, only two sentences into this post, and I've dropped two acronyms on you. Lost yet? (LOL is "laugh out loud," by the way.)

One of the biggest enemies of clarity in communication is this overuse of acronyms. This comes to mind a day after Chicago's WBBM 780 radio broadcast of the Chicago Marathon.

In my half-hour of listening, Josh Liss must have used the term "PR" at least 10 times in connection with various runners' efforts. Not once did I hear him offer the words attached to each letter.

Serious runners certainly would know what he meant, but what proportion of the radio station's listeners are casual fans (like me) and therefore may have been hazy on what "PR" stands for?

As I listened to the broadcast, I was scrubbing the bathtub and performing other cleaning tasks. In that moment, to me, PR meant "persisent rinsing." I am also a publicist, so in that realm "PR" represents "public relations."

Actually, what Liss meant was "personal record": an individual's best-ever marathon time. I suspected that was the case, then looked it up just now online to be sure.

If a true pro like Liss can fall prey to this tendency--I've heard him for years, and he's usually an excellent communicator--then we all need to be vigilant about steering clear of exclusively using abbreviated jargon.

I'm not advocating an outright ban on alphabet soup, but every once in a while we ought to intersperse acronyms with their complete phrasing, particularly when we are speaking to an audience that may not be so familiar with the jargon.

Text messaging has spawned numerous acronyms, of course, such as the LOL noted above. You can see many more here.

And while we're on the subject of the Chicago Marathon, if you know someone who ran--or even if you don't--you can see how they fared. I see another Matthew Baron, a 37-year-old from Los Angeles, ran the 26.2 miles in about 5 hours.

Kudos, namesake! Even if that time was not your PR, I hope that you appreciate this little bit of PR.

Take It From Me: See `Taking the Wheel'

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is helping get the word out about newsworthy, interesting subjects, whether they are a client or not.

So it was a thrill this morning to get word from a longtime friend, David Ackerman, about prominent mention that MSNBC.com gave a brilliant 10-minute film that he wrote and directed, "Taking The Wheel."

Last Friday, when I saw the query "Getting Grandma Off The Road" on Help A Reporter Out, I immediately thought of David and connected him with the writer, Harriet Baskas.

She produced this thoughtful story.

It's even more gratifying to know that the story--as David's film has done since its release in 2002--will assuredly play a key role in saving lives.

Among other successes, the California Highway Patrol regularly shows the movie as part of its Driving Safety Education Outreach Program. "Taking the Wheel has certainly helped to save many lives," the CHP has stated, "and we intend to make sure that it continues to do so."

To learn more about the movie, which stars Patience Cleveland and John Cleese of "Monty Python" fame, you can check it out here. Then make a point of watching the movie--and sharing it with your loved ones, young and not-so-young!

Cubs, Sox Out: Bye-Bye, By The Numbers

Last week, I offered this equation: October + Baseball=By the Numbers, as I reprised my research-and-writing role for the Daily Herald.

I was hoping for a month filled with Chicago baseball. With both the Cubs and White Sox in the post-season, and the Cubs sporting the best record in the National League during the regular season, I figured I'd be wearing out my calculator.

Alas, both teams flopped--especially the Cubbies, who were swept for the second straight year. You know it doesn't bode well when I'm spending an inordinate amount of time researching Chicago players' errors, strikeouts at the plate, and streaks such as the last time a certain slugger (yeah, you, Alfonso Soriano) had homered.

For the By the Numbers' body of evidence of Chicago baseball woes, see:

White Sox, Game 1 preview

White Sox, Game 1

White Sox, Game 2

White Sox, Game 3

Cubs, Game 1

Cubs, Game 2

Cubs, preview Game 3

Just Who or What Is `Mainstream Media'?

Lately, there has been much discussion and debate on my Medill School of Journalism alumni list-serv about what constitutes "mainstream media."

Of course, the phrase is often used in the context of claims that the aforementioned nebulous institution is biased, out-of-touch and worthy of tongue-lashings from all quarters.

On a related note, someone recently got huffy with Peter Shankman's Help A Reporter Out source-and-storyteller matching service. The reason they unsubscribed from his so-called HARO: he was including too many source requests from bloggers in his thrice-daily (Monday-Friday) outreach.

To me, much of it shakes out thusly: what influence and impact does a given entity--whether it's a person, a website, an organization, or whatever--have on your target audience?

In some cases, a blog with a relatively small, but intensely interested, passionate and motivated following, can represent a much better and more relevant "hit" than a national publication with a huge, but diffuse, reach.


Anyone seeking to increase their sales, their profile, or otherwise attain a goal needs to intelligently assess the entire landscape of communications outlets--and it's growing bigger and murkier by the hour--and then make thoughtful decisions about where to devote its story-telling resources.

Today's mainstream may well be tomorrow's footnote, and today's alternative media may well be tomorrow's mainstream.

Terminology aside, if you're a publicist, this is my bottom line: If your media outreach list isn't constantly evolving, then you're not paying nearly enough attention.

Tennis Player Outreach Nets Coverage

I had a post on Friday regarding my media outreach about a 12-year-old tennis player named Jordan Belga who trains at Five Seasons Sports Club in Northbrook, Ill.

On Saturday came this Daily Herald feature, which included an interview with Jordan's coach, Five Seasons tennis pro Jacek Dabrowski.

It doesn't always work out so nicely. In this case, fortunately, the Daily Herald opted to devote some attention to the club where Jordan has developed his game to the point of being rated No. 1 in the nation. Of course, it helped that when the reporter spoke with Jordan, he talked about Jacek--among other things, sharing that he texted his coach upon learning he'd gained the top spot.

One last note, and something that publicist Peter Shankman taught me through his book, Can We Do That?: Sharing Jacek's number with the media is important, but sources must be coached to be responsive.

When Jacek tipped me off to Jordan's No. 1 ranking on Thursday, I reminded him to be ready for phone calls from unfamiliar phone numbers (the media)--and to pick 'em up, if at all possible.

Courting Media With Tennis Phenom News

For nearly two years, starting with George Hood's two 2007 Guinness World Record attempts at marathon spin cycling, I've enjoyed getting the word out about Five Seasons Sports Clubs in Burr Ridge and Northbrook.

Yesterday morning came the latest chapter: a phone call from Jacek Dabrowski, a top tennis pro at the Northbrook site. He had some exciting news: a 12-year-old he is coaching, Jordan Belga, moved up to the No. 1 spot in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) rankings for his age group.

Seeking to capture the freshness of the news (Jordan's ranking had been published on the USTA website late Wednesday night), I pushed my other work aside and gathered information and photos from Jacek and from Jordan's mom, Kelly. I quickly wrote a news release and began contacting Chicago-area media in the early afternoon.

You can see the release as it appears on the Chicago Tribune's user-generated website, Triblocal. And soon, I hope, you will find it in other media.

(Photo credit: Lloyd Clayton, YourGameFace.com)

October + Baseball=By the Numbers

It's October and Chicago playoff baseball is under way, so that means my statistical hat is fit snugly atop my head.

Allowing my numerical passions to run wild again is Daily Herald sports editor Tom Quinlan, who began publishing my "By The Numbers" baseball blurbs on the Cubs and White Sox in today's newspaper.

My numbers-related writing dates back to August 1997, toward the end of my eight years at The Courier News in Elgin, Ill., when I began writing a weekly "By the Numbers" column. It was later syndicated by Copley News Service, and served as the springboard for my numeracy training program called "Go Figure: Making Numbers Count."

Along the way, I had a stats column for Sports Illustrated For Kids and developed the Home Run Power Ratio, an inflation index for home runs.

This is the fourth time over the past six Octobers that the Daily Herald has allowed me to be a part of their baseball post-season coverage.

On the Herald's website, you can read the first round of figures I came up with in connection with the Chicago Cubs and their Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, as well as previewing the Chicago White Sox's Game 1 clash with the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon.

"Results Through Relationships" Author Talks His Walk in New Business Book

When my wife recently embarked on a top-secret mission to solicit letters from relatives, friends and work colleagues for my 40th birthday, she wasn't sure how to categorize a few people as she assembled the letters.

Were they friends or work colleagues? One such individual was Joe Takash, who undoubtedly is a friend first, and a colleague second.

That's because Joe is so committed to developing meaningful, transparent, fully engaged relationships that go beyond "getting the job done." And as a result, when there is a job to get done, it is accomplished far more effectively than if our connection were business first and relationship a distant second.

Joe is president of Victory Consulting, a performance management firm based in the Chicago area that specializes in the areas of leadership, customer/client service excellence, presentation skills and employee motivation. For more than 20 years and over the course of more than 3,000 speaking programs, Joe has been on the frontlines of personal and professional development.

So it's only fitting that I readily agreed, at Joe's request, to help get the word out about his recently published book, Results Through Relationships: Building Trust, Performance, and Profit Through People. (Wiley, Sept. 2008)

Our relationship began seven years ago, after I e-mailed Joe to compliment him on the practical, humorous truths he was sharing in "A Kick In the Attitude," the business/motivational column he would go on to write for six years for Star Newspapers in suburban Chicago.

Since then, our friendship and burgeoning business partnership has been a microcosm of what Joe lays out so well in his excellent book. At the heart of what Joe preaches--and it stems from what he practices and so commandingly guides his clients to practice--is transparency and an obsession with adding value to others' lives.

Three months ago, I wrote "The Art of Effective Confrontation," detailing Joe's mentorship of me. The post was sparked by my reading of The Five Dysfunctions of A Team, a bestselling business book by Patrick Lencioni, who (fittingly enough) endorsed Results Through Relationships. (See how it all comes full circle?)

By now, people who have come across my LinkedIn account have read the glowing recommendation that I wrote about Joe. But what they haven't seen is the longer version, which I edited because it was so gushing that I was concerned it may come across more like a eulogy.

I am pleased to confirm that Joe Takash is very much alive and beyond that, Results Through Relationships is an engagingly written, practical guide to helping people individually and organizations overall to infuse their days with greater effectiveness.

Unmistakably, the book is geared toward helping people get more out of their work relationships. But the principles and how-tos that Joe spells out will benefit those who mine the precious gems sprinkled throughout its pages and apply the recommendations in their day-to-day lives.

Among Medill Journalism Graduate Students: Barack Obama & Chicago Cubs Both Reign

Yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking to 55 graduate students at my alma mater, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

The topic was “Journalism By the Numbers,” so I shared some pointers on numeracy—using numbers with common sense and context in story telling.

As part of my presentation, I coordinated with adjunct lecturer Desiree Hanford to conduct a survey that asked students about Chicago’s two Major League Baseball teams’ playoff chances and their current preference in the national presidential election.

Considering the students' ages (with a few exceptions, they were born in the early-to mid-1980s) and the Democratic Party bent of most journalists, I didn't think Barack Obama would face much of a challenge from John McCain in this gathering.

But the overwhelming nature of the landslide somewhat surprised me: Obama routed McCain, 47-2.

(Three said they are undecided, two said they are unable to vote because they are international students, and one declined to answer: “a journalist never tells,” the student wrote, doodling a smiley face.)

If I were to commit one of the numeracy no-nos that I rail against—settling for percentage claims without digging into the raw data—I could claim that journalism grad students who plan to vote for McCain possess a much more optimistic outlook about the Cubbies (100 percent all the way!) than those who plan to pick Obama (only 60 percent say the team will win it all).

That's because both McCain supporters (sample size: a whopping two) think the Cubs will win the World Series. Among the 47 Obama backers, 38 predict the Cubs will advance to the World Series, with 28 projecting a Cubs’ title.

White Sox fans (and that includes the South Side-residing Obama, reportedly): These students don't give your team much hope. Only 17 Obama supporters predicted a World Series appearance, with a mere two in that group forecasting a World Series victory.

Meanwhile, McCain's two backers don't see the White Sox making it to the Series at all. This is likely a clear-eyed assessment, since the team hasn't even made the playoffs yet, with a one-game showdown with the Minnesota Twins scheduled for tonight.

Chicago Tribune Has Designs On New Era

Today marks a new era for the Chicago Tribune, with a radically new layout and design.

I'm still wading through it, and it's going to take some time to adjust to it and give this re-invention a full assessment. Clearly, the Internet has wielded a major influence on the design and sensibility of the latest incarnation. Its graphics, splashes of color and layout include a quasi-navigation bar to guide readers throughout the various sections, for example.

Years ago, as newspapers were taking baby steps online, they often limited their cyber-layout with the print-edition construct in mind. This new Trib reflects editors' awareness that readers often are coming to their pages with a web-surfing mindset.

It's no coincidence that Jane Hirt (right) was at the helm of the paper's graphics-heavy, short-attention-span-friendly RedEye edition before her August appointment as the Tribune's managing editor.

It's easy to look at the Tribune today and dismiss it as a superficial and shallow product. But that would be a superficial, shallow judgment.

The truth as to the Trib's relative commitment to hard-hitting, public-service journalism lies in the content between and amidst the colorful layout. And if the layout can more effectively lure a new generation of readers to those stories, then the redesign will have been a success.

Full disclosure: I was a freelance writer for the Tribune most heavily from 1999 to 2005, largely covering local governments. I continue to maintain a freelance relationship with the paper, though I have not had a byline in the Trib this year.

Red Flag: Palin's Math Inflation Problem

Opinions are one thing. You and I can disagree, and neither one of us is right or wrong necessarily. Or maybe there's some truth in both of our stances.

But when it comes to two plus two equaling anything other than four, that's where we should draw the line. Through my Go Figure: Making Numbers Count training, I am a major advocate of clarity and accuracy in using statistics responsibly. It's a song I sing every chance I get.

So it got my attention when Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic pointed to GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin's inflated claim about Alaska's contribution to the nation's oil and gas production (she stated "nearly 20 percent" when it's actually 7.4 percent, says the
Energy Information Administration.)

As Sullivan goes on to note:

"According to authoritative EIA data, Alaska accounted for 7.4 percent of total U.S. oil and gas production in 2005. It is not even correct for Palin to claim that her state is responsible for "nearly 20 percent" of U.S. oil production. Oil production has fallen sharply in Alaska during her governorship. The state's share of total U.S. oil production fell from 18 percent in 2005 to 13 percent this year, according to the EIA."


Sullivan spells out 11 other discrepancies between what Palin has said on other matters, and other, credible accounts.

Some are more substantive than others, but taken in total, it adds up to serious questions--and doubts--about Palin's qualification to lead with integrity.

And don't even get me started on how she has been "keeping an eye" on Russia from her bedroom window.

Obama's PR Problem: Endorsing A Hack

Here in Cook County, the second-largest county in the nation, there is a population of more than 5 million, which exceeds that of 30 states.

It's a hugely significant place, with Chicago at its epicenter and a County Board President by the name of Todd Stroger. In case you're not familiar with him, Stroger isn't equipped to lead a county of five people, let alone 5-plus million. To put it as clearly as I can, Stroger is a political hack.

Yet two years ago, Barack Obama, along with fellow Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, endorsed Stroger in his race against Republican Tony Peraica. Of course, it would be naive to suggest they should have endorsed Peraica. But they had the option of simply steering clear of making any endorsement.

Instead, they must have had to hold their noses as they read the glowing letter that some staffer undoubtedly penned. You can see the letter right here, as part of Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn's archives.

The endorsement letter, which may well have been instrumental in tipping the narrow race in Stroger's favor, concluded:

"On Tuesday Todd Stroger is the only choice. You can make the difference. You can raise your voice. You can choose Todd Stroger, and let him lead us into a new era of Cook County government."

It's a new era, all right. A new, increasingly tax-happy, incompetent era that has made the county--and Stroger, in particular--a laughingstock. Except, in my household, nobody's laughing at being squeezed out of even more of our hard-earned money. And that's just the tip of a bumbling, unprofessional iceberg.

Type "Todd Stroger patronage" into Google and feast your eyes on the ways in which he's confirmed our worst fears--and raised new ones.

In the person of Todd Stroger, Barack Obama has one serious PR problem on his hands.

I covered local government in Illinois for some 15 years, about half of that time for the Chicago Tribune. One 2 1/2-year beat was the town of Cicero, shortly after its president, Betty Loren-Maltese, and six others went to prison for stealing millions in taxpayer money. So I have seen plenty of good, bad and ugly elected officials.

Time will tell how much the Stroger debacle will cost Obama. He's part of the Chicago Democratic Machine that Tribune columnist John Kass writes about so persistently.

I have followed Obama's career closely the past five years, ever since I first encountered an uncommon zeal in the voices of those who supported his burgeoning U.S. Senate campaign in my town of Oak Park, Illinois.

I am reading his first book, Dreams From My Father, and last year I read an excellent, and balanced, book (Obama: From Promise to Power) that Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendell wrote--a book that moved me to write a feature story about Mendell's journey.

And lately, even with the Stroger support nagging at me, I have wanted to believe that Obama is sincere when he lays claim to the mantle of reformer and bringing "change" to the political process. He's bright, he's charming, he talks a very, very good game.

But in this one crucial moment two years ago--when he held significant sway over an election of such import--Obama's actions sharply contradicted his lofty words.

The PR Benefits of Kindergarten Curiosity

I just got off the phone with a new client, from an industry that is largely foreign to me. I'm getting up to speed on terminology and context. When it comes to understanding the field, frankly, I am like a kindergartner on his first day of school.

There are more than a few publicists out there who have much more insight into the history and nuance of this industry than I currently possess. So why in the world did I get hired?

It helps that they respect my track record, including my long time in journalism. And I had a terrific advocate, whom they respect, going to bat for me. But beyond those ingredients, another key stems from something I have in common with my twin children (whose first day of kindergarten was all of four weeks ago): they ask an awful lot of questions. And, of course, my answers lead to still more questions.

I've never counted, but I wouldn't be surprised if I answer a few hundred queries a day (I can only guess how many my wife, who spends more time with them, answers.)

Sometimes my children ask silly questions. Sometimes they ask the same question over and over again. And sometimes they ask absolutely amazing questions that make me pause, really reflect, and then venture the best answer I can muster at the moment.

My journalism career was filled with thousands of assignments in which I was literally learning a topic on deadline. So it doesn't faze me when a prospective client, far afield from my own background, comes along.

A look at the wide-ranging list of my current and past clients underscores that point. With each new client, I apply the same fundamentals of identifying, developing and then sharing compelling stories across a variety of communications channels.

And each time, as long as I continue to ask questions as relentlessly as my children, I bring that much more insight to the next client.

In Dogged Pursuit of Chicago Columnist

John Kass, the Chicago Tribune columnist and a diehard Chicago White Sox fan, is dogging Chicago Cubs loyalists by nominating his brother's pooch, Little Wrigley, to be the Cubbies' mascot as they near the playoffs.

Previously, I've tried to entice Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown to make his mutt a part of I Do, Doggone It!, a Guinness Word Record "mass dog wedding" attempt that the Downtown Oak Park organization is waging.

Brown hasn't said "no," but neither has he done backflips over the idea.

But now Kass has opened wide the doghouse door for me to approach him--or, at least, his brother. I Do, Doggone It! already has its "first couple" selected, but who knows, maybe we could designate Wrigley as one-half of the record-clinching 179th canine couple.

Stay tuned as I embark on a dogged doggie-recruitment campaign.

Faith & Finances: Recommended Reading

Most of the time, this blog is devoted to PR topics. But on occasion, I'll read something so on-target, so timely, that I feel compelled to pass it along.

A commentary in today's Chicago Tribune, by Sojourners Magazine founder and editor Jim Wallis, is the latest example, as Wallis holds up the elements that led to our nation's troubled financial state against the backdrop of faith-based morality.

An excerpt:

"The behavior of too many on Wall Street is a violation of biblical ethics; the teachings of Christianity, Judaism and other faiths condemn the greed, selfishness and cheating that have been revealed in corporate behavior over decades now and denounce their callous mistreatment of employees. Read your Bible."

Amen.

Don't Mess With Forgettable Web Names

About a month ago, I received my first offer to buy a website name that I secured. Somebody out there wants www.dogwedding.info.

They'll have to wait until at least Nov. 8, when one of my clients, the Downtown Oak Park organization, tries to break the Guinness World Record for a mass dog wedding. Even then, I suspect I'll hold onto it awhile for post-event publicity purposes.

The overture underscores the wisdom of grabbing a memorable website name (or URL, as techies call 'em). Being memorable, of course, is one of the basic functions of public relations.

You may not be shocked to learn that nobody was clamoring to buy the behind-the-cyber-scenes online home for DogWedding.info: http://idodoggoneit.blogspot.com/. It's simply too long and clunky to even consider depositing into your memory bank.

Some other messy-to-memorable moves I've made in recent months:

Messy: http://300nkenilworth.blogspot.com/
Memorable: www.filmshootlocation.info/

Messy: http://www.scheckandsiress.blogspot.com/
Memorable: www.scheckblog.com

Messy: http://insideedgepr.blogspot.com/
Memorable: www.ieblogger.com (Look familiar?)

What inspired this spate of activity was this Mother of All URL Forwarding Coups that my wife, Bridgett, pulled off over a year ago for one of her online shopping portals:

Messy: http://bbaron.ordermygift.com/default.aspx
Memorable: www.realsimplegifts.com/

By the way, in most instances, you are able to "mask" the messy website name, so that all any visitor sees is your memorable one.

The moral of this post: if you've got a blog or another spot on the web that could use some sprucing up, you ought to consider going to GoDaddy or some other service and investing $10 (or less) so that you can have an easier, more catchy name to share with the world.

Partnering With The Illinois Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

One of my new clients this month is the Illinois Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (ILaaom). Until a few days ago, I had met only a few of the board members of the thriving, 150-member group.

Then, on Sunday, ILaaom invited me to address members and their guests (see photo on right) at their Asian Moon Festival celebration at Furama restaurant in Chicago.

With a national conference coming to Chicago in mid-October, board members (some of whom are pictured below) figured the time was right to bring me onboard and see what I could do to help promote awareness of the association, as well as their members.

As I told the roughly 75 who gathered for the Asian Moon Festival dinner, I look forward to helping the group as a whole, and members individually, because I know they have numerous stories of how they are improving patients' quality of life. And by spreading the word about those stories, I am confident that more people will seek treatment and be glad that they did.

I've written features on acupuncturists' good work in the past, have been treated with great results by one, and my mother and sister both have extensive, positive experiences with acupuncture--my mom so much so that she worked for an acupuncturist in Massachusetts for nearly a decade.
It's always a bonus when you have such a positive first-hand experience with a client, and in the weeks and months to come, stay tuned for more good news about the Illinois Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine.

Blog A Vital Cog in Paralympian Coverage

How important are blogs?

Sometimes, they can provide essential information and help spur on media coverage. A recent case in point was Chicago Sun-Times reporter Andrew Herrmann's story on U.S. Paralympian Melissa Stockwell, the first female U.S. amputee in the Iraq War.

Over the past nine months, Herrmann wrote two fine stories about Stockwell.

The first time, last December, he interviewed her in person at the Oak Park location for Scheck & Siress, the region's top private prosthetic and orthotic provider and where Stockwell is interning. The second time, Herrmann caught up with her by phone while she was the Olympic Training facility in Colorado--no easy feat, given her jammed schedule after she qualified for the Paralympics.

But this time around, she was half a world away, in China, and essentially unreachable by traditional means. On Friday, keeping the media posted on Stockwell's efforts, I passed along her most recent blog update.

Three days later, Herrmann resourcefully tapped into the blog in filing this piece. And I believe the blog will continue to serve as a valuable resource for other media outlets that will consider profiling her journey upon her return to the Chicago area.

On a related note, to see a moving tribute about her amazing qualification for the Paralympic Games--she was a longshot to make the team--check out this 4 1/2-minute New York Times video.

Respect: It's About (Valuing Others') Time

It's been a while since I referred to something written by author-entrepreneur-marketing guru Seth Godin.

Well, today it's about time.

Specifically, about respecting others' time. With all of the communication tools at our disposal, there is little excuse for failing to alert someone when you are running late, or when you need to re-schedule, or otherwise convey that plans have changed.

A relevant excerpt from the Principles & Procedures manual that I provide to subcontractors before they begin working for Inside Edge PR:

“Over-Communicate”

Between two emails that are redundant and none at all, I’ll take the two redundant ones any day. Err on the side of over-communication. That means: keep in close touch with me, especially because we are typically working in our separate silos somewhere in the universe.

If you are going to be out of touch for a half-hour because something just came up, shoot me an email. If you think I may have overlooked an email you sent, call me.

The Missing LinkedIn: Personalization

I've written about LinkedIn a time or two.

Here's another ditty, which dates back to two weeks ago, when a woman asked me to connect via LinkedIn. Problem is, I had no idea who she was. Then I did some cursory searching online and discovered that she and I share an alma mater.

One would think that would have been a relevant shred of information for her to mention when she tendered the invitation. Wait a second--scratch that. She didn't do anything that resembles a legitimate invitation. Instead, she clicked on a few buttons and triggered an automated message.

She's yet to follow up with me, and I've yet to respond to her.

So, here's a tip for anyone looking to add value to your LinkedIn experience: take a few moments and actually personalize the greeting. Maybe you can indicate why you think the linkage would be mutually beneficial. Or perhaps you can simply refer to some common ground. Or the weather.

Or anything, so long as it shows you are investing some thought into the process.

It's a nice start to the LinkedIn liaison, and it shows professionalism and personability.

I do it every time I make a LinkedIn invitation--even with people I know very well and interact with daily. Heck, I did it when I invited my own brother into my LinkedIn network. (Of course, he's not yet approved the invitation. "Yo, Andy, it's me, your brother!")

One final note: A recent LinkedIn partner of mine has some other worthwhile remarks you may want to check out.

Seven Years Later: "Type Headline Here"

Unlike most Americans, I didn't have a television on Sept. 11, 2001. So, unlike most Americans, I learned about the 9/11 attacks via another medium: e-mail alerts from the New York Times.

When I checked my e-mail that morning, this missive from the newspaper was my first inkling of the terrible events that had begun to unfold on that day:

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 -- 8:50 AM EST
------------------------------------------------------------
Plane Crashes Into World Trade Center

A plane crashed into Manhattan's World Trade Center this
morning, causing heavy damage and fire to several floors.

I envisioned a single-engine plane and a tragedy that was nowhere near the scope of what had occurred.

Then this e-mail arrived:

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 -- 9:04 AM EST
------------------------------------------------------------
Type headline here

A second plane has crashed into the World Trade Center
towers, according to the Associated Press.

It may seem peculiar to some, but to me, the biggest tip-off of the horrible magnitude of events wasn't that a second plane had crashed--after all, there's still no detail about the size of either plane.

Instead, I couldn't help but note that a Times editor had been so frantic that he or she failed to insert a headline before clicking "send."

I have many memories from that traumatic day: breaking the news to my wife through a prayer at breakfast, visiting her grandparents, reporting for Time magazine (the collective story was called "Day of Bombing") and talking to a college friend who was 100 yards away when the plane crashed into the Pentagon.

But my first memory from Sept. 11, 2001 is perhaps the eeriest:

When my eyes opened that morning, the digital alarm clock-radio read 7:47. "Like a 747 plane," I thought, then drifted back to sleep for a few minutes longer.

As I later learned, Flight 11 had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center about a minute earlier.

Show Your Value, Don't Just Talk About It

In story-telling, a key principle is showing, not telling.

In other words, rather than say someone was nervous, you would want to convey, via telling details, behaviors that illustrated the nervousness.

When it comes to offering a glimpse at my business value, I like to take the same approach: show it, don't just talk about it. That's why, typically, I prepare at least 10 tailored questions before meeting with a prospective client--and supply it to him/her/them before we meet.

By doing this advance work, I heighten the likelihood of a mutually beneficial initial meeting. This proactive bent has also given me an edge over competitors, many of whom, I am sure, focus on telling their own wonderful story rather than drawing out the prospective client.

On a related note, yesterday I invested about a half-hour to take it upon myself to edit a top business consultant's biography.

We know each other, and are LinkedIn with one another. But we're not especially close and he is not very familiar with my work. So I figured the best way to bring him up to speed was by simply doing something constructive, rather than merely talking about it.

Who knows where it will lead, but at least one thing is certain: his new bio, should he implement even only a few of my suggestions, will be markedly more compelling than the one that's been online for more than a year now.

What about you? What kind of service can you provide to someone else today--without asking, or even expecting, anything in return? What can you show someone?

A Burgeoning Blog: Scheck It Out!

In this blog-eat-blog world, increasingly I am guiding various clients as they develop an ongoing web presence. Among them is Scheck & Siress, a highly respected orthotic and prosthetic company for which I'm working as a senior associate of Plunkett & Associates, a leading Chicago strategic communications company.

To see some recent work I've helped facilitate, prosthetist David Rotter's trip to the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, you can Scheck It Out.

PR Update: Five Seasons/Athletes For Life

This afternoon, as was my hope yesterday, I finished the news release on the Five Seasons Sports Club in Burr Ridge hosting the Athletes For Life mobile Cardiac Screening Facility, starting Sept. 16-17, taking a day off, and wrapping up on Sept. 19-20.

In all, I contacted about 15 media outlets, encompassing newspapers, regional magazines, television and radio, and offered slight modifications depending on whether the outlet was closer to Burr Ridge or Northbrook. Especially with weekly newspapers, it's vital to provide at least 10 days' advance notice. Depending on the timing of an event, even 10 days' notice sometimes provides only one pre-event placement opportunity.

As I often do, I also placed the release on the user-generated websites for the Chicago Tribune (Triblocal) and the Sun-Times News Group (Neighborhood Circle).

Marlene Karman, a part-time employee at Five Seasons, has been tremendous in providing me with information and photographs, including the one posted in this missive as well as the post from yesterday.

The one above shows the 48-foot trailer, aka the mobile Cardiac Screening Facility, and the other, on yesterday's blog post, is of Marlene with retired NFL player Willie Gault, co-founder of the AFL Foundation, from an event held at the Karman residence a month ago.

PR That Goes To The Heart of the Matter

The past few days I have been working on a news release about Athletes For Life, and that organization's efforts, among other initiatives, to provide, at no charge, early detection of heart problems.

There are some major names associated with the group, starting with co-founder and former pro football star Willie Gault (pictured, with Marlene Karman--more on her in a moment). I sense that they just need a little PR support to reap exponential results, at least in terms of awareness.

I'm tying in the group's upcoming stops with one of my clients, the Five Seasons Sports Clubs in Burr Ridge and Northbrook. It's always fun when a win-win scenario emerges--by promoting Athletes For Life, in this instance, I am simultaneously promoting Five Seasons.

As so often happens with Five Seasons, it was the initiative of employees that tipped me off to the story. In fact, one of them is Marlene (pictured, with Willie Gault). She is a key volunteer for Athletes For Life. I've identified her as a focal point of the story, and some media may be interested in profiling her as much, and maybe even more so, than any of the more prominent names affiliated with the AFL.

First, though, I've got to finalize the release and gather photos from Marlene, who has been a joy to work with because she is so passionate about the cause. I'm hoping to wrap up the release by Friday, which would give 11 days' lead time before the first stop, Sept. 16-17, in Burr Ridge.

Stay tuned!

Video Persuades, Supports Media

Today there is a nice human-interest profile on Keeli Mickus (pictured with son, Hank) in the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest.

In addition to reporter Terry Dean's story, on its web site the Wednesday Journal prominently displayed three videos that I shot during an appointment that Keeli, a patient of Scheck & Siress, had about a month ago.
Posting those videos complements the writing, and not enough media take advantage of the opportunity. Fortunately, the WJ has some progressive, 21st-century minds at the helm.

Passing along links to supporting videos, as I did in this instance, carries a two-fold purpose: to persuade and to support.

First, videos more fully explain whatever story suggestion I'm making. The initial audience is the media member I'm trying to persuade to pursue the story.

Second, if a news outlet decides to pursue the story, the videos provide a relevant, supportive resource that it can share with its audience.

There's still another advantage to shooting, and uploading, videos: in doing so, you are not putting all of your eggs in the traditional media basket. Instead, you create a direct communication link to your audience--in this case, prospective patients of Scheck & Siress. If and when media coverage occurs, that's a welcome development but hardly the only barometer of success.

For example, before the story on Keeli appeared today, one of the videos now linked from the WJ website had attracted more than 220 views. And other videos I've shot for Scheck & Siress and other clients, dating back to May, have drawn thousands upon thousands of views.

The Importance Of Being Like Ernest

William Faulkner, overly fond of overly long sentences, or Ernest Hemingway: which novelist would thrive in today’s Twitter-y 140-character-or-less, attention-span-challenged world?

Hemingway. No doubt. Mr. Brevity himself.

Besides having a realistic view of how much time your audience will devote to any given subject-word-predicate combination, “writing tight” helps aid comprehension. (At 23 words, that last sentence was pushing the limit, for example.)

If someone knows what the heck you are actually saying, then there’s an exponentially greater chance they will take the action that you are, directly or indirectly, recommending they take. A pretty notable trait, that, for marketers and publicists, among others.

These ruminations flow after I just read a Los Angeles publicist’s bio. His 43-word opening sentence spans so much tundra that by the time I reached the period, I had forgotten the stuff that came before the first of his seven (no kidding!) commas.

And it’s hardly an aberration. Two sentences later, he lays a 42-word whopper on readers.

Now, that's how he crafts his bio, which (you would think) would prompt some painstaking attention on his part. How clearly and cogently do you suspect he is conveying his clients’ stories?

(Of course, I checked out my website to see if I’m practicing what I’m preaching. On a per-sentence basis, the greeting page checks in at 19 words, my company profile at 20 words, and my bio at a relatively long-winded 28 words. Hmm, the prose behind that last stat is something to examine for my next site update. )

Make no mistake: effective storytelling is not about merely hewing to an oppressive word-count limit. Bathroom-wall scribblings tend to be brief, but that doesn’t mean they are worthy of anything other than a good scrubbing.

Next time you come across a powerfully told story, though, pay heed to the rhythm and flow. Amid the longer sentences, I would predict, are a liberal sprinkling of quick bursts of thought that pack a hefty punch.