I’ve got running on the brain right now, and for good reason. I’ll be running the San Francisco marathon this weekend. The nerves are definitely kicking in!
I’ve been looking for a little last minute inspiration, and I recently rediscovered a list of funny sayings spotted on signs at marathons (courtesy of the SF Marathon training program weekly emails). They reminded me of two valuable lessons that are always useful for communicators:
1) When you’re trying to get someone’s attention, a little humor can go a long way.
2) Creative writing can be found in the most unexpected places, even on spectator signs.
Check out some of my favorite motivational signs:
• “Your feet hurt ... Read more »
It’s not every day we get to celebrate a great cause AND rub shoulders with celebrities, but on May 24, the Brilliant Ink team got to do a little bit of both. We were proud to be a corporate sponsor of 826 Valencia’s annual fundraiser, which was held in San Francisco and attended by hundreds of their supporters and friends. You may remember that we’ve written about 826 Valencia before – they’re a nonprofit that teaches kids literacy and writing skills. The organization was founded by one of my favorite authors, Dave Eggers, so you can imagine how excited I was when we actually got to meet Dave at the ... Read more »
Back in December 2008, we lamented the annoying AP Stylebook rule about how to properly write “Web site.” This seems to be a huge point of contention for many in our industry. I’ve heard it come up in conversation countless times, and when teaching a writing course that includes a section on AP Style, several people have told me this is their biggest pet peeve.
Well, it seems the folks at AP finally heeded our call. Earlier this week, the AP Stylebook announced it was officially changing the rule – changing “Web site” to “website” – in response to reader feedback. The change went into effect immediately on Stylebook Online and ... Read more »
“I was a dog on a short chain and now there’s no chain.” — Jim Harrison, “Barking”
April is National Poetry Month, and while you may think we’ve had our fill of commemorating special months on the Brilliant Blog, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share a favorite poem. The quote above is from author/poet/free spirit Jim Harrison, who has been referred to as a “force of nature.” He’s written several novels and may be best known for his novella Legends of the Fall, which was turned into a feature film starring Brad Pitt, but he considers himself a poet first. His writing is spare, powerful and haunting. Below is the poem “Barking” (from ... Read more »
Me and my awesome mom
There are so many women who inspire me that I found myself agonizing about writing this blog entry. Of course because writing is such a big part of what we do at Brilliant Ink, I thought of two of my favorite authors, Jane Austen and Zora Neale Hurston. Both of these women broke new ground and challenged stereotypes of the day, with beautifully crafted novels that draw you in with engaging and inspiring characters.
I also thought about one of my favorite political activists and social figures, Eleanor Roosevelt. I highly recommend her old newspaper column, My Day, published from 1936-1962.
Instead I’d like to dedicate this blog to someone who is ... Read more »
| Date: March 31, 2010 | Author: Janice Smith Collins | Category: Uncategorized |
Anne Frank
Here on the Brilliant Blog, we are commemorating Women’s History Month by sharing our thoughts on some of the women who inspire us.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing. And that passion was certainly inspired in no small part by Anne Frank. I read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was 13 years old – around the same age of its eponymous author. Of course, I was moved by the story of a young girl and her family as they hid from the Nazis and were eventually captured. But more than that, I was inspired by the words of a young girl who used writing as ... Read more »
It’s St. Patty’s Day – are you wearing your green? With a name like Liz Kelly, you may not be surprised that we’d consider an Irish-themed blog post in honor of the occasion. In fact, I have even more reasons to celebrate than you might think – my husband has dual U.S. and Irish citizenship, and my mother’s birthday happens to be today, so needless to say, St. Patrick’s Day holds a little extra significance for me.
To help you celebrate, here’s a special edition of Favorite Words originating from the Irish language. You get bonus points if you can work one of these words into your conversation over a pint ... Read more »
Carol Bartz
It’s Women’s History Month, y’all, and since Brilliant Ink is both woman-owned and led, we thought it would be fun to mark the occasion by sharing our thoughts on some of the women who inspire us.
One of my favorite words is “moxie,” and there’s nothing I like more than a leader with a little bit of moxie and a no-nonsense style. When I think of those kinds of leaders, one person immediately pops to mind: Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz.
In preparation for some consulting work I did with Yahoo! last year, I did a little online reading about Bartz and was immediately impressed. For starters, she’s tough. She was diagnosed with ... Read more »
Finding a clear purpose that people can connect with on a human level is incredibly important.
As we work with our clients in developing communications strategies and messages to keep employees engaged in their jobs, we often find ourselves coming back to a common theme, regardless of the industry or project we are working on. That theme is meaningful purpose. It’s the answer to “why should I care about working here?”
Sure, people come to a job every day because they receive a paycheck, but it’s the purpose behind the job that keeps them coming back day after day, and it’s often the difference between an employee loving his job – or leaving it.
Finding a clear purpose that people can connect with on a human level is ... Read more »
Sometimes all people really need is a personal expression of gratitude letting them know that they are appreciated.
With Valentine’s Day just behind us, it reminds me of how many of us “share the love” in the workplace – that is, through corporate recognition programs.
Over time, the simple act of saying thank you seems to have become rather complicated in the corporate workplace. There are big, yearlong recognition programs with points and websites and Caribbean cruises. There are different levels of recognition with certificates that can be redeemed for cash and prizes. While there are certainly benefits to these more formal programs, I think some of the best – and most effective – recognition programs are the simplest.
We recently helped a client with a peer-to-peer recognition program that ... Read more »
