Sonia

I work frequently with my husband’s web development company, so I know that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the new Atkins Diet in the world of technology. All companies want to know about it because they think it will save them tons of money in advertising. Many companies sell SEO services, and some make ridiculous…

So often we think about what we hate on the computer… for me it’s MS Word (clunky is a compliment!). But I’d like to focus on a website that I love: dictionary.com. I’d like to give them a shout out because this website is simple, does it’s job well, and connects to a great thesaurus.…

We watched an interesting documentary show on the Sundance Channel, called Iconoclasts. This particular episode focused on Sumner Redstone, who controls media empire, Viacom, and movie producer Brian Glazer. Redstone said some things that were worthy to be quoted. So I paused the Tivo and took notes. Here’s a few words of leadership wisdom from…

I’ve been devouring my “magazines to read” pile. I came across an excellent article on trust in Associations Now magazine by Michelle and Dennis Reina. It’s critical to being a good leader, which seems to be something everyone should know if they don’t. However, one little sidebar on the article really stood out to me……

With all the brouhaha recently about the Facebook user agreement, many started thinking about their privacy and their information on social networking sites. Thanks to Twitter, I came across this excellent summary on “10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know” on AllFacebook.com.  I thought it was very helpful, and since I’ve recommended it to…

We got a special invitation from Donald Trump the other day. It had gold ink, and it looks pretty fancy on the outside. On the inside, however, it was just like every other direct mail seminar pitch, except of course it included two free tickets to admit us to this special event. My husband and…

I’ve been on Linkedin for a long time, and at first, I thought it was going to just be a resume posting site. I knew it had potential, but it seemed to be lacking something. In the past 4 months, Linkedin has really started taking off. I think it’s starting to reach critical mass: everyone…

I just read a great post on building confidence and destroying fear at GetRichSlowly.org. I love this because I find that so many people let fear dominate all their decision-making. I have known many people who have stayed in a dead-end job, abusive relationship, or missed out on a great opportunity because they were too…

I do a lot of freelance magazine writing; while wearing my journalist’s hat, the first place I go to do research on a company is their website. Surprisingly, it often appears that the website is the last place where most companies invest their time. How do I know? On company websites of all sizes, I…

A few weeks ago I wrote on this website about a funny phone experience I had with a bank customer service rep about credit cards. I submitted it to one of my husband’s favorite personal finance blogs, GetRichSlowly.org. The editor, J.D. Roth, liked the post and offered to publish it. It went online yesterday at…

For years, I’ve been offering advice to my husband that he should market his graphic design and web development business more. He always looked at me and said something like: “It’s on the list.” I usually then shook my head and thought that he needed better planning skills. This was before I left my 9-to-5…

Normally I stick to communication and business tips on this blog. However, today, I will deviate to share a funny, but surprisingly true story about money. Credit cards to be specific. Considering the current “financial crisis” that’s impacting everyone’s businesses, I think it’s relevant. Last night I had to call one of our banks, Bank…

Business networking website Linkedin.com now has an events function, which is a great step to really becoming a competitor to Facebook. For all of us who have ever worked in associations, this feature makes the pulse jump a tad! You can add an event and then link your participation to it, as a speaker, organizer…

My local newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, sent me an interesting story in their news email blast. The headline read: “City threatens blind woman over unpaid 1-cent bill.” Uh-oh, I thought: PR disaster. Some auto-billing mechanism is creating a havoc. Sure enough… The city of Attleboro, Mass. sent a nastygram to a 74-year-old blind resident…

Every once in a while I come across a post on the web that is so valuable that I have this urge to print it and save it somewhere in a vault of “important informaton.” However, these days, I am retraining myself to save the link or if I must print it, print it to…

I recently read an article in the ASAE Communications Section Newsletter about an association offering a new conference… one hitch: they had no marketing budget. What did they do? According to Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association, his association used new media to inexpensively and effectively promote their conference. Della…

I read a very good article in Maximum Impact’s newsletter, called “7 Reasons Why Speakers Flop.” For years, I have worked with CEOs on speaking at conferences, and these are all things I worked to get across to each of them each year. As I read this article, I wanted to stand up and yell,…

This is my second post on an innovation presentation that I recently attended by Kathie Thomas of Fleishman Hillard at the PRSA St. Louis monthly luncheon. Although Thomas presented many great ideas, one of the takeaways I enjoyed most was the brainstrorming guidelines. We’ve all been a part of such ridiculous brainstorming sessions at work…