Six years ago, comic and actor Robin Williams committed suicide. The news media reported that it was caused by depression, substance abuse or a career downturn. Not true. Williams had diffuse Lewy body dementia, a rare and degenerative disease that ravages the body and brain....
We were recently watching the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil. Phil is a sweet, self-effacing host of a food show. He travels around the world rather wide-eyed about the country, manners and cuisine he’s experiencing. Phil Rosenthal is the Everyman version of Anthony Bourdain, and...
We are watching The Last Dance, a documentary series based on the legendary 90’s Chicago Bulls basketball team. The star players were Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. However, coach Phil Jackson was critical to the teams’ success. In his last season, he created...
During our training of Humana doctors on how to conduct tele-visits with their elderly patients, we wondered how communicating virtually was affecting the physicians’ health. That led to “how is being stuck behind screens all day affecting our clients’ health?”The American Optometric Association defines Computer...
Recently, we coached an executive delivering an introduction to a keynote speaker; a financial advisor who had 60 seconds to say why her firm was sponsoring an event; and a sales rep in manufacturing who wanted an elevator speech or self-introduction. The common thread was...
We were listening to a WebEx presentation and were unsettled by the speaker’s vocal tic. At the end of almost every sentence, she said “right?” It was irritating and displayed a lack of self-awareness. It became so off-putting that we tuned out.Unfortunately, many speakers have...
We recently watched CBS Sunday Morning and were struck by the hand gestures of host Jane Pauley. She joined her hands in what we call “steeple on its side” or “inverted steeple.” Pauley’s gestures drew focus and seemed contrived...
Rain has two speeds in the high desert of New Mexico. One comes off the mountains in an explosion of lightning, thunder and water blowing sideways. Our back-acreage floods and the water cascades off the roof. The local Native Americans call this Father Rain. The...
Walt Gonske paints the rich landscapes of the Southwest, and more recently, still- lifes. He is one of the "Taos Six", a group of painters who revitalized the Taos art market. Recently, we visited Walt at his studio and asked why he thought his work...
In 2007, Chip and Dan Heath published Made to Stick-- Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. They explained why ideas are remembered, including having simplicity, concreteness, and the unexpected. The book’s entire introduction is about the “stickiness” of urban myths, proverbs and defeating obstacles;...