It’s Gonna be one of those posts…..
As many of you know, I’ve been involved in local politics seriously since 2014. I became a local democratic zone leader in 2022. It’s been a big job, but it’s largely akin to running the PTO, but with more far-ranging consequences. You’ve got planning for events, wrangling volunteers, and keeping…
Guide to Gift Giving
It’s close to Christmas, and as we finish up our shopping, it’s worth reflecting on the purpose of gifts in the first place. I read an article this am about how millenial parents are frustrated that their Boomer parents are showering their kids with useless stuff that just ends up…
FFS
We’re living in interesting times. The lead candidate for the republican nomination for presidency just wants everyone to give up and anoint him their candidate now, despite finally starting to face the consequences of years of fraud and treating the legal system as a cudgel to use against anyone he…
AI is Going to Change Everything
Working in digital marketing, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what it can and should be used for is all the rage right now. If you want to understand AI better, the best source is really Chris Penn– who has an excellent set of videos and regularly explains what’s happening in AI…
Podcamp 2023
A small group of us, die hards from Podcamp Philly and Podcamp East, came together this past weekend for Podcamp 2023 in Philadelphia. There were amazing sessions talking about how AI and Chat GPT will pose challenges to those of us who are involved in digital marketing, or looking to…
Glad to Leave Office? I get it.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is getting into trouble because he spoke his truth, saying he’s looking forward to a time when he’s not mayor. As someone who was a Township Supervisor for 6 years, I understand this sentiment perhaps as much as anyone. Being a local elected official may look…
Almost 80 Best Movies of the 80’s
Rolling Stone just put out a post of the 100 best movies of the 1980’s- and there are a lot of obscure movies that as a teenager/college student during the 80’s I never heard of. As a child of divorced parents, I spent a ridiculous amount of time at the…
Losing but not Lost
I lost my bid for re-election as a Township Supervisor. Elections are like the world’s longest job interview. I knocked 946 doors, speaking with friends and neighbors; sending mail out to people about what I stood for, and what I believed. I chose not to attack my opponent, even though…
Running for Office
I am a local Township Supervisor in Pennsylvania, running for re-election this year. Supervisor is a part-time position, and comes with a statutory stipend of $2,500.00 a year. that equates to about $5.20 or less an hour of meeting time, and other work we put in to help guide the…
Dementia
My mother-in-law has dementia. She had been pretty good at hiding her slow cognitive decline for a long time, but gradually, not even those of us who would have preferred to be in denial could avoid the truth. We needed to move Nancy out of her home and into a…
How Great Ideas are Born
I found a new favorite podcast recently- TheRSA.org. The RSA describes itself as: For over 250 years the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress. Our...
Doing What Matters
One of the hardest things to do is to stop yourself from wasting time, getting distracted or getting involved in things that, in the big picture, matter little. For example, it is SO easy to get caught up in family or friend drama. People want others to listen to...
The Difference between Recipes and Tools
When working with clients, I try to provide tools, more than recipes. Tools give you the ability to create. Tools are useful in many circumstances. Mastery of tools takes time, and continues long beyond acquiring them. A Hammer, for example, is a great tool. You...
User Interface
I've been having a lot of conversations with businesses recently about different projects and how to move them forward. Never forget to make the "end user interface"- what the customer first sees, and how they interact with your business- as easy and friendly as...
Into the Fray
The current political season is driving me crazy. I have, for some time, joked that all candidates for public office should have to do two things : 1) Take the current SAT test and publish their scores, and 2) Take a basic civics test, like the one all immigrants...
Counting Sins or Blessings
One of the most important lessons I've ever learned in blame rarely solves any argument. Instead, the process should concentrate on solving the underlying problem, not so much the feelings associated with it. When you solve the underlying problem, often it solves the...
What Businesses Miss
This morning, I saw an article about how Microsoft was talking with Adobe and might even want to form a merger to deal with Apple in the mobile space. What's wrong with this thinking? It turns out, something that causes many businesses of any size problems. You're...
Teaching is Hard Work
I just watched the first episode of A & E's new series, Teach, where actor Tony Danza tries to teach a tenth grade english class at Northeast high school in Philadelphia. While there are plenty of detractors in this situation, I'm excited this show exists. Why?...
The Education Flap
There's a perception in this Country that education is broken. Oprah has jumped on the bandwagon with her shows on the "Waiting for Superman" documentaries, and made a lot of comments that are known to be more myth than fact. I won't say education here in the US is...
Thoughts on Homeownership
I was reading this article in Time Magazine that discussed whether our "fetish" with homeownership in this country makes any sense. While I understood the points they made about buying a house not being the pinnacle of every American's dream anymore, now that it is...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
