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…
Teachers and Mentors
Seth Godin has a great blog post about two different types of teaching- one that's all about facts and procedures, and one that's more about learning to see and solve interesting problems. This caught my attention, because I've been having alot of conversations...
How We Pay Matters
I'm starting to think how we pay people for work done matters. Cash feels like we're handing something tangible to another person. It's real. It's limited in our pockets and wallets, even if we can go to an ATM and replenish our supply. Psychologically, I treat...
Who is Your Audience?
At Podcasters Across Borders, I did a presentation about Disruption of the Social Contract. My main point is that every time we create something- a painting, a blog post, a picture, a meal- we do it with an audience in mind. We may be our own audience, or the...
iPhone Envy
Llike any good tech rat, I went to my local Apple Store to stand in line, in the vain hope of scoring a new iPhone on its first day of availability. I tried to pre-order, as I did for my iPad, but the problems with the Apple store and AT&T interface got in the...
A Few Pieces of Wisdom
There are a few pieces of wisdom I carry around with me- some are quotes, sayings, principals or touchstones that always resonate with me. I thought I'd share a few of them with you. It will probably help you understand me better, and hopefully they'll help you as...
Competition
When I was in high school, I played Squash. It's not just a vegetable, but a kind of racket sport most people say "like racquetball, right?" which annoys the crap out of anyone who has seriously played the game. And I was nationally ranked in my age group in high...
“It’s Just a Platform”
Early on in my web geek history, I used to hear the phrase "it's just a platform" dispensed frequently, especially when someone would ask: "What's this thing good for, anyway?" I was always frustrated by that kind of non-answer answer. After all, if you're building...
Longevity of New Media
Someone on Twitter was talking about how to celebrate a big Tweet number- 25,000 tweets. Some people have chosen to try to raise money for their momentous tweet, but what struck me was what might have been said in those 25,000 tweets. Does that equal a novel? A Book?...
Repairing Relationships
Yesterday, I spoke at the Social Media Plus conference, and finally got to meet the great Jason Falls. In Jason's presentation, he spoke about how sometimes, a relationship with a customer gets damaged, and there may be no going back. Sometimes, there's nothing you...
Finding Your Social Media Voice
I started talking to a friend the other day about this idea of "finding your voice". To many, it sounds like a fortune cookie, and doesn't seem to make very much sense at all, and to others, there's an instant resonance. So to bridge this gap, let me explain what i...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
