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…
Understanding the Knowledge Economy
I started a conversation with Mitch Joel after listening to the Media Hacks podcast Show #4 and he urged me to blog about it, so here it is. (If you aren't already listening to Media Hacks, you should check it out. In full disclosure, the minds behind the show-...
Getting Your Point Across
The best stories follow a structure. It doesn't matter if we're talking about stories in the newspaper, bedtime stories, or an anecdote told by a friend- most of them have a backbone of some sort. It can be a basic story arc- beginning, middle end. It can be the...
E-Kindness- Making it easier to be Martha Stewart
A long time ago, I used to have a great selection of greeting cards- back in the day when cards didn't cost $3 or more a piece. I used to love to send cards and notes to friends- it was a great way to keep in touch and keep it personal. I even have some friends who...
What is Quality Health Care?
Disclosure- I am married to a practicing physician. As we enter the great debate of what is quality health care, I worry that most patients don't know. From a patient's perspective, we tend to look at the poshness of the office, how long we had to wait, the doctor's...
Brain Waves Deux
Since the last Brain Dump went well (at least for me) I'm adding more here: -The most interesting and compelling projects come from the synergy between verticals. -Always consider the alternate POV - empathy goes a long way towards appreciating another's perspective....
Stories of Fraud
A friend of mine works at a large bank. She works in the fraud department, and as a result, she sees the best and worst of people as they try to scrape by. A few examples: - People playing their mortgage with credit card convenience checks. BAD idea. With credit...
Sharing What’s in My Mental Sketchpad
This post is as much for me as it might be for you, my patient readers. These are things I am thinking about and mulling over- Things I'm playing with, and things I'd love to chat with others about, if only to get second opinions. 1. How do we build relationships...
Perspective- How do you see it?
DSCF5324.JPG Originally uploaded by wsh1266 In law school, I finally realized that the determination of truth is often more subjective than objective. In the law, each side in a case presents their version or spin on the facts, with supporting documents in the form of...
Thinking About Play
The good people down at Commonwealth Academy recently put me in touch with Dr. Stuart Brown, who is the founder of the National Institute of Play. Dr. Brown has a new book coming out in March entitled Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and...
Social Media + Business = Tupperware Party
I just read an interesting post over at Chris Brogan's site about the Tricky Path of Brand Relationships. And while commenting, it hit me like a ton of bricks- Social Media is A Tupperware Party. In the "mommy world", women are often invited to "parties" where the...
Whitney Hoffman
Hi There! I’m Whitney Hoffman. I currently work for Mingl Marketing and Comfort Media Group in Philadelphia, PA
