Sometimes, television shows can be educational in a way never intended or imagined.  If you were one of the millions watching the second season finale of Game of Thrones last night, I doubt you were looking for lessons in business or public relations. Not many people would turn to a medieval fantasy on HBO for that kind of lesson, but here are three you can apply to your business today. Do Your Research Royal spymaster, Lord Varys, knows...

Ok I confess: I’m kind of a nerd.  I was always that student who loved school.  As a kid I would line up my dolls and pretend to “teach” them as I wrote the day’s lesson plan on a chalkboard in my bedroom. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication, I worked for a year in a communications office before I decided I wasn’t finished learning, so I went back to graduate school and earned a master’s degree. And I...

Since opening our doors 20 years ago, I have gained increasing respect for the role good PR can play in growing business and revenues – both in tangible and intangible ways. But small PR missteps can have the opposite effect. Having worked with hundreds of companies from all over the U.S., I’d like to highlight four mistakes companies often make when it comes to public relations. 1. Not building a sustained marketing PR...

It’s weird how things happen. About 20 years ago I had made the journey to see my gynecologist, Dr. Charles Hammond, who was and continues to be a big deal at Duke University Medical Center.  I had acquired him as my doctor some years earlier while a student at Duke and felt like there was no need to break in another gynecologist. It just became an annual ritual to go have a physical at Duke and he became my only doctor. On this visit I...

Steve Jobs has announced his departure from Apple. And while the timing was a surprise, the resignation was not.  The market has been preparing for this moment for quite some time. Yet in the wake of the announcement, Apple’s stock was impacted not because of company performance but as an emotional response from the market to the departure of a dynamic leader. An iconic figure, Job’s signature black turtle neck and jeans are...