From Government Speechwriter to School Bus Driver
Quite some time ago, 72 weeks ago, to be precise, I left my job as a speechwriter in the federal government as part of the DOGE cuts. It was work …
In a Veteran Speechwriter’s Hard-Wrought Work, Claude Finds Dozens of AI ‘Tells’
From a veteran speechwriter correspondent, who has been part of an ongoing discussion around the Professional Speechwriters Association, about AI. The PSA’s AI guru Brent Kerrigan had sent around an …
Your Midnight Memo, to the CEO
At a recent gathering of exec comms directors, participants were asked to write a “midnight memo” to their CEO, to be read aloud before the group, in secret. As soon …
Whither the ‘Remote Speechwriter’
The Lorax spoke for the trees. I speak for the speechwriters. So I hate to side with anyone who refuses to hire one, for any reason. But a speechwriter wrote …
Exec Comms in the Era of ‘Because I Said So’
The through line from Marc Andreessen’s introspection-is-for-losers hot take to Donald Trump’s Easter Sunday greeting — “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards” — would be shocking if it wasn’t so predictable. …
What Kind of a Question Is That?
This week The New York Times published a piece headlined, “CEOs Are the Heads of Companies. Should They Also Be the Face?” What’s your gut reaction to that question? As …
This Is What Civic Communication Looks Like
One of the best parts of participating in the City Club is being witness to moments of real, authentic civic work. There are moments at forums where you feel a …
If CEOs Won’t Speak, How About These Guys?
I don’t speak for the members of the Executive Communication Council, to their great relief. But as this organization’s founder and executive director, I’m getting a little restless. The action was …
AI Exec Comms Agency Starts Small, Dreams Big
I opened my call last week with chief marketing officer Caitlin Bigelow by telling her I didn’t know if the conversation should result in my asking the start-up she works …
Past Is Prologue: The Executive Communication Year in … Preview?
Old sailors know that the weather is a liar. Sun and calm seem like they’ll last forever. And when the rain and wind are lashing you, you think it will …