Three Lessons Salt Institute Has Taught Us

When the dust settles and Salt Institute’s fate is sealed, this story will make one heck of a case study. Let me introduce you to Salt Institute for Documentary Studies (Salt). Information from the About page on its website says that Salt is: a non-profit school in Portland, Maine offering semester-long intensive programs in documentary […]

The Power of Curiosity

“cu·ri·os·i·ty (kyo͝orēˈäsədē) noun a strong desire to know or learn something” Think back to the time when you were a young child and every day was filled with wonder. What would you discover? What would you do? Where would you go? The day was overflowing with questions to ask and ideas to explore – all […]

Want to Tell a Great Story? Try Reading a Few.

Reading is one of the best ways you can learn to be a better writer. Grab a book – fiction, nonfiction – whatever suits your fancy, and see what you learn. My love of reading and fascination with books dates back to my childhood. Olaf Reads is a favorite from my childhood, and my current library […]

Get Your Social On: Keeping the Social in Social Media

Are you being social or have you slipped into the habit of constant selling, rather than engaging, on social media channels? If you’re constantly asking, selling, telling, are you engaging with your audience? Or have you alienated your tribe? If you’re not engaging, you might just be transferring traditional media tactics to social settings. You might be […]

Three Reasons to Read Chris Guillebeau’s Latest Book, The Happiness of Pursuit

Yes, there are WAY more than three reasons to read The Happiness of Pursuit. I’m choosing to limit my list to three reasons that will more than illustrate why you should hop on over to your favorite local bookstore or power up your favorite piece of technology to order this gem. The subtitle of the […]

TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race: There’s Room For Everyone at Joanie’s Run

Here it is Sunday night, the weekend’s winding down, and I’m watching the Boston Red Sox play those dreaded New York Yankees. While this is a good way to end the weekend (as long as the Red Sox win), I find myself thinking about yesterday’s TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race along the coast […]

Yarmouth Clam Festival: Still Fresh After 49 Years

The weather gods were looking out for the organizers of the 49th Annual Yarmouth Clam Festival last weekend. Perhaps the unseasonably cool temperatures and lack of humidity were Mother Nature’s way of acknowledging a job well done. The  town of 8,300 along Maine’s southern coast prepares to welcome 100,000 to its village every year to […]

Is Your Approach to Media Relations Helping or Hurting Your Cause?

Oh my goodness. Did I ever have an eye-opening experience last week. Maine Public Relations Council hosted a media panel discussion for its members featuring three local award-winning journalists. Topics for discussion included best practices for pitching and storytelling. I love to share a good story and wanted to hear what these media reps consider […]

Reinventing an Old Friend to Create a City of Readers

In a world where following the latest shiny object can be distracting, it’s refreshing to see a shiny object designed to keep us on track. Portland’s shiny new bookmobile was unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony right outside the Portland Public Library. Investors and city officials were quick to point out that this bookmobile should […]

Need Funding? Make. Every. Word. Count.

Whether your goal is to bring your entrepreneurial vision to the masses or carry out the mission of a nonprofit, your success in the search for funds will undoubtedly rest upon your ability to develop and share a good story. Just how do you craft that story? No problem here thanks to Seth Rigoletti of […]