This weekend I’m heading off to the Breathe Writers Conference. It will be my third time in three years. There are many things I’m looking forward to, among them: Mostly I’m looking forward to being in the company of other writers, to share and learn, to encourage and be encouraged, and to grow as a […]
I recently had someone share a book idea with me. It was about him dealing with a tragedy. If you want to write your story about a personal struggle, here are some questions to ask: Are you emotionally able to write? This man was in the middle of his struggle. He was on edge and […]
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How Much Does it Cost to Ship Socks?
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD There’s a certain brand of wool socks that I like. Okay, I really, really like them. I’m wearing a pair right now. I wanted to try a different style, but the local outlets didn’t carry it. Though I prefer to buy online and bypass the “experience” of going to a […]
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The Right Touch
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Email is a cost-effective and simple way to reach out and touch clients and customers. But just because it’s cheap and easy, this doesn’t mean it’s always a good idea. When done wrong, email messages can alienate the audience you’re trying to cultivate. Send Only Useful Messages Many years ago […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. I have never done outbound calling, and it would be a bad idea for me to try. I have done inbound work. Inbound is a good match for me; outbound is not. As such, I tend to assume others share my reticence towards outbound calling. Once I projected this viewpoint […]
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Four Reasons to Set Goals
It’s important to set goals, both for our work and for our self. Goals move us forward Without goals, it’s easy to drift from day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year—and nothing really changes. One of my goals is to attend two writing conferences each year. This helps grow […]
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When Innovation Falls Short
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD I recently bought a laptop and included a carrying case with my order. There would be two shipments, first the case and a week later, the laptop. I was given shipping dates for both. The case arrived a day before it was promised, which impressed me. I like to say, […]
I attended my first writer’s conference over two years ago. Aside from the presenters, not one attendee had published a book. Some were talking about it, others were working on it, and a few were seeking an agent, but no one had published anything beyond an article. How discouraging. No one had a success story […]
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Beam Me Up, Scotty
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD It was a lazy summer afternoon, a Friday. Things were a bit slow at the office and upper management had all left to get an early jump on their weekend. I, being a front-line manager, did not have that luxury. Besides, I had work to complete before the weekend. My […]
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Three Reasons Why Firefly Failed
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD It’s been said Gene Roddenberry pitched the original Star Trek TV show as “a western in outer space.” I can appreciate the simplicity of that statement, but think it’s a bit off the mark. However, that would’ve been perfect for the TV show Firefly. Firefly truly was a western in […]