How to Win Enemies and Influence People Who Hate You
Five years ago I lived in an anarchist commune, and to say I hated marketing would be an understatement. I thought capitalism was rigged, McDonald's used subliminal messaging to prey upon babies, and CEOs were puppeteers of the American sheeple. To avoid giving our money to The System, we dumpster-dived for food, collected our own rainwater, grew our own gardens, and — I’m ashamed to admit — many of us shoplifted.
Let me pause to say that stealing things is not cool, ever. No matter how many employees between a company’s CEO and the product on the shelf, shoplifting robs people of their hard-earned money. My point is that refusal to support big companies is an integral part of anarchism, and yet, there is something deeply ironic about the whole subculture:
Anarchists are brand-loyal snobs.
Yacht Rock Friday at Nebo
The email went out Monday a week ago:
“As some of you may have heard, we will be switching it up this year and celebrating the start of summer not with a pagan sacrifice to an ancient, profane god, but with Yacht Rock Friday aka ‘Smooth Grooves and Booze’ aka ‘Adult Contemporary Christmas’ aka ‘Johnny’s Ramadan’.”
The Advertising Paradox: Leading in an Industry that Objectifies My Gender
The advertising world has a problem. It’s ads like this:
The Difference between Content Marketing & Copywriting
“Content marketing” in the digital sphere has been around since the Internet became a household staple, when users slowly started to grasp how they could leverage the World Wide Web to share information. In the 2000s, blogs rose through the ranks to become the go-to resource for anything you needed to know, whether it was personal style tips or how to remodel your house on your own. Fast-forward to 2016, and content marketing is at the top of everyone’s to-do list, from Fortune 500 companies to Aunt Jane with her handmade soaps.
An Intern’s Perspective on the Importance of Preparation
Imagine yourself immersed in a tropical paradise, almost 100 feet underwater off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. The water is clear as you swim by endless colors of coral reefs on top of sandy valleys. It’s the most extraordinary dive you have ever performed… until you realize your tank is low and you didn’t pack your spare air.
With scuba diving, it’s all about preparation. After all, great preparation leads to a greater dive. The same can be said for preparing for an internship.
A Comma Misconception: A Follow-Up
It’s been three years since the landmark article "A Comma Misconception" was published. We sat down with the author to discuss how the piece came about and how his life has changed since it took the world by storm.