Giving feedback is a critical part of being a good leader. Scratch that. Giving feedback is a critical part of being a good person. But let’s face it, no one really enjoys giving feedback, no matter what they say.

So, let’s break it down. Here’s how you can master the art of feedback.

Here’s the thing about the good old days: you never miss them until they’re gone. In the world of digital advertising, we’re the living exception. Because today, we can still track users across the web to deliver relevant ads to targeted audiences. But the hand is ticking toward midnight. And the good old days are almost gone.

Crazy and difficult times are here. Sports are canceled, concerts and festivals are canceled, the global economy is in a downward spiral. Olive Gardens across the country are without dine-in patrons for the first time since opening. Marketers and brands are caught thinking about how to shift their voices during this crisis to adapt to the circumstances. We’re here to say it’s easier than it seems. Let’s dive in.

Like any storytelling aid, PowerPoint can be both a tool...and a crutch. Used properly, it elevates a story to new heights, but used improperly, and your audience will feel lulled into a Koala-like slumber—not your target crowd. Combine your presentation skills with a sharp PowerPoint deck and you will win over a crowd.

Two years from twenty. Two years from forty. Millennials are an expansive range of individuals who are as easy to comprehend as a Gordan Ramsay cooking video. Deciphering how to talk to them? Now, you’re adding yet another layer to the hazelnut meringue.

Part 1: If you're reading this, you should damn well be blogging.

Well, hello. Fancy meeting you here. We weren't expecting company, but we're glad you dropped by. Who could blame you, really? I mean here we are, a sophisticated marketing juggernaut. Then there's you — the enquiring mind, parched for fresh ideas.

This beautiful thing we've got between us? It's more than passing fancy. It's a blueprint for taking your brand from Point A to Point Kicking Ass. You see, blogging deepens the relationship with your audience along a number of important dimensions. So slip off your boat shoes and stay awhile. Let's chew the proverbial adipose tissue about the whats, whys and wherefores of blogging.

First up, the whys. Here are four undeniable reasons to get the blog train choo-choo-chooing.

1. You're a suspicious character and probably full of crap.
After all, you're SELLING STUFF. And people who sell stuff are pathological phonies who'd say anything to make a buck. Or, maybe... I don't know. Maybe you're not so dastardly after all. I mean, that limerick in your blog wasn't totally cringe-worthy. And you seemed so... Darn. Genuine. Are you human? I'm starting to think so.

Amazing new technologies have come along in recent years that enhance or improve almost every job in the advertising field — except writing. So far, no new program, gadget or other modern convenience has come along to help a writer write a great headline, clever copy or improve a bad idea. Since the beginning of advertising, a writer has had to resort to his or her wits, intelligence and reasoning to come up with great ideas and the words to express them.

As a young college student pursuing his degree, the scattered interests of my youth were narrowed down to one specific area of focus: Copywriting.

As much as copywriters love creative control, we learn quickly that we're neither owed it nor are we likely to receive it. However, there's one medium in which writers potentially can let their voice be heard: radio.

On July 22nd, 1962, the Mariner 1 spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral on a mission to photograph Venus. Within minutes, it veered out of control and was destroyed by safety officers on the ground. The culprit? A missing hyphen in the guidance system’s code. Years later, author Arthur C. Clarke dubbed it “the most expensive hyphen in history.”

In print advertising, headlines are critical. They’re the bait. They grab your attention, and once you’re hooked, the body copy begins reeling you in with product or brand benefits, Unique Selling Propositions (USPs), reasons to change your behavior and so on. After this, either the fishing line breaks and you’re off the hook, or the CTA brings you aboard the boat and throws you into an ice-filled Styrofoam cooler marked “sold.”

Whether you work at a marketing agency or a law firm or an oil drilling company, creativity is a part of your daily life. And it isn’t a linear process. Sometimes you’ve gotta move sideways to forge ahead.