Just announced. Ellen Degeneres is leaving American Idol. This is the right move for her for countless reasons and there are lessons here for any entrepreneur.
It’s not because she’s not in the music biz. It’s not because she didn’t like saying hurtful things to contestants or because of her heavy work schedule although I’m sure [...]

There’s a saying: “Any publicity is good publicity”. “As long as they’re talking about you” people say. Ain’t Necessarily So.
Want publicity? Careful what you wish for.
Just ask Toyota. Tylenol. Audi. Nurse Susan Nelles. Maple Leaf Foods. Domino’s Pizza.
Every company should have a “sh-t hits the fan plan” ’cause if and when it [...]

How often does it happen? A guy wins a Golden Globe for best actor in a movie and thanks his stand-in, a guy named Lloyd. The guy deserves the thank-you as much as all the pretty actors; Bridges said that Lloyd has been his stand-in in over 60 films. But how often does it happen?
Not [...]

American Idol Without Simon Cowell?
Say it ain’t so!
Just a rumor at this point, but if it’s true, bye bye Idol.
You can’t take the meat out of a hamburger and then sell a white bread
sandwich. Sorry Fox!
Thanks to Ad Age for the head’s up.

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Not that I ever watch the show ’cause I’m always working but it was nice to know it was there for when I get invited on to discuss Step Into The Spotlight! But it looks like our discussion will have to be on a cable network. I guess it’s true what they say about riches [...]

BREAKING NEWS!
“Ordering Pizza on Halloween? Beware!”
“If pizza from your favorite pizzeria is on your Halloween dinner menu, beware: Halloween is the third busiest pizza day of the year, behind Super Bowl Sunday and New Year’s Eve. So place your order early and be prepared to wait.”
Quoted from today’s AOL News © Netscape Communications Corp.
You gotta [...]

I have long been using Obama as an example of a guy who demonstrates the principles outlined in Step Into The Spotlight! back from when I first spotted him in a story about the 10 contenders for the democratic nomination. Obama knows what he’s doing in the arenas of personal branding, marketing, publicity, public speaking, [...]

I’m always telling entrepreneurs to stay in character in order to build a solid brand, but sometimes it pays to step out of character for a minute to get attention. Woody Allen’s characters jumped on and off the screen in Purple Rose of Cairo. Speakers know the best way to get an audience’s attention is [...]

Just saw a news bulletin that says that Walter Cronkite is not well so I just wanted to give him a salute as a sign of respect. We talk about personal branding–This man is an icon.
Here’s Walter Cronkite showing some vulnerability–fast forward to about 5 minutes in…

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