The auditions are over. The call-backs are done. Going “against type” for a change, the country has cast the role of the American President. With a million people watching in person (999,999 and Oprah– good thing she got a head start branding herself as “O”) and zillions at home on TV, Obama took the stage, [...]

I wrote about it in the book, that sometimes it’s necessary to step OUT of the spotlight to recharge your batteries. I guess after 45 years in the spotlight Ringo’s need recharging, so he’s asking warning his fans not to send him any more fan mail after October 20.
Not sure how his fans will [...]

We all know it’s important to have a tag line or slogan in business. I’m guess one of Emeril’s most valuable properties are his lines, “Bam!” and “Kick it up a notch!” He doesn’t have to trademark them (Joan Rivers actually did trademark “Can We Talk?”) ’cause they immediately conjure up his image. And now [...]

We haven’t seen a sparring like this since the Cola Wars. Although personally, I gotta say “Hey Microsoft, Methinks Thou Dost Protest Too Much.”
After a short series of seriously weird Seinfeld-Gates spots, Microsoft has decided to take Apple head on with a montage of “I’m a PC” declarations–(The first step is admitting it…) [...]

Not sure what the point is, but perhaps that’s the point. I mean it stars a guy who had a good long run with a show about nothing so why shouldn’t he collaborate on a commercial about nothing. Except that maybe it’s not about nothing. Maybe, it’s about making us think Microsoft is as cool [...]

A hockey mom. A war hero. A devoted dad. And a–what?
All business is show business and politics is no exception. And you can’t step onto the stage without knowing what part you’re gonna play. In showbiz, it’s casting. In business, it’s positioning. The danger of not positioning yourself clearly enough is that [...]

There’s a saying, often credited to Oscar Wilde, “Any publicity is good publicity”.
Mars Inc, the maker of the Snickers bar, appears to be testing the boundaries of this philosophy with its series of “Get Some Nuts” ads. The ads feature Mr. T (in a tank no less!) taunting less-than-macho-males going about their business (speed-walking, [...]

Ever wonder why we’ve heard of Darwin…
Is it because he was the best at what he did or was it because he understood how to step into the spotlight?
Recently read a fascinating fact based fictional account of Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle and the controversy surrounding his writings, (yeah, you guessed it, one of my [...]

The thing about a book is that you have a finite amount of space to say what you want to say– good thing. Generally, less really is more.
But that meant that I only had one page (Page 266) in Step Into The Spotlight! as an Appendix to spread the word about some cool marketing blogs. [...]

Unbelievable what a bit of word of mouth can do.
(And yes, I do know it’s meaningless and I know I’m taking this WAY too seriously and I know bragging about some silly list is tacky, but for a girl with no toaster or microwave, this is exciting stuff!)
So, I got up in the middle of [...]