Endeavorance
The point of our blog isn’t to show you how up to date we are with buzzwords and jargon. It isn’t to instruct you with how-to guides, tips, tricks, and hacks. It isn’t to encourage, endorse, or engage in conformity. The point of our blog is to provoke, to counter popular notions, to question the status quo, to prompt your imagination, and to challenge you to think and achieve more than you might otherwise. Whatever happens, it’s worth the endeavor.
Endeavorance
The point of our blog isn’t to show you how up to date we are with buzzwords and jargon. It isn’t to instruct you with how-to guides, tips, tricks, and hacks. It isn’t to encourage, endorse, or engage in conformity. The point of our blog is to provoke, to counter popular notions, to question the status quo, to prompt your imagination, and to challenge you to think and achieve more than you might otherwise. Whatever happens, it’s worth the endeavor.
Seasonal Redirection
AUTUMN & CHANGESeasonal RedirectionJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group9 September 2021We’re 14 days away from the Autumn Equinox. And although it sounds wonderful to have an exact moment (3:20 p.m.) that Autumn begins, that’s also not the full picture....
The Rule of Sevens
You can tell something's in really deep trouble when you start to see articles about it. Given the diligence with which we've gone about removing meaning from language, conflating it with oppression, and weaponizing it in service to whatever our particular agendas...
Silence
SILENCE & SELF-TRUSTSilenceJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group2 September 2021Sometimes silence is deafening. Sometimes silence is cathartic. And other times silence can be anxiety inducing. Silence is defined as “complete absence of sound.” As I’m...
When Everybody’s Out to Get You …
In celebration of Back to School Week, Harvard Business Review (HBR) published another article for children. This one particularly targets children who work from home, who experience periodic feelings that the world may not exist to make them happy, who have rather...
Retreat. Read. Rest. Resume.
RETREAT & RESUMERetreat. Read. Rest. Resume.JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group26 August 2021I walked onto the porch, my Kindle in hand. I sat in the wrought iron patio chair and found it rather difficult to get comfortable. So, I sauntered back inside...
Well, Blow Me Down
Late last week and early this week, parts of the northeast were being warned to brace for the arrival of Hurricane Henri. (I live in central Connecticut.) As a result, news outlets — broadcast and online — were selling tons of advertising by sharing hysteria mixed...
The Fast-Forward Button
FAST-FORWARD & REWINDThe Fast-Forward ButtonJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group12 August 2021Have you ever wished you could have a fast forward button for life? I have. I’d want to rewind right back to trudge through my life’s muck, but I’m always curious...
I Do … Until I Don’t
Part A I don't think most people know or believe how much I love people. If you overlook the facts that they're forever ignoring history — including their own pasts — and so hopelessly addicted to instant gratification that they make themselves precedent setting cases...
Our Tomatoes
TOMATOES & GARDENINGOur TomatoesJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group5 August 2021This past March, my children and I planted several kinds of seeds. When it was time to bring them outside, we realized we had more than 13 tomato seedlings. It was closer to...
Follow the Bouncing Ball
I'm not precisely sure I had many expectations of the coronavirus pandemic. I guess if I'd given it any thought, I may have imagined it'd make us more self-reliant, more resourceful, more determined to do for ourselves and to take care of others. If I'd been inclined...
What’s the Story, Morning Glory?
LIFE & OASISWhat’s The Story, Morning Glory?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group29 July 2021At the tender age of 11, I was thrilled to listen to a new album released by the English pop band Oasis titled What’s the Story, Morning Glory?. During every car...
What’s Another Word for No?
I think my life has an inverse relationship with the writers and the members of the editorial staff at Harvard Business Review (HBR). Here's why: As I get older, HBR's writers and editorial personnel seem to get younger. As I get more mature, more things become...
A Rose-Colored Moon
THE MOON & ITS STORYA Rose-Colored MoonJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group22 July 2021We took a stroll in downtown Mystic, Connecticut, on Tuesday night. It was a beautifully temperate night. And the smell of the Mystic River was warm, fresh, and...
With All Due Respect
JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group15 July 2021While perusing the internet last night, I came across several hilarious articles, blogs, Instagram stories, and Tweets referring to the language we use in corporate emails. While I thoroughly admit to laughing...
Haint Blue
HAINTS & GHOSTSHaint BlueJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group8 July 2021In January of 2011, I was a bridesmaid in a wedding in beautiful Key West, Florida. The bridal party traveled down a few days early to get to know one another and enjoy the beautiful...
Don’t Let the Door Hit You ….
I was holding out hope, however faint or desperate, that Harvard Business Review (HBR) would take the summer off. No such luck. I don't really know how HBR manages to stockpile so much of the self-evident and otherwise boneheaded stuff it insists on throwing at us and...
Sunflower Season
SYMBOLISM & SUNFLOWERSSunflower SeasonJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group1 July 2021It’s officially sunflower season. I walked outside on Tuesday morning and noticed the first bud opened into a glorious sunflower. The sunflowers started to pop out of the...
Know Your Audience
The title of this post is the first rule of communication. It's also sometimes the hardest to remember, especially if you're an inveterate practical joker. When my sons were growing up, I played innumerable jokes on them, concocted stories, said crazy things for...
The Monday Morning Quarterback
HINDSIGHT & TENACITYThe Monday Morning QuarterbackJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group24 June 2021Have you ever read an article or watched a TV segment and proclaimed you would have done things differently from the way they were done in what you saw or...
Our Feelings
FEELINGS & EMOTIONSOur FeelingsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group17 June 2021A feeling is defined as an emotional state or reaction. An emotion is defined as a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships...
One of Those Days
ROSES & THORNSOne of Those DaysJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group10 June 2021Ever have one of those days? You know, the ones in which everything seems to go wrong. I had one recently. I woke up feeling a bit sick but still had to wake up and get my kids...
Peaceful Success
PERSONALITY & SUCCESSPeaceful SuccessJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group3 June 2021In 1997, Richard Carlson, Ph.D., published a book titled, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff … and it’s all small stuff. As he explains in the introduction to the book, he...
It’s Contagious!
I haven't seen any official announcements yet. But recent evidence indicates Harvard Business Review (HBR) and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) may be joining forces. At the very least, WSJ seems to have caught whatever inanity has been plaguing HBR for years, causing it...
My Tiny Little Peninsula
BEACH & CHANGESMy Tiny Little PeninsulaJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group27 May 2021It takes about seven minutes to drive to my favorite beach from my front door. It’s one of those beaches that only locals know about. It’s a beautiful peninsula...
We’ve Had 99 Years of HBR — And the World’s Getting Worse
It takes quite a bit to scare me. It really does. But this article from Harvard Business Review (HBR) — "Slow Down and Write Better Emails" — scared the shit out of me. I feel as if I'm clinging ever-more desperately to rationality, self-awareness, hope for...
My Gardening Faux Pas
MYSTERY & GROWTHMy Gardening Faux PasJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group20 May 2021I’ve lived in my humble home for more than a year now and have finally reached the point at which I can plant my vegetable and flower garden. You might remember a couple...
Mr. Golden Sun
THE SUN & POWERMr. Golden SunJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group13 May 2021A few years back, I read a book about personal growth and learning how to make hard decisions. One part of the book suggested I think of something that made me feel powerful. And I...
Whitewash
PAINTING & MANIPULATIONWhitewashJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group6 May 2021This weekend I took on the task of whitewashing the wooden privacy fence in my backyard. When I bought my home, there was a decrepit old shed in the corner of the yard. This past...
Little Lavender
PLANTS & LIFELittle LavenderJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group29 April 2021 About six weeks ago, my children and I planted some seeds. We each picked three kinds, so we ended up with nine different varieties. And boy were we successful! Each seed grew into a...
My Favorite Colors
RED & CORALMy Favorite ColorsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group22 April 2021What’s your favorite color? I have two. I have my 12-count box of crayons favorite color. And my 64-count box of crayons favorite color. Wait. What? I’ll explain my thinking....
Sometimes
LESSONS & SEEDLINGSSometimesJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group15 April 2021Sometimes things work out. And sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the sun shines brightly. And sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes we feel confident in our work. And sometimes we’re...
Here We Go Again
SUNFLOWERS & SPRINGHere We Go AgainJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group8 April 2021Last year, I grew a pretty impressive sunflower forest. Sometime in August, a neighborhood girl and I counted more than 200 buds on the sunflower stalks. Most of the flowers...
My First Quarter of Trust
TRUST & LEARNINGMy First Quarter of TrustJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group1 April 2021In each of the last three years, instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I made myself a promise. This year, I promised to learn how to trust myself. Since the...
The Vernal Equinox
SPRING & LIFEThe Vernal EquinoxJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group25 March 2021It’s official. Spring has sprung! If you’re anything like me, you can’t get the idea of new growth out of your head. I’ve already started digging out the site of this year’s...
Icy Emerald
GOLD COINS & HIJINCKSIcy EmeraldJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group18 March 2021The sun wouldn’t rise for a few hours, but she was up early today. She didn’t need an alarm clock. She’d been waiting for this day for an entire year. She stretched her arms...
Ground Your Brand. Ground Yourself.
GROUNDING & BRANDINGGround Your Brand. Ground Yourself.JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group11 March 2021A marketing rule I’ve become familiar with over the years is this: In order to effectively promote your brand to the outside world, you must first...
Woof, Woof
PETS & PERSONALITYWoof, WoofJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group4 March 2021As far as I’m concerned, there are four types of people in this world. They are dog people, cat people, dog and cat people, and others. Since I’m allergic to cats and therefore...
Define Your Expectations
EXPECTATIONS & SELF-FAITHDefine Your ExpectationsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group25 February 2021Expectations are natural. They’re important. And they’re essential for defining any relationship. That’s why most business relationships start with an...
Bea’s Balloons
BALLOONS & BONUS GRANDMASBea's BaloonsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group18 February 2021I grew up in the house my mother and her siblings grew up in. It was a cookie-cutter suburban, cape-cod-style home built in 1951. The house to the right of it –...
COVID-19 – Quarantine Day 332
PROBLEMS & PERCEPTIONSCOVID-19 – Quarantine Day 332JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group11 February 2021I remember obsessively refreshing my Johns Hopkin’s COVID-19 dashboard day after day in early March. As the numbers creeped up past 400,000 confirmed...
Some Snow and The Joes
SNOW & THE SNOW JOE Some Snow and The Joes JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group4 February 2021 I live in the Northeastern United States. And this week we had what we like to call a nor’easter. This has nothing to do with a bunny breaking in our house a few...
Human Error
ERRORS & ADMISSIONS Human Error JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group28 January 2021 Have you ever been lying down looking at your phone, when out of nowhere it plops right into your nose? You’re aimlessly scrolling through your newsfeed, then BAM! You’re...
Forgive to Trust
TRUST & LOVE Forgive to TrustJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group21 January 2021 This year I made a promise to learn how to trust myself. But how do you learn to trust yourself when you’ve been conditioned to believe you make poor choices, you’re...
The Floor is Lava
GAMES & LIFE The Floor is LavaJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group14 January 2021 From time to time, I like to ask the smartest person in my house for blog topic ideas. If you know anything about my family, you’ll know I’m referring to my beautiful...
Hocus Pocus
Working, as we do, with so many providers of software and services to the insurance industry (among others), we take particular delight and morbid interest in seeing the various ... uh ... research reports and their supporting graphics that come from the so-called and...
An Incogitant Thinker
THOUGHTLESS & THOUGHTFUL An Incogitant ThinkerJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group7 January 2021 Once upon a time, there was a man named Bartholomew Brown. He was an avid thinker. We’ll define thinker as one who regularly used his mind to consider or...
I Feel Like We Need to Stop Saying I Feel Like
The phrase, I feel like, has become another blight on the language. It's the equivalent of a synaptic knee-jerk. It's something to fill time and conversational space, without thinking, in the hope that the person or people with whom you're speaking won't be able to...
Inherent Trust
PROMISES & TRUST Inherent Trust JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group31 December 2020 I renounced making new year’s resolutions in 2019. This will be the third year I make myself a promise as opposed to a resolution. Resolutions tend to be superficial. And...