by Phil Houseal | Nov 18, 2020 | All Articles, Philosophy, PR Tips
Nov 18, 2020–I have a shameful secret. Over the years I’ve dabbled in “the marketing arts.” This is a field filled with exuberant claims, arcane metrics, and secret phrases whose sole function is to persuade unsuspecting marks to buy your pricey chotchkes, attend your...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 24, 2020 | All Articles, History, Philosophy, PR Tips
June 24, 2020–Note: This column is not a metaphor for any current situation, nor is the writer responsible for any lesson readers may take away. M&Ms have always been my favorite candies. So much so that when I was banished overseas for two years, it was one of...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 19, 2019 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy, PR Tips
Sept 18, 2019–At the risk of being obvious, my topic today is avoiding the obvious. Let’s begin with comments on social posts. Why are most of them “obvious?” (my live-in editor said don’t use the word “lame”) Because they are literally the first thing you think of....
by Phil Houseal | Aug 1, 2019 | All Articles, Philosophy, PR Tips
July 31, 2019–The “other” part of writing a weekly column is getting interviews. The interview is the raw material of writing, so snagging a good one is essential. And getting the most out of an interview requires both a broad base of knowledge and a...
by Phil Houseal | Jun 6, 2019 | All Articles, Events, History, Music, Philosophy, PR Tips
June 5, 2019–While trying to schedule a date for a new event in Fredericksburg, it became a challenge finding a reasonably open weekend. It wasn’t that long ago you could count on a soft time of year where you could slip in a concert or fundraiser when there wasn’t...
by Phil Houseal | Jan 3, 2019 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy, PR Tips
Jan 2, 2019–My current reading throne book is called Poking a Dead Frog. Now what do you imagine that is about? I’ll wait. Ok, wrong. It’s subtitled “Conversations With Today’s Top Comedy Writers.” Author Mike Sacks conducted in-depth and freewheeling interviews with...
