Writer. Editor. Marketer. Teacher. Speaker. Strategist.
I enjoy stories about humans being mundane, clever, inventive, surprising, irrational – and sometimes stupid. In other words, I write on most topics, but especially about business.
“The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to see something, and tell what it saw in a plain way.”
John Ruskin
Thanks to a welcome variety of roles in business, journalism, corporate communications, writing, editing, and marketing, I’ve been able to study business, pursue business, explain business, and teach writing and business internationally throughout my career. As a journalist, teacher, editor, author, lecturer, consultant, and even as a bank executive, my focus has been to integrate the fundamentals of business, philosophy, psychology, and economics into a rational approach built on critical thinking.
Writing and Editing
Since combining the study of philosophy and business in college, I’ve been writing and editing stories about people, businesses, markets, the economy, society, and thinking in general – and enjoying the foibles of each.
Through the years, my various roles have opened doors for conversations, interviews, and sometimes drinks with corporate founders, CEOs, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, senators, governors, prosecutors, academics, regulators, a future and a former president – with a fair share of liars, scofflaws, scoundrels, and criminals mixed in – and many hundreds of regular, fascinating people.
I’ve also written columns, opeds, essays, fiction, social criticism, investigations, dialogue, and some books to keep myself exploring and entertained.
While editing requires a different and uniquely delicate approach, the same green eyeshade is helpful for both writing and editing. The best editors bring encouragement and the ability to shepherd stories while mentoring writers.
Whatever the topic, good storytelling requires a clarity of purpose, an understanding of audience, and a conveyed vibrancy in words. Whether teaching students, coaching reporters, creating or refining marketing content, leading newsrooms, or polishing corporate prose, it’s always a welcome challenge to sculpt the right words to engage the intended reader.
Articles
Sometimes what’s written is published by others. This type of writing then earns the name “article” – which means it might be worth reading. I’ve been writing these a long time for various publications in several countries. Here’s a small sample.
Blog
The modern-day replacement for standing on a soap box, blog posts are personal reflections that are shared with the world. At best, they’re the start of a long conversation on any topic that comes to mind – that is, when circumstances and time permit.
Books
My first book, I’m Tired of Being Stupid, was published by Editura Humanitas in 2015. A pseudonymous novel, an experiment in prose, came out in 2018. A third book, a comprehensive look at critical thinking in business and life, is due to be published in 2026.
Speaking
Lecturing, discussing, listening, teaching, conversing, arguing. When done well, each of these is enjoyable, and each can be valuable as both speaker and listener explore together on whatever short journey they share. It’s not enough to tell people things. An effective speaker sparks thinking in others.
I’ve led workshops, courses, discussions, interviews, presentations, and corporate consulting on topics including critical thinking, entrepreneurial skills, business writing, marketing, communications, strategy, technical writing, and public speaking.
Consulting and Teaching
Consulting is a form of teaching. Teaching is a form of consulting. They both require two elements to be done well: Real and practical experience that can be shared in concrete ways, and the ability to present new perspectives clearly and simply so they can be understood and applied.
By working with employees, students, managers, and executives, the right approach can be designed – in a single session, online, or in a more traditional environment. Whether in a consulting or teaching environment, the aim and context must be understood, and the process must be tailored specifically to the audience.
Critical Thinking
The ability to see clearly and think critically has always been vital for success and a life well lived. That’s never been truer than it is today, especially in the workplace.
With the right approach and well-tailored discussions, anyone can learn to think more critically and rationally – without relying on the real or artificial thinking of others.
“If the lower half of cognitive work gets taken over by genAI, it implies that you’ve got to learn critical thinking. That means critical thinking, regardless of which domain you’re in, becomes the skill that is far, far more needed.”
Arvind Krishna , IBM Chairman and CEO, 2024
