joshsternberg

The American Promise

Barack Obama ascends to the presidency today and is a beacon of light for the American dream. So much so that his catch-phrase for his inauguration is “Renewing the American Promise.” For generations, America has been the one place in the world where the myth of “anyone can make something of themselves” serves as the … Continue reading →

Are You A Social Media Expert?

My wife makes fun of me for using Twitter. She’s a kindergarten teacher who has to make sure her kids’ mittens are on and doesn’t have time to enter the vast social media world. So when she sees me sitting on the couch, half paying attention to the TV, half paying attention to her, and … Continue reading →

Networking Events

In the past two nights I have tried something new. I went to what could be called functions. Each completely different in nature than the other, but the ends are just the same. Last night I wandered into a world that was similar to the one I live in…only not really. This new, undiscovered (at … Continue reading →

Reasons to use Twitter

One can’t go anywhere on the Web these days without seeing some type of tool or offshoot of the popular microblogging service Twitter. It seems everyday there is a new article, blog post or rant about how to use Twitter; or why Twitter is changing the media landscape; or how Twitter’s model will be adopted … Continue reading →

The 500 million dollar signings

I was touring the nation’s largest residency the last week of December when I received a text message from my stats-obsessed cousin that the Yankees have signed Mark Teixeria. I let out a little whoop and the other visitors at the Biltmore in Asheville, NC looked at me like I was, well, a damned yankee. … Continue reading →

Just Another Stage of Life

I’ve never been much for praying. In fact, I’ve never been much for believing that there is a being who created us. I believe in science, in proof, in evidence. But this year I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to believe in God in order to pray. Why? Because if it helps others … Continue reading →

Where is digital advertising going?

Advertising is seen as the way to get a brand’s message to the public. It’s the vehicle that pushes what a company says about itself and its products. But as we find ourselves at the beginning of the Digital Age, digital advertising has been co-opted to mean direct marketing. These two ideas, branding and direct … Continue reading →

Words as Symbols (We’ve got Symbols, Cause We’ve Got a Band)

Symbols. They surround us, follow us, help us make meaning. Symbols are the essence of communication and create our realities. Take a second to try to remember how you came to know what you know. Now think about how you were influenced. You were probably influenced by parents, friends, relatives. You may also have been … Continue reading →

What is Public Relations?

When I meet people and we start discussing our occupations, I always find it both fun and infuriating to describe what I do. I am called various names — flack, spinster, spin-meister — all of which have negative connotations. There is a general perception in the corporate world that public relations brings nothing to the … Continue reading →

Learning what’s important

Today I went to my fiance’s great-grandmother’s funeral. In the past two years, collectively, we have lost a grandfather, a grandmother and now a great-grandmother. I was fortunate to know all my grandparents and three great-grandparents, but that was long ago. Standing in the rain during Bubby’s grave-side funeral, I couldn’t help but imagine the … Continue reading →

Last night

Last night I took a shot of Tequila. While that may seem innocuous to most of you, for me it was something out of the ordinary. I don’t drink. Ever. Not because of some higher religious principle or because I had a drinking problem. I just don’t like to drink. Don’t like the taste, don’t … Continue reading →

Cultivating A New Agenda

Not having a reason to wake up with the rest of the world, I have found there are too many times during the day that I realize that I have, in fact, nothing to do. Sometimes to fill that gap, I practice my guitar skills with the hopes of one day achieving my dream of … Continue reading →

…Sept. 11 did not result in a much-feared (by intellectuals) wave of popular Islamophobia or xenophobia… I have 2 major issues with William Kristol’s comment. The first one is that it’s wrong. The second is that it scares me. A lot. Why it’s wrong:In fact, Kristol is correct in that 9.11 did not result in … Continue reading →

I Am Not A PC…Anymore

My eyes have been opened and I can see the world in all it’s beautiful splendor. I have been born-again and I don’t care if my friends in the corporate world who sit in their cubicles know that I have found a higher calling. My new outlook on life will probably upset some, especially those … Continue reading →

Follow the Phish

I was sitting in Shul (that’s Yiddish for Temple or Synagogue)on Wednesday morning for Rosh Hashana listening to my Rabbi lecture about the concept of time when my cell phone started vibrating. One text message after another for about 15 minutes. After the first one, I ignored it and put my phone back in my … Continue reading →