
Celebrating five years: the highs and lows of running my own business
Five years ago I named my company “Fertile Ground Communications” because I’d worked for a few ineffective, toxic bosses. No regrets!

Time to adopt a new word for “stakeholders”
The term “stakeholder” can be offensive to Indigenous people and is viewed as a colonialist term.

Cover letters that wow
“Company ABC is pleased to submit our proposal to the City of Portland.” Most boring opening ever.

Creating a welcoming environment for Muslim people
Is your workplace or environment welcoming to people of all faiths?

Three reasons why you should always start with a story
The best speeches, articles, sermons, and blog posts begin with a story.

Eight ways to inspire inclusion of girls and women through your communications
The way we communicate can greatly influence the way women and girls are viewed and valued in society.

Should you become certified as a disadvantaged business?
MWBE certification is designed to address historical disparities by providing access to government contracts, grants, and other opportunities.

Let’s rethink “Native”
Why not use the more respectful term “born and raised” to refer to white people whose ancestors nearly wiped out the true original natives of this land?

Stop using “dark” to mean “bad”: let’s make our language less racist
While it might seem innocuous on its surface, why does “black” and “dark” so often mean bad, while “light” and “white” mean good?

Unlearn your history on Indigenous People’s Day
We live on stolen land, and that’s why it’s important to retake this “Columbus Day” as Indigenous People’s Day.

Scared of making videos?
About 75 percent of us fear public speaking. Making videos probably pushes that number higher.

Four ways to honor and include your Hispanic colleagues
If you lack a plan for respecting and integrating your Hispanic employees, you’re falling behind.

Oppenheimer fails
Lumping a pink, upbeat movie like “Barbie” with a film about the inventor of the atom bomb has made me feel uncomfortable from the start.

Why every white person should be a minority at least once in their life
Being with or living with people of different races will not eradicate racism, but it can be a significant step towards fostering understanding, empathy, and meaningful change.

Eight ways to welcome LBGTQIA+ people wherever you are
Creating welcoming cultures also saves lives, whether it’s in the home, school, workplace, or media.

It's past time to recognize and value caregivers
Around 90 percent of 4.6M caregivers in the U.S. are women, and 61% are people of color and immigrants.

Five ways to stop reply-all responses in their tracks
Trust me on this one…don’t waste people’s time and clog up their email boxes by replying all. You’ll just get everyone mad at you.