How’s Your Story Shaping Up? I spend a lot of my time coaching other people on what to say, how to say it and, just as importantly, when to say nothing at all. This summer, I had a few opportunities to practice what I preach. Local reporters reached out for my perspective on three very…

More than a decade ago, I wrote a love letter to September, the month that has always felt like the true beginning of the year. I’ve held that post close to my heart over the years, and as September 2026 approached, I went back for my annual reread. It still resonates. And it still inspires…

The past few years of my work have required a very specific kind of focus. High stakes. Little margin for error. Work that demands full attention and leaves little room for anything else. Advising leaders in those moments changes how you operate. You become precise. Disciplined. You learn where to focus and where not to….

Rebuilding a website forces you to look back. Not just at what you’ve created. But at what you’ve carried. The past few years Blackcoffee’s work has lived in boardrooms, in briefing notes, in reputation strategy sessions, places where words mattered more than graphics. In positioning frameworks. In risk assessments. In addressing crises and limiting impact…

When we moved last year, I had a brief affair with a well-known interior designer. I sought help integrating some of our already-owned pieces with our new space. However, it soon became apparent that she thought my beloved belongings were too much. Too eclectic. Too much pattern. And above all, way too much colour. In…

I think we’ve all experienced the soul-crushing angst of trying to write about ourselves, trying to sell ourselves. The last time I did this, I stared at my blank computer screen for days. I simply couldn’t find the right words to share. I went a little crazy going in circles, writing, deleting, and trying again….