Being honest is hard. Being honest when you're wrong is even harder. Now try being honest in public; that takes some bravery. What I've also learned after almost 15 years in the supposedly evil world of public relations is that honesty is both difficult and doable. And when you do it carefully and consistently, it makes all your communication flow more smoothly.

Journalism school taught me to be skeptical of someone who refuses to comment in a news story. My years in communication have only cemented that skepticism.

Who's ready for a bit of a rant? Well today it's time for one of mine that is old enough to drive. In journalism school I wrote a whole essay on how journalistic objectivity is unattainable, and I stand behind that idea all these years later. (Which, having reviewed a lot of the work from those years in search of that essay, can't be said for many of my youthful stances. So much cringe.)

The best work of my career has often involved a whole network of people working together to make things happen.  It's also taught me that all aspects of our life include relationships with other people. When we shift our perspective to one focused on relationship, it shifts the way we communicate and interact with people.

Do think of plans and structures as leashes or straight jackets: something that keeps you confined? I used to, too. See how they can actually create the freedom to be creative and have fun, with the brilliant side effect of doing better work.

Words have power, and we have a responsibility to wield them carefully. It's been nearly 200 years since Edward Bulwer-Lytton coined the phrase "The pen is mightier than the sword," but it remains painfully true. From our most intimate relationships to international diplomacy, our word choices can be the difference between peace and war.

I’m used to being the one asking questions (hello, journalism background) or teaching people how to answer them (certified media trainer here). But I got the chance to practice what I preach on the Secret Life of Entrepreneurs podcast and it’s your chance to see how I perform!