by Nicole Baute | Jun 25, 2015 | Writing
I like to think of ideas as little fireflies. They’re brilliant and bright, but hard to catch. Now you see them, now you don’t. That is, unless you write them down. How many times have you been out in the world—walking your dog, browsing a corkboard at a coffee shop,...
by Nicole Baute | Jun 18, 2015 | Writing
When I worked as a journalist, there was one thing you didn’t want to let an editor talk you into doing, and that was torquing your story. Especially if you were an ethical journalist writing about issues you cared about. To “torque” means to apply force to something,...
by Nicole Baute | Jun 5, 2015 | Entrepreneurship
I recently faced one of my biggest fears. It might sound ridiculous to you. I’m okay with that. I’m afraid of medical interventions. Specifically needles or anything else that could be considered intrusive. I’ve had this medical phobia since at least...
by Nicole Baute | May 29, 2015 | Writing
First things first: I LOVE questions. I pride myself on being a pretty good asker-of-questions. Former journalist, active listener, curious mind. Asking great questions takes intelligence and empathy—traits I appreciate tremendously. I think this is why I’m a...
by Nicole Baute | May 15, 2015 | Writing
I don’t consider myself a funny person. I do LOVE a lot of funny people (and some of them even let me hang out with them). In social situations, I’m the quiet one with the occasional zinger. Yet I’m pretty sure nobody would describe me as a funny...
by Nicole Baute | May 7, 2015 | Entrepreneurship
The first year in business can be gruelling. When the results don’t come as quickly as we’d like, it’s easy to get frustrated and even easier to give up. Luckily, advice on how to keep moving forward abounds! Sometimes it even feels like there might...
by Nicole Baute | May 1, 2015 | Updates
It’s funny how our next business steps can be so blatantly obvious that it takes us a while to see them. Earlier this year, I hosted a Virtual Writing Retreat for Entrepreneurs and as I got to know the incredible participants, one thing kept coming up over and over...
by Nicole Baute | Mar 27, 2015 | Writing
Are you using the right one? I recently developed a new philosophy for style tips I share with clients. And no, I’m not talking about fashion, because nobody should listen to me on that. “Style” is writing and editing terminology for the punctuation,...
by Nicole Baute | Mar 19, 2015 | Writing
I have a confession to make. You know me as someone who deals in branding, and it’s true—I help small businesses build and grow their brands through storytelling, helpful marketing, and authentic communication. And I love what I do. But as a consumer I have...
by Nicole Baute | Mar 13, 2015 | Writing
Last week I wrote about revision, starting with the very fact that…it should happen. I’m following up with a list of words you can cut from your writing. A little nip/tuck can make your work tighter, brighter and easier to read. 1. Extra words in a list....
