You already know this: Things are very different compared to the last economic see saw. In 2008, maybe you worried about losing your job to low-cost competitors in China, or Belarus. Today, it’s likely fear of losing your job to a robot. In China, or Belarus, or Seattle.
But now, just as then, you have a unique weapon. Rely on humans to craft compelling stories that AI doesn’t know how to do yet.
During troubled financial times, I was always able to find independent work, when firms just weren’t hiring. But of course there’s AI.
I can always spot AI copywriting. Maybe your clients don’t read it an think, aha, AI! But I’ll bet you dollars to doughnuts they’re not responding the same way. Don’t believe it? Try a/b testing to see which communication garners more results.
True or false: A base tan will protect your skin. Answer: BIG FALSE.
Photo: Unsplash
One of the nicest things about living in Hawaii was the abundant sunshine. Typically, highs were in the mid to high 80s. Nights were in the low 80s nights. But I quickly discovered: the very sun that blessed the islands with blissful warmth and light dramatically increases odds of developing skin cancer.
I live in Seattle now, but skin cancer is nearly as prevalent here as in the Hawaiian Islands. I spoke with Dr. Karen Yamamoto, a dermatologist in private practice in Honolulu. I asked her to rate these myths:
1. A base tan will protect your skin “Completely, utterly bogus,” sniffed Dr. Yamamoto. “Tanned skin is damaged skin, period. So if you’re lying out at the swimming pool without protection, thinking you’re putting on some kind of skin glove, you’re kidding yourself. Later, you’ll just be piling on additional damage.”
If your so-called base tan comes from a tanning bed, be worried. Each time you lay supine on those beds, you are significantly increasing your odds of developing skin cancer. Those UVA rays emitted from the beds are extremely powerful.
2. Skin cancer is largely a Caucasian disease Ding! That’s another wrong answer. Fair-skinned people of northern European descent are more likely to burn than other groups, but skin cancer strikes every population. Hispanics are developing skin cancer in the U.S. at a faster rate than any other population group, according to a Skin Cancer Foundation study.
3. You can’t burn on a cloudy day “Completely erroneous,” said Dr. Yamamoto. “You need sun protection all day, every day, year-round.”
4. Using sunblock will deplete your body of Vitamin D This myth persists, according to the National Skin Cancer Foundation, because many northerners absorb less vitamin D during the winter months. “But you still absorb the vitamin through your hair, scalp, and fingernails,” says Dr. Yamamoto. To be on the safe side, take a vitamin D supplement each day.
One Surprising Truth:
Skin cancer is usually curable If caught and treated in time, even the deadliest form of skin cancer can be treated successfully, according to the National Skin Cancer Foundation. Early detection is key. Check your body every month for moles that have grown or changed shape. If you’re over 30, schedule a professional skin consultation once a year. If you have a family history of skin cancer, have a dermatologist check your skin twice a year.
In today’s calamitous age, with challenges impossible to imagine a year ago, it’s helpful to find things to be grateful for.
I deeply appreciate all the people who mentored me, who alternately praised and pushed me, beginning with Jack Penland, the ultra talented news director at KCLS Radio in Flagstaff, Arizona, who taught me how to finish a story and get it on the air, fast.
And I’m grateful to have worked at Microsoft during a time of dizzying growth when anyone, even an A-dash, could pour an idea into a willing ear and get a respectful audience, even if “not going to happen” came shortly afterward.
I’m lucky indeed to have worked with people who gave spot-on relevant feedback and who welcomed it in return. I’ve since learned, not everyone wants to hear your constructive feedback. Even fewer people are willing to give it. Silence substitutes for candor.
And yet, I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t rather hear your honest opinion.
But above all, I’m grateful for the astonishing health care workers who are caring for us during these terrifying times. You doctors, nurses, orderlies, janitors, CNAs, volunteers, thank you. You do the impossible every day.
I’ve rolled up my sleeves with people from all backgrounds, and companies of all sizes from Fortune 500s to fledgling startups. With deep experience in industries that excel in manufacturing airplane parts to building software to designing canoes, I create stories customers want to read. White papers, case studies, online content, internal newsletters are created for your unique audience. Need an extra set of eyes and laser-sharp editing skills? I do that, too. Give me a shout at: plsaunders2@gmail.com; phone 808-351-9400.
TRISHA SAUNDERS communications 