Word & Mouth Blog
Where food, hospitality, branding, and human behavior all crash into each other. I write about restaurants, wine, placemaking, customer experience, and the small details that make people talk about a business long after they leave.
For even more snarky takes on marketing, pop culture, branding, and the internet, visit my Substack, Burnt Popcorn & Branding: Substack
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A mix of hospitality, branding, customer psychology, hospitality culture, and internet behavior from someone who’s worked behind the scenes in marketing long enough to know what feels authentic and what feels painfully forced.
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Yes. Especially if your marketing currently sounds like ChatGPT wrote it.
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No LinkedIn thought leadership energy here. Just strategy, storytelling, and occasional side-eye toward trends, Chat-GPT written branding advice, and “disruptive” ideas that all look the same.
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People in marketing, hospitality, branding, retail, wine, or anyone who secretly judges restaurants by their menu design before reading the food list.
One year Since my Last Day of Anal Cancer Treatments
One year ago I rang the bell at the Kaiser cancer treatment center. One year ago I finished my anal cancer treatments - radiation & oral chemotherapy. And now, one-year post anal cancer treatments —Moving forward, one of my goals in life is to encourage everyone to listen to their body, and go see a doctor, community health center, etc when they feel like something is off.
Bottoms Up! Post-Anal Cancer Life One Year Later
The post-cancer journey is a slow and arduous one. It's hard knowing that I may not return to my pre-cancer "normal" in some ways. But all you or I can do is approach every day in turn—and with diligence, focus, and people by your side, things become a little less tough than they otherwise would be. Sometimes, that's all you need.
Word of the Year: Embrace 2021
Whether you have kids at home or feel paralyzed by not being able to find a job, there are small things you can do to embrace your goals. This isn’t about jumping in headfirst and hustling (read: burning out). This year should be about taking slow, actionable steps to get you further than where you are right now - and embracing your word of the year like I am.
Tips I Learned During Anal Cancer Treatment
I will say that no matter how horrible the days were, they went by quickly, and there is a light at the end of this tunnel. My type of stage III anal cancer has a good chance of recovery—even if that recovery means that I still have to have surgery in the future.
My Weight Loss Journey to Losing 45 Pounds
Moving forward, I am learning to listen to my body. When I start shaking if I eat more than a few bites of dessert, when my head throbs after having more than two glasses of beer or wine in a day, and when I feel the urge to get up and move when binge watching Schitts Creek – I LISTEN!
An Ode To The Instant Pot AKA How I Started Cooking at Home On A Regular Basis.
Once I finally bought the Instant Pot, my family started cooking at home more often, which helped us to make small changes for a healthy lifestyle and encouraged us to be more creative with our healthy home-cooked meals.
How to Manage Pregnancy Diabetes When You Love Food
Pregnancy Diabetes looks very different for every woman, but for me, it meant I had to manage balancing my food and focusing on a schedule
Leek Soup for Detox (Instant Pot Recipe)
My favorite part about soup is how to filled I feel after eating even something as simple as leek soup is fulfilling enough for dinner. I usually add veggie sausages, and maybe a piece of sourdough bread but this meal can be used as a great way to detox if that's your thing in January.
Oil Pulling Test
Oil Pulling is a form of detox where you swish a spoonful of oil (coconut, sunflower, or sesame are most popular) in your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes.