Posts by Esther Choy
“The Bad News Is…”: How To Say the Hardest Things
In November 2004, Tysabri, a drug treatment for multiple sclerosis, received a rare boost from the FDA. Because the disease is so serious and the drug held so much promise, the FDA decided to fast-track Tysabri’s path to MS patients. A celebratory mood took hold at Biogen and Élan, the two pharmaceutical companies that…
Read MoreHow to Write a Compelling Story Quickly
How do you write a compelling story without spending a whole lot of time? Esther walks through the 3-Act Formula. Remember to tell your story from the beginning, middle and then end. But when you develop your story, think about Act 1, then Act 3 and finally Act 2.
Read MoreCoping with Post-Interview Anxiety
Part Two in a 3-Part Series on interviews. Read Part One and Part Two. Many of us are wrong about our impressions of how an interview went. This gives us unnecessary post-interview anxiety. Take Diane Duthweiler, for instance. She was interviewing for an internship at a TV station when her interviewer, who had been leaning…
Read MoreHow To Make The Case for Better Data Presentations
It’s a typical workday at a large company in the suburbs. Danielle Largay looks at her calendar and sees she has a presentation to attend. What does she expect? Presentations at her company—like those at many others—tend to be very fact based: “This is where we are, this is where we’re going, here’s the…
Read MoreShow Don’t Tell
How do you engage your audience’s imagination? Esther recommends “Show, Don’t Tell” with an example.
Read MoreCaptivate Audiences With Your Travel Stories
You’ve just come back from a relaxing, fun-filled vacation. You have so many stories to tell. How do you make sure to share your travel stories in a way your audience will love? Esther answered this question in a recent interview with Elissa Leibowitz Poma at Independent Traveler (now Smarter Travel)! Read all about it!…
Read MoreShake It Up! Storytelling Makes Recurring Events Sparkle
People come to an event with preconceived ideas about how it’s all going to play out. Especially when it comes to annual events, people brace for the predictable. And that can decimate your attendance numbers. And when people can predict that meetings or data-heavy presentations will make up the bulk of the events schedule, they’ll…
Read MoreTone of Voice
It’s not just what you say, it’s HOW you say it. I offer a few tips on tone of voice in my first video blog.
Read MoreDazzle Your Audience with Storytelling In Admissions Interviews
Part Two in a 3-Part Series on interviews. Read Part One and Part Three. Marathon interviewing is no picnic, as I shared in my last blog on the subject. But once in a blue moon, I came across a candidate I’d just love to talk with beyond the confines of the typical 45-minute interview. When…
Read MoreWhat Job Interviewers Want From You
Part One in a 3-Part Series on Job Interviews. Read Part 2. What happens when you mix three carafes of black coffee, eight hours of sitting in a windowless conference room, and a stream of meticulously dressed but mechanically stiff professionals? You get a physically exhausted, mentally inflexible, and emotionally indifferent interviewer. Ten years ago,…
Read More