Before I bring you the top five stories of the week, I want to wish a happy birthday to the best mom in the entire world…MINE! Happy birthday momma! I love you tons!

And, while not on the list of the stories you should read if you missed them, this morning I was listening to the recap of Ted Williams’s visit with Dr. Phil. Have you seen/heard it? It kind of disgusts me. Here this guy has an alcohol addiction, which causes him to hit bottom and become homeless. Then he’s gratified instant fame and, through that fame, is pressured to do things (in less than a month, BTW) that everyone else thinks is best for him. How much you want to bet he spirals again? Leave the man alone! Sure, he needs help. But give him a minute to catch his breath.

And with that, the top five stories of the week. As always, I’m always open to your suggestions for the following week so don’t be shy! Send them to me. If I think they’re terrible, I’ll just mock you incessantly.

5. A 98 Year Old Woman Writes Letter to the Bank. There is no other word for this than…hilarious! It’s pretty much what we all think and just don’t say.

4. Five New Paradigms for a Socially Engaged Company. I am almost reticent to post this Mashable article, but I agree with every point (which is pretty unusual for me) and have the hope that every professional will read it and instill its wisdom within your companies.

3. Why Brogan’s Bigger Ear Marketing Is Wrong. I never include a Spin Sucks post in the top five, but the reason I am including this one is because it not only caused huge debate, several other people blogged about it. Lisa Jenkins wrote, “Chris Brogan Is Misunderstood.” Erica Allison wrote, “Best Laid Plans.” And Martyn Chamberlin wrote, “The Worst Blogging Mistake You Can EVER Make.” If you’re not already tired of the conversation, I recommend checking all three out.

2. The New Rules of Branding Your Business Online. This Inc. article has nine tips for branding your business online, including whether or not to make some of it personal, using your company website as the hub for all social media efforts, and being consistent.

1. Culture Is King. They say from 1991-2000, the companies that had access to capital were the winners. From 2001-2010, the companies that had the most access to technology were the winners. And from 2011-2020, the companies with the best culture are going to be king. Read this article.

Gini Dietrich

Gini Dietrich is the founder, CEO, and author of Spin Sucks, host of the Spin Sucks podcast, and author of Spin Sucks (the book). She is the creator of the PESO Model and has crafted a certification for it in partnership with Syracuse University. She has run and grown an agency for the past 15 years. She is co-author of Marketing in the Round, co-host of Inside PR, and co-host of The Agency Leadership podcast.

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