The Communication Gap

We live in an unprecedented age of concealment. Whether intentionally or not, there has long been a breakdown in communication between politicians and voters, corporations and consumers, and scientists and the public. Even those of us who wish to call ourselves change-makers often find ourselves ill-equipped with the language and tools to disseminate our message to a broader audience. We are kidding ourselves if we can accomplish great transformation alone; we each need to utilize the knowledge, wisdom, and experience of those around us. So, how do we use our unique platforms to forge lasting change in our world? This is a question which I have worked hard to answer over the span of my career, creating content and assisting brands* in discovering their own potential.

*To qualify, brands are any entity with a cohesively enunciated identity, whether that entity is for profit, non-profit, a government agency or an individual does not matter to me, so long as they have an identity, they have a role and thus a need to communicate what they do and why they do it. This is what I am interested in. I passionately care about cultivating transparency, authenticity and integrity through intentional, conceptual messaging.

This is what I do.

About me

In 2014 National Geographic wanted to grant me an award, but they said they could only offer it to me if I had a designation. I enjoyed alliteration, and thus coined "creative conservationist." A career I made up to fit all the things I enjoyed doing under one broad-scope title.

Conservation often relies on facts and statistics from both social and earth sciences to delineate truths about the status of our planet; the creative part comes into play through a more emotional approach, drawing on images that stir audiences to action. In this way, I am able to integrate both hemispheres of the human brain into a consolidated conversation about change.

I am a lateral thinker, which means that I take disparate concepts, data, and visuals, and I integrate them into one compelling message. Through my practice, Yoke and Anchor, I combine quantitative and qualitative, realistic and ideal, individual and global, conceptual and tangible, corporate and philanthropic, logical and emotional, empirical and intuitive, into a curated framework of clarity and insight.

We humans love to categorize because it makes life seem simple, but life is anything but simple. I break through these manmade barriers in our perceptions, examine self limiting beliefs and unquestioned traditions, to uncover the truths in our existence that link all of us to the common goal of sustained, prosperous, coexistence. I help perpetuate legacies, because it takes restraint, planning, awareness, strategic execution and compassion to leave something mindfully behind for another to inherit. Legacies build on what is, and that is how I wish to position every client I work with.

"Every generation has a right to receive a living, non polluted planet, where the quality of life can ensure human dignity. This implies the conservation, from one generation to the next, of the quality of the environment." - Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

What I do

Incisively employing my associative mind, I aid companies in defining their brand so that they are better-equipped to face this world’s most complex issues, and to translate cutting edge, emergent solutions to their consumer base. I work directly with internal communications teams to refine the philosophy of their business, since this is the framework from which we articulate the taking of all action. I explore the origin story of each brand, the language they have relied on, the stories they have nourished into being while discerning the context for those soundbytes in the company's long term narrative arc.

My firm, then reflects on how this may support the strategy embodied by a truly sustainable business. It is important to allow a company to convey in motifs that are as progressive as their continual commitment to breaking new ground in supply chain efficiency, product development and biodegradable/reusable packaging.

Change is painful, but also indispensable. Change is always uncomfortable. Growing pains are unavoidable. To gloss over this is to fail to address the elephant in the room. I do not commend companies that commit to change five years from now, or by a given year. Can you imagine if I showed up to an intimate relationship and told my partner, while my behavior is toxic, I will commit to reflect the changes that effectively address the harm I cause you by 2050. No one would stick around. Yet brands do this to consumers all the time. Stick with me today, I promise to change tomorrow. That tomorrow is ever elusive, as the external mileu compounds in its complexity. The problem with perpetuating toxicity beyond the point of growing aware of it, is that it reflects selfish intentional negligence towards the harm it enables. Thus for me, it is about what can be accomplished today. Are we committed to change now, to do what it takes, no matter how painful? To show up as accountable participants, with unwavering integrity to confront problems with decisiveness and embrace transformative solutions with courage? I help teams navigate through these changes with moral rectitude and encouragement. I hold myself accountable, and thus extend that expectation toward anyone else I relate to. I align with brands that have a strong backbone, that know where they stand and land when it concerns the nexus between communities, conservation and commerce.

The second step is relaying the tweaked or reframed image of a company to the people who have been investing in it and will come to invest in it. We spend so much time being berated by commercials and advertisements that so much of it becomes white noise. This is because it has no focus, no purpose – wasted words with no real meaning.

I spearhead strategic problem solving with companies so that when consumers see content produced by the brand, they go through the same emotional arc and transformation that the business went through. I help companies take their consumers on the journey of self evolution with them. This empowers collective maturation through the spirit of inclusion. It requires carefully planning out every step of content creation, and considering the effect of language, format, data visualization, signs, semiotics and symbols on an audience. I help communication teams answer questions about these aspects of their outreach, and together we create a campaign, series or immersive experience that gives a clear message of directional action, genuine care and intentional outcomes.

Once we can compel individuals to join our collective fight, it is up to the business to remain true to its brand, and to make its actions visible to all. This is how businesses build and keep trust with their consumer base, and continue to make change that they believe in, and intrinsically align with. 

In my career, I have worked with institutions of every size, from large non-profit organizations and ivy league universities, to small startup companies and individual changemakers. Irrespective of the scale and size of the client, I have learned and grown with each of them, and come to deeply cherish the unique trajectory each relationship took me on.

I offer a variety of consulting sessions on both personal and professional brand integrity, each one customizable to your needs. Individuals from all walks of life are welcome to reach out to me for my services. I was able to get a Dean's marriage back on track post his spouse committing infidelity just as empathically as I was able to get a non-profit to stop relying on the goodwill of wealthy patrons to offer the community service only they were equipped to. Communication gaps have the same underlying patterns. Whether it is a face to face intimate dialogue or a massive billboard in Times Square, the same fundamental need to connect necessitates communication in both contexts. At the end of the day your message is either starkly self evident and thus effortlessly relayed to others, or it's clumsily constructed within and thus falls short externally. I provide clients with a full service package of communication tools, creative assets, strategic steps and meaningful material to fill the space between substantially. The work I produce for clients, the content I create helps them take ownership with vulnerability and show leadership in a more open and honest manner.

By trusting me with your brand, I promise to remain adaptable to your message, and to give feedback that comes from a place of sincere responsibility toward your brand and the collective. Together, we will position your business or person, to enhance your media resonance and ensure maximum impact.

Take a look at the Yoke and Anchor website to read testimonials from some past clients, or to find detailed information on recent collaborations. If you are impressed by what you see, schedule an appointment through the contact page, because I am always eager to support those who wish to do good.

I strongly maintain that while individually we can tell stories, it is together that we can change the narrative.

Main Points / What I Do:

·     Forge lasting change through effective communication

·     Use lateral thinking to integrate disparate concepts into one message

·     Define brand philosophy and narrative as a jumping board

·     Carefully plan content creation which compels consumers to act

·     Offer a variety of consulting sessions which adapt to your needs