Erika Block

Moving between the worlds of art, politics, education, and tech startups. Founder of three companies. Writer, listener, instigator, problem solver, coach. and person who cuts through the hype.

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Adam Grant on The Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers

I'm a writer and a builder - and frequent procrastinator. Quick to jump in with a sketch or a couple of key ideas, and even a launch. But a lot slower to let things percolate and evolve. And quick to revise, throw stuff out, question why I ever

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My New (used) Book Just Sent Me an Email: Steal This Simple, Powerful Communications Idea

I'm a huge fan of Better World Books [https://www.betterworldbooks.com/] for its social impact business model. When I don't buy books from a local bookstore, this is my merchant of choice. Their transactional communications demonstrate the power of a good story and a great

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Stories are More Memorable than Facts

So telling a good story is essential for attracting customers, investors, co-founders, and employees. But what if your story is sort of weird and unconventional?

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"The Mind at 3 Miles an Hour"

Where are you walking? And with whom?

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What Is Real? The Neuroscience of Perception

You could say that we're all hallucinating all the time and when we agree on our hallucinations, that's what we call reality. - Anil Seth

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Designing Communications for Action

This is communications design that inspires action. Words and graphics that popped off my LinkedIn feed and got me thinking - and wanting to know more about Juhan Sonin. [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/juhansonin_juhans-draft-policy-list-v02-activity-6780266964741849088-pB14] While the policies are consistent with some (but not all) of my own positions,

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The Innovation Journey: A Conversation with Lucie Howell

'If we're going to share these ideas and stories, we need to recognize that it is important to tell the truth. We need to recognize that nuance matters, and the kids are smart enough to understand nuance."

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Wisdom in the Age of Information

“We live in a world awash of information, but we seem to face a growing scarcity of wisdom. And what’s worse, we confuse the two.” - Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

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There's No Such Thing as "By the Book"

"I am the sum total of each one of the women I have played. That they were able to survive the times, and the way in which they did it, made me a stronger person and allowed me to truly believe that all things are possible." Cecily Tyson