Disqus - Latest Comments for chipgriffin

Re: Mea Culpa: When Things Don’t Go According to Plan

Chip Griffin — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 08:38:57 -0000

This is a comment. Don't read it.

Re: Spin Sucks Question: Favorite Podcasts for International Podcast Day

Chip Griffin — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 11:07:25 -0000

I had the same concern when running (especially on narrow, rural roads near my house with lots of blind turns) but I recently found headphones designed to allow ambient noise in. Works great with podcasts so I can still hear vehicles coming ahead that I can't see yet.

Re: The Whitney Sour: A Psycho Cat, Dysfunctional Superheroes, and More!

Chip Griffin — Sat, 30 Mar 2019 06:08:52 -0000

Look, I enjoy bourbon. But do you really need to disrespect proper whisky? They both have their time and place. And rye ain’t so bad either. :)

Re: 12 Days of Christmas: Eight Podcasts to Subscribe to

Chip Griffin — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:37:53 -0000

I used to feel that way, but I conditioned myself to be fine with 2x because it has allowed me to have less of a backlog than I would otherwise -- especially since it is no longer lawn-mowing season, so that costs me about 1.5 hours of podcast listening time each week.

Re: 12 Days of Christmas: Eight Podcasts to Subscribe to

Chip Griffin — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:23:57 -0000

The beauty of 2x speed on Overcast :)

Re: Use Competitive Differentiation to Help Your Business Stand Out

Chip Griffin — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 16:09:25 -0000

Glad it helped! Good luck as you work through the process.

Re: Use Competitive Differentiation to Help Your Business Stand Out

Chip Griffin — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 06:52:52 -0000

Thanks, Laura. Always great to be here because spin sucks, but Spin Sucks doesn't :)

Re: Use Competitive Differentiation to Help Your Business Stand Out

Chip Griffin — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 06:30:39 -0000

You just need to hope you have a "unique" IRS agent when the time comes.

Re: Ask Me Anything: Profitability, PR Results, Bike Riding, and More!

Chip Griffin — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 09:37:46 -0000

Since neither you nor I have much of a filter, I'm not sure there's all that much of a difference :)

Re: Ask Me Anything: A Non-Verbal Chat with Christopher S. Penn

Chip Griffin — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 09:05:42 -0000

speaking of which, I need to get you on my Chats with Chip podcast for a conversation soon :)

Re: Ask Me Anything: Profitability, PR Results, Bike Riding, and More!

Chip Griffin — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 08:53:02 -0000

Those conversations we're having are being recorded and turned into a podcast? Oops .... I guess I need to be more careful with what I say ;)

Re: You Ask, I Answer: Evaluating Content Marketing Management Software

Chip Griffin — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 20:56:54 -0000

Interested to see that you use Agorapulse. What do you see as the advantage of that over Buffer?

Re: How to Capture Blog Post Ideas

Chip Griffin — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 08:31:16 -0000

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Evernote. I stash raw ideas, articles for inspiration, research notes, and more in that app all day every day.

Re: Four Pricing Alternatives to Consider in a Communications Firm

Chip Griffin — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 08:42:48 -0000

Yes, a very common arrangement. Though of course the tax payment itself is taxable so it needs to be "trued up." Definitely underscores that equity payment for services is not for the faint of heart and needs careful analysis.

Re: Four Pricing Alternatives to Consider in a Communications Firm

Chip Griffin — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 09:59:47 -0000

One other thing people need to keep in mind is that if they are considering accepting equity as compensation, they should consult with a qualified tax adviser. They may owe tax on the current value of the equity grant -- even if it is illiquid -- depending on how exactly it is structured. And the tax treatment of profit draws and/or equity sale down the road may impact the real value they receive.

Re: Four Pricing Alternatives to Consider in a Communications Firm

Chip Griffin — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 08:55:31 -0000

Agreed, but equity for a board seat is very different from equity for service. Much different calculation on both sides.

Re: Four Pricing Alternatives to Consider in a Communications Firm

Chip Griffin — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 08:48:31 -0000

It's important to consider best case and worst case scenarios. You need to ask yourself this question: if you never get anything out of the equity piece, are you still happy with the deal? No matter how rosy the numbers look, never assume it's guaranteed.

And if the business is generating healthy profits, why are they giving away equity? If they have the cash, they're better off paying for the services directly, not with equity. The only reason to pay with equity is because you don't have cash/profits -- which makes it inherently more risky for the service provider.

Re: Four Pricing Alternatives to Consider in a Communications Firm

Chip Griffin — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 08:11:32 -0000

So many things to explore here, but let me start with two points related to equity.

First, it sounds like you are valuing equity at just the year 1 potential draw (in the example where you subtract 54k from the retainer). But if it is real equity, then if you stop work in year 2 you still have the 1 percent ownership, so your calculation of the value is not correct. You need to determine the value of the equity grant itself.

Along those lines, you need to consider how the equity vests and what happens to it if/when you no longer consult for the client. In your phantom stock example, that's much easier to deal with.

The second point is that I am not a fan of equity-for-consulting arrangements under most circumstances. I don't like the idea of giving them or taking them. Consulting arrangements come and go, but equity -- at least real equity -- does not. It adds unnecessary complexity to what should be a straightforward business relationship. That complexity can often lead to problems for one or both parties down the road.

But since this is a comment and not a full post, I'll leave it there for now. Might need to write one (or more!) posts of my own to address other points regarding equity, not to mention pay for performance....

Re: The Six Biggest PR Business Mistakes I’ve Made

Chip Griffin — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:08:01 -0000

yes, I used to do a twice-yearly "Think Week" where I would go somewhere quiet and focus on a pile of reading and vision stuff. They were very beneficial -- yet they have gotten harder and harder for me to schedule (even though I recognize the value).

Re: The Six Biggest PR Business Mistakes I’ve Made

Chip Griffin — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 14:22:02 -0000

Being an entrepreneur is hard. But that's what makes it fun! Great learning experience -- the trick is not to make the same mistake twice (or at least too many times!)

Re: Answer One Question to Judge Your PR Measurement Efforts

Chip Griffin — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 05:22:46 -0000

It's good to see someone at Spin Sucks appreciates substance over style :)

Re: Answer One Question to Judge Your PR Measurement Efforts

Chip Griffin — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 05:22:17 -0000

I suspected you might enjoy that line....

Re: Answer One Question to Judge Your PR Measurement Efforts

Chip Griffin — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 15:09:56 -0000

Exactly. When I'm building furniture, I don't use my measuring tape on random boards. I measure the ones I plan to cut.

Re: Friday Fun: Why I Bought a Dashcam

Chip Griffin — Mon, 28 Aug 2017 13:44:51 -0000

plus you can capture video of meteors

Re: Five Things to Remove from Your PR Proposal Right Now

Chip Griffin — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 12:23:09 -0000

Good tips. The only one I take issue with, at least to some degree, is the final suggestion. Many people read proposals in a non-linear fashion, so it is OK to reference a section where you explore a topic in greater detail. If it is a quick point, restate it. But if the full context is needed, go ahead and refer back but do so with specificity (in other words, "in section XYZ above" instead of "as noted previously"). You may even paraphrase the point but reference the section only for detail.