Back to Blogging, unusually Bloggingly
I’ve been on a hiatus from Blogging since last July because (a) I was extremely busy and (b) my brain hurt. So, Why the long absence from blogging? Well, after a long period of doing little or nothing at all (by which I mean nothing at all,) I finally pulled my head out of my ass last May and started working again. I got busy generating business and was surprisingly successful; I went from no work, to too much work, in too little time.
With two major new clients to bring on board, a book to write and a political campaign I got involved in, I was back to the 16 to 20 hour days I'd been used to before being fired by the world’s most notorious mayor. It was exhausting. But, it fed me well. And, it didn’t leave any time for blogging.
Alas, life has lately found a more normal balance. The book is finished. The political campaign was won. Now, it’s back to bread and butter consulting and – ta da! – also blogging.
As I said, my book is finished and will be released October 6 by Skyhorse Publishing in New York. The title keeps evolving, but I believe we’ve settled on something like: Mayor Rob Ford: Uncontrollable – How I Tried to Help the World’s Most Notorious Mayor. (Here’s hoping we get paid by the word.)
The “we” in we is Johanna Schneller: an experienced journalist and outstanding writer who pens regularly for the Globe and Mail and previously for Vanity Fair and others. She's also a fantastic editor who provided liberal doses of “who cares?” and “not so fast… what’s that about?”
For example, I’d write 10,000 words of breathtakingly insightful prose in a chapter and Johanna would send it back to me with a “this is great, but these 7,000 words here … nobody gives a damn. But, this paragraph here… go deeper there, that’s interesting!” And thus, the book was born.
Uncontrollable will be available at all major retail and online booksellers in hard cover, e-book and audio book formats. I may also sell it directly through my website – where you won’t get a discount, but you will be able to get a signed, personalized copy. Of course, you can also get it signed free by tracking me down sometime in the fall with your copy of the book.
As you may know, I joined the campaign to elect Patrick Brown as the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. It was my first involvement in a leadership contest and it was full of spectacular insights and lessons, which I may blog about some day. (No book there!) In the end, it was a successful venture and I look forward to seeing Patrick Brown become Premier in 2018. If not before.
Jobhunt Update: I’m back in the consulting business, this time with a focus on strategy and execution. It’s one thing to have a brilliant corporate strategy, quite another to make it happen. That’s where my new team comes in, and I’m thrilled to play a key role in its success. You can find me, if you need to succeed, at Ballacaine Strategy & Execution.
I also continue with my radio show Sundays 1-3 pm on NEWSTALK 1010; the first hour (that's 1-2 pm for those of you playing along on the home game) is also simulcast on CFRA in Ottawa, CKLW in Windsor and, sometimes, on CKTB in Niagara. Tune in or join me online at newstalk1010.com. You can also catch up on the podcasts here.
And that is everything I have to say right now. Carry on!