Articles by: Hanna Brooks Olsen

[caption id="attachment_9288" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Karen Dalzien via Flickr[/caption] With the most recent U. S.

[caption id="attachment_9277" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Sascha Kohlman via Flickr[/caption] As we learned from Vanessa Van Edwards in her class, Master Your People Skills, storytelling is like a special treat for the brain, activating it with endorphins and generally giving listeners a good feeling. Great stories satisfy our curiosity, tap into our empathy, and entertain us.

[caption id="attachment_9193" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Photo via Flickr.

It used to be that, if you wanted to be in business, you had to be perceived as bulletproof. Which might be easy for some people with especially ironclad nerves and unflappable poker faces, but for most of us — and especially those of us who engage in creative pursuits — that's a really tall order.

[caption id="attachment_9135" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Shawn Ahmed via Flickr[/caption] Whether it's the Facebook account for your small business, your personal brand's Twitter account, or your online dating profile, the fact is that creating an online presence that perfectly encapsulates your brand, your services, your message, your goals, or even just your personality is extremely difficult. We labor over ever word, every description, trying to ensure that a casual observer will be able to immediately identify all of our best qualities.

[caption id="attachment_9087" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Marcin Wichary via Flickr[/caption] For quite some time, employers have been both providers of much more than just work; traditional employment also, in the modern era, comes with additional provisions, like health care and various financial systems. 401k matching, paid time off and sick leave, and even educational credits have helped employees not only make ends meet, but also relieved some of the pressure of money management.