Marc Hershon is a branding expert who helped to create the names for BlackBerry, Swiffer, nüvi and other hit products; and he’s also a comedy writer who has worked with Dana Carvey and others. Marc and Jonathan Littman are the authors of I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job (Little, Brown and Company), and Jonathan is the coauthor of The Ten Faces of Innovation. Visit their business blog, I Hate People...but It’s Nothing Personal, at http://www.IHatePeople.biz.

Blog Entries by Marc Hershon

Eight Soloist Secrets To Getting Your Work Done

Posted October 27, 2009 | 03:55 PM (EST)


To be a Soloist is to be aware of that which the masses are too distracted to see. The following are secrets not so much because the information is hidden, but because most people simply aren't paying attention to the obvious.

In I Hate People!, the book I wrote...

Read Post

Tripping Up the Know-It-None: Five Places on the Web to Find the Truth

1 Comments | Posted September 25, 2009 | 10:40 AM (EST)


There's that guy in your office that happily spews rumor and gossip as if they're facts and figures all day long. In our book, I Hate People!, we call people like that the Know-It-None.

Read Post

Nine Ways to Get Noticed (Without Compromising Yourself)

Posted September 17, 2009 | 01:57 PM (EST)


It's not always easy to distinguish yourself at work, at least in a way that's favorable. And in a style that doesn't make it look like you're puckering up to give the boss a butt hickey.

It's hard enough for newcomers to get noticed but if you've been at the...

Read Post

Stay on Vacation a Little Longer

Posted August 25, 2009 | 06:31 PM (EST)


Just because you're back from that summer sojourn doesn't mean that the party has to be over. Discover ways to keep those great summer experiences alive the rest of the year.

I saw a sight today that brought back memories of summer's end. A young boy was running, backpack flopping,...

Read Post

Seven Secrets to Missing a Meeting

1 Comments | Posted August 10, 2009 | 04:04 PM (EST)


Even though the smart Soloist often hates meetings, a lot of people love them. Meetings give the illusion that the least industrious in your organization are actually doing something. Which means Corporate America's plague of status updates, mid-project reviews and interdepartmental interfacing isn't going to diminish anytime soon.

Just because...

Read Post

Be A Productive Twit

Posted August 4, 2009 | 04:29 PM (EST)



What a great time to be Twitter. It's all the rage. Sitting in the social networking sweet spot that used to belong to first MySpace, then Facebook. This too shall pass when the next hot socialnet comes along. But, for now, there's something different about Twitter. And it's...

Read Post

Five Steps To Start Solocrafting

2 Comments | Posted July 23, 2009 | 04:26 PM (EST)


In our new book, I Hate People!, Jonathan Littman and I take pains to make sure that our protagonist, the Soloist, is not painted as some kind of recluse, loner or freelancer. Our idea is more along the lines of a musician. A first chair violinist is the example...

Read Post

My Kindle Ate My Homework

10 Comments | Posted July 18, 2009 | 06:38 PM (EST)


I've been a huge proponent of personal computers and all other gadgetry in general. Bought Radio Shack's TRS-80 back in 1980-when-it-came-out. The first 128K-no-hard-drive Mac. The original Palm Pilot. No tech too glitchy, no adoption too early.

The commonality about it all? I've been in ultimate control of what content...

Read Post

Five Tips How To Go Solo (While Still At Work)

Posted July 16, 2009 | 10:43 AM (EST)


Teamwork only takes you so far in the corporate world. Learning how to tackle more tasks and challenges independently will quickly put you on the path of becoming a successful Soloist.

1. Know when to fly solo. Being a Soloist isn't about starting your own company -- it's about kicking...

Read Post

Backup For The Productive Nomad

Posted July 7, 2009 | 05:59 PM (EST)


Telecommuting. Working offsite. Between offices. No matter what your company calls it, the important thing is that you can be more productive not always having to be downbutt in your chair at the office.

In our book, I Hate People!, Jonathan Littman and I devote an entire chapter --...

Read Post

Healthy Hating

1 Comments | Posted June 20, 2009 | 05:08 PM (EST)


Hating, just like everything else in life, can be a healthy habit as long as it's done in moderation. Yes, it can even be good for your career. Here are three tips to help you get into the swing of Healthy Hating.

Does any of this sound familiar from your...

Read Post

Who Needs Teamwork?

1 Comments | Posted June 11, 2009 | 01:52 PM (EST)


Once you realize teamwork needs to evolve and that you can create a smaller, swifter and more creative Ensemble instead, the sky's the limit.

Ah, the benefits of teamwork. Teams are efficient. Teams are powerful. Teams are diverse. If you really think about it, if any of those elements are...

Read Post

The Reverse Job Interview

3 Comments | Posted June 8, 2009 | 07:05 PM (EST)


As the global workforce scrambles in the wake of the current economic turmoil, more and more candidates are vying for a shrinking number of jobs. Competition is even fiercer in the corporate arena where employees have been laid off by the thousands. So it seems crazy to worry about what...

Read Post