Congratulations Class of 2017! Your hard-earned college degree will get you in the door, but it is your soft skills that will help you land a job. Soft skills are the new hard skills—the distinguishing qualities that will help you outclass the competition. They are the missing link between your education and success in →

Today, business is the largest social environment in the world. Our rapidly expanding global economy forces us to socialize and conduct business at the table more than ever before. It is in this setting that table manners play a major role as relationships are developed and strengthened. There is no better, or possibly worse, place →

PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS OFFICE DECORUM   As Emily Post once said, “Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.” Nowhere are manners more important than in the business world, especially at the office. Here, the way we behave, along with how well we do our jobs, determines what others will think of us. When →

 Savvy Toasting Etiquette  1. Why make a toast? There are many reasons to make a toast. Toasts are always appropriate to acknowledge an occasion, welcome a new colleague, launch a new business, or welcome an important visitor. A toast is a compliment and acknowledgment of the event and guests. 2. What makes for the perfect toast? →

    It’s that time again: Time for the holiday office party. It’s an event that can either help or hurt your image, as well as your career. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to make a positive impression on the executives in your company whom you may not have met yet; and to reinforce →

The Art of the Holiday Meal   It’s that special time of the year when we gather around the table to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family and friends. Using our best table manners and polished social skills will ensure that we will make a good impression and that it will be an enjoyable and pleasant →

  The Etiquette School of New York’s Social Success Makeover: Finishing School for Adults is a modern-day finishing school for men and women who want to learn how to make positive first and lasting impressions, feel more comfortable in social and business situations, and polish their personal brands for personal and professional success.   A polished powerful presence →

Global Travel Etiquette Guidelines 10 Tips to Smooth Your Way When You Travel Internationally   Just as people in our native country warm up to us when we are polite and show interest in them, the same is true when we visit other countries—whether for business or pleasure. Cultural sensitivity, and a sincere interest in →

HOUSEGUEST ETIQUETTE HOW TO BE A CONSIDERATE GUEST AND THOUGHTFUL HOST   How to Be a Considerate Guest Do be clear about when you are expected to arrive, and when you are expected to leave; and do not go earlier or stay longer.   Do take a house gift; and if you are staying longer →

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SUCCESS I would like to dedicate this blog to the Spring 2016 college graduates throughout the U.S.A. and around the world.  I did not write these ten commandments; Charles M. Schwab, an American steel magnate, wrote them. I do, however, wholeheartedly agree with them and believe that if you follow Mr. Schwab’s ten commandments, you will be successful →