Original Quotes to Uplift, Inspire and Chase Away the Donald Trump Blues

Are you discouraged? Distressed? Defeated? This Post is for you!

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Those who follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook know that I write original quotes. I’ve written about 700 and add to the list almost every day.

In 2026, we need to mobilize every tool and resource we have available. This year, I am writing posts with tips and ideas you can use immediately to grow you business or personal brand. 

It only makes sense to start by offering encouragement, inspiration, and entertainment. If you feel overwhelmed, this post is for you! If you feel there is no hope, I want to help you think differently by reminding you that there is hope. You may need to search for it, but hope is always around the corner. To find it, you may need to try a little harder. 

Quotes Are For You to Use

If you are active on social media, please cut and paste any of my quotes and post them as your content. I've made it easy by dividing them into topics and including my name with each one. 

World economies have punished some while rewarding others. Political systems once considered unshakable are under threat. Our fears are amplified by the paralyzing fear of the unknown. 

Think Differently 

A timely quote can cause you to think differently. A few wise words can inspire you to turn your life around and take a new path. 

In a moment of desperation, a simple phrase can give you hope where none existed. A quote can summarize the euphoria that comes after a great accomplishment when words fail you. 

You Can Make a Difference - Company Giving Strategies for 2025

Give with a grateful heart!

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Robyn T. Braley is a brand specialist, writer, speaker, community leader and media commentator. He is the President of UniMark Creative Inc. 

The needs are significant! We are still experiencing the aftermath of the COVID pandemic with health and social issues. Donald Trump's tariffs have triggered runaway inflation, layoffs, and worldwide economic uncertainty. Skyrocketing rental rates and food costs have caught financial experts and ordinary people off guard. 

The needs in our communities have been amplified several times over! People are desperate. Families are in distress. Many are forced to choose between paying the rent and buying food!

Every day, worthy causes inundate companies and private individuals with letters, emails and phone calls pleading for help. The challenge is to choose which organizations to help when so many need support.

All of this brings added pressure on food banks, family resource agencies, addiction recovery organizations, youth programs, and mental health services. Counsellors are overwhelmed by the number of people seeking help. 

Doug Ford and Ronald Reagan's Excellant AD-venture

Premier Doug Ford uses the words and voice of Ronald Reagan to refute tariffs!

In the fall of 2025, Doug Ford, Premier of Canada's largest province, Ontario, commissioned a television ad that used former Republican President Ronald Reagan's own words and voice taken from a 1987 broadcast to refute the validity of tariffs. See TV Ad. It ran for a week on US national news shows and sports broadcasts, including two World Series games between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The fallout was immediate. Donald Trump, in a temper tantrum, halted all trade talks with Canada and also imposed further tariffs. My post below outlines the upside—the unexpected public relations and earned media coverage the ad generated. 

Mark and Donald's SHOWDOWN in the OVAL OFFICE

 

Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office

Late yesterday afternoon, I received a call from Digital Producer Tammy Ibrahimpoor at CTV News Toronto, asking me to analyze the body language of President Trump and Prime Minister Carney during their media conference in the Oval Office.

Click to read the CTV interview http://bit.ly/4h16U40.

The Time Is Now! Strengthen Your Brand with Easy-to-Use Tips

 

Fragile economies require extra effort to protect your brand. 

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Are you feeling the pressure of doing business in an uncertain world? Do you feel like your brand is under attack from overwhelming forces? 

You're not alone. As a leader, you must monitor global events that you can't control while attempting to predict their impact on your organization. 

• Tariffs
• Political turbulence
• Natural disasters
• Wars in faraway places

It's the Real Thing

While the tone of this post is positive, the reality is that for some organizations, the challenge ahead will be to survive. For others, the future may be bleak because access to your customer base has been cut off by tariffs. It takes time to pivot and develop a new customer base.

To be blunt, there are only so many things you can do because what you face is beyond your control. That doesn't mean you surrender. There are steps you can take to fight back against the odds.

Please read my previous post How To Find Certainty In Uncertain Times

I have found that energy creates energy. Just doing something – anything - can provide the place to start. If you're just starting out, you can build momentum on your path to growth. In other words, you begin climbing the mountain by taking the first step.

How To Find Certainty In Uncertain Times

Fine-tune your communication, sales, and branding skills. 

Written by Robyn T. Braley

‘Uncertain’ is the word that best describes the business forecast for fall 2025. The war in Ukraine, the fragile peace in Gaza, and the threat from Iran are at the forefront. Lurking in the background is the question of what China's intentions are towards Taiwan. 

If that wasn't enough, China is now building a coalition with Russia, India, North Korea, and other countries in an effort to undermine U.S. influence. 

Then, there is the big, beautiful word – at least in the minds of some – TARRIFFS. Will they be introduced in new sectors, increased, expanded, reduced, or abolished altogether? Will U.S. courts succeed in declaring Trump-inspired tariffs illegal? Will the cost for businesses and consumers be minimal or substantial?

With the mercurial temperament of U.S. President Donald Trump and his influence on world events, no one knows! With Donald, things can change dramatically from one day to the next.

Global confidence has been negatively impacted. It can sink to the depths of despair in the morning and soar to euphoric heights by the afternoon, all because of a single social media post from the White House.

All of these combine to dampen the effect on economic forecasts because nothing is certain. And, economic growth depends on predictability.

Control What We Can

The best advice I can offer in these uncertain times is to focus on what you can control. We can’t control most outside influences, but we can control how we respond to them.

Why LinkedIn is Key for Building Your Personal Brand

Check out LinkedIn basics. 

Written by Robyn T. Braley

LinkedIn has become one of the most powerful tools for professional growth. It is ideal for those wanting to grow their personal brand and to build meaningful relationships.

 

A recent conversation with a client sums up why LinkedIn has soared to the top of branding must-haves. He observed, “When one of our salespeople cold-calls a prospective client or replies to an email inquiry, before the process goes to the next step, both parties go to LinkedIn for background information about the other person.”

“Relationship-driven marketing is what makes the B2B world go round,” he noted. “Potential customers often check out the LinkedIn profiles of our team before they go to our company website!”

He concluded, “By the time they meet face-to-face, both have learned a lot about each other.” The conversation took place during our meeting about developing consistent LinkedIn profiles for each of his sales and executive team members.

Active Listening! Tips to Help You Understand Better

When you ask a question, active listening helps you fully understand the answer!

It only makes sense! Why ask the question if you don't plan to fully listen to the answer?

Active listening is what follows asking thoughtful questions. When you ask a question, active listening allows the other person to know you hear what they are saying. They also help you better understand the entirety of that person's views, which is the goal of a meaningful conversation. You must listen with your entire body.

Culture Based On Trust

In the workplace, some leaders hear what they want to hear! They're selective in who they talk to and avoid tough conversations. That creates an information vacuum and a culture that discourages employee participation.

There's another side. Team members seldom risk asking hard questions if they don’t trust their leaders. They may say what their leader wants to hear rather than offer alternate ideas. Active Listening helps you build trust by showing you care. 

Meaningful conversations seldom happen unless there is trust. Building trust requires a safe, non-judgmental working environment free from the threat of retribution.

Activating listening demonstrates that you are present, attentive, and without an agenda, judgment, or preconceived notions. A culture that prioritizes trust over status fosters transparency and encourages open sharing of both good and bad news.

Check out my previous post ...

How to Ask Questions That Matter!

How to Ask Questions That Matter!

 

GREAT leaders ask GREAT questions. 

Asking smart questions is one of the most powerful tools in a leader's toolbox. The right question asked at the right time can bring answers that help you understand better, think differently, and move your organization forward.

Leaders who think they have all the answers often become so absorbed in trying to be the smartest person in the room that they avoid asking the questions that will actually make them smarter.   

Questions Make You Smart

Some leaders fear asking questions. They believe that if they ask, they will appear weak and uninformed. The direct opposite is true. 

People go through a cognitive process as they search for answers. Insights are more powerful when they reach conclusions independently.

Improving your questioning skills will make you a better manager, employee, parent, teacher, student or community leader through empowering your team.

Leaders who ask questions also show respect for their teams. Questions contribute to building relationships because they often lead to further conversations, which play a key role in getting to know someone better. 

Asking questions …

·       Adds perspective because you receive information from a different view

·       Empowers the person being asked to think for themselves

·       Tells people you value what they say

·       Provides a path to deeper conversations 

The Top Brandit Posts for 2024 - Branding, Writing, Speaking, Sales, Body Language, MORE

Learning, stories, insite, practical information - even entertainment! 

The official last weekend of summer makes me sad but also glad. I’m sad that summer is over, but glad for all the fall's new beginnings.

Whether in the mountains, at the lake, in a prairie campground, on an ocean beach, or relaxing in your backyard, this is for you. I’ve selected the top Brandit Blogs from the past year for your reading pleasure.

Deep Seated Love

I write and speak about branding, marketing and communications because I love helping people! In fact, I can truly say helping others is a major reason I get up in the morning. Another would be breakfast, but that’s another story.

My annual ‘Best of Post’ links to the most popular articles I’ve written this past year. Posts are chosen based on readership analytics, timeliness, and reader comments.

Continue to Grow

I try to include a mix of Brandit topics about social media, marketing, brand-building, the latest trends, and relationships. This year I will write several posts explaining Artificial Intelligence.  It’s not as complicated as you think.

Top 10 Posts

Below are the most-read Brandit posts of 2023-2024 for you to enjoy once again. While reader numbers are gratifying, I love the personal conversations they bring through telephone calls, emails, or comments below the post.

I also receive personal comments during business meetings and social occasions, which is cool. The conversation usually gravitates to how to blog and analytics in particular.

Storm Warning! RAT Rain May be in the Forecast

The Florida rat story has a fascinating sponsorship chapter!  

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Tonight is the night! The Stanley Cup will be awarded to whichever team perseveres. The question is! Will the ice surface be covered with orange and blue Oil, or will there be a Rain of Rats?

If Mathew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers win, it will be rats! If Conner McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers win, it will be rabid fans who have flown 4,120 km on an 8-hour flight to spill onto the ice dressed in colorful orange and blue costumes the minute the final whistle blows. Either way, the cup finals have been the stuff sports legends.  

Rat Legend

As the Florida Panthers emerged from the NHL's Eastern Conference to meet the Western champion Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup final, the story of the rat storm of 1996 bubbled to the surface.

Do you remember the story? A legend grew out of a single, slightly disgusting act involving a rat! Disgusting, that is, unless you are a fan of rat extermination.

Sponsorship Basics: What You Need to Know

 

Sponsorship can play an important role in your marketing strategies. 

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Do you find sponsorship confusing? If you are a business or community leader, you must understand how and why it works.

I was the sponsorship manager for several years for Alberta's provincial educational TV and radio network, ACCESS NETWORK. Later, with my company, Unimark Creative, I set up and managed client sponsorship funding. Finally, as a Rotarian and community activist, I have helped package sponsorships supporting various projects.

Brand Synergy

You must ask two questions before digging too deeply into sponsorship function or structure.

1. Is there brand synergy between the sponsor and the cause or event?
2. What could go wrong?
3. What would the consequences be? 

The Big Question

Does sponsorship work? That's a good question.

Master the Art of Writing for an Online Audience

 

Practical ways to help readers better understand what you mean.

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Tips for improving audience engagement when writing emails, social media content and website posts!

We’ve all received them—emails with random subject lines and content that rambles on forever. We’ve all seen Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blog, or website posts, which are one big blob that is a challenge to read!

Writing online content requires a different approach than writing for essays, reports, magazines or newspapers. What I share will also make information in printed proposals or reports easier to read. 

Why is this Important?

Strong online communication skills are important for leaders and frontline workers. We want to be better understood by others and to better understand them as we exchange ideas online. 

Make Them Listen! Performance Tips for Speakers

Speaker performance tips to help make your audience listen!

Have you spent hours preparing for an important speech only to have it fail to connect with your audience? Raise your public speaking game by incorporating my performance tips to help engage your audience and leave a lasting impression. 

The worst review any speaker can receive is to be called boring. Creating engaging speech content is the first step to engagement. 

The second step is to bring life to your presentation through performance. What you say is often less important than the way you say it.  

Seven Cs For Success

1. Confidence – preparation, presentation, owning the stage
2. Credibility – being seen as the expert
3. Content – relevant, resonating
4. Connecting – read the room to engage
5. Context – know the room's physical properties
6. Control – microphones, music, slide show, video
7. Communication – putting it all together

Connecting – Reading the Room

Reading the room helps understand the mood of the audience. Non-verbal cues signal whether their emotional level is high or low. When people nap, it's time to adjust your delivery style. 

Other Posts in This Series

How to Write Speeches That Move People!

Speech Presentation Options for Successful Speakers

Tech Check Tips For Public Speakers, MCs, Comics, and Funeral Eulagizers

Script Options for Successful Speakers

There's more than one way to format a speech for presentation. What's best for you?

Written by Robyn T. Braley

After your speech is written, you must organize it into a presentation format that suits your style.

Of course, the ideal way to deliver a speech is to memorize it. However, if that’s not for you, there are other delivery methods.

The Last Laugh

As every speaker knows, the path to speaking success is paved with hours of preparation. I learned this principle the hard way.

The first time I spoke before a crowd of 400 people, I was 17 and running to become the President of my High School Student’s Counsel. I aced the debate and won because I told jokes about my opponent. My election victory had nothing to do with visionary thinking or big ideas.

While I won the election, the last laugh was on me. The second time I spoke to that same crowd was one week later. That time, my fellow students expected me to be … well … Presidential.

Yahoo! How to Thrive in the Stampede 2023 Networking Marathon

Make a great first impression at Calgary Stampede events!

Written by Robyn T. Braley

In any networking opportunity, we like to say that first impressions are everything! But bad behavior can make the kind of lasting impression you don't want.  

Don't be known as the cowboy or cowgirl who threw up on the boss's cowboy boots. That will definitely be remembered! 

The Calgary Stampede is billed as the greatest outdoor show on earth. It's also a city-wide networking marathon. 

Stampede is hard to describe to people who have never experienced one. The city-wide celebration is much more than an event confined to a geographic location.

While 1.3 million+ will pass through Stampede Park turnstiles for the 10-day exhibition for the all-star rodeo, exciting chuck wagon races, music concerts, and agricultural fair, the celebration of western spirit spreads like wildfire through the city.

Companies spend thousands of PR dollars to make their events ones to remember. Being on the invite list gives access to people you would never otherwise meet.

Company presidents join 100’s of employees wearing cowboy hats, shirts, blue jeans and boots. Stampede is a time for building relationships with employees, clients, suppliers and the community.

Body Language - Do You Know What Your Body is Saying?

Harness the power of body language for better communication!

Written by Robyn T. Braley

Body language is a big part of your personal brand.  It's important to understand that because your brand is what others think it is. You may be sending unintended messages to colleagues, clients, or friends and family.

 

1. What is your body language saying about you?

2. What subliminal messages are you sending?

Why Body Language Matters

Knowing what your body is saying can be the difference between being taken seriously or not. Strong body language speaks to confidence, credibility, and trust. Shifty eyes, wild gestures, and the failure to listen intently signal the direct opposite.  

Tech Check Tips For Public Speakers, MCs, Comics, and Funeral Eulogizers

Learn why sound and lighting technicians are your BFFs.

Written by Robyn T. Braley

 

If you are a public speaker, comic, do M.C. work, teach, give reports, eulogies at funerals, or toasts at weddings, it's not IF technology will let you down; it's WHEN! Somedays, technology is not your friend despite your best efforts.

 

It's better to solve problems before your event than troubleshoot them after your presentation has started in front of a full auditorium. 

How to Write Speeches That Move People!💥

My simple tips will help you tell your story!

Whether you need to write a 1-hr. speech or a 2-minute announcement, my tips will help improve the engagement level of your audience while reducing your stress level.

Who Is It For

If you’re a leader, developing your communication skills is a necessity! Whether speaking to a live audience or to one on a video call, connecting and moving them to action is part of your job description.

• Own a business
•  Teach 
• Lead industry, community, or faith groups
• MC weddings, concerts, or community events
• Chair a board and A.G.Ms. 
• Do politics at any level

Planning For Disaster! What You Need to Know

A crisis communication plan is an investment, not a cost!

Written by Robyn T. Braley 

We tend to think, "It will never happen to us!" And then, it does. Is your company prepared for the unthinkable? 

Having a crisis repsonse plan is usually on the to-do list but is often put aside due to more pressing issues. However, executing a well-written plan can save lives, calm fears, and provide a structure for responding to the event and moving forward. 

Canmore, Alberta floods of 2013

Hurricane Fiona devastated the east coast from Maritime Canada to Florida and into the Caribbean. Hurricane Ian was close behind.