The
Toniq
June 5,
2025
2025
AI and the Illusion of Connection: Why We Need to Be Careful with Digital Companions
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
But for some, the interaction with an AI chatbot can go too far, leading them into a strange online fantasy world that could bring them ruin.
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June 4,
2025
2025
Shut Up and Dance: Why Bold Decisions Lead to Breakthroughs in Life and Business
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
In life and business, we’re taught to be careful. We’re told to plan every move, analyze every risk, and weigh every possible outcome. But here’s the reality: you can spend your whole life preparing for the “perfect” moment, and it may never come.
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June 3,
2025
2025
The Clickbait Trap: Why We Keep Falling for Headlines That Promise the World (and Deliver Meh)
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
So, what is it about these tantalizing headlines that keep drawing me back? How did this all start, and why do we—yes, we—keep falling for it? Let’s dive in.
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June 2,
2025
2025
The Art of Branding: Shaping the Future through Creativity and Connection
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
Brands are storytellers in their own right—if they want to succeed, they need to create narratives that are more than just "Buy this thing!" They need to connect, resonate, and leave an impression that lasts.
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May 30,
2025
2025
Canceled: The Illusion of Cancel Culture and the Power of Human Connection
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
In a society driven by technology, it’s all too easy to treat people like we treat our streaming services or magazine subscriptions—simply something we can cancel when it no longer suits us.
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May 29,
2025
2025
Influencers: Behind the Perfect Image and the Pressure to Perform
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
The term “influencer” didn’t always exist. A few decades ago, fame was reserved for movie stars, musicians, and athletes—people whose talent or achievements brought them into the public eye. But as social media grew in the early 2000s, particularly with the launch of platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and eventually TikTok, a new form of public influence emerged.
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May 28,
2025
2025
Mastering Status: Navigating the Dynamics of Branding, Leadership, and Negotiation
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
In the world of branding, status works the same way. Brands, like people, either have power or lose it; they’re either up or down in the social hierarchy, and the shifts happen constantly.
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May 27,
2025
2025
The Quiet Power of Humility in Leadership and Branding
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
In any leadership role, humility is one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—qualities a person can possess. Too often, it’s mistaken for weakness or indecision. But true humility is the cornerstone of authenticity.
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May 26,
2025
2025
Why News Literacy Matters — and What Brands Need to Learn From It
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
We’ll explore why news literacy — the ability to tell what’s real, what’s misleading, and what’s manipulative — matters more now than ever.
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May 23,
2025
2025
AI and the Masterpiece Debate: Can Machines Create Art that Truly Resonates?
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
Art, at its core, is an attempt to communicate. It’s an expression, a reflection of humanity’s innermost thoughts, desires, struggles, and dreams. But what exactly is art? And more importantly, who gets to decide?
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May 22,
2025
2025
Why Weird Branding Works: Lessons from the Strangest Brands
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
In a world where every brand is vying for your attention, it’s no surprise that strange, offbeat, and downright weird branding has started to rise above the noise.
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May 21,
2025
2025
What Do the Masses Want in Branding? Less Snake Oil, More Real Brands
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
It’s that feeling of being both impressed and skeptical that has become the hallmark of modern marketing. In a world where brand promises are often made with all the charm of a snake oil salesman, it begs the question: how much of what brands claim is actually true?
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May 20,
2025
2025
Dear Paul: When Your Wife Has an Affair… and You’re the Other Man
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
A man with Dissociative Identity Disorder suspects his wife is having an affair with one of his personalities. Paul offers absurdly helpful advice.
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May 19,
2025
2025
Everyone’s a Pepper: Branding for the Masses and Missing the Point
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
More like your friend’s dad trying to use TikTok. They were slightly awkward and trying really, really hard. They might as well have worn a sign saying, “Like me, please, please, please just … LIKE ME,” which, according to Newton's law of Cloying Brandism, is never going to work.
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May 16,
2025
2025
Mind the Words: Courtesy, Conflict, and Culture at Work
By
Paul Kiernan
Paul Kiernan
Why should a marketing director or project lead care? Because public space is rehearsal space. The phrases we hurl on the platform ride with us into Monday stand‑ups, Slack threads, and client calls.
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