How To Handle Criticism and Run for Public Office: Mike Jingozian Hires Private Investigator on Your Business Blogger

announces political ambitions “You will hear more about my political plans in the months ahead. For now, I wish you peace and harmony. Be well, Jingo.”

A number of Alert Readers have been following our case study of AngelVision. The founder, Mike “Jingo” Jingozian has been most unhappy with Your Business Blogger’s analysis and has hired (at least two) lawyers and a private investigator in response to the critique and the comments.

(A private investigator??!! I’m honored.)

Jingo will be running for an elected or appointed public office — but has taken some time off the campaign trail and his business to address Reasoned Audacity’s review of the unusual AngelVision management style.

Jingozium Erratum

May 1995Over the next few weeks we will discuss the challenges of crisis management in dealing with the blogosphere.

AngelVision continues to be an outstanding case study — on a “distinctive” reaction to public criticism.

Meanwhile Jingo should consider CampaignSiteBuilder.com to help him launch his political career. (See compensated link on sidebar.)

Continue reading at the jump. Hint: Don’t hire expensive private investigators to spy on bloggers.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Be sure to visit AngelVision and take the Jingo on-line poll on what to do with Your Business Blogger. Here’s how I voted:

Number three: Don’t be a wimp! Kick some @ss! Sue the b@stard out of principle! [Expletives modified]

The vote results will surprise you.

(Charmaine voted for “ignore him.” She’s no fun.)

Here’s my advice and bumper sticker for his political world view.

UPDATE: 16 May 2007, Mike Jingozian claims that Your Business Blogger is a Washington government insider. Very flattering, but I must not be much of a political insider because I just now noticed that Jingo Jingozian is really, really running for public office. No, not town council. Not for congress. Nope. Jingo is going the Full Monty. Mike Jingozian is running for President. Goodness.

Blue state Oregon is now in play for the GOP.

Mike Jingozian has devoted some 5,700 words on his AngelVision company web site to answer Your Business Blogger’s analysis of his marketing mis-management.

(And did I mention yet. . .he hired a private investigator to research my background??!)

But what really tics me off is…no links. 5,000 words and not a single link to Reasoned Audacity.

Goodness, what bad form. What an unsightly breach of Web Etiquette. Jingo’s got the lingo — but please, go to the site for the cite. And then people, as Jingo is want to say, can make up their own minds.

Follows is the first installment of the fisking of Mike Jingozian’s response.

(I know, I know. If you are yawning already. . and/or thinking I should ignore this guy, you are on Charmaine’s wave-length. But see below — in the Google age, when someone challenges your credentials you have to respond.)

Jingo starts:

Response to Jack Yoest Website (www.Yoest.com) Yoest Response for Website.doc June 13, 2006

This information was compiled with help from our legal staff. It was prepared for these reasons:

1. To publish our side of the story in order to let the public decide what they wish to believe.

2. To let people know that despite being “laid-back” or “at peace”; this does not give permission for people to slander and defame Jingo, any members of his team or Customers.

3. To document the lies printed on Mr. Yoest’s website as a resource in the event that we wish to pursue legal action.

Below is a list of all the inaccuracies contained on the Yoest.com website.

This list was compiled with assistance from our legal council [sic] and an investigator who researched Mr. Yoest’s background.

No links.

This is a lot of work and harsh language to address a business case study. And it gets worse. (Or better if you’re looking for entertainment.) Jingo is correct these days that every criticism must be answered. Jack Kennedy was the first to insist that any attack must be answered. Before his time, it was routine for public figures to selectively ignore a perceived insult, “I won’t dignify that charge with a response.”

But not these days. Public Relations and perceptions are now the most important part of marketing. Every blog post should be monitored. See

Stuck on Stupid on the best tactics to handle a hostile crowd (of reporters).

Let’s do the fisking in a random order from Jingo’s massive missive:

7. Yoest: “Unless it is Oxford like me.”

Fact: This is my favorite lie. You see, Mr. Yoest never graduated from Oxford. As a matter of

fact, according to all our research, there is no record of Mr. Yoest ever attending Oxford.

In fact, it is not Jingo who misrepresented his education, but rather Mr. Yoest.

And further down:

Why then does Mr. Yoest LIE [emphasis in original] about his own academic background? After contacting Oxford, we learned that Mr. Yoest DID NOT [shouting in original] earn a degree from Oxford. Furthermore, there is no evidence that he was never even enrolled [sic] at the school. Timeless truth?

Jingo needs to get a refund from his Private Investigator for non-performance. In May of 1995, Your Business Blogger traveled to Oxford, UK and attended a series of lectures International Political Economy, Technology and Industry as required by the George Mason University MBA program.

And, that’s pretty much exactly what my bio says:

Jack earned an MBA from George Mason University and completed graduate work in the International Operations Management Program at Oxford University.

Yoest at Oxford I got a nifty certificate. If Jingo’s Private Investigator can find proof of any claim of a degree from Oxford, a link would be helpful. (That would be a hyperlink — it is a technical technique.)

But we have some 2,000 blog posts and dozens of articles and third party introductions; the Private Investigator may have found a citation for ‘Yoest and Oxford degree.’ No such claim for an Oxford degree exists that we can find. Perhaps Jingozian or his PI can do some Googling and let us know if something turns up.

Mike Jingozian needs to get better acquainted with the truth and the wonderful world of hyperlinks and media relations. We await his apology. Or another e-mail from his lawyers…

Alert Readers will remember that Charmaine also ‘read’ at Oxford in the late 1980’s on her way to earning her Ph.D. at UVA before we wed. She even has an impressive certificate from a Harvard program, just like Crimson Jingozian. Charmaine has also lectured at Harvard Hall. Oxford is where we watched our first competitive crewing event. I still have “The Blades of Oxford” tee-shirt somewhere. (T-shirts: The real proof of attendance at Oxford. Besides knocking back a pint at Eagle and Child Pub, haunt of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.)

And now, almost twenty years later our first born, The Dreamer, is crewing on the Potomac. Time passes too fast.

Remember to take the Jingo on-line poll on what to do with Your Business Blogger. Here’s how I voted:

Number three: Don’t be a wimp! Kick some @ss! Sue the b@stard out of principle!

Mike Jingozian, founder AngelVision. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

Do you think this guy is going to show up on Lost? Jacob. . and Jingo?!

Be sure to subscribe to receive the next Jingozium Erratum. (A preview for those who are bored already: I did not change my posts and I did not emphasize accusations in red, those were rollover hyperlinks.)

A private investigator? He hired a private investigator? What is this, Columbo? Inspector Clouseau?