Our culture informs our world view. It informs what we know, how others see perceive us…often even before we speak. In a way, identifying how our culture and diversity make us unique has been at the core of my teaching philosophy, in my decade(plus) working with clients and students from around the world. Helping people find and use the “expert within” to create an authentic personal brand has become my […]
Many years ago, a wise friend gave me a crucial piece of wisdom. He said, “Incompletions sap your energy: but completions actually GIVE you energy.” A light bulb went off in my head. Because I’ve been one of those who sits around thinking of all the things I’ve got to – and not doing any. So what’s the problem with incompletions? On their own, nothing. But incompletions often tie up […]
The Road to Realizing Your Dream is Littered with Haters “If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives and maybe even your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery–isolation. Isolation is the gift.” – […]
You don’t get to be the phoenix rising without the burn. It just doesn’t work that way. For every successful business owner, entrepreneur, or founder, there’s a story of walking through the fire. Transformation, both personal and professional, comes at a cost. The price you pay is presence and perseverance on the journey. Joseph Campbell was an author and scholar renowned for his work in comparative mythology. He identified universal […]
In Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky speaks at length about the nature of power. He discusses various instances of creating leverage, thus creating power. One of his central tenets is the idea of not waiting for permission. In the struggle of radicals of any stripe, it’s almost a given that the establishment will be resistant to surrendering any of their power. Those who want to change the world and those […]
Pablo Picasso once said “I’d like to live as a poor man with lots of money.” At first that statement might make us laugh, due to the irony in it, but it gets at the heart of two important issues that are often different sides of the same coin: living simply while enjoying the small pleasures in life versus spending our life amassing money and possessions. Like many people, I’ve […]
The concept of team is something that can run as shallow as a jersey or as deep as genetics. It’s based on choreography that’s both brutal and delicate. It’s glued together with strong communication, and it’s built with experience. Your team can be your saving grace in a moment of struggle, the force that pushes you forward to bask in the light of triumph. It’s an open-ended element that refuses […]
As the gig economy starts to reach its stride, an increasing number of professionals are choosing to start a business with no intention of scaling up and adding staff. Known as “solopreneurs,” they share some etymological similarities with entrepreneurs, but the two are very different ways of working and conducting business. Solopreneurs tend to be doers—people who love to work and produce. For a solopreneur, if a task needs to […]
“I need a place and I need a team.” This is what I would say during my last few years as a full time consultant, with escalating urgency and to anyone who would listen. It was clear at the beginning that I wouldn’t last long as a solopreneur working from home. New York City was not conducive to coffee shop meetings, and my apartment lobby was a medical office waiting […]
The purpose of life is a life of purpose. —Robert Byrne How do we keep going in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds? How do we overcome the dark forces of self-doubt and self-criticism which can sometimes cripple our ability to create our best, most purposeful lives? How do we rise above the sometimes ungenerous, unkind stories we tell ourselves as we go about our lives? Sitting around the table at […]