Do you have what you want?

True or false:

1. Fairy tales are real.
2. Adventure isn’t just for vacation.
3. Your work can be meaningful.
4. You have the ability to create more stability and security than with any employer.

Throughout my work with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, small business owners, and 1:1 clients, I’ve pinpointed three key areas that prevent belief in the above:

• Resentment
• Lack of focus
• Stagnation (disguised fear)

As a result, I’ve developed a methodology to help people push beyond perceived limits and get…

The most valuable unit

When finalizing a product, shipping art, or editing work, it’s easy to get lost in details. Scraping through drafts and searching for the finish, time passes without recognition. We forgo ourselves and others in order to see completion.

Athletes call it The Zone. A moment when you and performance mix with sacrifice and joy and little else matters. Vision becomes narrow, your focus steadfast and locked onto the end result….

The best opportunities

Most really talented people are never discovered. Most will never make it onto the Best Sellers list, won’t speak at TED, won’t be contacted by NPR.

Chances are you may never find yourself on the big screen. That manuscript? It might end up in more trash cans than hands. And your promising business venture? You’ll be lucky if you get funded within the first ten pitches.

So you have a choice:…

Are you afraid to fail (and talk about it)?

At a recent curated dinner, I asked leaders from a variety of industries to discuss a topic that doesn’t often enter first conversations: failure.

The most successful among us have failed, yet it is a subject riddled with anxiety and fear. We are afraid to be called out as a fraud, so we avoid talking about moments of doubt and insecurity. It is, in fact, the ability to…

The anti-resume

I hope one day you realize you don’t need a resume.

The kind of people you want to work with don’t want to see your list of interests and accolades. They don’t care about your work history, what schools you’ve attended, what awards you’ve won.

They want to know what work you’ve put into the world, what you’ve left behind, where you’re going.

The best work stands for itself.

Your resume is the…

Do you have enough time — or are you afraid?

I don’t have enough time is a complaint heard in corporate settings, co-working spaces, home offices, and everything in-between. Since you won’t be getting more hours in your day, make sure you’re making the most out of what you have.

1. Cut out nonessentials.

Track your activities throughout the day. Are you spending hours dawdling at the local coffee shop? Could you check Facebook less? Do you say “yes” when you…

What do you want?

My manual for daily adventure is one of the more popular posts I’ve written on this blog.

People are looking for excitement. They’re looking to add spice and variety to their lives. Sometimes it’s so easy to get stuck in a holding pattern that it feels like it’s too late to get out.

Today, I want to encourage you to carve out time for yourself. Set aside the “shoulds”…

12 questions to turn small talk into real talk