I stopped trying.

February 10 2014

I’m still trying to wrap my head around this, as it is completely counterintuitive to me. The moment I stopped trying and quit everything is when things became clear. I’m not saying I don’t have challenges and that life is always easy, but my day-to-day isn’t filled with as much strife. There’s less struggle as I move about […]

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Conversations that matter, organizing, and impresarios: A dinner event in March

February 06 2014

Everyone knows bringing people together in meaningful ways has value. But what does that mean? And how do you build environments that get people to be authentic and real? Questions I hear: How do you move beyond “What do you do?” at networking events? How important is a guest list, really? Does the environment matter? […]

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United by insecurity

February 04 2014

No matter where your office is located, the ceiling can fall down. You don’t know when, but one day it will. There is even a possibility a car drives through your living room tonight while you’re sleeping. We’ve done a great job fooling ourselves into believing we have it all figured out. We’ve worked hard to […]

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Stop trying to find your purpose

January 30 2014

We spend so much time searching. Searching for The One, The Job, The House, The Car, The Experience, The Feeling, The Plan, The Salary, The Product, The Idea, The Connector, The Client, The Bargain, The Title, The Brand… We’re looking for answers, assuming that once we find That Thing, the result we want will magically […]

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#$*!% = QUIT

January 22 2014

Quitting has become a dirty word, associated with failure and weakness. Anyone who has experienced any measure of success knows that quitting is par for the course. A few dinners have opened with folks talking about their failures. Really talented, accomplished individuals getting honest about places they screwed up, projects that were complete disasters, even relationships that weren’t right. […]

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What if the goal was to fail?

January 14 2014

What if your goal was to experience rejection, to quit? What if you set out trying to find twenty new ways of getting shot down, of hearing “No, thanks” at least fifteen times in one day? What if your aim wasn’t to wildly succeed or sell the most product or to get everyone to like you? […]

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Want to hack your life? Write.

January 07 2014

Few entrepreneurs and business leaders have developed a consistent writing practice. This surprises me. You won’t easily find an artist without a pen and notebook filled with scribbles. In case you hadn’t noticed, art and entrepreneurship are tightly bound. Write. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be coherent. Thoughts, observations, experiences, […]

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Are you developing a marketing strategy or being real?

December 30 2013

I wrote my first post on Medium this week. Before clicking “Publish,” I was surprisingly nervous. I think because this writing is very personal, an experience that is dear to my heart and involves people I love. I almost didn’t post it. I had no idea it would impact and resonate with so many people. I’m […]

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Give more, receive more

December 24 2013

When we are stingy with our resources, or operate from a “scarcity mentality,” we block our own potential (and that of those around us). Giving to others creates an energy exchange that can propel you towards success and deeper layers of living. The holiday season is a perfect time to test this generosity theory. Conduct an […]

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10 questions to ask at a dinner party (instead of “What do you do?”)

December 19 2013

You’ve invited twelve of your closest friends over to your place for dinner — except no one knows anyone else, and they’re all from different parts of your life: work, parenting group, school, bowling club, gym class. You’ve hired a chef and set the table. Now…how do you get people to talk? “What do you do?” is […]

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