Announcements (plus a free ebook)

Have you heard? I’ve put together a free ebook on adventure and risk-taking. You can download it here.

Also, September’s NYC dinner event is almost sold out. Get in touch if you’d like to be considered. This private event is limited to fifteen participants in order to encourage meaningful conversation and constructive networking. If not this time, we can keep you on More...

5 tips necessary to sell any product or service

The ability to sell is a skill necessary in most organizations. From healthcare to advertising, the ability to communicate your worth or the value of your services is essential to close any deal. But there is more to good salespeople than the ability to spin words.

1. Don’t take rejection personally.

You will hear “no.” Keep going anyway. Selling takes time. Act professional throughout the process; when you’re on…

Should I focus on making money or following my passion?

I just spent one hour with students in Nepal discussing this very question. The students attended a Career Counseling workshop at Learning House, and they came with questions. And worries. And anxieties. And pressure, pressure from their parents and from society and their friends and, of course, from themselves.

I encouraged these students to focus on four buckets: People, skills, lifestyle, and rewards. This is…

Communication breakdowns

Lines have been crossed. There is an argument, a heated misunderstanding. A partner feels neglected, a potential client goes elsewhere for work. Feelings are hurt.

What do you do?

You have choices.

A. Walk away.

Ignore it. Move on to other tasks and focus your attention elsewhere.

B. Work it out.

Pause to listen and understand the problem. Identify and evaluate the root of the disagreement. Establish a platform for all parties to express ideas, input,…

Ask yourself these two questions before writing marketing material

1. Who are you writing for?

Think about the audience you wish to target. What do they want? What do they need? What makes them care? What do you want them to do? What happens if they don’t do anything?

Know who you are writing for and tailor your messages accordingly.

2. What is your purpose?

To inform
To convince
To persuade
To propose
To invite
To ask
To confirm
To approve
To deny

Only after you have identified your…

How online courses can make you money

The Australian Bureau of Statistics cited an almost $47,000 yearly salary difference of those with postgraduate degrees. But “non-traditional” students may feel reluctant signing up for a class at the local campus. There’s an easy answer: online courses.

Researcher Tuan Nguyen found substantial evidence showing that online classes are just as effective as classroom models. Add in flexibility and variety, online programs can be key…

Are you spending too much time at work?

The eight-hour workday was designed to get the most out of workers in order to run around-the-clock business. After observing inefficiencies of exhausted workers, Robert Owen split the day into three eight-hour blocks: work, play and rest. Even Henry Ford mirrored this formula. Yet bonuses, overtime pay, and office bragging rights have incentivized long work hours. As a result, fatigue is common in workplaces across…

4 questions for quality content (how to beat luck)

You don’t need Oprah to put your name on a list or the New York Times to cover your work. Even the team that secured $5 million in funding and celebrity endorsements can envy you. How? Content.

Content is what you say and how you say it. How you tell a story. How you connect with your audience. It could be a Facebook post, a photo on Instagram, a regular blog. If you…

When DENIED doesn’t matter

Recently, I’ve been receiving a lot of “No’s.” The proposals and emails I’m sending are falling flat, and my inbox is filled with rejections and denials.

I could let these responses discourage me, but I’m not. I’m using them as fuel. Like my friend Jodi says, “Care enough to push past the ‘No’.”

Rejection doesn’t have to mean failure; it can be a wonderful teacher. Jodi…

Do the work

There’s no substitute for hours put in. Good work requires commitment and emotional investment. You can try to make shortcuts, but your audience will know. More importantly, you will know.

If you don’t feel like it’s risky, it’s probably not worth doing. Don’t take shortcuts, no matter how tempting they may seem.

Do the work.