Ben Franklin was an impresario.

Ben Franklin was 21 when he first gathered friends and thought leaders for drinks and dinner on Friday nights. Invitees included poets and laborers, academics and politicians. The cohort was a motley one, but they shared one thing: a desire to improve themselves and their communities.

In his autobiography, Franklin laid out basic terms for these dinners:

“…every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point…

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Life is meant for sharing.

In over two years, hundreds of people I respect and admire have attended my events. Many have asked how to easily find and connect with others within this community. Now it’s possible.

I’ve spent the last few months building a private online resource just for this reason. My friend Clay and I have made unique profiles detailing the skills and interests of those who have requested to share their…

7 sins of crowdfunding

My recent indiegogo campaign has elicited a flurry of emails from people looking for support and advice on projects of their own. I’ve attempted a few fundraising efforts — one that failed, one that supported inner city kids (and got me to Everest Base Camp), and another that had me running the 2011 NYC marathon (never again!). I’ve noticed a few patterns surrounding the psychology of asking…

Fear and two choices

Everyone has moments of panic.

If you don’t experience fear and anxiety from time to time, I’d wonder what kind of life you’re living. You’re probably not doing justice to your capabilities and talents or testing your limits. But this post isn’t about that.

I want you to pay attention to what you do AFTER those moments of panic and fear.

You have two choices:

1. Press on. 

Step on the gas and move…

A call could change your life

I can guarantee it WILL change the life of others.

For the next 48 hours, I’m offering a special incentive. Those who donate a minimum of $100 to the Light Campaign will receive a free one hour phone session with yours truly.

Things we can talk about:

• Quitting a job you hate and pursuing work you love
• Planning an adventure that helps you discover passion (or how to find adventure in your…
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What’s next

Some exciting things are around the corner for Project Exponential. Think: community, growth, and meaningful conversation. And, of course, the art of the dinner party.

Join our list to be the first to hear about what is happening next.

Stay tuned…

Two kinds of people

You’re feeling dissatisfied, unsettled. You want better than what life is presenting to you. You want to provide for yourself and your family. Maybe you’d describe yourself as unhappy.

No matter where I’ve gone in the world (or who I’ve worked with: students, prisoners, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, monks), I’ve seen two typical responses to this situation.

Option A — Action Paralysis
What does this mean? Ideas aren’t in short supply,…

Adventure 101

WHY

• fresh perspective
• renewed creativity
• understanding
• compassion
• discovery
• learning and growth
• to bond, to share, to discuss

WHAT

• excursions
• novelty experiences (something different or new)
• seeing the familiar in a new way
• surprise

WHO

• solo
• with others

WHERE

• near (your backyard, your neighborhood, your home)
• far (a foreign place, a vacation, a getaway)

WHEN

• spontaneous
• planned
• tomorrow
• next weekend
• today

HOW

Make up your mind to discover adventure. Begin to write down the dreams that come to mind. Wander through the travel section of your local bookstore and observe which titles you pick up.

You don’t have…

A quote from Derek Sivers

If you think your life’s purpose needs to hit you like a lightning bolt, you’ll overlook the little day-to-day things that fascinate you.

Good morning

Now get to work.

Real work.

It’s a new day. Yesterday’s failures aren’t so important. Tomorrow is still sleeping.

WAKE UP.

Work that matters isn’t going to come to you.

They may never call.

Your project might not be accepted.

He isn’t going to change his mind.

Make a list of what you want to accomplish — the things that really, truly matter. Outline the steps you need to take to move closer to those dreams, no matter how small. Focus…