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Things will get better. I’m just not sure how or when. That’s the mindset of an indefinite optimist, according to Peter Thiel. Contrast that mindset with this: Things will get better. And I plan to make that true. An indefinite optimist will wait on the world to get better, following the rules and counting on […]

If you could create 105 reasons to build trust with your customers, solely based on the products you stocked in your stores, would you? For most companies, the current (lazy and selfish) answer is no. But one company chooses to stand out for the right reasons. Whole Foods sometimes gets a bad rap for the […]

It’s easy to create excuses for why you haven’t been spending time with the people you say matter most to you. We can’t take that weekend trip. We don’t have time for that dinner party. Is that really true? Or is there something else behind the excuses? The power of community is strong. Time spent […]

In America, we pride ourselves on freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom to pursue happiness. And yet, we like to avoid the discussion about the responsibility that accompanies freedom. And the equality. And the hard work. And the acts of generosity. And the sense of community. Yes, enjoy your freedom. But not at […]

It is much easier to view (and comment on) something from afar. This is not nearly the same as experiencing something first hand, making real decisions, and contemplating the consequences of your actions. It’s easy to be a sideline spectator, but quite hard to be the man in the arena. But being in the arena […]

It’s never too late to completely transform your career. You can quit today and start over, regardless of your goals and dreams. First, you have to be sure you’re ready to start over. You’ve seen enough of your current field to know you chose wrong. It’s not failure, it’s learning. Second, you have to believe […]

Bad inputs beget bad outputs, especially in the long run. Likewise, quality inputs beget quality outputs, especially in the long run. Yes, you might be able to get by in the short term on four hours of sleep per night, a diet of processed foods, and a lack of exercise. But eventually, you’ll wake up […]

I’m intrigued by the organizations that were the early adopters; many are now the recognized leaders in corporate sustainability. Some have moved towards integrated reporting, which involves a combined corporate responsibility and annual report. – Molly Cartmill, Sempra Energy After taking a moment to work through the corporate speak, I realized what Molly Cartmill was […]

Sometimes, we fall just short of a goal. We make $950 from a product launch when we hoped to make $1,000. We run that mile in 6:05 when we wanted to run it under 6:00. Or we read 50 books instead of the 52 we hoped to read this year. That’s what scientists would define […]

Tell me if this is familiar: you hear about a hot new tech/entrepreneurship/marketing/business conference being promoted around the web. You click through to check out the marketing site and see if it might be the kind of event you’d be interested in attending. The overall message resonates, so you head to the speakers page. Thirteen […]