What if you focused intently on earning as much money as humanly possible in the next five years? How much could you earn? How would that feel? Here’s a very different question that sounds quite similar: What if you spent the next five years focused on earning as much as humanly possible so that you […]
You Have Something to Say
Daily writing. Those two words are threatening. You say them, and people (like me) think, “Daily? Writing? There’s no way I could make that happen. Besides, I don’t want to be an author. Why would I write daily?” And so the internal conversation goes until we’ve sufficiently reasoned our way out of the value of […]
What Will You Do When It’s Your Turn?
Andre Iguodala won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award for the 2015 Finals. If you’re not a basketball fan, that probably means nothing to you, but stick with me. Iguodala has been in the NBA for 11 years, playing as a starter every season he’s been in the league… except for this season. Steve […]
My Number One Productivity Trick
Get enough sleep. Sorry, were you expecting something else? I will admit, it’s a bit easier said than done. After all, to get enough sleep, I also have to: Avoid drinking coffee after noon, and no more than 3 cups at that Exercise, otherwise I’m restless and unsettled Get up and move throughout the day […]
The Difference Between You and Seth Godin
Not much… other than the fact that he made the decision to sit down at his desk and write every day for more than ten years. 10 years seems like an eternity when you put it like that. But it starts with the first day. And then the first week. And then the first 100 […]
Safety and Courage
Writing about marketing, entrepreneurship, and personal development is safe. Dangerously safe. I know that. It would be easy to get comfortable rehashing tired issues while writing about some of the most-talked-about topics on the internet. That’s why you’ll see me going out on a ledge to talk about “fringe issues” I believe need to become […]
What are you waiting for?
In The Art of Non-Conformity, Chris Guillebeau tells a story about a man who approached him at an event. The man introduced himself, told Chris about a project/trip/business he wanted to start sometime, and then thanked Chris for being an inspiration to him and his dreams. Sometime down the road, Chris saw the man at […]
Fiction as Inspiration
It can be easy to dismiss fiction as a waste of time, especially if you take your work (or yourself) seriously. I know, I’ve felt the same way on more than one occasion. But when you find a book that engrosses you– the kind you can’t put down… It can be an amazing experience far […]
Life Partners and Entrepreneurship
Making the decision to become an entrepreneur, a builder of things, is scary and life-changing. Even more, starting something is just the beginning of what will be a harrowing journey of ups and downs. That’s just what it means to be an entrepreneur. Young, single founders can get by with little sleep, a ramen diet, […]
The Employee Happiness Ambassador
Today’s To-Do List: – Call Sublime for donuts for Friday’s coffee hour – Order cake for Fernando’s birthday – Organize podcast listening party for Serial launch – Order inflatable Turkey for Thanksgiving lunch – Plan holiday party All in a day’s work for Ashley Wilson, Mailchimp’s Employee Happiness Ambassador. A long time ago in a […]