I wear masks. Not the kind you buy in a costume store. Those are uncomfortable, and I’ve never actually aspired to look like Iron Man anyway. No, I put on the kind we all learn to wear, in order to survive in a rough-and-tumble world. The “everything’s going great!” mask. The “I’ve got this!” mask. […]
Stuck and Struggling: Navigating the Whitewater
January 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment
“What you’re going through is normal – it’s called growing pains.” I don’t know how many times I’ve said something along these lines to business leaders who suddenly find themselves in a swirl of “issues” as they add new business and employees. It’s like paddling down a river, when suddenly, coming around a bend, you’re […]
Stuck and Struggling: Direction Attention Deficit Disorder
January 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Direction Attention Deficit Disorder (DADD) – have you ever worked with a leader that has a new idea every week? It can be frustrating, yes? I was brought up short once about my DADD by a graphic designer I used to work with. I asked her about any difficulties working with me (dangerous question!) She […]
Stuck and Struggling: the Can’t-Let-Go Leader
January 27, 2015 By 1 Comment
I’ve helped lead sales/marketing for 2 small and growing companies (10 years each); plus, done all the business development for my own consultancy for the past 8 and a half years. And, I’ve consulted with dozens of companies and startups on their strategy and messaging. In other words, I’ve seen a lot of what […]
Do You (Master)Mind?
January 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment
I do. There are different formats for “masterminding,” but the core idea is: get a bunch of smart, trustworthy people together and hash out business problems. The whole of many brains and much experience gathered together is greater than the sum of its parts alone. Some of the most enjoyable masterminding I’ve done over […]
You’re Determined to Make Your New Business Fail. Four Ways I Can Totally Help With That.
December 6, 2013 By 1 Comment
Common business lore is that up to 80% of new startup businesses fail within 18 months. For those who did not go to Vanderbilt, that’s 4 out of 5 (just kidding. Go ‘Dores!). I’m happy to report that I’m still going strong after 7+ years as a solopreneur – but that doesn’t mean there weren’t […]
Sequencing Your Dreams
August 29, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Like you, I have a lot of ideas. A lot of dreams. And sometimes, I try to make too many of them happen at once. Now, I believe that we should (to a certain extent) “follow our dreams.” But that phrase doesn’t necessarily imply that we follow all of them simultaneously, right? I was talking […]
Success
August 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Success is taking the next step forward. And helping somebody else take their next step forward. Anyone can succeed at gathering social media “followers”. But that’s not necessarily any kind of enduring personal or business success. Maybe it’s just spotlight-grabbing, masquerading as productivity. Meanwhile, there’s progress to be made. Doing our best work is a […]
Role Your Own
May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Rep. Manager. Associate Director. Senior Director. Vice President. The business world is full of titles, all nicely arranged for you in various hierarchies. All waiting for you – compelling you – to fit in. Conform. Architect. Engineer. Doctor. Writer. Teacher. Pre-packaged job descriptions, with pre-ordained responsibilities. Pick a role. Conform. Someone else has decided your […]
