I never work with companies. Ever. Yes, I’ve written and directed professionally for more than 25 years. Yes, I’ve served as a creative leader in the worlds of branding, marketing strategy, advertising, and entertainment development for 15 plus years. And yet, I never work with companies; I work with people. Now, if that strikes you...Continue reading
Category: Productivity
Job of the Future: Hunter / Gatherer
Around this time each year, lists come out detailing the jobs on the uptick (I see you, cybersecurity) and those on the steady approach to obsolescence (sorry, minecar operators). The employment trends come and go and shift, but there’s one ancient job set to have a major comeback… The Hunter / Gatherer. As the true...Continue reading
Turn, Turn, Turn
Look at these doors. Now look closer – which ones are locked and which aren’t? Trick question; you can’t tell by looking. You’re going to have to walk over and try them. Isn’t the same true as we consider our possible paths forward? Without question, there’s a time for thinking and planning and strategy, but...Continue reading
Grab Everything
Whenever I check into a hotel, the first thing I do is scoop up all the soaps, shampoos, notepads, whatever in the room. It’s not like I’m doing anything sneaky – I’ve paid for them – I just want to get the maximum benefit possible in my short time there. I think that same...Continue reading
Owe? No. // How to Bypass Worry and Get to Work
OWE? NO. My plan goes sideways… …but I’m not required to obsess over it. I have to pay bills… …but I don’t owe anyone my peace of mind worrying about it. Someone wrongs me… …but I’m not obligated to carry resentment about it. I’m not where I want to be… …but I’m not required to...Continue reading
What We Mean When We Say ‘Paying Attention’
Paying attention. Paying attention. With the English vocabulary being so vast, why a monetary allusion in this well-known idiom? My guess is it’s because attention, like money, is finite. There’s only so much you have at a given moment. You can spend it here or there, but not everywhere to an unlimited degree (and there’s...Continue reading
Managing Opposites: How to Win with Rule-Followers AND Risk-Takers
In managing opposites, both tribes can learn to work together IF communication remains Constant, Candid, and Collaborative. Choose to run the risk of over-communicating. When two groups speak different languages, you may find that ‘over’ is actually only ‘just enough.’Continue reading
The Secret Value of Fear
We all know about fear – that inborn survival code that keeps us from hugging grizzly bears and makes us think twice about walking down dark alleys. Useful? Even life-saving? Yes and yes. But on a day-to-day basis, that gift sometimes feels like a curse; we fear having THAT conversation, we fear letting him or...Continue reading
Now? Now.
Need motivation to get started? Start here...Continue reading
What Happens When You Can’t Lose
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about two words: “process” and “experiment.” Not just thinking about, but seeing them in a new way that has dramatically reframed how I’m viewing challenges and setbacks. Two examples, one professional and one personal… I was recently asked to create a pitch for producing a video to be shot...Continue reading