The other day my 9-year-old son informed me of the meaning of JERK – Junior Educated Rich Kid If this was the image you had in mind by reading my title (Don’t be a jerk), reimagine it. I also don’t mean Steve Martin from the movie “The Jerk” (see below). Instead picture one of my […]
Where have all the great followers gone?
You are a follower. You read that right. You are a follower. You can’t help it. Don’t worry…I’m a follower too. Truthfully, I like to follow. I want to pay attention to people who I value and trust. I want to know what they are thinking. I want to know what they are learning. I […]
Big guns and bigger explosions!
What I need in a movie… I’m like most guys when it comes to movies. Though I can sit through a romantic comedy most days, I’m a sucker for big guns and bigger explosions. I like it when the good guy has insurmountable odds in order to overcome evil. I’m able to suspend reality for 2 […]
Are you in the middle of the GRIND?
Growing your business, art & life is a GRIND! As small business owners and entrepreneurs, we spend so much of our time keeping up. We focus on the next task. We attempt to keep our heads above water. And this is just our business life! Throw in improving our craft – photography, art, writing. Pile on top of […]
6 steps to move your business from Winter to Summer.
Yesterday, I compared the first snow of the winter in Kansas City to your business. Specifically I related the first snow as the unofficial signal of the arrival of winter to moments in your business signaling change. I had more thoughts as I wrote. In particular, recognizing a signal that your business needs to go […]
10 Books that shaped my life. pt 2
Yesterday I ran out of space writing my list of 10 most impacting books on my life. I had to stop at 5. If you missed yesterday’s article, find books 1-5 HERE. 2 notes before I get into 6-10. The list is not in any order. Book 1 doesn’t necessarily have greater importance than book […]
How to leave a legacy.
Last week, Fast Company ran an article about your legacy as a leader. It shared the story of the author walking through a park in Toronto after the passing of Jack Layton. Layton was a leader in Canada’s New Democratic Party, and had just died of cancer. The park was covered with chalk drawings and […]
Take your business to the next level: Define the why
Simon Sinek has given, what I feel, is one of the best TED talks ever. Despite some technical difficulties and low-tech methods of sharing, Sinek gives a 20 minute talk that wraps up why some businesses fail (or fail to be incredible) and other businesses are GREAT. You can watch the video at the end […]
Authority is earned.
That’s it. Nothing fancy. Nothing flowery. The title says it all. Authority is earned. If you want respect from peers, clients, friends, the industry, family, spouse, then earn it. If you haven’t received the authority you feel you’ve earned in a business, job, relationship, etc then you have 2 choices. Do what it takes to […]
Steve Jobs wasn’t always GREAT. Thank God he learned.
I had an interesting conversation with a guy on Twitter over the last few weeks about Steve Jobs. It boils down to this: He believes that Steve Jobs has always been the GREAT visionary leader that the world sees him as now (and the world saw him as such 10-15 years ago when he took […]
