Shoot For Mastery, And Don’t Forget Technique

The world of self-improvement writing is full of talk about manifesting, positive thinking, and whatnot.  It’s all well and good to follow bliss and visualize results.  Important even.   But Here’s A Tip.  Remember To Develop Technique.  Master Something. Want to be an entrepreneur?  Start a company and start selling your products or services.  You […]

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When You Pitch An Idea, Focus On Your Audience’s Needs – And Nothing Else

One of the things I learned while working as an American diplomat was how to pitch an idea to the audience in front of me.  What does this mean?  It means you scale the details of what you are talking about to the needs of the person you are speaking with.  I learned this the […]

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The War Of Art – A Review Of Steven Pressfield’s Classic Books On The Creative (And Entrepreneurial) Life

There is a tremendous difference between the amateur and the professional in any endeavor.  You can tell immediately when you go to a website or talk to someone about their business.  Is this how that individual is making a living, or is this a side hobby? Steven Pressfield’s two books Turning Pro and The War […]

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To Get To Do The Stuff You Really Like

Sometimes you have to take the long road.

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Just-In-Time Creativity

Just-In-Time creativity approaches writing and creativity a little differently. We spend little time worrying about the process, and just create, when the time is right–just in time. See just-in-time manufacturing for the origins of this phrase and concept. I don’t use JIT Creativity all the time. Perhaps half the time, in fact. But it’s a […]

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Ergs Expended and Results Expected

We often think that accomplishing something must be a Sisyphean task of tremendous effort.  But do the greatest performers, writers, artists, creators, parents, or friends really do what they do through effort, effort, effort? I think it is more a matter of skill and ability.  Yes, that skill and ability are earned through many hours […]

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The Digital Nomad Life: There is a Better Way….

Digital nomad is the new moniker for people who build (or strive to build) an online business while traveling the world. This lifestyle is incredibly alluring, especially to anyone under 35. That said, unless you are independently wealthy or have a truly thriving location-independent business, I think there is a better way to approach the […]

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Digital > Analog

I like working in the digital world better than the real world. The digital world has less friction.  When you send an idea out–it goes.  Your work moves at the speed of electrons. The digital world is generally more abstract, focused on ideas, innovation, matters of the mind. The digital world can operate exponentially–you can […]

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Advice For Interns

I’ve worked with a lot of interns in my career.  Here are some suggestions for any prospective intern on how to get the most out of your experience. Most interns are intimidated by the new environment.  This causes them to be tentative and a bit withdrawn.  This is totally normal for the first few days.  […]

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When You Can’t Find A Solution

When you can’t find a solution, stop.  Step back.  Let your mind relax–whether for five minutes an hour, a day, or longer.  Trying to force your mind to find a solution can be dangerous, both for your health and for deriving optional solutions to challenges. Usually, if you are really stuck, you are not framing […]

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