Your New Digest 2

Michael Dell, Founder of Dell — How to Play Nice But Win (#534)

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 13:04:28 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“You learn a lot more from your customers than you do from the competition.”
— Michael Dell

Michael Dell (@MichaelDell) is chairman and chief executive officer of Dell Technologies, an innovator and technology leader providing the essential infrastructure for organizations to build their digital future, transform IT, and protect their most important information. He is the author of Play Nice But Win: A CEO’s Journey from Founder to Leader.

Michael is an honorary member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum and is an executive committee member of the International Business Council. In 1999, he and his wife, Susan Dell, established the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch the interview on YouTube.

Brought to you by Wealthfront automated investing, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Tonal smart home gym. More on all three below.

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#534: Michael Dell, Founder of Dell — How to Play Nice But Win

https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f336032e-7386-404a-b5fe-6d748e484384.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost.

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

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Want to hear another episode with an innovator who understands the value of failure? Listen in on my conversation with Sir James Dyson in which we discuss what it means to think like an engineer, how many tries it took to get a working prototype of his famous Dyson vacuum, the trials and tribulations of funding research and development, why invention is more about persistence than brilliance, experience as baggage that can get in the way, and much more.

#530: Sir James Dyson — Founder of Dyson and Master Inventor on How to Turn the Mundane into Magic

https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f42248b4-a289-4893-89a8-a0872c8c17db.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Michael Dell:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

SHOW NOTES

Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.

How does meatloaf figure prominently in the story of Michael’s life?
Who is Carl Icahn?
Where did the title Play Nice But Win originate?
Does playing nice make it harder to negotiate or compete against people who don’t live by such a code?
How did Michael make $18,000 selling newspaper subscriptions at age 17? What tactics did he employ to gain an edge that wouldn’t normally occur to most 17-year-olds?
During this time, were there any entrepreneurial heroes Michael looked up to?
Michael wrote his first book, Direct From Dell, in 1998. What does he feel more comfortable discussing now that he may have hesitated to share back then?
Memorable mistakes and failures — how Michael felt about them in the moment, and how they drove him to adapt.
Is the ability to be more vulnerable something that comes with age?
What considerations are especially stressful for a CEO of Michael’s stature when things don’t go according to plan, and what has gotten him through the particularly tough times?
As an introvert, how does Michael navigate his high-profile vocation?
In retrospect, would Michael have handled his company’s unsustainable early hypergrowth differently?
Michael explains what happened when Dell walked back from being publically traded to privately held — and then public once again.
What is a tracking stock?
What were the risks of going private, and how did Michael think about mitigating them?
How was the decision to go public again made?
Who was particularly helpful during the take private chapter of this experience?
The most worthwhile investments Michael has made.
How does Michael think about competition while remaining true to his Play Nice But Win ethos?
What are some common mistakes Michael sees when companies engage in a direct-to-consumer business model?
As busy as Michael already is, why did he dedicate the time and energy to write Play Nice But Win? What does he hope the reader will take away from it?
Parting thoughts.

MORE MICHAEL DELL QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“Failure is a key ingredient in any success.”
— Michael Dell

“You learn a lot more from your customers than you do from competition.”
— Michael Dell

“I believe fundamentally that organizations like ours and others will be successful if they solve the future problems that customers have. If they don’t, they’ll just go out of business.”
— Michael Dell

“I have this belief that a lot of human potential is left unrealized because people are afraid to fail.”
— Michael Dell

PEOPLE MENTIONED

Susan Dell
Meat Loaf
Carl Icahn
Charles Schwab
Ted Turner
Frederick W. Smith
William G. McGowan
Bill Gates
Illustration via 99designs

“We can feel helpless and the world can seem hopeless. And that’s not the case.”
— Paul Conti, MD

Paul Conti, MD is a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed his psychiatry training at Stanford and at Harvard, where he was appointed chief resident and then served on the medical faculty before moving to Portland and founding a clinic.

Dr. Conti specializes in complex assessment and problem-solving, as well as both health and performance optimization, serving patients and clients throughout the United States and internationally, including the executive leadership of large corporations. His new book is Trauma, the Invisible Epidemic: How Trauma Works and How We Can Heal From It.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel, BlockFi crypto platform, and Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#533: Paul Conti, MD — How Trauma Works and How to Heal From It
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/63afb0e8-7ece-4dcd-b13f-c2d14a5f9c9d.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by BlockFi! BlockFi is building a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial and wealth-management products. I became excited enough about this company that I ended up becoming an investor.

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

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Want to hear another episode that outlines effective paradigms for dealing with trauma and addiction? Listen to my conversation with Dr. Gabor Maté, in which we discuss investigating the causes rather than the consequences of addiction, the therapeutic value of psychedelics (including the right way and the wrong way to experience ayahuasca), why some powerful modalities aren’t for everyone, and much more.

#298: Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/a0c1eace-43ca-4a95-8076-0f33ab872641.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE
- Connect with Dr. Paul Conti:
Website
SHOW NOTES
- How did Paul end up in psychiatry? [06:29]
- Who wrote the foreword to Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic? [10:18]
- What is Paul’s personal history with trauma? [11:07]
- How does Paul suggest people think about and define the word “trauma?” How do certain subsets of trauma differ from one another? [16:54]
- How might someone take the first step in dealing with trauma that places itself in the forefront and makes it difficult to focus on anything else? [19:20]
- What does Paul think of the current state of trauma treatment? In what ways does it fail, and how can it be improved? [26:16]
- If we’re not doing a good job in the US, where can the most effective trauma treatment be found? [28:39]
- What does it take to really unearth the causes (and ideal treatment) of trauma beyond applying the imperfect trauma symptom inventory? [30:08]
- The good, the bad, and the ugly within the skill set of treating trauma. [32:45]
- “We shouldn’t ask why the addiction, we should ask why the pain.” -Dr. Gabor Maté [38:36]
- Modalities, frameworks, and tools that Paul has found to be particularly helpful in working with individuals who have trauma in their background. [41:29]
- Antidotes for hypervigilance. [46:34]
- What most helped Paul come to terms with his brother’s death by suicide, and how did it set the course for him to start medical school at age 25? [54:42]
- What is the basic structure of Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic? [1:00:09]
- Paul shares his favorite story from the book. [1:04:00]
- What is selective abstraction? [1:07:01]
- How might trauma promote learned helplessness that can push someone toward further trauma and even death? [1:09:47]
- What does Paul think about the use (and potential for abuse) of psychedelics in treating trauma? [1:12:39]
- With a number of arrows in the quiver, as Paul says, how does he prioritize options when treating someone for trauma? Might empathogens be included among these options? [1:19:12]
- An instance when Paul might prescribe an anti-psychotic (and what he finds objectionable about this name). [1:26:31]
- How can chlorpromazine (Thorazine) be helpful in these cases? [1:29:34]
- The most helpful way to approach lithium as a treatment. [1:33:11]
- What about trazodone? Does it carry any addictive or psychological risks? [1:37:21]
- Dopamine as a currency of distress. [1:40:09]
- What is a diathesis–stress model? [1:40:47]
- Credible resources recommended for listeners interested in learning more about trauma. [1:43:09]
- Parting thoughts. [1:45:25]
MORE PAUL CONTI QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“Dopamine is like a currency. People say, ‘What does dopamine do?’ It’

Sheila Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project — How to Navigate Hard Conversations, the Subtle Art of Apologizing, and a Powerful 60-Day Challenge (#532)

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 19:33:09 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“The first negotiation is really a negotiation with yourself to move from being focused on what I’m right about and you’re wrong about to getting curious about why we see this so differently.”
— Sheila Heen

Sheila Heen is a New York Times best-selling author, founder of Triad Consulting Group, and a deputy director of the Harvard Negotiation Project at Harvard Law School, where she has been a member of the faculty for 25 years. Sheila specializes in particularly difficult negotiations, where emotions run high and relationships become strained. She often works with executive teams, helping them to resolve conflict, repair professional relationships, and make sound decisions together. In the public sector, she has provided training for the New England Organ Bank, the Singapore Supreme Court, the Obama White House, and theologians struggling with disagreement over the nature of truth and God.

Sheila is co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most and Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (even when it’s off base, unfair, poorly delivered, and, frankly, you’re not in the mood). She has written for the Harvard Business Review and the New York Times—as a guest expert and contributor to the “Modern Love” column—and she has appeared on NPR, Fox News, CNBC’s Power Lunch, and shows as diverse as Oprah and The G. Gordon Liddy Show. She has spoken at the Global Leadership Summit, the Nordic Business Forum, the Smithsonian, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Sheila is a graduate of Occidental College and Harvard Law School. She is schooled in negotiation daily by her three children.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 750M users, Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, and Public Goods high-quality everyday essentials. More on all three below.

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#532: Sheila Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project — How to Navigate Hard Conversations, the Subtle Art of Apologizing, and a Powerful 60-Day Challenge
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/b182b402-07f6-4d58-89a8-539b81f7406f.mp3 Download

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

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Want to hear another episode with someone who understands the value of resisting the victim mindset? Listen to my conversation with Jim Dethmer, in which we discuss coping with stressful and disturbing thoughts, avoiding drama-based conflict in close relationships, becoming emotionally literate, accepting radical responsibility, cocommitment over codependence, and much more.

#434: Jim Dethmer — How to Shift from Victim Consciousness, Reduce Drama, Practice Candor, Be Fully Alive, and More
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/69f8a609-c098-40d9-bc09-e8ae89361f1f.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Sheila Heen:

LinkedIn

Triad Consulting Group
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen | Amazon
Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen | Amazon
Harvard Memorial Church | Harvard University
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher, William L. Ury, and Bruce Patton | Amazon
Occidental College
Harvard Negotiation Project | Harvard Law School
Dysregulation: Definition, Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment | Verywell Mind
The 6 Things That Predict Divorce | The Gottman Institute
Anne Lamott on Taming Your Inner Critic, Finding Grace, and Prayer | The Tim Ferriss Show #522
Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) | Investopedia
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations by William Ury | Amazon
Ladder of Inference | Wikipedia
Moving from Blame to Joint Contribution | Global Leadership Network
11 Expert Tips to Stop Being a People Pleaser (with Science) | Science of People
Study Shows Evidence of Severe and Lingering Symptoms in Some after Treatment for Lyme Disease | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Imago Relationships
What is Internal Family Systems? | IFS Institute
The And Stance: How and Why | Likability Matters, Coursera
What is “Parts” Therapy? Internal Family Systems Explained | Integrative Psychotherapy Mental Health Blog
Richard Schwartz — IFS, Psychedelic Experiences without Drugs, and Finding Inner Peace for Our Many Parts | The Tim Ferriss Show #492
Sheila Heen: How to Use Others’ Feedback to Learn and Grow | TEDx Talks
Sheila Heen: Blame Absorbing vs. Blame Shifting | Thought Capital
Jim Dethmer — How to Shift from Victim Consciousness, Reduce Drama, Practice Candor, Be Fully Alive, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #434
Karpman Drama Triangle | Wikipedia
The Conscious Leadership Group
Rashomon (English Subtitled) | Prime Video
Shattered Glass | Prime Video
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope | Prime Video

SHOW NOTES

Who was Roger Fisher? [06:35]
How did Sheila enter the scene with respect to negotiation and conflict resolution, and what did she love about it? [09:13]
Sheila shares the story about the time she went to renew her passport in Los Angeles and how it informed her contribution to Difficult Conversations. [11:28]
What are the three categories of difficult conversations, and what is the underlying structure they have in common? [16:13]
How understanding the underlying structure of these three conversations helps you find your way if one doesn’t go as planned. [25:36]
How can we convey genuine curiosity in these conversations without unintentionally coming off as condescending? What if this isn’t the first time this conversation has happened and it’s getting heated? [28:25]
Sometimes the person with whom you’re conversing is just seeing things from a vastly different perspective. Sheila shares a personal story. [38:13]
When a disconnect like this seems evident, how can each party come to a better understanding of where the other is coming from? [41:45]
What is a statement against interest, and how can it be used? [46:28]
A good apology versus a bad apology: what’s the difference? [48:37]
Rewriting the scripts for bad apologies — particularly when each party has very different ideas about conflict resolution and resilience. [58:00]
What does it mean to “give voice to the parts?” [1:15:39]
What are first, second, and third position skills, and what does it mean to step into the third position? [1:16:51]
The importance of setting expectations about — and learning over time — how the people in your life behave (this includes you). [1:21:22]
What would Sheila’s best self say to her business partner and co-author in the midst of collaborating on a b

Henry Shukman — Zen, Tools for Awakening, Ayahuasca vs. Meditation, Intro to Koans, and Using Wounds as the Doorway (#531)

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 13:27:02 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“There’s something about deep wounding that can be a pathway to deep, deep love. It’s a very beautiful thing when the wound becomes the doorway.”
— Henry Shukman

Henry Shukman (@mountaincloudzencenter) teaches mindfulness and awakening practices to a wide range of students from all traditions and walks of life. Henry is an appointed teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage and is the Guiding Teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Center. He has an MA from Cambridge and an MLitt from St Andrews and has written several award-winning books of poetry and fiction.

Henry’s essays have been published in The New York Times, Outside, and Tricycle, and his poems have been published in The New Republic, The Guardian, The Sunday Times (UK), and London Review of Books. He has taught meditation at Google, Harvard Business School, UBS, Esalen Institute, Colorado College, United World College, and many other venues. He has written of his own journey in his memoir One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir.

Henry has also recently created a new meditation program, Original Love, which aims to provide a broad, inclusive path of growth through meditation.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Allform premium, modular furniture; Pique Tea premium tea crystals (pu’er, etc.); and You Need A Budget cult favorite budgeting app. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#531: Henry Shukman — Zen, Tools for Awakening, Ayahuasca vs. Meditation, Intro to Koans, and Using Wounds as the Doorway
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/6d188631-fd52-4c0a-940f-a0e2701ce913.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear another episode with someone who relies on Zen to get things done? Have a listen to my conversation with Zen Habits’ Leo Babauta in which we discuss uncertainty training, embracing the suck, habit breaking and forming, standing out from the competition in a crowded arena, unschooling, and much more.

#488: Leo Babauta on Zen Habits, Antifragility, Contentment, and Unschooling
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/c62bd9af-f4f6-4bb9-8022-754a79ef46df.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Henry Shukman:

Mountain Cloud Zen Center | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

A New Approach to the Ancient Path of Awakening | Original Love
One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir by Henry Shukman | Amazon
Other Books by Henry Shukman | Amazon
Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) Symptoms and Causes | Mayo Clinic
The Cold War | MI5
The Official Secrets Acts and Official Secrecy | House of Commons Library
Transcendental Meditation
Beatles in India: 1968 Visit to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Ashram | Rolling Stone
Waking Up with Sam Harris App
Dhyāna in Buddhism | Wikipedia
Jhana Meditation | The Contemplative Life
Kundalini Awakening: What It Is + 15 Signs You’re Having One | Mindbodygreen
What Is Somatic Therapy? | Verywell Mind
Keiretsu | Investopedia
Why I Wrote a Book about Why I Stopped Writing Books, Part 1 of 2 by Henry Shukman | Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Why I Wrote a Book about Why I Stopped Writing Books, Part 2 of 2 by Henry Shukman | Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Tramp Stamps Are Making a Comeback | Vice
J.D. Salinger and a Zen Koan by Henry Shukman | Tricycle: The Buddhist Review
An Insight Meditation Center | Spirit Rock
What Is Zen Buddhism and How Do You Practice It? | Lion’s Roar
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg | Amazon
Becoming the Mountains and Rivers | Lion’s Roar
Zazen Meditation: Benefits, Practice, and More | Healthline
Nonduality: Defining the Undefinable | Deconstructing Yourself
What Is A Zen Koan? History And Interpretation Of Koans | Being Zen
How to Practice Zen Koans | Lion’s Roar
15 of the Deepest Zen Koans | Wisdom Pills
The Buddha’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness | Lion’s Roar
Message from Henry: Mu Ichi Motsu | Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Samadhi: How to Attain It, Stages, and More | Mindbodygreen
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan | Prime Video
What is Dokusan? | Lion’s Roar
What an Ayahuasca Retreat Showed Me about My Life | Vox
Dennis McKenna — The Depths of Ayahuasca: 500+ Sessions, Fundamentals, Advanced Topics, Science, Churches, Learnings, Warnings, and Beyond | The Tim Ferriss Show #523
Kenshō | Wikipedia
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Resources) | Tim Ferriss
Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe by Robert Lanza and Bob Berman | Amazon
About Holotropic Breathwork | Grof Transpersonal Training
Vipassana Meditation | Dhamma.org
The Random Show — Life-Extension Misadventures, Blockchain/Crypto

Sir James Dyson — Founder of Dyson and Master Inventor on How to Turn the Mundane into Magic (#530)

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 13:15:22 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“There’s nothing wrong in always being dissatisfied; always look for improvement.”
— Sir James Dyson

Sir James Dyson is the founder and chairman of Dyson. Through investment in science and technology and working alongside Dyson’s 6,000 engineers and scientists, he develops products that solve problems ignored by others. Sir James was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2015 and appointed to the Order of Merit in the 2016 New Year Honours. He was awarded a CBE in 1996 and a Knight Bachelor in 2007.

James is the founder of James Dyson Foundation, inspiring the next generation of engineers through scholarships, engineering workshops, university partnerships, and the annual James Dyson Award, an international student design competition. In 2017 James established The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology, where undergraduate engineers pay zero tuition and earn a full salary while completing their degree studies and working on real-life projects alongside world-experts in Dyson’s global engineering, research, and technology teams.

James is the author of the new book Invention: A Life, the story of how he came to be an inventor himself and built Dyson, leading it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by BlockFi crypto platform, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Theragun percussive muscle therapy devices. More on all three below.

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#530: Sir James Dyson — Founder of Dyson and Master Inventor on How to Turn the Mundane Into Magic
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This episode is brought to you by BlockFi! BlockFi is building a bridge between cryptocurrencies and traditional financial and wealth-management products. I became excited enough about this company that I ended up becoming an investor.

Their BlockFi Rewards Visa® Signature Credit Card provides an easy way to earn more Bitcoin because you can earn 3.5% in Bitcoin back on all purchases in your first 3 months and 1.5% forever after, with no annual fee. BlockFi also lets you easily buy or sell cryptocurrencies. For a limited time, you can earn a crypto bonus of $15–$250 in value when you open a new account. Get started today at BlockFi.com/Tim and use code TIM at sign up.

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

This episode is brought to you by Theragun! Theragun is my go-to solution for recovery and restoration. It’s a famous, handheld percussive therapy device that releases your deepest muscle tension. I own two Theraguns, and my girlfriend and I use them every day after workouts and before bed. The all-new Gen 4 Theragun is easy to use and has a proprietary brushless motor that’s surprisingly quiet—about as quiet as an electric toothbrush.

Go to Therabody.com/Tim right now and get your Gen 4 Theragun today, starting at only $199.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with another inventive tinkerer? Lend an ear to my conversation with chef Chris Young, in which we discuss the symptoms of maxing out the learning curve, reverse engineering, OCD superpowers, getting hired by hard-to-reach people, why the most interesting jobs are the ones you make up, Victorian exercise regimens, killer vegetables, how geniuses show disappointment and prompt correction, apocalyptic-scale BBQs, and much more.

#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/39ee5814-e848-4b6b-84c3-61a74f7ff099.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Invention: A Life by James Dyson | Amazon
Dyson
The James Dyson Foundation
The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology
Dyson V11 Animal Cordless Vacuum Cleaner | Amazon
The Fry Family, Chocolate Makers | Quakers in the World
What Is a Geodesic Dome? | R. Buckminster Fuller Collection
Royal College of Art
James Dyson on His Vacuum Failure and Success | New York Magazine
Ballbarrow | Inside Dyson
Cyclonic Separation | Wikipedia
The Past Porton Down Can’t Hide | The Guardian
Breaking the Pain Barrier | Psychology Today
Rotork’s Famous Sons | Financial Times
Sea Truck | Wikipedia
Razor-Razorblade Model | Investopedia
The Sunk Cost Fallacy | The Decision Lab
My Customers Would Have Asked For a Faster Horse | Quote Investigator
From Walkman to iPod: What Music Tech Teaches Us About Innovation | The Atlantic
Citroën Hydropneumatic Suspension Explained | Autoevolution
The 25th Anniversary of the Lithium-Ion Battery | Kyria
The Wonder Jet – Story Behind the Whittle Engine | AIRBOYD
Airblade Hand Dryers | Dyson
Dyson CR01 Washing Machine TV Ad | 2DrumsAllergy
Inside Dyson’s $700 Million Quest to Design an Electric Car | Fast Company
Volkswagen Wraps Multiyear Investigation into Dieselgate | The Verge
Tesla Made More Money Selling Credits and Bitcoin Than Cars | Autoweek
Moulton Bicycle Company
Mini
Lotus Cars
Clearing | Investopedia
Sir James Dyson Opens Invention Powerhouse at the University of Cambridge | University of Cambridge

SHOW NOTES

Note from the editor: Timestamps will be added shortly.

Who was Jeremy Fry?
What did James study at university?
What does it mean to think like an engineer?
Were enthusiasm, fascination, and curiosity qualities that were fostered by anyone in James’ orbit as a youth, or did they come gradually through experiences along the way?
How might James suggest parents encourage these qualities in their children?
What’s the origin story of the original Dyson vacuum?
How many tries did it take to get a prototype that worked as intended, and what did the process of financing and development look like?
Why invention is not about being brilliant — it’s about being logical and persistent.
What compelled James to persist for as long as it took to create the first ideal prototype? How long would it have taken for him to throw his hands up and admit defeat if that prototype had never materialized?
Was developing the first prototype James’ full-time occupation at the time? Did he have a plan B if things didn’t work out?
Once the desired prototype appeared, why was the vacuum industry initially resistant to its innovations?
When did James finally get a foothold on the commercialization of his now-famous vacuum?
Encouraging feedback reinforcing James’ belief in this new product must have been overwhelming by this point, right?
How did James’ wife handle the uncertainty of prototype development and commercialization?
Even though surveys suggested that customers wouldn’t want to see the dirt and dust sucked up by the Dyson vacuum, James decided to make the cleaner’s bins see-through anyway. Why?
How expensive were the first Dyson vacuums compared to their contemporary competition? How hard was it to get retailers to carry them, and why did the customer demographic run counter to expectations for a “premium” brand?
Rather than designing to a price, what does James aim to achieve with his inventions?
Who is Akio Morita, and what does James appreciate about him?
Other inventors, designers, or engineers who stood out for James when he was developing his chops.
What led to the development of the Dyson Airblade?
On the Airblade being the first product Dyson targeted for an industrial rather than consumer audience

Machiavelli for Women: 7 Power Strategies for the Workplace

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:47:20 +0000

The following is an excerpt from the new book, Machiavelli for Women: Defend Your Worth, Grow Your Ambition, and Win the Workplace. The author, Stacey Vanek Smith (@svaneksmith), is a longtime public radio reporter and host. She currently hosts NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money, a daily podcast covering business and economics. She has also served as a correspondent and host for NPR’s Planet Money and Marketplace. Stacey is a native of Idaho and a graduate of Princeton University, where she earned a BA in comparative literature and creative writing. She also holds an MS in journalism from Columbia University.

Enter Stacey…

Niccolò Machiavelli. Today, he is probably best known as a ruthless power monger, devoid of ethics and compassion. The phrase most often associated with him, “The ends justify the means” (which Machiavelli never actually wrote but probably would have heartily agreed with), has turned him into an apologist for sociopaths, tyrants, and megalomaniacs the world over.

I think this is a gross misunderstanding of both the man and his work. The Prince does not condone random cruelty or tyranny or violence. It is a remarkably sober look at how people take power and how they can best hold on to it and grow it. Machiavelli was an incredibly clear-eyed original thinker who might just be history’s first true champion of real talk. For that reason, there could be no better guide for the workplace.

In the five hundred years since Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a lot of things have changed: We have electricity, the combustion engine, computers, and antibiotics. We’ve even split the atom. People, though, haven’t changed one bit. And for that reason, Machiavelli’s advice about navigating the workplace has proven to be quite timeless.

Machiavelli’s strategies are powerful tools in the modern workplace, especially for women, people of color, and other often-marginalized workers. Here are 7 of my favorite Machiavellian power tips.

#1 — Always Get the Truth, Even If It Hurts

Part of seeing a situation clearly is having people you trust who can offer their outside observations. They can help you see what you don’t want to (or can’t) see. This means helping you assess different situations and colleagues and also giving you feedback. Machiavelli was big on feedback. “A Prince,” he writes, “ought always to take counsel” (Chapter XXIII). Machiavelli saw honest feedback as the primary way a prince could protect himself against flatterers and yes-men. (Machiavelli was death on flatterers and yes-men) “There is no other way of guarding oneself from flatterers except letting men understand that to tell you the truth does not offend you” (Chapter XXIII). Feedback feels like risky exposure, but Machiavelli saw it as powerful protection for a prince and a way to get necessary information. The ability to hear the truth—or the “truth” of people’s impressions and opinions—will make you stronger and smarter and help you succeed. Machiavelli was careful to say that you should not open yourself up in this way to just anybody. Ask the people who are key to enabling you to move up within a company; ask people you respect; ask the people you trust.

#2 — Cultivate Your Network

Having people you trust and people who can help you in the workplace is crucial (in life, too!). Building a network of people at work or in your profession is absolutely essential to building a career. You should have a mix of people: people who are high up in the company, people who are colleagues, and those who are more junior—also people at other companies who can make you aware of opportunities that come up outside of your bubble. Machiavelli preached the importance of a network hard. The smart prince, he writes, “is defended by being well armed and having good allies” (Chapter XIX). Having a strong network is essential to rising in any profession. Wall Street CEO Sallie Krawcheck says she always remembers advice she got from her friend Carla Harris (a senior banker at Morgan Stanley): “All the important decisions about your career are made when you’re not in the room. People decide to hire you, fire you, promote you, fund you, send you on the overseas assignment, all when you’re not there. So how do you ensure that you have someone in the room fighting for you? I would strongly argue that you need to have in place your Personal Board of Directors. Those are your mentors, your sponsors, your confidantes.”

#3 — Stand Up for the Less Powerful

This might sound like the antithesis of Machiavelli. After all, shouldn’t you suck up to powerful people and mercilessly crush those who have less power? I mean, NO OF COURSE YOU SHOULD NOT DO THAT! But, also, Machiavelli advised against it.

One of Machiavelli’s main pieces of advice in a situation where you don’t have a lot of power is to stick up for other people who also don’t have much power. “The prince,” he writes, “ought to make himself the head and defender of his less powerful neighbors, and to weaken the more powerful amongst them.” The reason? Not only are you weakening the powers that be and creating a potential opening for yourself, but also the people you speak up for will be loyal to you and will fight for you and your ideas in the future. As Machiavelli puts it, “By arming them, those arms become yours” (Chapter XX).

In fact, Machiavelli advises against speaking up on behalf of people who have more power than you. Don’t jump in if the boss gets interrupted by the intern in a meeting. The benefits of smacking down the intern are minimal, and you risk being seen as a suck-up and a bully. Also, your soul would probably die a little, and that’s never good.

#4 — If It Comes Down to Being Liked or Respected… Choose Respect

This is a situation that happens to women at work a lot. Often, women in the workplace end up in a double bind: caught between qualities people associate with a “good woman” (being modest, compassionate, putting others first, soft-spoken, nurturing) and the qualities people associate with a good leader (being independent, firm, outspoken, assertive, not caring too much what people think).

Machiavelli addresses this particular bind many times in The Prince. As it turns out, the prince is in a similar situation: it’s crucial that he be loved by his people, but the prince also needs people to fear his wrath, follow his laws, and, of course, pay his taxes. “Here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. . . . We should wish to be both; but . . . if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved” (Chapter XVII).

Still, this approach comes with real consequences, especially for women. Where harsh or domineering men might be respected or tolerated in leadership positions, people often react very differently to an assertive or domineering woman. But sometimes getting the job done correctly involves being blunt, direct, and assertive. It might not be easy, and you will likely get pushback, but do it.

#5 — Watch Your Back

I can’t talk about Machiavelli without addressing some of the advice he gives about guarding yourself against nemeses. Machiavelli wrote a LOT about nemeses in The Prince. He thought the ability to spot troublemakers and toxic people was crucial for a prince: “The ruler is not truly wise who cannot discern evils before they develop themselves, and this is a faculty given to few” (Chapter XIII). Truly, it is not always easy to spot a troublemaker or a toxic person. But Machiavelli does point out a couple of things to watch for.

Beware the flatterer: Machiavelli saw flatterers as very dangerous to a prince. He even has an entire chapter in The Prince titled, “How Flatterers Should Be Avoided” (Chapter XXIII). This is not to say that if somebody compliments your work, you should respond with grave suspicion. But flattery can often be used to manipulate people, so make sure that’s not happening to you.

Beware the Debbie Downer: If someone you work with is extremely negative, it’s probably a good idea to keep your distance and to be careful what you say to them. “As soon as you have opened your mind to a malcontent,” Machiavelli warns, “you have given him the material with which . . . he can look for every advantage” (Chapter XIX).

#6 — Avoiding Risk Is Risky — When in Doubt, Take Action

Asking for a raise or a promotion or applying for a new job or launching a new project requires enormous risk and vulnerability. Wanting to avoid that risk and the possibility of rejection is a big reason people (especially, statistically, women) shy away from negotiating or asking for more. But avoiding risk and waiting for “the perfect moment” is not a safe choice.

Machiavelli’s advice: when in doubt, take action. This advice probably came from his own frustration with the Florentine council’s constant waffling (they were his bosses). They never wanted to choose sides in the countless skirmishes and battles going on around them. It was, in fact, partially due to that very waffling that Florence lost its republican government and ended up back in the hands of a despot.

“I know that many say a policy of neutrality is the safest option,” he wrote in a letter to a friend. “I believe to the contrary that neutrality is an exceedingly dangerous path.” And for a prince, Machiavelli declares that waffling will lead “in most instances to their destruction” (Chapter XXI).

#7 — Embrace the Struggles that Arise; They Are Setting You Up for Success

The professional world can be incredibly difficult and unfair, especially for women and other marginalized workers. It can involve an incredible amount of perseverance and struggle. That’s not okay or fair, but it does offer its own kind of gift. Machiavelli observed that princes who had to struggle for their kingdoms actually did better in the long run than the princes who had everything handed to them. “They who . . . acquire with difficulty . . . keep with ease” (Chapter VI).

That might sound trite or saccharine, but Machiavelli was neither of those things, and he felt so strongly about the value of overcoming difficulties in helping to shape a prince, he has a rare Zen moment in The Prince of the “Things happen for me not to me” variety. “Fortune,” he writes, “especially when she desires to make a new prince great . . . causes enemies to arise and form designs against him, in order that he may have the opportunity of overcoming them. . . . Princes become great by vanquishing difficulties and opposition” (Chapter XX).

###

Excerpted with permission from Machiavelli for Women: Defend Your Worth, Grow Your Ambition, and Win the Workplace.

Iconic Therapist Dr. Sue Johnson — How to Improve Sex and Crack the Code of Love (#529)

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 14:41:31 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“When we’re safe and secure and we feel we matter to others and that they have our back, our potential and our resources come out.”
— Dr. Sue Johnson

Dr. Sue Johnson (@Dr_SueJohnson) is a leading innovator in the fields of couple therapy and adult attachment. She is the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy (EFT), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical research. Sue has received numerous awards in recognition of her development of EFT, including the American Psychological Association’s “Family Psychologist of the Year” and the Order of Canada.

Her best-selling book Hold Me Tight — with more than one million copies sold—has taught countless couples how to enhance and repair their love relationships. The book has since been developed into a relationship enhancement program called Hold Me Tight Online. Her most recent book for clinicians, Attachment Theory in Practice, delineates the promise of attachment science for understanding and repairing relationships.

As the founding director of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT), Sue trains counselors in EFT worldwide and provides guidance to 80 affiliated centers. She consults for the US and Canadian militaries and is a popular presenter and speaker for the general public.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Laird Superfood plant-based creamers, Headspace easy-to-use app with guided meditations, and Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating. More on all three below.

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#529: Iconic Therapist Dr. Sue Johnson — How to Improve Sex and Crack the Code of Love
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/8fa83b33-fa88-4d1e-8a26-b47953378a17.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Laird Superfood. Founded by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton and volleyball champion Gabby Reece, Laird Superfood promises to deliver high-impact fuel to help you get through your busiest days. Laird Superfood offers a line of plant-based products designed to optimize your daily rituals from sunrise to sunset.

My two favorite products are their Turmeric Superfood Creamer and Unsweetened Superfood Creamer. I put one of them in practically everything. Both can really optimize your daily coffee or tea ritual, and a $10 bag will last you a long time. For a limited time, Laird Superfood is offering you guys 20% off your order when you use code TIM20 at checkout. Check out LairdSuperfood.com/Tim to see my favorite products and learn more.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep! Eight Sleep’s Pod Pro Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Pro Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature.

And now, my dear listeners—that’s you—can get $250 off the Pod Pro Cover. Simply go to EightSleep.com/Tim or use code TIM.

This episode is brought to you by Headspace! Headspace is your daily dose of mindfulness in the form of guided meditations in an easy-to-use app. Whatever the situation, Headspace can help you feel better. Overwhelmed? Headspace has a 3-minute SOS meditation for you. Need some help falling asleep? Headspace has wind-down sessions their members swear by. And for parents, Headspace even has morning meditations you can do with your kids. Headspace’s approach to mindfulness can reduce stress, improve sleep, boost focus, and increase your overall sense of well-being.

Go to Headspace.com/Tim for a FREE one-month trial with access to Headspace’s full library of meditations for every situation.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear another episode with someone who seeks to help people better connect? Listen in on my last conversation with psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author Esther Perel, in which we discussed conducting remote therapy with couples during quarantine, coping with uncertainty, the paradoxes presented by spending more time with the family, prompts for reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, dancing versus exercise, the importance of decompressing from too much bad news, and much more.

#418: Esther Perel — Tactics for Relationships in Quarantine
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/dfa1e990-f375-4a65-bbd4-7e84311e0d61.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Sue Johnson:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Attachment Theory in Practice: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with Individuals, Couples, and Families by Dr. Sue Johnson | Amazon
Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Sue Johnson | Amazon
Hold Me Tight Online Program
What is EFT? | The International Centre For Excellence In Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
Outcomes Research | Johns Hopkins Medicine
At the Heart of Health | Cardus
What Is a Milonga? | Argentine Tango
How to Live Like a Rock Star (or Tango Star) in Buenos Aires… | Tim Ferriss
Predicting Change in Marital Satisfaction Throughout Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy | Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) | UF Health
Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) – PTSD | National Center for PTSD
Love Sense: The Revolutionary New Science of Romantic Relationships by Dr. Sue Johnson | Amazon
Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) | Fetzer Institute
Beck’s Depression Inventory | ISMA
Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ESR) | Open-Source Psychometrics Project
A Brief Overview of Adult Attachment Theory and Research | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Psychology
Soothing the Threatened Brain: Leveraging Contact Comfort with Emotionally Focused Therapy | PloS One
What is Hold Me Tight? | ICEEFT
My Healing Journey After Childhood Abuse (Includes Extensive Resource List) | The Tim Ferriss Show #464
Desperado by Eagles | Amazon
Attachment Parenting Basic Principles and Criticisms | Verywell Family
Sleep Training Your Child: Myths and Facts Every Parent Should Know | Duke Department of Pediatrics
Implementing a Student-Sustained No One Dies Alone (NODA) Program at an Academic Institution | Center to Advance Palliative Care
In Pictures: Politician Mothers Take Their Babies to Work | BBC News
New Zealand Speaker Cradles MP’s Baby during Parliament Debate | BBC News
Stroppy | Merriam-Webster
An Introduction to Rogerian (Person-Centered) Therapy | ThoughtCo.
Ten Strategies for Evoking Change Talk | UIHI
Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy | Hakomi Institute
The Last Lion Box Set: Winston Spencer Churchill, 1874 – 1965 by Paul Reid and William Manchester | Amazon
What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry | Amazon
How Winston Churchill Endured the Blitz — and Taught the People of England to Do the Same | Smithsonian Magazine
Winston Churchill during the First World War in Belgium | Imperial War Museums
Tango | Wikipedia
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Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia, on Homeschooling, Atheism, Understanding Financial Markets, Ayn Rand, Favorite Books, and More (#528)

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 15:11:29 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge.”
— Jimmy Wales

Internet and technology entrepreneur Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) is founder of the online nonprofit encyclopedia Wikipedia and cofounder of the privately owned Wikia, Inc., including its entertainment media brand Fandom, powered by Wikia. Jimmy serves on the board of trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit charitable organization he established to operate Wikipedia.

In 2019, Jimmy launched WT Social—a news-focused social network. In 2006, Jimmy was named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world for his role in creating Wikipedia.

In 2021, inspired by his family quiz nights during COVID-19 lockdown, Jimmy created Quiz Night Beyond—a website where people can create and play quizzes online with family and friends wherever they may be.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by You Need A Budget cult favorite budgeting app, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Helix Sleep premium mattresses. More on all three below.

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#528: Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia, on Homeschooling, Atheism, Understanding Financial Markets, Ayn Rand, Favorite Books, and More
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/17312654-5182-43fc-bc83-9f707e9b9f57.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system.

Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That’s up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.

This episode is brought to you by You Need A Budget! You Need A Budget is a cult favorite budgeting app for a reason—it works. The app and its simple 4-rule method will change the way you think about your money and help you gain total control so you can plan for the things you need and get the things you want without guilt or stress. You Need A Budget has helped millions of people transform their finances, save their marriages, and live life on their own terms.

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This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, to my dear listeners, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with someone who might be as optimistic as Jimmy Wales? Listen in on my conversation with venture capitalist Mike Maples, Jr., the man who taught me to invest. We discussed anti-authoritarian disruption technology, parenting advice, acting simple, investment advice, how cryptocurrency helps separate politics from economics, a 60-second idea for changing the world, lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, the pointlessness of holding grudges, and much more.

#286: The Man Who Taught Me How to Invest — Mike Maples
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/a37b219c-ddc8-412e-a344-3aae64dee746.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Jimmy Wales:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | WT.social

Quiz Night Beyond
The Free Encyclopedia | Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation
Fandom
US Space & Rocket Center | Huntsville, AL
American Montessori Society
The United Methodist Church
Pascal’s Wager | Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Winnebago Industries: 37-Year Stock Price History | MacroTrends
Apple: 41-Year Stock Price History | MacroTrends
Compound Interest Calculator | Investor.gov
FAANG Stocks | Investopedia
Warren Buffett and His 20 Punches | The Motley Fool
Objectivism | Wikipedia
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand | Amazon
Usenet | Wikipedia
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey | Amazon
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen | Amazon
Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez | Amazon
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Tim Ferriss | Amazon
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Investopedia
Netscape Navigator | Wikipedia
Bomis | Wikipedia
Slashdot
Nupedia | Wikipedia
Autotrader
Wall Street Is Banking Billions on the Food Delivery Boom | Cision
Why Smart Startups Fail Their Way to Success | Inc.
The Top 500 Sites on the Web | Alexa
If You Build It, He Will Come | Field of Dreams
Subprime Mortgage Crisis | Federal Reserve History
Mosaic (Web Browser) | Wikipedia
What We Know and Can Agree On: Wikipedia at 20 | Esquire UK
Hamlet by William Shakespeare | Wikisource
Wikipedia Embraces First-of-Its Kind Universal Code of Conduct, Conceived For The New Internet Era | Wikimedia Foundation
8 Fascinating Facts About the Playful-Looking Roly-Poly | Treehugger
Some Practical Thoughts on Suicide | Tim Ferriss
WebRTC

SHOW NOTES

Where did Jimmy grow up, and what did his family life and education look like in the early days? [05:22]
How did Jimmy’s free-range schooling inform how he thinks about education for his own children? [09:12]
How might a parent prepare to homeschool a curious kid who might be too far ahead of the curve for a traditional education? [10:41]
Why Jimmy would label himself more as a non-believer than an atheist, and how he came to a point of religious disbelief after being raised Methodist and carrying out a flawed experiment involving Santa Claus and G.I. Joe. [12:13]
What did Jimmy aspire to be when he was growing up? [17:08]
What was it that compelled Jimmy to study finance and markets? [18:37]
Were there any investors who Jimmy looked up to at this time? What influenced the way he built his portfolio in these early years?
What wisdom about building a portfolio does Jimmy wish he understood when he was younger, and what investor could have imparted such wisdom? [20:01]
When and how did Jimmy’s interest in Objectivism enter into the picture, what does he see as the most common myths and misconceptions about its creator, Ayn Rand? [22:18]

The Random Show — Life-Extension Misadventures, Blockchain/Crypto Investing, NFT Experiments, Dogecoin, Zen Buddhism, and Weathering Sharp Elbows (#527)

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 07:30:23 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

Technologist, serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, self-experimenter, and all-around wild and crazy guy Kevin Rose (@KevinRose) rejoins me for another episode of “The Random Show.” In this one we explore crypto investing, NFT experiments, dogecoin, Zen Buddhism, current workouts, sleep supplements, and much more.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by UCAN endurance products powered by SuperStarch®, Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel, and Tonal smart home gym. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#527: The Random Show — Life-Extension Misadventures, Blockchain/Crypto Investing, NFT Experiments, Dogecoin, Zen Buddhism, and Weathering Sharp Elbows
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/1bf5c56d-1f71-475c-afed-a0b42178f42a.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by UCAN. I was introduced to UCAN and its unique carbohydrate SuperStarch by my good friend—and listener favorite—Dr. Peter Attia, who said there is no carb in the world like it. I have since included it in my routine, using UCAN’s powders to power my workouts, and the bars make great snacks. Extensive scientific research and clinical trials have shown that SuperStarch provides a sustained release of energy to the body without spiking blood sugar. UCAN is the ideal way to source energy from a carbohydrate without the negatives associated with fast carbs, especially sugar.

You avoid fatigue, hunger cravings, and loss of focus. Whether you’re an athlete working on managing your fitness or you need healthy, efficient calories to get you through your day, UCAN is an elegant energy solution. My listeners can save 30% on their first UCAN order by going to UCAN.co/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Vuori clothing! Vuori is a new and fresh perspective on performance apparel. Perfect if you are sick and tired of traditional, old workout gear. Everything is designed for maximum comfort and versatility so that you look and feel as good in everyday life as you do working out.

Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at VuoriClothing.com/Tim. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but you’ll also enjoy free shipping on any US orders over $75 and free returns.

This episode is brought to you by Tonal! Tonal is the world’s most intelligent home gym and personal trainer. It is precision engineered and designed to be the world’s most advanced strength studio. Tonal uses breakthrough technology—like adaptive digital weights and A.I. learning—together with the best experts in resistance training so you get stronger, faster. Every program is personalized to your body using A.I., and smart features check your form in real time, just like a personal trainer.

Try Tonal, the world’s smartest home gym, for 30 days in your home, and if you don’t love it, you can return it for a full refund. Visit Tonal.com for $100 off their smart accessories when you use promo code TIM100 at checkout.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear the last time we did one of these Random Shows? Check out our celebratory episode 500 in which KevKev and I discussed hair transplants, indelible mistakes, high-performance course corrections, shameful snacks, life hacks in retrospect, best movies to watch on mushrooms, and much more.

#500: KevKev TimTim TalkTalk on Dragon Slaying, Lessons Learned, Viagra, and Assorted Nonsense
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/23853200-867b-4d61-a159-3ca05906f6b0.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Kevin Rose:

Website | Modern Finance | Instagram | Twitter

Once-Weekly Noninsulin | Ozempic
Exclusive Drunk Footage | Diggnation
Zofran | RxList
Continuous Glucose Monitoring | Dexcom CGM
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
Peter Attia, M.D. — Fasting, Metformin, Athletic Performance, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show #398
Ketamine | RxList
A Lighter, Brighter Buzz | JuneShine Hard Kombucha
Hard Seltzer | White Claw
The Untold Truth Of Zima | Mashed
Feierdun Doorway Pull Up and Chin Up Bar | Amazon
GLUT4 | Wikipedia
Cribs for Gyms — Rust and Iron, Episode 1 with Kelly Starrett | The Tim Ferriss Show
Quad Dipsea
Mobility Training Program, Exercises, and Equipment | The Ready State
12 Awesome Types of Climbing You Really Should Know | The Climbing Guy
Top 10 Jean-Claude Van Damme Splits | WatchMojo
Jason Nemer — Inside the Magic of AcroYoga | The Tim Ferriss Show #182
Christopher Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training | The Tim Ferriss Show #158
Christopher Sommer — The Secrets of Gymnastic Strength Training, Part Two — Home Equipment, Weighted Stretches, and Muscle-Ups | The Tim Ferriss Show #180
The Jefferson Curl: One Exercise for Full Body Mobility | GymnasticBodies
Golgi Tendon Reflex | Wikipedia
PNF Stretching: Technique and Guidelines | Healthline
The Rucking Company | GORUCK
My Toughest Fitness Challenge Involved 100 Pounds of Caribou Meat by Michael Easter | Men’s Health
Pilates | Wikipedia
NFTs: Blockchain-Powered Art, Trading Cards, Music, and More with Aftab Hossain | Modern Finance 1
Buy NFTs and More on Ethereum | OpenSea
The Price of Everything
Beeple: His Story, The Future of NFTs, His Favorite Digital Artist, and More. | Modern Finance 4
The Tim Ferriss Podcast is Live! Here Are Episodes 1 and 2 | The Tim Ferriss Show
This Banana Was Duct-Taped to a Wall. It Sold for $120,000. | GQ
VeeFriends – Gary Vaynerchuk’s New NFT Project | Modern Finance 9
CryptoArt | XCOPY
Art Blocks – Generative NFT Art with Erick Snowfro | Modern Finance – 8
Chromie Squiggle by Snowfro | Art Blocks
Generative Art and NFTs | ARTnews
Collect and Trade Moments in NBA History | NBA Top Shot
CryptoPunks – The NFTs That Started It All. Their Origin Story and Future Plans | Modern Finance 5
Larva Labs
Jay-Z Adopts CryptoPunk NFT as His Twitter Profile Picture | The Block
Lights Out: A Cyberattack, a Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath by Ted Koppel | Amazon
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
Impact of Hurricane Sandy | NYC.gov
Powerwall | Tesla
‘CryptoPunk’ NFT Sells for $11.8 Million at Sotheby’s | Reuters
CryptoPunks | LarvaLabs
CryptoPunks: Details for Punk #6487 | LarvaLabs
Why Did Jack Dorsey Buy Jay-Z’s Failed Music Service? | Vox
Twitter Boss Jack Dorsey’s First Tweet Sold for $2.9 Million as an NFT | Reuters
NYSE: SHOP | Google
NASDAQ: AMZN | Google
True Ventures
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Crypto News, and Pri

B. Jeffrey Madoff — Dealmaking, The Hidden Persuaders, Working with Ralph Lauren, and Finding the Secret to Life in the Mojave Desert (#526)

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 17:29:45 +0000

Illustration via 99designs

“Everything you do, if your eyes are open, informs everything else you do.”
— B. Jeffrey Madoff

B. Jeffrey Madoff (@madoffproductions) began his career in fashion, becoming one of the top 10 designers in the US before switching careers to film and video production. He has directed award-winning commercials, documentaries, and web content for clients around the world, including Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, and Tiffany.

His book, which is based on the class he teaches at Parsons School of Design, is Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas.

He has been a featured speaker at Wharton School, Princeton University, NYU Steinhardt, Google Next, Barclays’ Rise and Verizon on the topics of creating a brand and creativity. He works with private equity firms and investment banks, such as Lazard, to create the brand story for companies that are being sold or startups looking to attract investment.

Madoff is also a playwright and theater producer. His play Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical, based on the life of the titular Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend, will have its world premiere in March of 2022 at People’s Light theater in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

He graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in philosophy and psychology. He was also on the wrestling team, which, combined with his academic studies, prepared him for a life in the film business.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Stitcher, Castbox, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Brought to you by Public Goods high-quality everyday essentials, LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 750M users, and ExpressVPN virtual private network service. More on all three below.

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#526: B. Jeffrey Madoff — Dealmaking, The Hidden Persuaders, Working with Ralph Lauren, and Finding the Secret to Life in the Mojave Desert
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/82927b43-9dc3-49a7-9651-0582d6784585.mp3 Download

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.

Using LinkedIn’s active community of more than 750 million professionals worldwide, LinkedIn Jobs can help you find and hire the right person faster. When your business is ready to make that next hire, find the right person with LinkedIn Jobs. And now, you can post a job for free. Just visit LinkedIn.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by ExpressVPN. I’ve been using ExpressVPN to make sure that my data is secure and encrypted, without slowing my Internet speed. If you ever use public Wi-Fi at, say, a hotel or a coffee shop, where I often work and as many of my listeners do, you’re often sending data over an open network, meaning no encryption at all.

A great way to ensure that all of your data is encrypted and can’t be easily read by hackers is by using ExpressVPN. All you need to do is download the ExpressVPN app on your computer or smartphone and then use the Internet just as you normally would. You click one button in the ExpressVPN app to secure 100% of your network data. Use my link ExpressVPN.com/Tim today and get an extra three months free on a one-year package!

This episode is brought to you by Public Goods! Public Goods is the one-stop shop for sustainable, high-quality, everyday essentials made from clean ingredients at an affordable price. Public Goods searches the globe to find healthy, eco-friendly, and innovative products and then packages them using a single, streamlined aesthetic for your home so you can get all of your premium essentials in one place and avoid buying from a bunch of mismatched, single-product brands. Multiple people on my team already used Public Goods, and now, so do I.

Visit PublicGoods.com/Tim to receive $20 off the products in your first Public Goods order using code TIM, with no minimum purchase required!

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear an episode with someone else who’s never been shy about initiating conversations with celebrities in the wild? Give a listen to my discussion with Academy Award-winning producer and New York Times bestselling author Brian Grazer in which we talk about cultivating curiosity, making high-end connections from lowly places, good producers versus great producers, contacting the difficult-to-reach, what can happen when a good story’s perspective is poorly calibrated for its intended audience, and much more.

#279: The Most Curious Man in Hollywood — Brian Grazer
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/0229ba90-4725-4718-b788-e50326fcc779.mp3 Download

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with B. Jeffrey Madoff:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Madoff Productions | Madoff Productions’ Instagram

Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas by B. Jeffrey Madoff | Amazon
Personality: The Lloyd Price Musical | DR Theatrical Management
Parsons School of Design | The New School
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard | Amazon
Junky by William S. Burroughs | Amazon
Easy Rider | Prime Video
Apocalypse Now | Prime Video
An Oral History of the Chelsea Hotel: Where the Walls Still Talk | Vanity Fair
Groundhog Day | Prime Video
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss | Amazon
Victoria’s Secret Live! Part Seven: Alessandra Ambrosio & Tim Ferriss | Madoff Productions
Mojave National Preserve | US National Park Service
The Fuller Brush Man | America Comes Alive
DNA Genetic Testing & Analysis | 23andMe
Always Be Closing | Glengarry Glen Ross
Monkey Business Shoes | Mothersblogh
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Prime Video
B. Madoff, and Proud of It | The New York Times
I’m Not That Madoff | HuffPost
Lawdy Miss Clawdy by Lloyd Price | Amazon
How ‘Race Records’ Turned Black Music Into Big Business | History
Springsteen on Broadway | Netflix
Stephen Colbert Brings ‘The Late Show’ Back to Ed Sullivan Theater | Variety
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t by Robert I. Sutton, PhD | Amazon
People’s Light
La Jolla Playhouse
Goodman Theatre
The Public Theater
Hamilton
Jersey Boys
Nonprofit Show, But Money’s Riding On It | The New York Times
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis | Amazon
The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis | Amazon
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner | Amazon
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds by Michael Lewis | Amazon
Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases by Daniel Kahneman, Paul Slovic, and Amos Tversky | Amazon
The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires by Tim Wu | Amazon
The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick | Amazon
Motherless Brooklyn: A Novel by Jonathan Lethem | Amazon
Motherless Brooklyn | Prime Video
Phillip Marlowe Series by Raymond Chandler | Amazon
L.A. Confidential | Prime Video
L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy | Amazon
To Kill A Mockingbird | Prime Video
Find out if it’s something you truly want to pursue

Learn about your market (if it’s a business)

Better understand what will be necessary to succeed

Gain momentum

Garner support

You might be waiting for your stars to align when you actually have the ability to move the stars yourself.

Anyone can dream, but few will put in the work to see those dreams come to fruition. Dreams give an illusion of ambition without the discomfort of risks and effort. Dreams are safe in your head. That’s why few dreams ever see the light of day.

Here are eight tips on how to make the first steps toward your goals:

Start with a burning desire. I don’t think a burning desire is enough to succeed. However, it is a great place to start. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, had the right idea when he said, “The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”

Build the discipline to do what is difficult, what is scary, and what is risky. Working hard with no promise of being paid or starting to run when you can’t make it two blocks without gasping for air is not fun. But it’s the faithfulness in fulfilling the little uncomfortable things along the way that separate those who succeed and those who don’t. To learn more about discipline, you can read my post titled, “Becoming a Disciplined Person.”

Surround yourself with doers. Jim Rohn’s popular saying “you’re the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with” rings true here. If your friends are ambitious people of action who don’t make excuses, you’re likely to follow suit.

Start small. No matter what you’re setting out to do, I recommend starting with smaller goals and projects. This is important because starting small will reveal whether it’s something you really want to follow through with, as well as because it’s easier to move toward a goal you set to achieve in a week rather than a decade.

Work with what you have. Like the coffee shop example, if all you have is folding chairs, at least people have a place to sit. If all you have is the music software that came with your computer and a cheap microphone, that’s enough to start recording and sharing your work.

Get feedback. Your goal is consistent education and improvement, not instant success. Listen to what others say to see how you can improve. Whether it means breathing better while you run or modifying the interface on your app, listen and listen well.

Realize that failure is inevitable. Whenever you start a new endeavor, you will fail. Your project may not crash and burn, but there will be small disappointments and failures along the way. You’re paving a new way for yourself; there will be bumps in the road. Reaching your goals will require learning, adapting, and not taking failure personally.

Dream better dreams. If your dreams don’t spur you forward, then they’re not worth keeping around. If you can’t get past the first tip in this list, it’s time to trade your old dreams in for some better ones.

Challenge:

It’s time to stop making excuses. You don’t have to wait until you quit your job to start that side business: work on the weekends. You don’t have to wait until your schedule opens up to train for that marathon: use those 30-minutes and train for a half marathon. Taking those first steps might be terrifying, but you won’t know until you try. Take that first step: success might just be on the other side.

Don’t wait for things to be perfect before you start pursuing your goals and dreams, because things will never be perfect! Just do it!

Entitlement Is the Road to Disappointment

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 05:34:14 +0000

Many writers and sociologists have referred to the era in which we live as the “age of entitlement.” People’s expectations of life have never been higher; therefore, disappointments have never been greater. How can we avoid being entitled? How can we find the line between standing up for what we deserve and expecting too much?

The type of entitlement I will discuss in this lesson is defined as such: the belief that you deserve special treatment and privileges just for being you. This attitude is the antithesis of humility and the enemy of growth.

Entitled people:

Are rude when they don’t get their way

Expect others to do favors for them

Assume they’ll be rewarded merely for participation

Are often angry at their unmet and unspoken expectations of others

Feel victimized when they are not treated as extraordinary

Suffer chronic disappointment as a result of their expectations

People who seem entitled are likely to lose the respect of their peers, the patience of their leaders, and the accommodation of their friends.

Here are five ways to avoid entitlement:

Get to the heart of the issue. Look within. Do you believe that you are worth more than those around you? Do you think you deserve a prize just for being you? This isn’t meant to deter you from being confident; it’s meant to stop you from becoming prideful. Confidence is well founded in experience and excellence. Pride, on the other hand, is flimsy and unmerited. You are a wonderful creation, but that doesn’t mean you are inherently worth more than those around you.

Look to peers before asking favors of leadership. Before you ask for or expect something, be honest with yourself. Does the value that you are bringing truly match up with the rewards or income that you are expecting? Look to others who are offering similar value before you ask for special favors—but be careful not to use comparison as a foundation for entitlement (i.e., “John got X, so why didn’t I get X too?”).

Ask with humility. Whenever you ask anyone to go out of their way to do something for you, be conscious of how you posture yourself when you ask. If you come across as expectant, people will often hesitate to do you any favors. If you come across as humble and grateful, they are much more likely to respond with a willingness to help.

Respond to disappointments with grace. There will always be times when we don’t get what we want. Whether it’s witnessing a beloved project crash and burn or not being offered that well-deserved promotion, we will face failure and disappointments. When these issues arise, be careful how you respond and to whom you direct your criticism or negativity. If those around you think that you blame them for your personal failings, they will be much less likely to help you succeed in the future.

Look first at yourself and the ways that you can improve. If you still believe that others are at least partially to blame, make a point to communicate all future expectations to them without passing blame. Avoid becoming angry or bitter in the face of disappointment. This makes you look spoiled and childish and will cause others to lose respect for you.

Be grateful. Brené Brown, acclaimed author and life coach, once said, “The difference between privilege and entitlement is gratitude.” Whenever someone does something nice for you, your response should always be appreciation. Go the extra mile to show that you are grateful and honored by what others do for you.

Whether it’s giving advice on how to advance your career or picking up ice on the way to an event, never let a kind deed go without a “thank you.” Being grateful will make you a happier, more content person.

LTM Challenge

Look at your interactions with your coworkers, leaders, and even your friends. Do you sometimes feel as though you are not getting what is owed to you? Analyze the situation. Is this a result of an unhealthy relationship, where you’re not being seen or appreciated, or is it because of prideful expectations?

You reap what you sow. Before you expect a harvest, first look into the soil to ensure that what you’re sowing is adequate to achieve your goals.

15 Ways to Love More Effectively

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 01:42:19 +0000

Today is Valentine’s Day, the day set apart to shower the special people in your life with all the love they deserve. If you’re scrambling to find that perfect way to demonstrate your affection beyond the usual heart-shaped cards or box of chocolates, I understand.

Wanting others to know what they mean to you is great, but expressing it can be a challenge.

A few years ago, my wife wrote a lesson in which she detailed the importance of loving people according to what Dr. Gary Chapman referred to as their “primary love language.” In summary, we all give and receive love differently; to one person, a hug is enough to brighten a morning; to another, a surprise home-cooked meal is more meaningful than the shiniest jewelry.

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I decided to add to her wisdom by providing a list of 15 simple and effective ways to love people according to the five love languages. If you are unsure how to identify someone’s primary love language, I encourage you to read Joy’s post—or have your friends and family take the online quiz.

Words of Affirmation

A well-timed compliment often has the power to make a words-of-affirmation person’s day. For them, the more specific, the better. They don’t merely need to know that they are amazing—they need to know why.

1. Scatter loving and encouraging notes across the house, in their car, or in their packed lunch.

2. Compile a list of 15-20 of your favorite things about them, and read it aloud.

3. Observe what they seem insecure about and point your affirmation in that direction.

Acts of Service

Nothing says “I love you” to people who value service like going out of your way to do something you don’t enjoy just because you care about them. Loving these people will vary depending on their circumstances, but here are some timeless ideas.

1. Wash their car. If possible, do so while they’re sleeping or otherwise preoccupied so their clean car will be a surprise.

2. Make their favorite meal when they least expect it.

3. Offer to run an errand for a busy or overwhelmed friend.

Gifts

For these people, a dozen red roses will certainly not suffice. They need to know that you put thought into a gift, and that you were willing to go through the extra effort to pick something out just for them.

1. For a spouse or an old friend, find a gift that is reminiscent of a particularly joyful time in your relationship (i.e. an old record that you listened to as teenagers, a piece of jewelry from where you went on a vacation or honeymoon, etc.).

2. Give little things throughout the day or week and at unexpected times. Many gifts, regardless of cost, are usually more meaningful for gift-oriented people than one large, expensive present.

3. For those who never stop talking about a certain band or TV show, consider buying them fan merchandise (t-shirt, mug, etc.). It will likely result in a good laugh and show that you listen and care about their interests.

Quality Time

This is the love language that can be easily whisked aside when life gets busy. It’s important to recognize that even if you only have 20 minutes to spend with someone, you can make it count.

1. Make a lunch or breakfast “date” with your child or grandparent, and let them choose the place, even if it’s a place you don’t like.

2. Make spending time together a habit. Whether it means having a short coffee break with your husband every afternoon or lunch with your daughter every Thursday, regularly blocking out time is a great way to ensure these people feel loved and appreciated.

3. Give them your full attention when you’re together: ask pointed questions, put your phone down, and listen well.

Physical Touch

Loving these people often requires making simple and conscious choices throughout the day to ensure that they feel connected, even when it doesn’t come naturally for you.

1. Sit close to them when you’re watching a movie or TV show.

2. Give a foot or back massage (when appropriate, of course).

3. Hug them. This may seem simple, but even if you’re not a hugger, make a point to properly embrace those in your life who are.

My Challenge

Healthy relationships are essential to a meaningful life. Don’t let loving others take the back seat to your career and ambitions. Find a balance and a way to not just love, but to love well. I encourage you to discover the love language of those closest to you and start applying these tips.

Do you have any additional ideas or experiences on loving people according to their love language? Please share in the comments below.

The most important relationships in your life are with your family members and close friends. Love these people they way they need to feel your love.

33 Small Ways to Expand Your Comfort Zone

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 11:00:34 +0000

I’ve written before about how the path to success is uncomfortable. You have to move outside of the place where you’re comfortable to grow and be more than you are today.

The more time you spend outside your comfort zone, the larger your comfort zone becomes. As a result, you’ll feel comfortable in more environments. You’ll be able to reach further without feeling overwhelmed. Your income, job success, and relationships will all grow.

I believe that expanding your comfort zone in small ways sets you up for success when it’s time to make a big leap. Little changes help you get used to that small feeling of discomfort without pushing you into a place of panic. As you grow your comfort zone in small ways, you’ll develop the confidence and grit to change in big ways as well.

Here are 33 small ways to expand your comfort zone.

1.  Smile: Here’s an experiment: smile at everyone you see when you’re on your way to work or out running errands today. It may not make a difference, or it may make your day. Either way, you’ll practice putting yourself out there.

2.  Be Friendly: Push yourself to smile and greet people with a warm greeting when you arrive work. Say hello and ask those who serve you how they are doing. As you start being friendlier, not only will you feel better, but your relationships will improve.

3.  Give Compliments: Going out of your way to say something nice to someone will make their day, as well as give you a chance to practice talking to people you may not know very well.

4.  Encourage People: If the thought of encouraging people makes you feel uneasy, then do it. It will lift their spirit and yours as well.

5.  Repair a Relationship: There are few things more uncomfortable than sincerely saying “I’m sorry.” Do it anyway. You’ll relieve yourself of the burden of a fractured relationship and earn this person’s respect.

6. Interact with Different People: It’s easy to gravitate to the same people at work or at social events. Stretch yourself by striking up a conversation with someone you don’t usually talk to.

7.  Build a New Relationship: Is there someone at your place of work, church or social group that you would like to know better? Invite him or her to lunch and enjoy building a new relationship.

8.  Go on a Date: If you’re not married, who would you enjoy getting to know better? Does the thought of asking this person out make your heart flutter? Do it today and who knows what may develop.

9.  Join a Dating Site: If you are not married, why not put yourself out there. You may find the love of your life. My brother met his wife through eharmony.com and they are perfect for each other.

10. Do Some “Out of Character” Shopping: Is there a type of store that would make you feel uncomfortable walking into? Go ahead and push yourself to do it.

11.  Ask for a Review: If your place of work does not have a regular schedule for reviews and you believe you are bringing more value than you are being paid, then ask your boss for a private meeting and discuss your current role, what your boss feels you can do better and if appropriate, ask for a raise.

12.  Prospect: If you are an entrepreneur or sales person, what person or place of business would be your ideal new customer? Make the call today and you will feel great.

13.  Volunteer to Lead a Project: Look for projects where you work, worship or volunteer that you can lead up. Taking on a new leadership role will certainly stretch you.

14.  Apply for a New Job: Are you happy where you are currently employed? If not, consider what you feel would be a job you would love and start making calls to prospective employers.

15.  Call Someone: If you prefer communicating with others by text, email or through social sites because it’s more comfortable, then shake things up by calling people occasionally.

16.  Talk to People You Don’t Know: Does talking to people you don’t know make you uncomfortable? If so, look for opportunities to talk to new people, even if it’s smiling and saying hi to someone at the grocery store, gym or coffee shop.

17.  Try a New Food: Did you hate a certain food when you were young? Does the thought of eating sushi make you gag? Give it a try! At worst you’ll have an unpleasant meal. At best you’ll have a larger comfort zone and a new favorite food.

18.  Get Lost: Being lost is an uncomfortable feeling. That’s why it’s a great way to expand your comfort zone. Pack a map of your surrounding area and a mug of coffee, then go get lost.

19.  Join a New Group: Joining a new group, whether it’s an exercise class, a volunteer organization, or a religious group, is uncomfortable. It often takes a while to become a part of the group, which gives you a chance to practice feeling comfortable when you’re surrounded by people you don’t know.

20.  Exercise: Maybe you’re nervous about trying out a new piece of equipment at the gym. Maybe you’re nervous about joining a gym altogether. Maybe you’re even nervous to have someone see you jogging down the street. Accept those nerves and get out and exercise anyway. Not only will your comfort zone grow, you’ll look and feel better too.

21.  Go Someplace By Yourself: Does the idea of sitting alone in a movie theater or a restaurant give you a flutter in your stomach? Then that’s exactly what you should do. Going someplace by yourself is a safe way to practice feeling uncomfortable. Once you move pass the initial unease, you may even find you enjoy your movie or meal more without any distractions.

22.  Be Quiet: Take a break from music, television, conversation, and even your own voice. Sit quietly for a while with your thoughts. For many people, this alone is a huge step outside their comfort zone.

23.  Speak Up: If you tend to sit quietly in meetings or act as a listener in conversations, make a point to speak up. Practice contributing when you’re conversing with people you know and trust, and you’ll have less of a leap to make when it’s time to say something in an uncomfortable environment.

24.  Try a New Hobby or Sport: Being bad at something is uncomfortable, but it’s a part of every learning process. Learn how to accept this fact by practicing something new. What new sport or hobby would you like to learn? Why not get started today?

25.  Join in on Karaoke Night: Depending on your singing ability, joining in on Karaoke may be more uncomfortable for the people around you than for you! But whether you’re the next Adele or can’t get close to carrying a tune, taking the stage is a great way to expand your comfort zone.

26.  Join a Speaking Group: Does the thought of giving a presentation make you want to curl up and hide? Work on growing your comfort zone in this area before being called upon to give a speech. Join a group like the Rotary Club that lets you practice public speaking in an encouraging and supportive environment. With enough time, speaking in public may come to be squarely in your comfort zone.

27. Delegate: Many people feel overscheduled and overworked because they don’t feel comfortable trusting someone else to do something for them. If this sounds like you, try to delegate small tasks whenever there’s someone willing to do them. Becoming comfortable with this skill opens up your ability to focus on other areas of your life and improves your ability to succeed.

28.  Do Something Thrilling: Ride a roller coaster. Go bungee jumping. Climb a mountain. Give skydiving a try. Do something you’ve never tried before that gives you a nervous thrill.

29.  Take a Day Offline: Constantly checking your email and your phone can become like a pacifier. It feels comforting in the moment, but the constant distraction can sabotage your productivity, your relationships, and even your emotional well being. Disconnect from it all for one day a week.

30.  Explore a New Area: Take a break from your usual haunts and give a new neighborhood or city a try. Try a new restaurant, visit an unfamiliar stylist or spa, or join in on a worship service or community event.

31.  Break a Routine or Habit: It’s comfortable to do the same things the same way every day. Changing up your routines makes it easier to work with the unexpected.

32.  Have Fun in a New Way: Making a change is always easier when you’re having a bit of fun. Try a new activity on your day off to stretch your comfort zone in an enjoyable way.

33.  Grow Your Knowledge of an Uncomfortable Subject: Many times the things we are most nervous about are the things we don’t understand. If there is a certain situation or area that constantly makes you feel uncomfortable, learn more about it.

These are just 33 of the hundreds of options available to expand your comfort zone.

Here’s my challenge to you. When you find yourself in situations where one option would push you outside your comfort zone and the second option is what you would normally do, challenge yourself to choose the option that expands your comfort zone and do it immediately without further thought.

Each time you choose the uncomfortable option, your comfort zone will grow, new opportunities will present themselves and you will feel great about the person you are becoming.

When you start doing the small things to expand your comfort zone, the things that frighten you today will be conquerable tomorrow.

10 Keys to Setting and Achieving BIG Goals

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 11:00:50 +0000

What are some of the goals you’ve set over the last year? Being 100% honest, are you on track to achieve those goals? As you look over the last five years, what’s your track record for setting and achieving your goals?

My life’s experience tells me that very few people achieve their goals. Whether their goal is to lose weight, reduce debt, increase income, build a side business or accomplish some other challenge, it doesn’t matter. Most people do not achieve their goals.

Do you know the worst part? Each time you set a goal and fail to achieve it, the negative experience damages your self-esteem and self-confidence. After all, how can failing to achieve an important goal not negatively affect you? You can tell yourself it’s no big deal, but deep down inside you know the truth.

When people continually fail to achieve their goals, they stop dreaming and no longer believe they can achieve anything worthwhile. Then, like millions of other people, they aimlessly drift through life until they die.

I firmly believe that you can achieve any goal that is truly important to you. You just need learn the keys of setting and achieving goals and then use your discipline to achieve them.

10 Keys to Setting and Achieving BIG Goals

1. Start by setting small short-term goals – Every time you set and achieve a goal, your confidence and sense of competence increases. Start your journey by setting small achievable goals and then taking the steps necessary to achieve them.

Lesson: Set some easy goals that you would like to achieve this week. It could be applying for that great job you really want or exercising after work tonight. Every time you achieve a small goal, set a new one. As you build your confidence in achieving small goals, you will believe you can achieve big goals.

2. Set goals that are important to you – Let’s be honest, to achieve any worthwhile goal requires you to do things you would prefer not doing. If your goal is not HIGHLY important to you, you won’t do what’s required of you to achieve it. The obstacles in your path won’t be worth overcoming, because the prize isn’t important enough.

Lesson: ONLY set goals that are highly important to you.

3. Identify your biggest obstacles – When you look at your goal, ask yourself, “What will be required of me to achieve this goal? What will be the biggest obstacles I will have to overcome?” Make a list of all the things you will need to do and challenges you will likely face.

Lesson: Be honest with yourself and consider the potential challenges you will face on your journey.

4. Ask, “Am I willing to do what’s required?” – This is the time when you need to be honest and ask yourself one more time, “Is this goal important enough to me that I will make the sacrifices necessary and do what is required of me every day to achieve my goal?”

Lesson: Unless you are willing to do what’s required of you EVERY DAY to achieve your goal, don’t play games with yourself and think you are going to achieve it.

5. Create milestones – Break your goal down into smaller goals. If your goal is to lose 30 pounds this year, then set the dates when you will be down 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 15 pounds etc. If your goal is to increase your commissions from $60,000 to $100,000 over the next 12 months, then set the dates when you will have earned $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 etc.

Lesson: Break your big goals down into small goals. This allows you to focus on achieving smaller goals and measuring your progress. If you are falling behind, you can make up ground as you work towards your next milestone.

6. Put together your plan and break it down into daily activities – If you are going to achieve any worthwhile goal you must know what you should be doing each day. When I set a goal in 1989 to make $400,000 selling real estate, I knew exactly how many calls I needed to make every day. If I fell behind one day, I made it up the next day. At the end of the year, I made $401,000.

Lesson: Put together your plan and then break it down into what you should be doing every day, then set up a daily routine. When I was a Realtor, I prospected EVERY morning (Mon-Sat) starting at 9 AM. Routines create structure and make it easier to work our daily action plans.

7. Work your plan – Once you know the actions you need to take every day, you must use your personal initiative and discipline to do what you know you should do, even when you don’t feel like doing it. This is when your resolve to overcome those obstacles you knew you would face will be tested.

Lesson: Do what you’ve agreed to do each day. If you fall behind one day, make it up the next day.

8. Hold yourself accountable – While an accountability partner always helps, the truth is no one is going to hold you accountable to your goals. It’s your life and these are your goals. You know what you should be doing each day, and now it’s your responsibility to hold yourself accountable to working your plan and refusing to allow excuses.

Lesson: When you don’t do what you’ve agreed to do, get pissed at yourself. You cannot think it’s okay to not hold yourself accountable!! This is likely where you have likely failed in the past and you cannot allow yourself to make excuses for not doing what you should.

9. Enjoy the journey – While achieving big goals is challenging and takes perseverance, enjoy the journey. Encourage yourself daily. Congratulate yourself when you do things that challenge you. Give yourself a little fist bump every time you push yourself outside your comfort zone. As you reach each milestone, reward yourself.

Lesson: Success is not a destination. It’s a journey. Find ways to enjoy the process of achieving your goals.

10. Visualize your goals coming true – The best way to stay motivated and disciplined is seeing your goals coming true. If you want a new home, what does it look like? If you want to lose 30 pounds, what will you look like? Want to become a top producer, imagine getting an award at next year’s award banquet.

Lesson: Create clear visuals in your mind of you achieving each of you goals. If possible take photos or images of your goals and put them in places where you will look at them daily.

There are very few things that will have a more positive influence on how you see yourself than when you set big goals, refuse to make excuses, and achieve them.

My mentor Jim Rohn said “After you become a millionaire, you can give all of your money away because what’s important is not the million dollars; what’s important is the person you have become in the process of becoming a millionaire.”

You can achieve every goal that is important to you and live the life of your dreams. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Yes. Step out from the crowd and build a life that makes you proud.

10 Most Valuable Human Attributes

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 11:00:58 +0000

Over the last 30 years I have made a list of more than 1000 little things that influence who we become, what we achieve, and how we are viewed by others.

In reviewing this list I selected what I believe to be the 10 most valuable human attributes. These are the 10 things that can have the greatest impact on your career advancements and earnings and are not listed in any specific order.

To learn more about any of the points, simply click the link to read more.

1. Desire – In his famous book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill said “Desire is the starting point of all achievement.” For things in your life to get better, you must first have the desire for them to get better. For your income to grow, you must first have the desire for it to grow. But simply desiring a better life or higher level of income is not enough. Your desire must be strong enough that you will do what is required of you.

Is your desire to grow your income strong enough that you will do what is required of you each day to increase your value to the market?

2. Discipline – Self-discipline is a pattern of behavior where you choose to do what you know you should do, rather than what you want to do. It’s the inner drive that pushes you to get out of bed to exercise rather than sleeping in. Simply put, it’s doing what you know you should do, but don’t feel like doing and often requires that you push yourself outside your comfort zone.

Are you willing to do what you know you should do every day to increase your income, rather than what you want to do?

3. Accountability – Make no mistake about it: you cannot achieve any worthwhile goal if you don’t hold yourself accountable. The reason is simple. It’s your life! No one is going to hold you accountable to doing what’s required of you to achieve your goals. If you have to be held accountable at work, don’t expect to be promoted or to experience any type of significant career advancement.

Are you willing to hold yourself accountable every day for your actions, responsibilities, and goals?

4. Integrity – While people without integrity may make it to the top, they seldom stay there. The news is full of examples every day. To me, there is no human quality more important than integrity. You can spend a lifetime building your reputation and destroy it in 5 seconds by crossing the line. Remember, the best way to keep from having someone question your integrity is to make sure your integrity is not questionable.

Will you make a commitment to build your life on a foundation of integrity and never cross the line?

5. Respect –Unless it’s your job, would you follow someone you don’t respect? Would you promote someone you don’t respect? Would you recommend or endorse someone you don’t respect? Would you want to be friends with someone you don’t respect? Point made! There are hundreds of little things that influence people’s respect for you, but if I were to give you one tip, it would be to always treat others with respect. People won’t respect you if you don’t respect them.

Are you willing to focus on doing the little things every day that will cause people’s respect for you to grow?

6. Responsibility – My definition of responsibility is doing what is expected of you. When people send you an email, SMS or party initiation, they expect a response in a timely period. When you have appointments, people expect you will be on time. When you have a deadline, people expect you will be done on time. When a person hires you to do a job, they expect you will do the job to the best of your ability.

Will you commit to doing what is expected of you, even if it’s things you didn’t agree to do in advance (like returning a call, SMS, email, or party invitation), in a timely manner?

7. Humility – What type of attitude quickly wins respect? Humility—a modest view of one’s own importance or rank! It’s about being open to the possibility of improvement. By its very nature, humility is not an attitude we ever perfect. It’s a practiced trait that requires constant monitoring, especially since arrogance—egotism, superiority, conceit— is always tugging at our human nature.

Will you begin to adopt an attitude of humility and be open to growing and getting better every day?

8. Communication – One of the key factors influencing how we are viewed is how we communicate. When listening to people, do we look them in the eyes, show an interest in what they are saying, and not interrupt? When typing emails, do we take pride in making sure they are clear, concise, friendly, and properly formatted? When we walk in the office, do we acknowledge people with a smile and warm greeting?

Are you willing to learn what you need to do to improve your communication skills? If so, click the link above.

9. Likability – If you were going to hire someone for a job and had two equally qualified candidates, would you be more likely to hire the person you liked the most? If you were going to promote someone and had two great employees, would you be more likely to select the person you liked the most? If you were interviewing Realtors to sell your home, would you be more likely to select the one you liked the most? When you are friendly, pleasant and demonstrate appealing qualities you will gain an important edge in this competitive world.

Will you start demonstrating the qualities that make people likable?

10. Personal initiative – Personal initiative is your inner power that starts all action. It is the enemy of procrastination. It’s the spark that initiates your productive actions. It’s recognizing what needs to be done and doing it without being told. Napoleon Hill talked about personal initiative at length in his 9th principle of success. He said, “Success is something you must achieve without someone telling you what to do or why you should do it.”

Being honest with yourself, do you take the initiative to do the things that need to be done each day to advance your career? If not, will you start today?

When you focus on doing the things that increase your income, not only will doors of opportunity open, but more importantly your self respect will grow and you will be proud of the person you see in the mirror.

How to Overcome Limiting and Imprisoning Beliefs

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 10:58:42 +0000

One of life’s greatest tragedies is when people fall short of their potential because of self-limiting or imprisoning beliefs. These are negative statements you’ve said to yourself and repeated so many times you believe they are true.

Examples include such statements as:

I can’t do that because… (something negative)

I can’t be that way because… (something negative)

I will always be…(something negative)

I will never be promoted because… (something negative)

My needs aren’t important because… (something negative)

There’s something wrong with me because… (something negative)

Limiting beliefs are those that limit you or hold you back, while imprisoning beliefs are those that can be destructive to your life and overall well being.

These types of beliefs are caused by a variety of factors. Previous mistakes or failures, a continual focus on faults and weaknesses, and surrounding yourself with negative people can create a breeding ground for developing these destructive beliefs.

Once the seed of a limiting or imprisoning belief is planted in the mind, it’s generally fertilized with negative self-talk. Your self-talk is the internal dialogue you have with yourself. When it gets really negative you say things like “I can’t do anything right,” “I could never do that,” “I will never find the right mate for me,” or some other negative statement.

Changing the conversation

When I started my real estate career at age 23, I remember saying negative things to myself such as, “I am too young. Look at me; I look like I’m 18 years old. Why would any seller select me over a more experienced Realtor?” These thoughts haunted me every time I went on an appointment. I believed these statements to be true; after all, I was too young.

I then listened to an audiobook by Anthony Robbins titled Unlimited Power. In this book Tony talked about limiting beliefs and how to overcome them. What I learned changed my life, because it changed the conversations I had with myself.

I vowed to never again say anything that would limit me, unless it was a physically limiting truth, such as “I can’t swim around the world.” I then created positive statements for each of my limiting beliefs.

I then went on to sell more than 60 homes my first year and earned more than $250,000. This lesson taught me to NEVER allow myself to say negative things that would limit who I can become or what I can achieve.

Are you ready to be set free from your limiting and imprisoning beliefs?

If you want to be set free from beliefs that are having a negative influence on your life and holding you back from being who you want to be and achieving your goals, follow these three steps:

1. Identify your limiting or imprisoning beliefs. To help you, make a list of your answers to these questions:

Do I believe I can be one of the top achievers in my chosen career? If not, list the reasons.

When I look at my life, what do I believe can’t be changed?

Do I believe I can save enough money to become financially independent? If not, list the reasons.

Do I believe I can lose weight and achieve my ideal body? If not, list the reasons.

What are my fears that could be holding me back?

Do I believe I can find the perfect person with whom to spend the rest of my life? If not, list the reasons.

What negative things are going on in my life that I don’t believe will change?

Do I believe I am too busy, too tired, too heavy etc., to do something that I would love to do?

Do I believe I can enjoy an amazing marriage with my spouse? If not, list the reasons.

Do I believe my race, age, or gender is limiting me? If so, list the reasons.

Do I believe I can get straight “A’s” in school? If not, list the reasons.

Do I believe there is something wrong with me? If so, list the things you think are wrong with you.

Do I believe I can have a great relationship with my children or parents? If not, list the reasons.

When I look at my future, what do I see? List the negative things that you see.

What other questions should I ask myself to identify more limiting or imprisoning beliefs?

As you answer these questions be honest with yourself and list everything that comes to your mind.

2. Challenge your beliefs. This is when you determine if your belief is indeed a fact of truth or a limiting or imprisoning belief.

Go over your list one point at a time. Put “Me” next to all the points that are negative beliefs about yourself as a person and put “Do” next to all the things you don’t believe you are capable of doing.

Then go back over each the points you’ve identified with “Me” and ask yourself, “Is this something that is truly wrong with me or have I come to believe this is true because…?” Put TRUE or FALSE next to each point. Your goal is to go through your list, being 100% honest with yourself, and determine which of your beliefs are true and false.

Now go over the remaining points with “Do” next to them and ask yourself, “If I was paid one million dollars, could I figure out a way to do it?” If it’s something that would be impossible to do, even if you were given one million dollars, put TRUE. If you could figure out a way to do it if you were paid one million dollars, put FALSE.

3. Set yourself free. To be set free from these types of limiting beliefs, you must first have the desire to be set free, and then you must reprogram your brain by changing the conversations you’re having about yourself and your abilities.

The most effective process I’ve learned and used throughout my life for overcoming a limiting thought or belief is through positive self-talk and affirmations.

Go over your list and next to each point with “False” next to it, write a positive statement. Here are some examples:

If you wrote down on your “Me” list that you are too young to do something, write, “I am young and full of energy. I will look for ways to use my youth as an advantage to achieve my goals.”

If you listed on your “Do” list that you can’t prospect because you fear rejection, write, “I will treat everyone with the utmost respect and present myself and my services in the most professional manner possible. Just as 100% of people don’t like chocolate ice cream, I understand that not everyone is going to choose my services. I will prospect with confidence daily and when I get turned down, I will consider what I could have done better and continue to improve each day.”

Rather than having negative self-defeating conversations, your goal is to have positive life-building conversations.

If you would like to be set free from negative thoughts and emotions and live a life free of self-destructive beliefs, write a positive statement after each the points you listed. When you are done, read this list of positive statements aloud every morning and evening with passion and belief.

If you say these positive statements each day, you will begin to believe them. Over time you will reprogram your mind with new positive beliefs and begin to believe you can do anything.

Protect your new beliefs from negative influences

In addition to reading your positive statements each day, start filling your mind with positive thoughts that will make your life better and distance yourself from negative people. Read books on personal and professional development. Remember, for your life to get better, you must get better.

If there are people in your life who are saying destructive things about you, you have two options. If possible, have a conversation with them. Tell them how their negative words are impacting your feelings towards them and ask that they stop saying destructive things. If a conversation isn’t possible or profitable, simply distance yourself from these people.

If there is something that you’ve been struggling with for a long time, perhaps a painful experience from the past, I encourage you to go to counseling and get the healing you need.

You can live a happy, healthy, and successful life if you focus on your positive attributes and the things you can do.

How to Get Life’s Winds Blowing at Your Back

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 05:59:29 +0000

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get all the breaks? They have the perfect spouse, the rich parents, the ideal job or business, the big beautiful home, and the nice car. Everything seems to be going their way.

30 years ago when I married my wife Joy, she said one of the first things she was going to teach her children is that life is not fair. Like many children coming from broken homes, she grew up in an unhealthy environment and life wasn’t fair.

Why do some people get all the breaks?

On a recent trip, I was reading the manuscript for John Addison’s new book, Real Leadership. John shares his story of how he went from a young confused high school graduate working an entry-level position at a life insurance company to becoming the Co-CEO of Primerica, one of America’s top life insurance companies.

As he shared his story, he talked about how he never seemed to know what his future would look like. When he graduated high school, he had no idea what he would do for a living and still didn’t know after college.

He said he just focused on being a better person every day, a lesson his mom taught him, and making good decisions.

Here’s exactly what he said.

“I believe one of the great keys to a successful life is incremental improvement. It’s not about going from where you are today to moving into a mansion with five swimming pools tomorrow. It’s not about “quantum leaps” or the big dramatic breakthrough. Those are great for Hollywood films, where the filmmaker has only two hours to get the hero from Point A to Point Z.

But back here in reality, where life’s major changes and plot points are measured in years rather than minutes, it’s about day-by-day personal improvement, finding your pathway, one step at a time, to where you want to go. Exciting? No. Dramatic? Hardly. But it does have the advantage of being “real”—and over time it can indeed lead to events both dramatic and exciting.

And there’s the rub: time.

Incremental improvement doesn’t happen automatically, and it sure doesn’t happen swiftly. You have to commit to it over a lengthy period of time, and that takes a certain amount of character and spine.

A lot of people try to short-circuit the process by jumping around, zigging and zagging through life. They’re too impatient, too unfocused, or too willing to follow the next shiny new idea that comes along. Tapping into the great power of incremental improvement takes patience, persistence, and faith. The payoff is well more than worth it.”

While reading John’s book, I began reflecting on my life, my wife’s life, and the lives of those who have life’s winds blowing at their backs. I realized there was one common thread woven through all these lives: they are lived by humble people who are trying to get better every day.

How to start getting all the breaks?

No matter what you’re going through or how bad things have been, today can mark the beginning of a new chapter in your life.

You don’t need to know where you are going or what your life will look like 10 years from now. All you need to do is commit to getting better every day.

Here’s who John Addison said gets the breaks.

“The shaping events in your life, those moments that in hindsight prove to be crucial turning points, are often events that just seem to happen, out of the blue, the chance confluence of unpredictable circumstances. But the truth is, they don’t “just happen.” Most times, they happen because you’re taking action in the direction of your why. You may not be able to plan the results, but that’s okay: If you keep moving forward, focusing on incremental improvement, you’ll put yourself in their path.

This is one of the most deceptively simple leadership secrets there is: keep moving forward. People won’t follow you if you’re sitting in the corner sucking your thumb and talking about how bad things are. They’ll only follow you if you’re going somewhere.”

The process begins with our decisions.

While there will always be exceptions, in large part our lives are a reflection of our decisions. My mentor Jim Rohn said, “Success comes from a series of good decisions made over time, while failure comes from a series of poor decisions made over time.”

If we want to improve our lives, we must improve our decisions. It’s really that simple.

Every day we make hundreds of little decisions, each influencing one or more areas of our lives. The good news is you know the right answer to 99% of those decisions. The bad news is most of them don’t bring immediate pleasure or rewards.

When you start making decisions to eat the foods you should and avoid those you shouldn’t, you will become healthier.

When you start exercising regularly because you know you should, you will have more energy, lose weight, and feel better about yourself.

When you start bringing more value to your place of work than you are being paid, new doors of opportunity will open.

When you start doing the little things to be a better spouse, your marriage will grow.

When you start focusing on the ways you can become a better parent, your relationship with your children will blossom.

When you start becoming a more responsible person, people’s respect for you will grow.

While I can’t guarantee many things, I can guarantee you this: if you focus on getting better EVERY day, life’s winds will begin blowing at your back.

Like everyone, you will face rough seas as you navigate through life, but if you build your life on a foundation of humility, character, and personal growth, you will survive life’s storms a stronger person.

Start today

Let me challenge you to start being intentional about doing the little things each day that you know you should do, especially those you don’t want to do.

Each time you do something you would not have done previously, pat yourself on the back. Don’t look to others to congratulate you on your good decisions, instead congratulate yourself. It’s your life!

As you continue to push yourself each day to get better, your self-confidence will begin to grow. As you start feeling better about the person you are becoming, you will be even more motivated to continue growing and getting better.

Life’s greatest rewards don’t go to those who are lucky. They go to those who have paid the price over many years.

15 Tips to Speaking in Front of People

Mon, 09 Nov 2015 23:14:30 +0000

While you may be reluctant or, even worse, scared to give a presentation in front of a group of people, it is one of life’s greatest personal growth experiences. When you have the opportunity to share your insights with a group, accept the invitation and watch your self-confidence and value to the market grow!

Over the last 25 years I have given more than 1000 presentations to groups as large as 50,000 people. During this time I have become a student of public speaking and hope you can benefit from some of the things I’ve learned when giving your next presentation.

1. Prepare – The more prepared you are, the more comfortable you will be come presentation time. Before I gave my first presentation I scripted out what I wanted to say word-for-word and memorized it. I then practiced in front of my video camera. While you may not need to take your preparation to that extreme, if you want to influence people with your presentation, make sure you are prepared.

2. Dress Appropriately – Just as someone forms an opinion of a website in less than one second, they will also form an opinion of you in less than a second. If you want them to take your message seriously, they need to take you seriously. While I hate wearing suits and ties, when I speak, I almost always wear a suit and tie.

3. Come Early – Arriving early reduces stress, allows you to become familiar with your surroundings, and gives you time to get set up without rushing. If you will be using in microphone, make sure it’s working and has a fresh battery if it’s wireless. If you are using a Keynote or PowerPoint presentation, make sure the remote is working and that your slides are being displayed correctly.

4. Use Visuals – I have found that using visual aids such as a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation helps. Not only do attractive slides help your audience absorb your message, but they also help you stay on track.

5. Make Sure Your Visuals are Readable– Be sure the fonts and images used are large enough that the people in the back of the room can easily see them. Throughout my career I have found that 80% of the people who use visuals don’t take into consideration that people will need to read them in the back of the room. Not only does this reflect poorly on the speaker, but it undermines their ability to connect with their audience.

6. Give the Person Introducing You Instructions – The person introducing you should have a short script or bullet points of what to say when introducing you. The goal is for this person to establish you as an authority on your subject.

7. Open with a Smile – I always open my presentations with a smile and warm welcome. When I do this I see people smiling back and beginning to connect with me. Try it and you will see what I mean.

8. Connect Emotionally – As you open your presentation, be warm and gracious and look for ways to emotionally connect with your audience. Help them feel the need for what you are offering.

9. Be Humble and Authentic – For some reason when people stand up and start speaking their egos grow like Pinocchio’s nose. If you want people to like you, respect you, and connect with you, be authentic and stay humble.

10. Stay on Time – Part of earning people’s respect as a presenter is making sure you are prepared to deliver your message in the time allowed. If you are giving a one-hour presentation, know where you want to be 15, 30, and 45 minutes into your presentation. If you see you are running behind at any of these points, then adjust to get yourself back on track. Rushing to finish makes you look like you weren’t prepared.

11. Make Eye Contact – If you want people to connect with you and your message, they need to feel included. That’s best done by making eye contact. If you are talking to a small group, look at each person for one or two sentences. If you are talking to a large group, look at each section of people for one or two sentences. Try to keep eye contact with each person or section until you complete your sentence, and then transition your eyes to another person or section of the room.

12. Walk Side to Side, But Never Backwards – When you are speaking be sure to walk from one side of the stage or room to the other as you include people from both sides. You should also avoid walking backwards while you are talking or people may feel a disconnection.

13. Be Clear – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in a room listening to someone and been completely lost or struggling to try to figure out what they are trying to say. Make sure you are speaking with crystal clear clarity and never use jargon, acronyms, and slang that people may not understand.

14. Provide an Overview and Summarize – Give people an overview at the beginning as to what you will be sharing, and then summarize what you’ve said when concluding your presentation. I always look to do this in a creative way, so the audience does not realize what I am doing.

15. Learn From Every Experience – Your goal should be to improve with each presentation you give. The best way to improve is to video tape your presentation. You will be amazed with what you see that you had no idea you were doing. If you can’t video tape yourself, at least audio record your presentation.

If you will implement these 15 tips when giving your next presentation, you will earn people’s respect and have influence with your audience. To learn how to structure your presentations, read my post titled, 10 Key Elements of a Persuasive Presentation.

Do you have tips you would like to share from your presentations? If so, share them below this post.

The most important element to speaking in front of a group of people is to be prepared.

Leading Without Authority, Title, or Rank

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 11:00:35 +0000

The leaders of the future will be those people who others want to follow because they are liked and respected, not because of their authority, title, or rank.

A real leader is not someone who only leads people under his or her position; it’s someone who leads everyone around them. This is referred to as 360-degree leadership.

If you are a salesperson, it’s leading your customers, colleagues, service people, and suppliers. If you are a rising employee, it’s leading your bosses and co-workers.

What is Leadership?

Leadership expert Ken Blanchard said, “The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.” He’s not alone in his thinking. John Maxwell, who has written more best-selling books on leadership than any other author, said: “Leadership is one word, influence.“

Since writing my last lesson 3 years ago, I have spent more time learning about and watching leadership in action than at any point in my life. It has become clear to me that leadership is one word: influence; and the way to become a person of influence is two words: respect and likability.

If you want to be a person of influence, then people must like and respect you. If you want influence at home, your spouse and children must like and respect you. If you want influence at work, the people you work with must like and respect you.

Very few things will improve your value, self-esteem, and personal relationships more than doing the little things that positively impact how people feel about you.

Becoming Likable – It’s Not What You Think

Let’s start with being clear as to what defines “likability.” So often people think to be likable, they need to do things such as kissing butt, being extra cheerful, or other disingenuous (fake) things to “get” people to like them.

When people “try” to be liked, it actually hurts them. Not only does it hurt them because people can intuitively sense their lack of genuineness, but it also hurts their self-esteem, because they are not living with integrity. (I know a lot of adults living in depression for this very reason.)

Here are the correct definitions of likability:

Easy to like

Having pleasant or appealing qualities

Being friendly

Having qualities that bring out a favorable regard

Being pleasant

If you question the importance of being likable to have influence, are you drawn to likable people? When given a choice between two equal candidates for a position, would you choose the person you like more? When hiring a painting contractor, Realtor, or insurance agent, are you more likely to select the person you like most?

Becoming Respected – It’s More Than You Think

Every day you are sending hundreds of messages out to the world that play a role in how people see you and feel about you. Take a simple email as an example. Here are a few factors that people intuitively notice that impact your personal brand in their minds:

How soon it is returned

Did you address them by name?

Were you friendly?

Did you proof your email?

Was it properly formatted?

Was it clear and to the point?

The overall tone of the email

Every interaction you have with people has multiple components, each impacting how others feel about you. If you are meeting people in a business setting, here are just a few of the factors people immediately notice:

Were you on time?

Your appearance

How you greeted them

Were you friendly?

Did you remember their name?

Did you show an interest in them?

Were you prepared?

The clarity and tone with which you speak

Do you value the opinions of others?

Do you listen without interrupting?

Is your attention diverted to your mobile device?

There are hundreds of little things you do each day that play a role in how people see you and feel about you which ultimately impacts the level of respect they have for you. If you don’t feel liked or respected by someone, there’s a 99% chance you’ve given him or her reason to feel that way about you.

My Challenge

Rather than looking at the little things you should and shouldn’t be doing, focus on the person you want to become. Examples include:

If you are a responsible person, you won’t need to focus on being on time or making sure you are prepared because it’s who you are.

If you take pride in your written communications, you won’t need to make sure your emails are properly formatted and proofed, because that will happen automatically.

If you are a person who genuinely cares about others, you won’t have to be intentional about showing an interest in people because it’s what you do anyway.

If you are a person of integrity, you won’t need to do things to show you can be trusted because people won’t question your integrity.

If you want to be a leader and person of influence, then focus on the person you need to become to be viewed in that regard. Starting today, become the person you need to be so you can be the leader you want to be.

To lead people, you must be a person of influence. To be a person of influence, you must be someone people like and respect.

The 'Quantified Self' Craze: Tracking Your Own Data Can Be Dangerous

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 17:28:36 +0000

These days, you can digitally track pretty much everything about your health. But how you interpret that data might be problematic.
With growing numbers of digital health trackers on the market (the wearable tech craze adding more fuel to the fire), it is not surprising that more and more consumers are tracking their health on their own.
An awareness of one’s health is by no means a bad thing, but according to USA Today, there may be some downfalls to this new trend of the "quantified self"-- this idea that one can use data to monitor oneself.
Dennis Nash, president of Data Speaks Health Solutions, told the outlet that the data aggregated by tracking technology can be hard--even dangerous-- to analyze without a doctor. Additionally, he said that the act of tracking can consume users.
“Once you start doing it, you can start to get addicted to collect more data,” he added, saying the stress of monitoring can actually harm a person's health. Even with those obvious dangers in mind, the outlet profiled several data-tracking-to-better-health success stories.
Dangerous or not, just how big is the "quantifiable self" movement?
A recent survey done by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project found that seven out of 10 people have regularly tracked some aspect of their health. The survey also found that 60 percent of adults track their weight diet and exercise routines, with just 33 percent of people tracking health indicators or symptoms. Tracking has influenced 46 percent of trackers’ approach to their health and it has affected how 34 percent of people tracking their health data have responded to an illness or condition.
And from sleep patterns to weight loss--even a dog's health--it looks like this need for tracking has been somewhat a boon for start-ups.

Silicon Alley Hiring on the Rise

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:35:29 +0000

After four consecutive quarterly declines, hiring is creeping back up in New York tech.
Silicon Alley hiring is back in a big way.
According to the New York Internet and Digital Media Jobs Index, conducted by talent search firm Cook Associates, New York City's job market showed a 7.3 percent uptick in the second quarter of 2013, its highest point since the second quarter of 2012.
It may not sound like much, but that percentage means the NY tech scene added approximately 2,200 jobs in the second quarter alone. According to Cook, the businesses surveyed represent more than 90 percent of the Internet and digital media workers in New York.
Comparatively, last quarter’s jobs index showed 4.8 percent in growth. Looking back at 2012, when the New York tech boom was slowing, the study showed four consecutive quarterly declines, starting with 6.2 percent in the first quarter and ending with 3.4 percent growth.
"It appears that the digital media and Internet sectors in both Boston and New York are running on all cylinders right now," said John Barrett, the managing director at Cook who conducted the study.
Cook surveyed only pure-play Internet and digital media companies -- from goliaths like Google to up-and-comers like Rent the Runway -- with 10 or more employees. Virtually all companies in the study are or were financed by venture capital investors.
The overwhelming majority of hiring is happening in the digital ad tech and consumer web sectors. Unsurprisingly, Google ranked number one among the ten companies showing the largest headcount gains, adding more than 600 jobs over the past 12 months. Amazon came in second with about 330 jobs. And the rest were AppNexus, Facebook, Spotify, eBay, ZocDoc, LinkedIn, Yahoo, and TD Ameritrade.
Barrett attributed the trend to a "perfect storm" of factors: As the Internet disrupts established media, advertising, and financial services companies, a massive influx of venture capital money is fueling their companies' growth.
"Venture capital investing in NYC has been surging for the past three to four years, but now the overall economy is strong enough again to help accelerate the growth of many of those start-ups who've received venture funding," he said.
Not all of this is good news, however, as not employees can hack these jobs.
"New York City is inevitably headed toward a talent gap," explained Barrett, adding that the digital headcount is projected to double in the next four years. "The surge in growth that's been happening the past couple of years in unsustainable unless the city has the right talent to fill these jobs."
Most of the hiring has been for sales and marketing, with the biggest gap in software enginers. But Barrett said the VC community should invest in tomorrow's tech leaders. "The VC investors perhaps have the most to gain from making sure there's an adequate talent pool to make the most of their investment dollars."

The Start-up Giving Factory Workers a Voice

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:07:12 +0000

LaborVoices helps companies like Walmart end labor abuses in overseas factories by giving employees a safe way to speak up.
Labor rights around the world are in a sorry state. So sorry, in fact, that last week, when China Labor Watch released a damning account of conditions inside the Pegatron factory where some Apple products are manufactured, the tech community all but ignored the labor issues listed. Instead, they breathlessly buzzed about the low-priced, plastic iPhone revealed in the report.
The fact is, the pitiful working conditions in many of the world's factories seem to be such an insurmountable problem that when news of this sort breaks, it's typically met with a collective shrug or considered old news in the developed world. It seems to take a total catastrophe like the factory collapse that left 1,132 dead in Bangladesh this April to get people's attention.
Kohl Gill is one entrepreneur who's not looking away. As founder and CEO of LaborVoices, a six employee company based in Sunnyvale, California, he wants to change factories from the inside out by arming workers with information and an anonymous way to report abuses. LaborVoices has created what Gill refers to as a "smartline," a number workers can call to get access to information about their rights as well as services that can assist them with things like transportation and childcare. LaborVoices also conducts automated surveys with the callers, asking them questions about the how they're being treated and compensated and gives them the opportunity to report any urgent issues. Each caller is given an anonymous profile so LaborVoices can track these workers over time.
For this trove of data, major brands are willing to pay LaborVoices handsomely. This May, the start-up announced its first corporate partnership: a $600,000 deal to work with Walmart on cleaning up 279 of its factories in Bangladesh.
"These companies care about being able to provide work, and decent work, to everyone in their supply chain. They just haven't had access to real-time metrics to measure social responsibility," Gill says. "We think having a real-time view of the supply chain will give brands more control over whether those rights are being respected."
The Backstory
When Gill was growing up, his own mother, who had come to the United States from India as a teenager, worked at a local garment factory in Sherman, Mississippi. As outsourcing became more common, however, the factory eventually shut down. "We began shifting our jobs overseas, but not our working conditions," Gill says. "It got me thinking that if we're going to outsource jobs, we need to also ship over our labor and environmental standards."
In 2008, he began working in the State Department as an international labor affairs and corporate social responsibility officer. It was in that position that he traveled to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to ensure both countries were upholding international labor rights provisions. Though the factories, themselves, had been cleaned up for his arrival, Gill says he heard story after story of employees who had spoken up about labor abuses and been subsequently blacklisted.
"They essentially couldn't get a job anywhere because all of the factories were sharing that list of workers," he says. "I thought, if employers are sharing information on workers, shouldn't the opposite be possible as well? At least we could try to make it a level playing field."
It wasn't until 2010, when Gill's State Department fellowship ended, that he returned to the Bay Area, and thanks to the encouragement of some friends, decided to launch LaborVoices.
How It Works
In order to engender trust with workers, LaborVoices partners with non-governmental organizations on the ground to spread the word about the service. The company also informs the factory managers, themselves, that they are being monitored.
"The last thing we want is to surprise them," Gill says. "We want them to know we're listening."
Workers can then call in to the automated line either to get assistance or report an abuse. Customers like Walmart get feedback on all of their factories, compare their conditions, and use that information as a bargaining chip to improve them if necessary.
"The brands can get suppliers to change their practices with the understanding that they could always shift their business to another supplier," Gill says. "The flip side is workers can drive each other to the best in class employers and away from the worst, thereby providing two incentives for employers to improve conditions."
Though Gill says it's too early to disclose the number of calls LaborVoices has received, in pilot programs, he says the company has gotten reports of everything from verbal abuse to an infant death in a Bangalore factory (Fair Labor Association reported the latter took place in a factory manufacturing Gap clothes).
The Challenges
Gill's cause is undoubtedly noble and has earned him recognition as a 2013 Echoing Green fellow for civil and human rights innovation. Still, LaborVoices runs the risk of being a victim of its own success. Though Gill espouses the start-up's commitment to anonymity, it is possible that some factory owners could punish workers en masse for negative feedback. While Gill acknowledges this as a risk, he hopes that maintaining a long-term relationship with workers will encourage them to report any employer retribution, as well. Of course, gaining that trust in the first place will be equally tricky.
Still, Gill says, no amount of surveillance cameras or inspections could ever be as effective as giving workers, themselves, a platform to share their stories. "You can never have an inspector everywhere all the time," he says. "If you really want to understand what's going on inside a factory, you need to have an empowered work force. Then they can stand up for themselves rather than having a huge multinational attempt to do it for them."

Why Our Worst-Selling Item Is My Favorite

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 16:00:41 +0000

Warby Parker sells a monocle. Which just about no one buys. But don't underestimate the value of a great brand statement.
One of my favorite products at Warby Parker also happens to be our worst-selling item: the monocle. When we launched in 2010, our debut collection featured 27 pairs of eyeglasses and one monocle--a handsome tortoiseshell model named after Colonel Mustard. Despite dismal sales and growth prospects that roughly equal zero, the monocle has remained in rotation ever since. My wife Rachel even waged a bet with my co-founder Jeff that we'd never sell out of our first order.
Her skepticism made sense. On its face, a monocle is a strange item for a 21st-century company to sell. It seems like the equivalent of Apple unveiling an iTypewriter or Schwinn manufacturing a penny-farthing bicycle (the kind with the gigantic front wheel). Or SanDisk rolling out a line of floppy disks. In general, obsolete technology is obsolete for a reason. Monocles are no exception.
But that's exactly why I love it. Nobody expects to stumble across a monocle while shopping in 2013. We have a showroom right inside our office headquarters in New York, and one of my favorite things to do is catch sight of customers discovering the monocle. A familiar behavioral arc follows: it starts with a "What the hell?" expression, proceeds to a smile, and usually ends with trying on the monocle, forcing various companions to try on the monocle, imitating a historical figure, and/or snapping a picture.
The truth is that the monocle creates a sense of surprise in customers while maintaining an intuitive connection to our core products--which is an important distinction to make. It's not a random gimmick. We could sell fly-fishing rods or bean bags and provoke an equally surprised response, but it would also be a mystified response. The goal is to surprise customers, not confuse them.
The monocle is also a succinct and quirky way to represent what Warby Parker stands for--in other words, a brand piece. It's unexpected, it starts conversations, and it's fun to share. (Where else can you buy a monocle?) And because it lives entirely outside any remotely relevant trend cycle, it's also, in its own peculiar way, sort of timeless. A handful of chefs have even told me that they use the monocle in their restaurant kitchens to read recipes; it's easy to store in a pocket and doesn't fog up as easily as glasses. I think of it as our own version of the stick of gum that used to come in packs of baseball cards--a small gesture that sets the brand apart.
My wife still owes Jeff ten dollars.

4 Smart Ways to Keep Things Cool When Tempers Flare

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:30:51 +0000

A new study says: As temperatures rise, so will arguments. Here, Inc. columnists give you their suggestions for keeping your cool in business.
Rising heat and extreme rainfall, both related to climate change, will also make people emotionally heated and more likely to get into fights. At least, that's the takeaway from an extensive new study from U.C. Berkeley. Three respected researchers studied the historical correlation between extreme weather and interpersonal conflict. They claim that their results point to large increases in anger, violence and unrest likely to come over the next 50 years.
I suppose it's possible that, when people are uncomfortable with their physical environment, they are likely to show it in anger and frustration, especially when the cause is totally out of their control. If nothing else, the prospect of tumult is a great excuse to start making your office a happier place to work. So ramp up the pleasantries and the air conditioner before conflicts occur. Make plans for more social activity where people can lighten up and laugh a little. That way you'll keep things cool and good-humored in any kind of weather.
And here's more cool-headed advice from my expert colleagues:
1. Plan Ahead
Anyone who's been in or near New York City for the past few months is familiar with the mood-altering effects of extreme heat interspersed with torrential rain. Be aware of this dynamic and address workplace conflicts early, before they escalate. But there's a much darker side to this: a warming Earth can mean disruptions from power outages, severe storms and global unrest. What would you do if electricity, Internet, phone lines, key personnel or key supplies were temporarily unavailable? Companies that have thought out the answers ahead of time will do better than those that haven't. Minda Zetlin--Start Me Up
Want to read more from Minda? Click here.
2. Build Bridges Before Troubled Waters Flow
It's not in the easy conversations that your company is truly tested--it's in how you handle conflict. Dealing with inevitable conflict is one of the most important skills you can develop as a leader and nurture in your company culture. Start by reminding everyone involved that you have the same goal: the very best outcome. Doing so unites all parties and diffuses the tension that can build up when people feel they aren't being heard. Use this common ground as a way to move the conversation forward productively. Eric Holtzclaw--Lean Forward
Want to read more from Eric? Click here
3. Promote Health and Serenity
Frankly, this whole theory pushes my hot button. Researchers can link violence to just about anything if they look hard enough. Why waste valuable resources to predict tragedy and upheaval instead of focusing on the evolution of technology and the human mind? Whatever the future brings, mankind will manage to thrive. Added dimensions of corporate social responsibility will help. Empower employees with programs that promote a healthy and peaceful environment. Teach advanced communication skills, educate on diversity and bulk up the benefits package to offer tools that improve stress levels and brain function, like meditation and life coaching. Marla Tabaka--The Successful Soloist
Want to read more from Marla? Click here.
4. Gratitude Is the Perfect Remedy
When you're feeling angry or upset, drop everything and handwrite a thank-you note. You'll instantly feel better, as it's physiologically impossible to experience both anger and gratitude at once. You can even institute a thank-you note writing program at the office, as Likeable did last summer. We went from feeling heated to feeling appreciative and appreciated--and so can you. Dave Kerpen--Likeable Leadership
Want to read more from Dave? Click here.
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Let the Crowd Build Your Company

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Hiring a full-time employee is tricky. Lucky for you, there is power in the crowd.
One day, I was on stage giving a speech, when I spotted a young woman in the back of the room with only one leg and a pair of crutches. As I was speaking, she got up to get a glass of water and fell. I was horrified.
After my talk, I went into the audience to find her. It turns out she had lost her leg in a terrible auto accident and couldn't afford a prosthetic. As a result, she fell a lot, and as a single mother she struggled even more.
What immediately came to mind was crowdfunding. Can the community come together to solve a problem? Of course it can, so I turned to a start-up called GiveForward.com, for which I am an advisor. GiveForward uses crowdfunding to raise money for medical expenses so people can afford their medical care. Today she is walking and holding her child.
An Untapped Resource
There's lot of talk these days about crowdfunding and crowdsourcing applications. The most visible discussion centers on using the Internet to fund start-ups and other ideas such as independent films. But for all the chatter, many small business owners aren't thinking broadly enough about how to tap into this amazing resource.
Before you think about hiring your next full time employee, consider the crowd. Are there people who could solve a problem for you, for less? That's the beauty of crowdsourcing. You can farm out your work to people all over the world, and often only pay the one whose work you like best. At times you can pay on a per project basis, rather than taking someone on board full-time.
But that isn't all crowdsourcing can do. If you need software developed, rather than hire a full-time programmer, consider tapping the community for development work. Companies such as TopCoder have nearly 500,000 developers in the network worldwide, or ODesk, a global micro-tasking community of web developers, software designers, translators, and so on, are both good bets.
If you need graphic design work or customized website or logo design, check out sites like 99 Designs, a marketplace where creative submit logos, graphic designs, website design, and more; and CrowdSpring, which is similar to 99 Designs but has over 100,000 designers in more than 200 countries.
When I was CEO of uBid.com and RedTag.com, we used CrowdSpring to get logo ideas from all over the world and discovered incredible talent at a fraction of our budget. You may still choose a traditional design agency for your marketing needs, but check out crowdsourcing as an alternative.
There are companies who can outsource content development for online brands, such as CrowdSource.com, which has over 500,000 workers who create, manage, and moderate content remotely; and companies who can crowdsource your entire product development process, such as Quirky, an outsourced community of product designers who use the crowd's opinion to refine your new product designs.
Make a list of what you need to do to grow your company successfully. Separate the tasks into categories like Design, Development, Content Creation, Marketing, etc., then go out and search for crowdsourcing companies in every one of those categories.
You'll be amazed at what the crowd can do for you.

How a 15,000-Mile Road Trip Inspired This Cool Radio App

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:01:00 +0000

A fourth-time entrepreneur set out on the road--and came back with a plan to supplant the satellite radio industry. Here's why he might succeed.
In 2011, J.D. Heilprin, a serial entrepreneur, had just sold his third company--Modern Feed, a Web TV surfing tool--and set out looking for inspiration. Literally.
He got in his car, which he now refers to as his "test lab," and drove nearly 15,000 miles across the United States. He started in California, spent time in Texas, stopped off in New Orleans, drove to New York--and then all the way back to California. Naturally, he spent a lot of time fumbling around with the radio, searching for programs he wanted to listen to--when the idea struck him.
"I recognized that existing, traditional platforms were dinosaurs," he says. "They were linear, not targeted, and they had horrible advertising." He decided to create a solution.
The Idea
Back in San Francisco, Heilprin assembled a team of about 15 engineers, raised north of $1 million in seed funding, and began working on what would eventually become AGOGO, a free iOS app--which launches today--that curates some of the best audio podcasts on the Web into an elegant, simple, personalized app.
AGOGO is an example of smart editorial curation--there are literally thousands of hours of free, existing audio programming on the Web, but few portals exist to help users find or discover them. The way AGOGO works is simple: you choose from one of several categories--be it finance, news, arts, food, or politics--and AGOGO serves up the most relevant, recent, and interesting audio files on the Web. It's all personalized so that the content you're most interested in is always queued up and ready to go whenever you open the app.
At the same time, it also integrates premium and paid music services like Spotify and Rdio, allowing you to toggle between news programs and music. AGOGO is also launching a dashboard for the Web--similar to Spotify or Pandora--that allows you to listen in from a desktop or laptop. Plus, everything syncs.
For Heilprin, building AGOGO was a somewhat natural progression from his previous business, Modern Feed, which launched as Clicker.com. That start-up--which was acquired by CBS--let users browse different Web TV shows, videos, and save other content into one single playlist. In that sense, both AGOGO and Clicker.com are based on a very similar concept: there's lots of good stuff out there on the Web, but finding it, saving it, and consuming it when you have some spare time can be tricky.
The Business Model
Since AGOGO doesn't create any of its own content, you might think publishers would be turned off by it. After all, it allows users to consume its media without ever having to interact with the publisher's own brand. But Heilprin insists that publishers have responded kindly to the app so far--especially because it doesn't actually interfere with their own revenue streams.
"We started out really early showing the prototype to publishers," Heilprin says. "The response was uniform. It gets people to their programming. We don't touch their advertising. Publishers loved it."
In the short-term, AGOGO won't be generating any revenue--the app is free and there are no ads beyond any ads included in a publisher's original broadcast. But once the app has hit a certain level of scale and attracted enough users, Heilprin believes the service would be an attractive vehicle for brands and advertisers interested in hyper-targeted ads. After all, you could probably tell a lot about a person based on which programs they choose to listen to.
The Goal
Ultimately, Heilprin believes AGOGO can one day supplant satellite radio as the premier destination for all-things-audio.
"Twenty-five million people pay for satellite radio," says. "The market is tremendous. With AGOGO, the idea is to make it one touch, but it’s also about making the journey to discover new stories."

Hiring? Don't Underestimate the Specialists

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 15:00:35 +0000

New research shows basketball coaches--and managers--have a bias for generalists to the detriment of their teams.
People, according to the philosopher Isaiah Berlin’s famous essay, can be divided into either foxes, who know many things, and hedgehogs, who know one big thing.
Ever since, thinkers have been arguing over the relevant value of the two approaches, but whatever the state of the debate among philosophers, it appears that here in more immediately practical realms the question has already been functionally decided -- coaches and managers, new research, reveals, favor foxes and undervalue hedgehogs.
The finding comes out of the Kellogg School where a basketball-obsessed doctoral student Long Wang noticed that three-point shot experts, while immensely valuable in changing the dynamics of the game and the success of their teams, were generally relatively uncelebrated. Were coaches giving these specialists their due, he wondered?
Together with his advisor he designed a series of the studies to look into whether specialists’ impact exceeds their esteem among coaches and fans. What did he find? “On average, the three-point specialists’ salaries are tied not to their three-point shooting, but to their two-point shooting--even though their three-point shooting has the bigger impact on their team’s performance. In other words, these specialists, unlike their generalist teammates, are not compensated based on the actual role they play in their teams’ success,” Kellogg insight explains.
NBA fans given a fantasy basketball type challenge where they were asked to choose players for an imaginary team also preferred generalists over specialists, even when they were explicitly told the team needed the services of a three-point shooter. All of which is of great interest to basketball coaches and fans, but it turns out the findings are equally relevant to business owners. Further studies showed this pro-generalist bias isn’t confined to sports.
What This Means to You
"It is a tendency that extends to the workplace as well," Kellogg Insight reports. "In another study... participants posing as hiring managers overlooked the specialist better equipped to fill the job at hand in favor of a generalist with more overall experience." A further study showed job ads that asked for specialists actually also demanded applicants have skills in more than one domain more than a third of the time, again demonstrating our hesitancy to embrace the true specialist.
So what’s the cure for all this hedgehog hate?
Hiring managers preference for foxes is rooted in their tendency to be foxes themselves and the natural impulse to compare specialists with generalists side by side, which often results in what looks like a long-list of deficits for the hedgehog even though their one standout skill may be exactly what the team needs.
The solution, according to the research team, is to try and think of yourself as a conductor, bringing together a group of players with varied skill sets to make a harmonious whole much the way an orchestra is a blended group of specialists.
What else helps? “Try to keep the comparisons between generalists and specialists to a minimum,” advises Kellogg Insight. “The generalist bias can be reduced when participants are encouraged to judge specialists on their own terms, as opposed to comparing them to generalists.”
Check out the complete article for a deep dive into the research.
Look around your office. How many true specialists do you see? Should their be more?

Why Innovation Requires Salespeople

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:50:22 +0000

Innovation dies on the vine unless somebody make a human-to-human connection.
Last week's New Yorker magazine includes an article by Atul Gawande describing how innovation spreads. While we are accustomed to think of technology as "changing the world," those changes only take place because of, well, salespeople.
As Gawande explains:
"In the era of the iPhone, Facebook, and Twitter...we want frictionless, "turnkey" solutions to the major difficulties of the world--hunger, disease, poverty. We prefer instructional videos to teachers, drones to troops, incentives to institutions."
This concept that technology changes the world is fundamentally flawed, however.
"People follow the lead of other people they know and trust when they decide whether to take it up. Every change takes effort, and the decision to make that effort is a social process." (Emphasis mine.)
In other words, innovation spreads from person-to-person, even when people are made aware of that innovation through mass media. That's why advertising a crummy product is always a waste of money.
Think about it! The iPhone became popular not because Steve Jobs said it was insanely great (he said the same thing about Apple TV, after all) but because early adopters recommended it to their friends, who recommended to their friends, and so forth.
Which leads us to salespeople.
While some innovations may go viral (i.e. spreading from person to person), most innovations require a salesperson to help customers go through the often-difficult process of changing how they behave.
Gawande points out that this kind of handholding requires building a relationship first, and only then, after there's a relationship, are customers willing to consider changing they way they do things.
Gawande tells the story of asking a pharmaceutical sales rep "how he persuaded doctors--who are notoriously stubborn--to adopt a new medicine." The rep told him that "Evidence is not remotely enough...however strong a case you may have."
This, incidentally, is why the entire "relationship selling is dead so wow the customer with your brilliant insights" concept (see "The Challenger Sale") is so ridiculously inept. Truth: if you can't build a relationship, you won't sell anything to anybody.
Gawande's pharmaceutical rep was a believer in the old sales theory of "the rule of seven touches," where you have to "touch" the customer seven times, so that they know you, might trust you, and trusting you, might try (or buy) something different...from you.
So there you have it. It's people who make innovation spread, not technology. And with the exception of very simple offerings (like smartphones), it's not just people...it's the salespeople who change the world.
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How Much Will You Walk Away With?

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:45:01 +0000

By the time most entrepreneurs think about so-called founder economics, it's much too late.
Writing as The Deal Professor for The New York Times, Steven Davidoff has been examining the many cases in which a venture backed company is “successfully” sold, yet the entrepreneurs who built it receive very little. The headline-grabbing case, three months ago, was the sale of Bloodhound Technologies. The five members of the founding team, all of whom had left the company in 2000, received a total of $36,000 on a $82.5 million sale. One founder actually received a check for $99. Most venture-backed exits don’t receive that amount of attention, yet there’s suspicion that many are similarly disadvantageous to founders. After years as founders, angel investors, venture capitalists, and even participants in shareholder lawsuits, my partner and I can say with certainty that the time to address so-called founder economics--that’s how much you, the founder, are going to get when you leave your company--is when the first money is raised. Founder economics need to be addressed again at every subsequent round of funding. If you wait until the exit or liquidation is upon you, you’ll have very little leverage. Re-negotiating the capital structure during each round of financing helps to avoid an ever-increasing stack of liquidation preferences, cumulative dividends and other preferred terms. And it enables the entrepreneurial team to benefit from the increase in shareholder value that they’ve created. Yes, venture capital is governed by the golden rule: If you have the gold, you make the rules. But there are still plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurial teams to negotiate, protect and strengthen their stakes. The best situation is the one is which you and your team have clearly created economic value for your shareholders. Generally, this means you’re raising money at a higher valuation than your last round (an “up round”) and that valuation is confirmed by qualified outside investors. In this situation, you want your team to be moving forward on terms that are roughly equal to those of your existing investors. To do that, you’ve probably got to eliminate or water down many of the provisions of the preferred stock. One way to do this without sending your investors into a fit is called tapering. As your company hits various milestones - raises more money, reaches a particular valuation, or achieves operational or revenue goals - the features of the preferred stock are gradually and automatically phased out. This makes a potential renegotiation of deal terms easier for venture capitalists to accept. If you’re in the unfortunate situation of raising a down round, you can expect that your stake, and those of the other shareholders, is going to be diluted dramatically. In this case, the company may very well be distressed, and looking for an acquirer. But you and your team may still have some leverage. The investors want the highest price for the company. You and your management team may not have much incentive to go after that higher price, because between dilution and any liquidation preferences, a higher price will barely affect you. So in many cases, the board of directors will agree to a carve-out of the sale proceeds (above an agreed-upon target amount) for the founding team or for senior management. They want the highest price for your company, and they may not be able to get it without you.

Take a Summer Vacation Yet? Here's Why You Must

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:15:00 +0000

And we're not just talking about a Friday here and there. There's no substitute for disconnecting from work for a solid chunk of time.
It seems like every account of a successful start-up features the same description: working endless hours. Weekends! Late nights! Leaving the entrepreneur's family, not to mention his or her health, neglected. Never taking any time off.
You could easily come to believe this is the best way to run a start-up. It's not. Taking vacations is not only essential for your health, but also for the health of your relationships. Your business needs you to do it as well. There's ample evidence to show that you'll work better, smarter, more productively, and more creatively if you make sure to take a break on a regular basis, says Dale Carnegie CEO Peter Handal.
"The question shouldn't be whether you'll take a vacation, but how and when," he says. "From a business owner's point of view, it should be something you consider important, just as it's important to achieve your top-line goals."
And, he advises:
1. Take time off at least once a year.
Can't find a good time to get out of the office? How about the week between Christmas and New Year's? "For a retail business, the week between Christmas and New Year's can be really busy, but for many other types of businesses, it's an ideal time," Handal says.
2. Take a whole week--at least.
"At Dale Carnegie, we frown on people taking X amount of Fridays off," he says. "That's not the same as a full solid period of time when they're totally relaxing and getting away from work."
3. Try not to check your email.
"Vacations turn into a horror show when I don't put an out-of-office message out, and I'm constantly checking things and calling the office," Handal says. "The best way is to really try to disconnect."
Admittedly, if you're the owner and there's a crisis in the office or a big transaction you need to see completed, it may not be possible to completely turn your work life off. "But that's not the best way to have a vacation," he says.
4. Spend the time doing something you love.
OK, so what is the best way to have a vacation? The answer is different for everyone, Handal says. "Each person is different. My wife's idea of an ideal vacation is reading some great books she has loaded on her iPad. My ideal vacation is hiking or running. Some people like to be by the beach." Whatever you do, make sure to immerse yourself in something you consider enjoyable, he says.
5. Make sure your employees take time off too.
Just like you, your staff will be more productive if you make sure they all take time off. At Dale Carnegie, Handal says, vacation time can't be carried from one year to the next for just this reason.
Dale Carnegie research shows clearly that the more engaged employees are, the more productive and creative they are, he says. And that employees who take vacations have greater engagement. "Machines can run 24 hours a day, but people aren't like that," he says. "They really need to have time off--and it's not optional in terms of how efficient they can be."

What's Your Sustainability Tolerance?

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 14:00:00 +0000

A California company asked its workers this question and their answer prompted a green investment that's paying both financial and cultural dividends.
Sure, you could call them hippies. The 120 bakers, buyers, and executives who run Alvarado Street Bakery -- one of an estimated 300 worker cooperatives in the U.S.--are proud stewards of the environment. For 34 years, the bakery has produced organic whole grain breads using methods that practically scream "green."
But the greenest of Alvarado folks, when considering sustainability initiatives, understood that even the most earth-friendly strategy would fail if it drained company coffers. That's why the co-op's early interest in solar-energy projects went nowhere, explains CEO Joseph Tuck. Solar power was "neither affordable nor cost effective" even 10 years ago.
"Our commitment to sustainability and not exploiting workers or the environment is our mission, so it was not a hard leap for us to investigate solar again," Tuck tells The Build Network. "The question was really how much we, as workers, would be willing to sacrifice--in terms of our wages--to implement solar. We were willing to sacrifice to a point; it was a question of our limit."
After a series of meetings, conversations, and straw votes, Tuck determined that employees were willing to forgo roughly $1,000 per year in compensation to make solar panels a reality. ("In our system, costs impact compensation directly, as the workers are the owners," he explains.) If the company could stay within employees' financial comfort zone while demonstrating its commitment to sustainable energy, it would score big cultural--and environmental--gains.
With that in mind, the co-op conducted an ROI study and subsequently voted to use cash (and a 30 percent government subsidy) to finance the $1.8 million installation of 1,722 solar roof panels in 2010. Today, 40 percent of the company's energy--some 2,000 kilowatt hours a day--comes from this clean, renewable source.
What's more, the solar initiative puts $200 a year in each worker's pocket. "Future savings now depend on how fast energy prices rise in relationship to inflation," Tuck says.
As if that weren't motivating enough, the company also keeps a running tally of its CO2 impact online: It would take 33,631 mature trees one year to reduce the total amount of C02 avoided. The total amount of C02 avoided is equal to 5,710,590 miles driven in a family sedan. The total amount of energy generated would power 1,311 houses for one month.
Though less quantifiable, the cultural and marketing impact cannot be ignored. "This makes all of us feel that much better about being part of the business," Tuck says. "Plus, 'bread baked by the sun' has a really nice ring to it."
Related articles
4 Sustainability Strategies That Bolster Your Bottom Line
Why CFOs Need to Care About Sustainability
What If Sustainability Was Less Obligation, More Competitive Advantage?

What's Happening With Tech Start-up M&As in 2013

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:40:00 +0000

The M&A market continues its recovery from the slowdown during the Great Recession--but that's not the whole story.
An entrepreneur always has to keep an eye on potential exit strategies. They help you understand greater industry strategies, gain competitive intelligence, and better undertake strategic planning.
According to M&A analyst firm Mergermarket, deals in technology, media, and telecommunications, which it calls TMT, are well up year over year. The year seems to have gotten off to a resoundingly good start. TMT deals during the period from January 1 through July 29--so just over half a year--amounted to $232.5 billion globally, representing nearly 22 percent of all M&A deals. That was up from 13 percent of deals in the same period of 2012. The first half of the year, so through June 30, the total was $166.2 billion. It's the largest first half since 2008, which you could also see as good news.
The Bad News
Now for some major caveats. There have been a couple of huge deals that had an outsized influence on the results. For example, the first half of the year includes the announced and troubled intention for Dell to go private in an originally planned $24.4 billion buyout, which has since gone grown to about $25 billion. For some reason, Mergermarket valued the deal at $20.2 billion. ) Take out Liberty Media's acquisition of Virgin Media early in the year and the total loses another $16 billion out.
Similarly, looking at deals through July includes the announced enormous merger between ad agencies Omnicom Group and Publicis Groupe, valued at around $35 billion. Remove that from the 7-month total and things look less impressive.
It's not that large deals don't count. Far from it. But removing the outliers gives you a better sense of what is happening in the bulk of M&A. The number of deals in the U.S. so far is 358, down from 467 deals in the same period of 2012, though the amount of money involved nearly doubled. When you compare the number of deals in the U.S. since 2004 and remember that 2013 is far from over, it looks as though M&A activity continues to move out of the 2009/2010 slump it saw during the major recession, as the Megamerger graph shows below.
According to the firm, tech companies were the most frequently targeted, as there were 687 deals in that sector. But deal values so far are down 2.4 percent and volume is down more than 23 percent. So even with the number of acquisitions that Apple, Google, and Yahoo have been cranking out this year, shopping the company might be more difficult.

Lead With Enthusiasm: 4 Tips

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 13:13:27 +0000

Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful motivational tools in a business leader's arsenal. Indulge.
One of my fondest childhood memories is from my first year in tee ball.
For those of you not familiar with it, tee ball is often the very first baseball league for young players. Instead of having a ball pitched to them, hitters stand and try to hit a ball that sits upon a tee. Often, a player will swing ungracefully several times before making solid contact with the ball ... at which time all hell breaks loose as every member of the defensive team madly rushes to snare the ball in play. Imagine throwing a piece of meat into a cage with nine hungry feral cats.
While I remember very little from my time in tee ball, I remember one particular play quite vividly. It came in the middle of a game as I was playing somewhere in right field. A batter from the opposing team hit the ball from the tee, in the air, directly toward me. I vaguely remember seeing the ball being hit, and I am fairly certain I made no attempt to move in any direction. I simply held up my oversized glove, closed my eyes tight ... and caught the ball.
In tee ball, catching a fly ball is akin to parting the sea.
Of course, at the time, I could not have told you the implications of that catch or how improbable it was. What made the play memorable was the reaction of our coach, Coach Kelly. Coach Kelly charged out of the dugout, ran across the field toward me with arms outstretched and a huge smile, lifted me up in the air ... and hugged me.
At that moment, I knew exactly how important that catch was.
That play, and my entire first year in baseball, could have slipped away into the cloudy abyss of my childhood memories forever had it not been for that demonstration of enthusiasm by Coach Kelly. From that moment on, I was hooked on the game of baseball.
Clearly, enthusiasm is valuable in more than organized sports. Business leaders can and should leverage enthusiasm to motivate teams and entire organizations to overcome challenges and reach improbable goals. Used improperly, however, enthusiasm can become a detriment. Here are four tips to channel your inner Coach Kelly.
Be authentic. Fake enthusiasm stinks like a politician's stump speech, and your team will see right through your artificiality. Be true to the cause and to yourself. Of course, some individuals are simply not as excitable as others, but that is what makes demonstrations of enthusiasm so powerful and awesome. If you aren't particularly demonstrative, try giving in to the inclination to get excited about a project or task at work, and then sit back and watch how contagious it can be.
Be spontaneous. Your team will learn to tune out your enthusiasm if you run through the office high-fiving people every day. Learn to keep your enthusiasm in check and know the best times to really let lose. Sometimes, a random "attaboy" or a morning donut run will be the spark that gets a team excited for the rest of the week.
Be unconventional. Enthusiasm is about making an impression. Learn to be enthusiastic in new ways. Throw an office party, organize a team-building event, bring a karaoke machine (and sing) for an impromptu staff meeting. Like many other things, enthusiasm is best in moderation, so do not get so carried away that you end up losing face in the process.
Be unselfish The focus of your enthusiasm should be on others. A good leader is great at impressing upon a team the importance of a task and making team members feel important and valuable. An enthusiastic leader is good at showing it.
I remember very little from my childhood. But Coach Kelly, sprinting from the dugout and hugging me in the outfield after that catch, still lingers in my psyche. That single play got me so excited about the game of baseball that I played throughout my youth and accumulated an ungodly amount of collectable baseball cards (arguably not a benefit). While my inability to hit a curveball and the allure of college life eventually led to my "retirement," I continued in the sport by coaching little league baseball myself. In coaching, as in business, when I need to lead a team, I often look back at "the catch" for inspiration. And I channel the enthusiasm of my inner Coach Kelly.
Have a story about someone who inspired you personally or professional through their enthusiastic personality? Please share below!

Five Dumb Things Investors Want You To Stop Doing

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:57:34 +0000

Any of these mistakes will kill a deal. And they're easy to avoid.
According to the Kauffman Foundation, women-founded businesses account for four to nine percent of venture capital investments. Guys get the rest.
The gender gap is startling, but there’s actually quite a lot we can do about it. I sat in on Jeanne Sullivan’s “How to the Wallets Out of Investor’s Pockets” salon discussion at this year’s We Own It Summit in London. Sullivan is a founder and partner at StarVest Partners and serves on the Astia Board of Trustees with me. She also chairs Astia’s NYC Advisory Board.
Sullivan gives some of the best pragmatic, life-changing advice of any business expert out there, so I was expecting big things. She and her panelists, Sam Horn, President of The Intrigue Agency, and Adam Quinton, Founder and CEO of Lucas Point Ventures, a Founding Astia Angel, and Astia Global Advisory Board Member, did not disappoint.
All pumped up from the session, I asked Sullivan what an entrepreneur would need to in order for her to take her own wallet out of her pocketbook. Sullivan replied, “Start by avoiding the top five dumb mistakes I see way too often.” Whether you are just beginning your fundraising marathon or you are in the midst, use these five mistakes as your personal checklist.
Mistake #1: Your answer to a financial question is a blank stare
Understanding and living by the financials of business are not a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. If hearing this makes you want to run for the hills, don’t worry. Sullivan truly believes that anyone can learn this stuff. Until you are financially fluent, meaning that you have sharpened your thinking, analysis and ability to articulate the numbers, have someone at your side to support the financial discussion. Remember, you are asking people to invest a lot of money. They have to feel confident that their bet has a shot of paying off.
Mistake #2: No prior thinking or articulation about your go-to-market strategy
While it’s great that your product or service is wonderful and everyone needs it, you have to articulate how you are going to get your offering into the hands of customers. Sullivan says, “Start with how your offering fits into the marketplace to set the stage for your go-to-market strategy.” Don’t stop there. Have definitive metrics on-hand about your customer acquisition and top-line growth goals, and what channel strategies you will use to get there.
Mistake #3: You're blinded by product love
“’Let me show you a demo’ is the marker that a CEO is in love with the product and not with the business of the business,” says Sullivan. An investor is putting money into you and your business. Whereas a customer cares about how your product or service makes his or her life better, an investor is looking at you and deciding if YOU are the next big thing. Can you lead the company to outperform the competition in all aspects of the business? The product is only one part of that investment consideration.
Stupid Mistake #4: You packed everything including the kitchen sink into presentation, but you forgot about the packaging.
A “lack of ability to package the product or service” creates all sorts of red flags for an investor. A great pitch includes a short description of your offering’s unfair competitive advantage. “Include your plans for hiring the team and describe the next steps to execute that will enable you to achieve revenue traction,” says Sullivan.
Stupid Mistake #5: Your only assets are a team, a dream, a PowerPoint and a dog
It’s your job to find the right investor for your business. Hone in on angels or VCs that are interested in your industry, your stage of development, and your geographic location. “Often an entrepreneur approaches the wrong investor at a time that is far earlier than appropriate,” says Sullivan. It’s up to you, the CEO, to build the right team of investors and to bring the right technical and business leaders and team at the right time, keep a clear focus on the target market, perfect your business model, and constantly monitor your product pricing and revenue streams. Sullivan urges CEOs to “find a great technical co-founder early in the process. Do not foot-fault on that choice.”

Sullivan believes that a great CEO “knows what to do and how to do it.” That always means that you don’t go it alone. Sullivan’s parting words, “Orville Wright did NOT have a pilot's license! Surround yourself with an advisory board that can help you take flight.”

6 Entrepreneurs Who Purchased a Paper

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 20:00:13 +0000

Jeff Bezos wasn't the first mogul to buy a print paper. Here's a look at five other magnates who did the same thing.
Yesterday, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, bought The Washington Post Co. from the Graham family -- who owned the paper for 80 years -- for $250 million in cash. He isn't first entrepreneur to pull such a move. Bezos, who is worth of $25.2 billion, is only of many. Here's a look at the entprereneurs in his company:
John Henry, The Boston Globe
Just days before Bezos purchased The Post, John Henry bought The Boston Globe from The New York Times Co. for a cool $70 million. Henry, who's worth $1.5 billion, is also the proud owner of the New England Sports Network, a NASCAR racing team, and a Liverpool soccer club. (Image: Getty)
Warren Buffett, The Press of Atlantic City
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought The Press of Atlantic City from Abarta, a Pittsburg-based, family-owned holding company, for an undisclosed amount in July. Buying The Press wasn't anything new for Berkshire, which has 31 dailies to its name. In fact, Buffett admits his strategy is to gobble up as many community newspapers as he can because they generate profits through ads and the classifieds. Though Buffett told CNBC that he doesn't expect the dailies to "move the needle" at Berkshire, he believes they can bring an annual return of 10 percent. (Image: Wikimedia)
Carlos Slim, The New York Times Co.
Helú was once the richest man in the world with $53.5 billion to his name. In 2009, he bought a 7 percent stake in The New York Times Co. for $250 million. Two years later, he bought additional shares, bringing his ownership stake to just over 7 percent. Slim and his family hold a warrant to buy nearly 16 million shares, but they must do so before 2015. (Image: itupictures / Flickr.com)
Sam Zell, The Tribune Co.
Zell purchased The Tribune Co. back in 2007 for $8.2 billion, but things didn't go so well. Its eight newspapers, including The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, as well as 23 local television stations, were hampered by debt and massive cuts to ad revenue. Zell thought he could turn things around by taking the company private and selling off pieces to turn a profit. But months after the deal, the Great Recession hit, and less than a year later, Tribune Co. filed for Chapter 11. Soon it was the biggest bankruptcy case in the American media industry, with $13 billion in debt. Before leaving the company to senior debt holders in 2010, Zell told The Wall Street Journal: "What precipitated the filing was a huge erosion in revenue and a total lack of visibility going forward. That's a tsunami you can't swim up against." (Image: AP)
Alan Smolinisky, the Palisadian-Post
Alan Smolinisky, 33, fulfilled his life-long dream of owning a newspaper in 2012 when he purchased his local Californian weekly, the Palisadian-Post. Smolinisky, who grew up in the Pacific Palisades, said he hasn't caught on to the web, never used social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and reads five papers cover to cover every morning. Buying the paper wasn't a power move so much as a personal one, told The L.A. Times: "I have a moral obligation to make sure this newspaper arrives every Thursday for as long as I live." (Image: LA Times)
Brian Tierney, The Philadelphia Enquirer
Brian Tierney, a former PR mogul known to fight with reporters, formed Philadelphia Media Holdings with investors. He bought The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com for $515 million in 2006. Shortly after the deal, he became publisher of The Inquirer. After seeing a 10 percent decline in ad revenue and accumulating debt worth $350 million, Philadelphia Media Holdings went bankrupt in 2010. (Image: hyku / Flickr.com)

2 Things That Make for a Promising Business Strategy [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 19:52:09 +0000

The recently returned CEO of Procter & Gamble describes how to effectively bring creative ideas to market.

'Follow the Money' and Other Lessons From Jeff Bezos

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Sixteen years ago, Jeff Bezos told Inc. magazine why brands matter. Here's what that interview (and a few other sources) tell us about his plans for The Washington Post.
My first reaction to the news that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had bought The Washington Post was stunned silence. My second reaction was laughter after reading a tweet about what Bezos's personal Amazon page might be telling him today.
Overall, however, my reaction is one of optimism. I have a deep affinity for The Post. I was inspired as a middle schooler to get into journalism after reading a dog-eared copy of All the President's Men, and much later, I had the great experience of working with Bob Woodward and reporting for the paper from Iraq.
After thinking it through, here are five big takeaways on leadership from Jeff Bezos's decision to shell out $250 million for one of the country's most important news organizations.
Brands matter.
In 1997, Bezos told Inc. magazine that he wasn't particularly concerned someone else might copy his idea for Amazon.com, in part because of his head start in building a brand.
"There's nothing about our model that can't be copied over time. But you know, McDonald's got copied. And it still built a huge, multibillion-dollar company. A lot of it comes down to the brand name. Brand names are more important online than they are in the physical world."
Sixteen years later, Amazon is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet.
For $250 million, Bezos could have created a heck of a news organization from scratch (and one that would not start out with decades of pensions payments, brick-and-mortar buildings, and the like). And yet he chose The Post. There might be many other reasons as well, but one of them has to the paper's reputation and history -- in other words, its brand.
You Can't Go It Alone.
The story of howThe Post broke Watergate is an excellent example of entrepreneurship, despite having little to do with building a business. If you read the history, it's clear that not one of the major players at the paper -- for example, then-publisher Katharine Graham, then-editor Ben Bradlee, and then-reporters Woodward and Carl Bernstein -- could have accomplished much without the others.
The same is true today. No true news organization can do much without great people. Based on Bezos's first communication withThe Post's staff, he gets that. His introductory remarks, in the form of an open memo, hit notes of "believable optimism," as the media blog Poynter.org put it:
"Bezos promises to honor the values of the Washington Post, to own up to mistakes, to 'slow down' in order to get it right, to be courageous in the pursuit of truth ...
"He does not say everyone will keep their jobs. But then, no one has promised that at The Post for a long time. What Bezos demonstrates is that an empty promise of continued employment does not create optimism--but a genuine promise to commit to important journalism can."
You Must Do It Alone.
That said, there's a good reason why most journalists seem to be optimistic about this development, and it's not the strength of a memo. It's the fact that Bezos has a track record of identifying game-changing ideas, and then making them actually happen.
In our book, Breakthrough Entrepreneurship, my co-author Jon Burgstone and I examined why the best leaders of innovative organizations act differently from most leaders of more established organizations. In short, innovation generally requires a kind of enlightened despotism:
"As an assertive-leader entrepreneur, you need to [be] obsessive when it comes to your vision, your focus, and your drive. You need to need to work long hours and get everyone to fall in line and support you. You often have to be determined to the point of obstinacy. You don't have time for lots of meetings and hand-wringing."
It seems to me that The Post, a 146-year-old newspaper, craves that kind of leadership. We'll find out how it's going to work, but for now, it's getting an owner who falls squarely in the innovative organizations-leader category.
Think Long-Term.
Twenty years is a long time in any business, but especially in journalism. Consider for example, that The New York Times paid $1.1 billion for The Boston Globe in 1993, and 20 years later -- last week -- announced its sale for just $70 million.
Well, just last year, Bezos made this prediction about what the newspaper industry will look like in two decades:
"There is one thing I'm certain about: there won't be printed newspapers in twenty years. Maybe as luxury items in some hotels that want to offer them as an extravagant service. Printed papers won't be normal in twenty years."
(Hat tip to TechCrunch, which found and translated the quote from a German newspaper.)
Does anyone have a sense really of what the news business will look like in 2033? I don't know the answer, but I do know that in Bezos, The Post will have an owner with a deserved reputation for thinking long-term. Find me another newspaper owner who is interested in investing in space flight--or building a 10,000-year clock.
Follow the Money
The worst-kept secret about the news business (I mean real news, not entertainment disguised as news), is that it's never been a great business. There's a reason why most of the great newspapers in American have been run not by big media companies but by wealthy families.
While the $250 million Bezos is paying is not exactly chump change, it amounts to less than 1 percent of his total fortune. So, the Graham family's hope may be that instead of seeing The Post as an entity that always has to turn a financial profit, Bezos might want to use it so that his wealth can pay dividends in other ways.
During The Post's Watergate investigation, Woodward's secret source, FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt (known for decades as "Deep Throat") supposedly gave the young reporter some cryptic advice: "Follow the money." In choosing to sell to Bezos, the Graham family did exactly that.

3 Things That Could Make or Break Bezos' Newspaper Buy

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 17:23:40 +0000

Amazon's founder picked up the Washington Post for $250 million--almost pocket change for him. But does he know what to do with it?
Amid the media world's shock over Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezo's Washington Post purchase, there's plenty of speculation. Why did he do it? What will happen to the paper? Is this good or bad for journalism?
As the opinions fly faster than the facts, it's worth looking at another aspect: Are entrepreneurs making smart moves when they buy mature businesses? Although many assume that a big success is proof of a golden touch, there are many examples of start-up royalty who turned long-established businesses into dross. For example, when AOL founder Steve Case was in charge of the company, he led it into what became a legendarily disastrous purchase of Time Warner. Here are some of the issues that come up when entrepreneurs dabble in takeover madness.
Company Culture Clashes
When you've started your own successful business, chances are that you have strong opinions as to what works and what doesn't. An established company also has strong opinions that have been baked into its culture over years, if not decades. And that can lead to problems.
The entrepreneur who buys the established business might decide what is necessary for growth or for the company to meet the new owner's needs. However, the established culture has enormous inertia. You can kick, scream, and hammer away, but chances are often good that you'll never be able to divert the train into the direction you want it to go.
It takes a lot of time and patience to rework an established culture. You may eventually be able to move it where you'd like it to go, but that will take many small corrections, not a handful of large ones. Bezos could have the perfect answer for the Post to ultimately regain the financial ground it has lost over the years, but it doesn't mean he knows how to make the company go where it should any more than previous managers have.
Misunderstanding the Business
It helps to thoroughly understand the type of business you're about to take over. Not to say that an outside view can't be helpful. Far from it. Companies have often gained great value from recruiting insight from another industry. When it was in a slump, IBM benefited greatly from recruiting Lou Gerstner after his experience at American Express and RJR Nabisco.
And yet, outside expertise can be a danger. Just ask Apple what happened when Pepsi executive John Sculley took control. It was ultimately an unqualified disaster until Steve Jobs returned. An executive must be able both to rely on sound principles of business and the ability to see the unique ways they must work in a given context. Gerstner had experience in vastly different industries and had developed that conceptual shift. An entrepreneur must remember that what seems to work at one company and in one context might not in a significantly different type of company, where sales models, customers, and other dynamics may be unfamiliar.
Speaking of Steve Jobs, when he took over at Pixar, he tried using a sales model he had developed for the hardware business at Apple and NeXT. Ultimately, though, Pixar wasn't successful until Jobs realized that its future was in developing movies, not in delivering tools to animators.
Radical Change Can Be Good--or Bad
Businesspeople like to put their personal stamps on what they do. Who can blame them? Doing an impersonation of someone else would seem a dull task. Entrepreneurs, being used to blazing a trail and doing things their way, can walk into a new situation and want to undertake a major renovation.
But it may be that the business doesn't need a big overhaul. It might be relatively strong and only require some redirection. Or it might be that without a new approach, the company will be doomed. Success in taking over an established company means being able to discern what it really needs and how to best deliver the required change.
Will Bezos do great things at the Washington Post? It's hardly a given. Perhaps the biggest thing he and other entrepreneurs can do is to take time to really see what is happening inside the company and then to develop a strategy that can take the business from where it currently is to where its potential lies.

You Need a Digital Detox (Trust Me)

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:50:43 +0000

Check your phone before going to bed and again first thing in the morning? You might be an addict--and it might be hurting your business.
Here's how obsessed people are with their mobile phones: According to Time, 68 percent of users take their devices to bed with them, 20 percent check their phones every 10 minutes, and one third report feeling anxious when briefly separated from their beloved gadget.
"I still feel twitchy," my friend Kristel Wills told me when she returned from a two-week retreat without her smartphone--and all the tweets, feeds and streams that went along with it.
As the social media manager at expense-management company Concur, Wills knows what it's like to go to bed with her smartphone. Until a few weeks ago, she admits she checked her email before bed and then first thing when she woke up at 5 a.m.
"I couldn't put my stupid phone down."
She's not alone.
The rates of addiction show no signs of abating. A majority of Americans own a smartphone and these numbers have increased each year. Though the stats may say we're more "connected" now than ever before, the question we should also consider is: at what cost?
Overcoming Digital Addiction
Recent studies show that the mere sight of a smartphone limits how humans interact--impeding the development of "interpersonal closeness and trust" and leading people to feel less "empathy and understanding from their partners."
Then there's what happens when someone's actually using a phone. "There's a smart-phone gait: the slow sidewalk weave that comes from being lost in conversation rather than looking where you're going," writes Time's Nancy Gibbs. "Thumbs are stronger, attention shorter, temptation everywhere: we can always be, mentally, digitally, someplace other than where we are."
Wills told me that after working with social media for the past six years, her brain started feeling really full and scattered. These feelings, and those of her peers, have prompted a growing call for a nationwide detox.
Lexi Felix has heeded the call. After years spent tethered to his technology, the 28 year-old launched Digital Detox, a company that hosts retreats in Northern California that require guests to surrender their smart phones and immerse themselves in yoga and healthy cooking. The start-up slave turned digital evangelist now spends his days helping others develop mindful relationships with their devices and their surroundings.
Whatever you want to call it--turning off, checking out, detoxing--ignoring your devices isn't easy. But it's crucial to our well-being, says Benjamin Robbins, co-founder of Palador, an enterprise mobility consulting firm based in Seattle.
"Call it mobile blasphemy, but I have no problem ditching the device and unapologetically spending dinner and weekends with kids and family, much to the chagrin of some of my mobile cohorts," Robbins says.
Still not convinced? Here, Robbins makes the case for kicking the smartphone habit:
Why Employees Should Disconnect
Many employees have created for themselves an unfounded sense of anxiety around disconnecting. "The world isn't going to end, you're not going to screw up a business deal, you don't need to be that responsive, people get it," Robbins says.
Quite the opposite, disconnecting affords us time for the rest and relaxation necessary to restore the energy we put into our professional lives. Phone users rely so much on their devices to make decisions and to provide instant access to information, that they've lost the ability to plan ahead, their memories have suffered, and their creativity is stunted.
Wills reported a sense of disengagement with the people around her in the presence of her smartphone. When she and her husband decided to take a two-week road trip exploring Big Sky country, she figured it was the perfect opportunity for a detox. She deleted Facebook and Twitter from her phone, turned off her email and put up a hilarious and frank out-of-office reply about her whereabouts.
She and her husband took to the open highway, putting 2,000 miles on their car, turning off their phones and enjoying the honeymoon they never had the first time around. Her return to the real world was cushioned by the lessons she learned on her detox.
Why Companies Should Disconnect
Everyone thinks they're great at multitasking. Turns out, they're wrong. Multitasking actually hurts concentration and creative thinking, the lifeblood of any growing company. And there's nothing more annoying, says Robbins, than standing before a room full of people hidden behind their laptop screens. His advice: mandate device-free meetings and encourage employees to meet face-to-face.
Similar to what Wills did, encourage employees to enjoy vacations or sabbaticals where they truly turn off and spend time with their friends and family. By doing so, companies will welcome home employees who are refreshed and ready to dive into their work with renewed enthusiasm.
Nobody's suggesting a 12-step program--yet. Robbins, ever the optimist, thinks people will eventually rediscover the value of device-less interactions. Until then, try looking up every once in awhile--and looking around.

17 People Making Way More Money After Leaving Finance for Start-Ups

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:49:04 +0000

These entrepreneurs are proving that sometimes Wall Street is the wrong place to make bank.
If you want to make a lot of money, you get a job on Wall Street. If you want to make even more money, you might dump that Wall Street job for a start-up. It isn't a career path that works out for everyone. But for the founders of Wikipedia and Amazon, for example, ditching finance for tech was a smart choice. -- Alyson Shontell This article originally appeared on Business Insider.
Joshua Kushner graduated from Harvard and worked for Goldman Sachs. After a short stint there he left to pursue a career in venture capital. His firm, Thrive Capital, has invested in startups such as NastyGal, Kickstarter, Instagram, and Makerbot. He also recently gathered $40 million to start a new health insurance company, Oscar.
Alexa von Tobel began her career at Morgan Stanley where she rose up the ranks to become a trader. She quit to attend Harvard Business School, then dropped out to found LearnVest. LearnVest has raised more than $40 million to tackle an important issue: there should be financial planners and advisors available for the middle class, especially with such a high percentage of the population in debt. Whether LearnVest will succeed or not remains to be seen, but von Tobel looks well positioned to clean up as a tech founder.
Scott Belsky is now an angel investor in companies like Pinterest with his own, very big start-up success. Last year he sold a portfolio site for designers, Behance, to Adobe for $150 million. Prior to founding Behance, Belsky worked for Goldman Sachs. He told Business Insider about his decision to leave Wall Street for a start-up. "I figured I might just become a middle manager living a great life, but not doing something extraordinary. I came to believe that doing something extraordinary is never achieved through ordinary means. I remember that moment at Goldman where I was thinking I should leave and start something. I shared that with colleagues and they thought I was crazy. I gained confidence from being doubted."
Chris Altcheck left Goldman Sachs to found PolicyMic in 2011. He's gone on to raise more than $1.5 million and his team of one dozen is pulling in more than 6 million monthly unique visitors. PolicyMic is written largely by unpaid contributors who write analytical stories about pressing issues, politics ,and entertainment.
Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky worked for the same investment bank, then later attended Harvard Business School together. There, they came up with the idea to be an online destination for beautiful, affordable jewelry, the way Sephora is for makeup. But it wasn't an easy decision to give up finance for BaubleBar. "We were at this crossroad," Yacobovsky tells Inc. "We could take this very secure road we had planned, or we could become entrepreneurs and turn this project into a real business. We chose to dive into the start-up world."
Before he founded CustomInk, an online apparel retailer that generates more than $70 million in annual sales, Marc Katz was a financial analyst on Wall Street. The profitable business employs more than 250 people from its McLean, Virginia headquarters. One of Katz's first investors was his father, a 3-time entrepreneur, who didn't think his son had a great idea. "I told him I thought it was a terrible idea," Steve Katz tells Forbes. "Selling T-shirts on the Web, I just didn't see how you distinguish yourself, so it would be a race to the bottom in terms of price. ... It's amazing what you can do with a mediocre idea extremely well executed."
Before he started his personalized email and online content recommendation company, Sailthru, Capel had a number of gigs, including one as a consultant to Morgan Stanley. Sailthru's revenue grew 270% last year and it has raised nearly $30 million to date.
Bezos worked as a computer scientist on Wall Street after he graduated from Princeton. Then he headed to a company called Fidel, and later to Bankers Trust where he became its vice president. After that, he became SVP at a hedge fund, D.E. Shaw & Co. He dabbled in entrepreneurship prior to founding Amazon. He nearly created a news-by-fax company with the founder of CNET, for example. D.E. Shaw was Bezos's last stint in finance before he created an online book retailer which, coincidentally, held most of its early meetings in the local Barnes & Noble. *Jeff Bezos is invested in Business Insider through Bezos Expeditions.
Pincus' career began as a financial analyst for Lazard Freres & Co. He then became a VP of Asian Capital Partners in Hong Kong and later, was one for Columbia Capital. Zynga was Pincus' fourth company. It was founded in 2007.
Barry Silbert got his idea for SecondMarket, a marketplace for illiquid assets, while working as an investment banker. He tells Inc. about founding SecondMarket: "I was an investment banker for about 5 ½ years, working on distressed type of situations like bankruptcies, things like that, and I was a bored investment banker. I'd been doing it for a while and the idea for to create this marketplace really kind of came out of a lot of the deals I was working on where I kept on seeing situations where there was a liquid assets being held by customers or clients that we had who needed liquidity. It was shocking to me that there was no one place where you could go to, an eBay-like marketplace, to sell these assets. And so I decided that I was going to leave investment banking with the big salary and roll the dice. I kind of figured I could always go back and be banker again and fortunately, I never, ever looked back."
Jimmy Wales, the creator of Wikipedia, didn't begin his career on Wall Street, but he was a financial professional. He started out at a future and options trading firm, Chicago Options Associates. Here's how Wikipedia describes his transition to entrepreneurship: "Inspired by the remarkable initial public offering of Netscape in 1995, and having accumulated capital through 'speculating on interest-rate and foreign-currency fluctuations,' he decided to leave the realm of financial trading and became an Internet entrepreneur." His first venture was a "guy search portal" full of female images, Bomis. He used money from Bomis to launch the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.
Dan Leahy worked for Silver Lake Partners then Brown Brothers Harriman. His friend Ben McKean worked for Merrill Lynch. The pair teamed up in 2009 and created restaurant discount finder Village Vines, which raised $4 million from investors like Salesforce's Mike Lazerow. It was renamed Savored and in 2012 sold to Groupon, where McKean is now a general manager.
Olga Vidisheva, CEO of Shoptiques; Andy Dunn, CEO of Bonobos; Rob Cromer, CEO of AdCade; James Gardner, Founder of Create The Group; Andy Pickens and Moses Soyoola, founders of Jamplify.

Don't Make This Mistake the Next Time You Interview [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:55:53 +0000

Tom Gimbel, the founder and CEO of the LaSalle Network, a recruiting firm, explains what not to do the next time you meet a potential new hire.

Findery's Caterina Fake: How to Balance Creativity and Productivity

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:36:00 +0000

The founder of Flickr and Findery talks about making time, paying attention and mastering change in an industry that's constantly changing.

Scaling Too Fast Can Tank Your Business

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:35:00 +0000

Too many growth businesses try to scale before they are ready. You're better off creating enormous value for a few customers first.
As you are building a business, it's natural to think about how to make it really, really big. But scaling a business too soon is a surefire way to tank it.
Every business, no matter how big its ambitions, needs to start by thinking like a small business aimed at serving a few customers, and serving them extremely well. Once the business has mastered its craft with a few customers, the leadership team can then think about how to build a larger business serving a high volume of customers. This more disciplined approach to growth involves trade-offs, but the business will be able to understand the impact and value of those tradeoffs given its experience at a small scale.
A CEO with high growth ambitions recently reached out to us with the following question:
I'm trying to build a startup of hydroponic farming. I understand that I will gain success by building a brand and pushing the product with a strong marketing strategy. Which methods would you use to communicate your value proposition? In your opinion, what are the best marketing tools? -Ricardo Silvestrini
Ricardo, we're sorry to say that there are no marketing tools that we know of that will take a startup and turn it into a large company. The first step in building your business is creating a viable product that a customer is willing to buy. Focus your marketing strategy, and by that we mean the 4 Ps--product, pricing, promotion, and place (distribution), on a single customer or small group of customers. In your case, you may find a specific food market or restaurant that you can uniquely serve. Or, you may find a specific product that you can produce better than food produced with traditional farming methods.
Once you have proven the business model with a few customers, you can think about new ways to promote your business. This might be through "push" methods such as advertising, where you are trying to reach new potential customers with your message. These methods may reach the largest number of potential customers, but you may be more effective with targeted "pull" methods aimed at specific customers. The easiest "pull" approach is a referral from existing customers. Can you ask your delighted customers to refer your business to their friends? The beauty of emerging social media marketing is that it is based on these "pull" techniques, and can be both impactful and cost effective.
Once you've built a solid small business with a set of core customers, you can think about the next step in scaling your business, and the next set of trade-offs. Will you lose some aspect of product quality or customer service? Those elements can be measured once you understand the value of your core customers. Without this core base, any scaling strategy is likely to fail.
How do you think about building a customer base from a core group of customers? Send us your questions at karlandbill@avondalestrategicpartners.com.

What Makes a Truly Great Leader?

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:26:46 +0000

In the technology industry--characterized by brutal competition and relentless change--this profile of a standout leader will surprise you.
If you spend your career in the high-tech industry, you'll probably get to work with all sorts of brilliant and highly accomplished leaders. CEOs, entrepreneurs, VCs, executives, super-talented technogeeks--they're everywhere. That's just the way it is around here.
You can pick up a lot of useful insights from these amazing and eccentric characters: How to manage, how not to manage, how to motivate employees, what risks to take, even how to crash and burn and take a whole company down with you. All sorts of cool stuff.
I certainly learned a lot from the hundreds of extraordinary leaders I've known over the years, but one stands out. His name is Jason. Jason and I worked together at a midsized public company. He was the CFO; I ran marketing.
As peers, we had a great relationship characterized by mutual respect and support. I always knew he had my back.
One evening, on a flight back from a long trip to Florida with our CEO, we got stuck on a grounded airplane for hours. We all had a little too much to drink and the boss and I got into a heated argument. Jason jumped in and mediated, keeping me from shooting myself in the foot. That's just the way he was.
Personally, we had absolutely nothing in common, but somehow, we complimented each other perfectly. I'm sort of outspoken and over-the-top. Jason, on the other hand, was more introverted and reserved. Still, I found his dry sense of humor to be hilarious in an unexpected way.
Finally, after a long series of strategic missteps that nearly bankrupted the company, our CEO got the boot and Jason took over as acting chief executive. I couldn't have been happier. He had all the requisite skills and attributes of a great manager, but that wasn't what made him unique. What stood out about Jason was his balance.
The guy just had a sense of equilibrium that was unflappable, even in the face of remarkably tough challenges. He was confident, but never overconfident. The risks he took were calculated. His decisions were logical and smart. He listened to the experts but knew the final decision was always his to make because the buck stopped with him.
Jason worked long hours, but his time was eerily well-organized; he somehow managed to get to everything. And this may sound sort of odd, but in an industry characterized by brutal competition and rapid change, I don't recall him ever seeming out of sorts or out of control. That was quite a contrast from the high-tech norm, that's for sure.
While he didn't know everything there was to know about running a complex technology company, he had a great supporting cast and knew how to work with us, how to motivate us, how to lead us. We were a far more effective management team under him than our founding CEO.
Unfortunately, that situation didn't last. Lacking the scale to compete on our own, we ultimately merged with a larger company. While that didn't exactly turn out as planned, it did make sense at the time. The missteps that doomed the post-merger company were made after Jason was long gone.
Now, here's where the story takes a bit of a left turn. While he did take on another interim turnaround role, Jason left the high-tech industry and never held another chief executive role. Instead, he opted to remain a CFO, and a successful one, to this day.
Personally, I think that's a real shame. The guy would have made an outstanding permanent CEO. And I would have gladly worked for him again anytime, anywhere.
The irony is that, in an industry characterized by mercurial superstars like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Larry Ellison, the standout leader, at least in my 30 plus years of experience, was an understated finance guy who was eminently competent, confident, calm, and balanced. Simple as that.

Findery's Caterina Fake: You Must Both Invent and Execute [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:25:59 +0000

Being an entrepreneur means always thinking about new ideas ... and figuring out how to turn them into reality.

Findery's Caterina Fake on How to Make More Time [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:25:50 +0000

Changing the way you interact with the people around you will help make the most of your working hours.

Findery's Caterina Fake on Where Good Ideas Happen [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:25:22 +0000

You shouldn't have to sneak around to be creative--there are better ways to find time for thinking about new ideas.

Findery's Caterina Fake on the Importance of 'PB&J' [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:25:01 +0000

To keep up in the turbulent digital landscape, you have to understand the necessity of both peanut butter and jelly.

Findery's Caterina Fake: Don't Chop Up Your Day [VIDEO]

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:25:01 +0000

Caterina Fake answers questions about growing a business, excelling at social media and getting customers to spread the word for you.

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Findery's Caterina Fake: You Must Both Invent and Execute [VIDEO]

Findery's Caterina Fake on How to Make More Time [VIDEO]

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