What if I…? How about if I tried…? What if I changed…? Have you ever asked yourself those questions? We probably all have. It’s simple human nature to lament that we’re not living up to our personal potential. We regret our shortfalls; ponder opportunities lost. Those lingering questions echoing through your head may sound something like: What if I got up at 5 am instead of 6 so I could go to the gym? What if I only had alcohol on the weekends? How much better would my day be if I went to bed an hour earlier? How would […]

If everything is urgent, nothing is urgent. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that. It’s so easy to focus on the thing that’s in front of us, to put out the fire in our proximity that is getting a little too warm. We’re hard-wired to handle the most pressing threat NOW. So, we end up performing triage – over and over again. But if we would just take a step back, the result is usually much better. By zooming out and looking at the big picture, we allow ourselves to think clearly about the true problem, seeing all available solutions. I […]

Be the fixer. If a client or a friend has an issue, be the fixer. Whether you get paid or not, be the fixer. No matter if it benefits you or not, be the fixer. Answer the questions. Provide the resources. Make the introductions. Always think in terms of solutions, focusing on what you can do to make their life better, whether marginally or immeasurably. To aid you in this mission, you should know your subject matter hands down – and then bring in the team to complement your knowledge and experience. That is the formula for a life of […]

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it’s stupid.” -Albert Einstein. All people have different skill sets. Mine are different than those that I work with, and theirs are different than mine. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that everyone deals with things differently. Depending on the situation, someone else’s approach to a problem or job may actually be more effective. We can also expand our perspective by observing someone else undertake a task, gaining a different approach. Another tool in the box may […]

On Wednesday, I was returning from a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. While on the flight (which was delayed numerous times, like so many others around this time this year) I went to log on to the Wi-Fi. Then, on to the Paramount app on my iPad (to get my fix of watching Tulsa King & Yellowstone). I waited…but no luck. I could not log on. So then, I tried to log into my Disney app. Why not watch a little Marvel?! But still no connection. The Wi-Fi said it was connecting, but the signal must have been too weak. […]

How can you skyrocket into 2023? Focus on making 2022’s ceiling this year’s floor. Personally, professionally, and, most certainly, financially, nothing feels better than achieving something significant. That all starts with setting (and writing down, setting up accountability systems, etc.) goals. Without them, how would you know how well you are doing? One of my mentors, Harry, once said, “Imagine a career in sales with no contests. It would be like running a marathon or training for one and not knowing the distance you had to go.” Humans, by nature, crave that. We’re hard-wired to both seek and respond to adulation and/or recognition. […]

Remember when there was no internet on an airplane? You actually had to read a book (not a Kindle or iPad), take a nap, or even…(gasp)…speak to your neighbor! How about when cell phones were like $8 dollars a minute? Do you recall when pagers were the most sophisticated form of communication? You still had to run to a pay phone once you got paged and drop in a dime (then a quarter) to return a call. We are all so connected these days. The phone is almost like another appendage for some people (I first typed ‘young people’ but […]

Seven or eight years ago, while in Napa with my wife and a few friends, we met this couple. They were a little older than us and very pleasant. We chatted about life, their kids, and business – just a friendly conversation. Later that evening, I invited them to join us on our wine bus tour. They accepted and hung out with us throughout the tour. She was a stay-at-home mom but worked in the business, too. They were both from other areas of the country but found themselves living in Arizona, where they raised their children. After the tour, my wife exchanged […]

In 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa. During the inauguration, he was surrounded by dignitaries and world leaders, celebrities, and heads of state alike. It was a special event that signaled the death knell of apartheid. The world watched. Mandela climbed up to the pulpit, adjusted the microphone, and spoke. The audience and everyone watching around the world expected him to recognize the many dignitaries in attendance, expound on his victory, or deliver vitriol toward his enemies. Instead, Mandela showed the world what grace looks like. He turned to his left, towards three white men in attendance, […]

Some relationships end. All relationships change. Often, it’s hard to let go. “You’re so brainwashed,” he said to me, and I knew our friendship had changed. I met up with some friends last week, some of which I had not seen in quite some time. It can be wonderful to meet up with old acquaintances, but also difficult when you see that you’ve grown apart. Still, you try, if nothing more than for the sake of your shared history, the good memories. You try to remember what it was that you had in common, what you went through together. But the […]