November 3, 2023

A lesson from my grandfather.

When people are not looking or recognizing it, doing what is right is where true interpersonal satisfaction comes in. Growing up in Los Angeles, my grandfather was an immigrant from Russia. He and his three siblings grew up in an orphanage. It’s called Vista del Mar in Culver City and is still there today. His father died on the long journey to the U.S. from Russia. My grandfather’s mother was so poor that she had to make the choice to give up her children – all four of them – just to guarantee their survival. So, she placed all four […]
October 27, 2023

Be Authentic.

“Can I ask what the deciding factor was in selecting us?” I asked. The client, sitting across the desk from me, put his hand to his chin, thinking about it for a moment. “You guys were the only ones that came at us with a unique approach,” he said. “That’s great,” I replied. “But what exactly? Sorry to ask, but I always like knowing what we did or did not do well.” “Sure, no problem. I understand,” he said. “You didn’t make a recommendation or pitch a product. You came to us with questions and a solution, if and only if the results […]
October 20, 2023

Uneasy

I am very uneasy. The world. Our world. I know you probably feel the same way recently. I’m also very uneasy about the things people are saying, what they express, both publicly and privately. In my business, I have always felt most comfortable being uncomfortable. Living in that discomfort to get to a better result. Embracing it. In life, I suppose I have acted somewhat the same way, too. However, the events of the last couple weeks have changed my view on so many things: what is really important and what is not, the response that one should have. To speak […]
October 13, 2023

Uber

What is Uber? Of course, the ride app takes its origins from the word in the normal lexicon. And the dictionary defines “uber” as “Denoting an outstanding or supreme example of a particular kind of person or thing.” I think, so far, the company is right on the mark. Do you remember when Uber first came on the scene? Will Farrell was in the commercials, doing what Will Farrell does: fancy car, bling, cool shoes, and rockstar looks, making it all fun and approachable. Uber was JUST a car service then. Or so we thought! Today, Uber has grown to operate in […]
October 6, 2023

Practice like you’ve never won.

“Practice like you’ve never won. Perform like you’ve never lost.” This last week, I had the pleasure of spending time with peers from around the country. It’s always truly amazing to see how different people live and work. There are lots of different ways to do things. All are valid. It’s fascinating for me to see how other highly successful people achieve balance in their lives, starting with how they process and make choices. But in that big room, despite our myriad differences, the one thing that remains the same with all of us is how we practice. Among everyone I […]
September 29, 2023

You won’t make it if you fake it.

When I first got started in business it was all about “faking it until you make it.” It was “act as if.” “Don’t worry about debt, just build your business and the rest will take care of itself,” they would all say. It was advice that was hard to ignore and came at me from everywhere. “Kid, you don’t have an expense problem, you have a revenue problem,” Bob said. As I look back on almost 29 years in business, some of that was true. When you’re in growth mode and starting from the bottom, it’s difficult to manufacture confidence and momentum. […]
September 22, 2023

Growth

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” -Viktor E. Frankl Most of us are looking to grow in some way, shape or form. We want to become better husbands or wives, better parents, better bosses, and just evolve as human beings. But just like a bud that’s beneath the ground all winter until it blossoms in the spring, growth can be difficult to detect. In fact, growth is almost never visible while it’s happening. And it’s almost certainly never linear. […]
September 15, 2023

Don’t do business with your friends?

Don’t do business with your friends! We often hear that, posing as sound advice. “A client will become a friend quicker than a friend will become a client.” Or “Don’t mix business and friendship.” It’s been repeated so much, it’s almost ingrained as truth. Almost. But I say, why not? Many of my best friends are clients, and many of my clients have become good friends. Why is it that we should shy away from doing business and having a social relationship with those in our lives? Why are we trying to compartmentalize, or even insulate ourselves? To me, there is no one who will look out […]
September 8, 2023

Loss

When is water no longer wet? When does sweet lose its taste? When do happiness and joy no longer feel like the best feelings one could ever have? Loss can take a lot of that away. Loss can rob us of all of life’s meaning and pleasure, those feelings that are so critical to who we are and the smiles we have on our faces. It is so easy to look across the street and say, “They have it so much better than me,” or “No one REALLY understands what I am dealing with.” But, in reality, none of us […]
September 1, 2023

For what?

Work hard? For what? Exercise hard? For what? Eat right and take care of yourself? For what? That “for what” is what we have to all solve for in life. Imagine training for a marathon but not knowing that the distance was 26.2 miles. You would have no way to train for the race, no way to check in on your progress. A goal without a reason – the “for what” – becomes meaningless. We must OWN the goal. We must own who we want to become and, more importantly, know why. Ultimately, that goal (and that for what) must be for […]
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