Ahh, to be young. I remember the summer I was 10 years old. It was the summer of all summers. My family was living in the San Francisco bay area, in a house that was just a short distance from what (in Chicago) is known as a forest preserve. That 165 acre park was my…
When you started your business it was just you. It was so simple. You were in control and it was easy to start making money (or, easy enough). But then you wanted to go on vacation. And you wanted to take on more work (so you could make more money), and so you hired some…
Conferences, whether they are industry-specific trade shows, inspirational/motivational events, or learning opportunities around a specific topic– bring up mixed emotions for me. On the one hand, I think about spending a lot of money to travel to another city, spend time away from my family, eat crappy conference food…etc., etc. These are all things that…
When I talk to business owners, I tend to hear “business is great”–a lot. “We closed a bunch of new business! My employees are rockin’ it! Going to work feels like I’m on vacation!” But then, if I get the privilege of working with them, I hear a different story. “How do I start making…
Did you start this year off with big goals? Did you set aggressive growth targets for your sales? Are you thinking about writing a book, working on some speaking topics, or taking a big trip with your family? Well? It’s February. How are you doing on those goals? Have you made significant progress? Enough so…
When was the last time you said, “Wow, I’m so glad I got that voicemail!”…? Tell me. Do you get a thrill when you see that the VM icon on your phone is lit up? Didn’t think so. Maybe it’s time we faced the fact that voicemail is a technology whose time has come —…
It only takes a minute each morning. Before I open my email, before I get started with my work, I stop and write down three (or more) things I’m thankful for. It’s a simple thing. Just a brief pause in an other wise hectic day, but there’s some kind of magic in practicing gratitude. As business…
I’ve always respected those folks we describe as “the strong, silent type”. You know, the “wise and mature leader” who commands a room with a glance, or communicates it all with a subtle facial expression. These folks have an economy with words that suggests deep thinking. The fact that they use words so sparingly makes…
On July 4th there were more than 60 people shot, and 9 killed in Chicago. I don’t know about you, but that seems out of control to me. 60 people shot? This wasn’t some 110º day with tempers flaring. How can this much violence erupt on a holiday weekend? I found this quote from Chicago…
The cost of success: Is it worth the price of admission? When we work on something truly great (you are working on something great aren’t you?), we will face adversity. There will be times when the whole world seems hell bent on putting brick walls in your path. But there’s only one way to respond…