I have a beef with the whole “follow your passions” thing. I’ve blogged about it before, and if you’ve ever asked me about it in person, over coffee or cocktails, you’ve probably found my soapbox. It’s not that I think passions are bad. I believe they have a purpose, in business and in life. But I…
“What do you want?” This is one of the questions Donald Miller asks at Storyline, which I just attended for the second year in a row in Chicago. If you stop and think about it, it really is a doozy of a question. Last year, while attending my first Storyline conference, this question was a…
Last week, I had a lot on my plate. Straight off 24 hours of international travel, I made it to a doctor’s appointment and told her that I hadn’t felt “right” for a while. I described it, fearfully, as mild depression, discouragement, cynicism, moodiness. I was embarrassed to tell my doctor these things. Growing up,…
It started on a group text. Those things are never good, friends. You forget who’s on them, and if you’re the type of person who occasionally says unkind things about others, you’re likely to find yourself in a sticky situation at times. Lesson #1 here: Only be kind, for ever and always. Be kind in…
I have this amazing friend. She’s like the letterer of letterers. (Apologies for using like in that capacity, but I needed it for emphasis.) She’s so good at lettering, she makes it look easy. Effortless. And I fall prey to thinking I can do it, too. So I’ll grab a pen, or a calligraphy nib,…
Today was chock full of interesting conversations. Three mastermind calls and an all-too-brief catch up with Jess Lively about the book she’s writing! Today, three things stood out to me. It’s all about the numbers. No, I don’t mean your follower counts or your email list size. I mean your good, ol’ fashioned, P&L, the…
“I know this already.” So, are you practicing it, or is there a self-discipline issue at hand? “I’ve already tried that.” OK, so have you tried your hardest? Have you tried to the best of your ability? Have you consulted an expert about how you could try harder? Have you raised your hand and asked…
Earlier last year, I had a conversation I remember very clearly. I was parked outside the location of my son’s tutor, waiting for him to finish up. The car was running, and it was chilly outside. I had something on my heart, and I needed to share it with my friend on the other end…
From the outside, small business ownership (or, entrepreneurship), can look big and scary. A lot of people dream of owning a small business, but stand on the sidelines, and just assume that entrepreneurship couldn’t possibly be for them. In fact, sometimes, we’ll go to great lengths to avoid the call of entrepreneurship. We’ll blame confusion,…
