This summer my family went on a 45+ hour road trip. (Here we are at Niagara Falls). I know, I know, a great opportunity for quality family time. But one or two books on tape while the kids watched a video. C’mon, it’s OK, right? Somewhere between mile 1700 and mile 1850, on the road …
My cousin in France is really good at windsurfing. So much so that he spent his military service teaching windsurfing to soldiers on R&R. Pretty nice deal, for him and for the soldiers. Soldiers get R&R. Farmers let fields lay fallow. And yet the grinding rhythm of work and life makes us keep pushing even …
As a small business owner, no one is leaning over you generating your To Do list. It seems like a dream, but being in charge of your own time takes more discipline. In my first years of business, I would say to friends, “I can’t talk. My boss is breathing down my neck.” They would …
A client recently asked for help with a 5-year career plan and I realized it might be a good thing to share. My approach goes from the inside out. We have to get clear on who we are and what we want, then turn to the job/career market and see what is possible. Here goes: …
The Ethics Column for BBC Capital recently approached me about a dilemma many small business owners face: what do you do when the hours you have spent on a project run over the estimated time you promised the client? Do you pad hours? No. Swallow the loss? Hopefully not. Ideally, you have cultivated a relationship …
I understand innovation in a cutting-edge industry like Computing, but it took me a while to figure it out in a mature, saturated industry like Cosmetics. During my 18 years in Cosmetics, I heard people talking about innovation all the time. Eventually, I understood: half of innovation is finding ingredients, delivery systems and product forms …
The Nike slogan “Just Do It” is a very powerful call to action. It’s simple: “just” tells us to forget about all the excuses, and “do it” is meant to get us off the couch and moving. Yet how many times have I heard this, looked outside to see that it’s cold and raining, and …
“Don’t worry so much what people think” is something I’ve heard for much of my life. I am one of those people who cares a lot what others think, and I would love it if everyone liked me, all the time. With age comes wisdom and I have learned that my “weakness” is coupled with …
Using listening skills and focus on others can increase influence, and confidence New clients often ask me about my background. I have learned to respond with, “Well, I can tell so many versions. What is most interesting to you?” It may seem odd to start a communication by asking the audience what they want to …
Understanding the rules of communication can help you manage conversations and presentations 90% (my guesstimate) of confidence is how we feel and manage ourselves in the presence of others. Some people seem to respond appropriately no matter what the circumstance. We want that too, yet most of us don’t know that it’s possible to learn …
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