Category: Blog

Another Slant on Purging Clutter (Digital)

By now, you must be living under a rock if you haven’t heard about Marie Kondo’s innovative KonMari Method to help people clear out clutter in their homes (and offices); she’s published two best-selling books on the topic, and now has a wildly popular series on Netflix entitled “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”. Studies have shown that reducing clutter in our homes and environments leads to reduced anxiety levels, enhances relationships, and even increases productivity. But beyond throwing out books, clothes, furniture and other sentimental items you’ve been hanging on to in your living space, have you considered the psychic weight of the clutter that lives in your computer and on your smartphone? …

Exploring the Rivalry and Respect between Paul McCartney & Brian Wilson

A guy named Jeffrey Stillwell has put together a great video essay focused on the so-called “rivalry” between the Beach Boys and the Beatles; and in particular the relationship between Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson. They were most certainly inspired by each other creatively and each wound up bringing out the best in each other as both are quick to confess. When “Pet Sounds” came out, it blew the minds of the Beatles, and that was a big catalyst to what would become “Sgt Pepper” in terms of musical experimentation — both are still such iconic albums that it’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years (on average) since each was released. This video biopic also chronicles the relationship and interactions between Paul and Brian over the decades, and ultimately the deep respect they have for each other —and it’s worth investing the 20 minutes to watch it.

There’s also a personal tie for me here in a couple of ways. …

Waiting for the Harvest in Business

As an entrepreneur and/or a self-employed professional, have you ever been in a situation where a game-changing opportunity presented itself to you in business? Something that could “overnight” propel you to a different level of success and financial freedom? Only to find that the brass ring was further away than you thought? And while the opportunity seemed to be realistic and close at hand, it remained elusive for a long period of time; sometimes years at times? I’ve been in such a situation with not one but several ‘big deal’ business opportunities over the past few years. I won’t lie; it has been a trying experience, ranging from being annoying, frustrating and even gut-wrenching — waiting for the dominos to fall and for the scales of justice to be balanced in my favor. Holding my breath and waiting to exhale. …

The Simple Pleasures of Summer

Summer always seems to be a season everyone universally looks forward to. Plenty of fresh air, longer days, warm sunshine, family time, time off for vacations & travel, summer camp, picnics, fireworks, concerts and so much more that’s unique to each person. And of course how we spend time changes throughout the course of our lives. Here are some reflections of how it’s been for me and what it’s meant over the years. …

The “Happy Money” Movement

Two years ago, I was attending a gathering of my advanced coaching graduate alum with our mentor, Alan Cohen, in Hawaii. Alan often invites colleagues of his to join us via Skype as guest contributors. That year, he invited Ken Honda from Japan who had been a successful entrepreneur in Japan — and then went on to be one of the best-selling authors in Japan (selling over 7 million copies of his books worldwide.) I resonated with Ken’s style, demeanor, approach and message immediately. He told us about a book he was working on called “Happy Money” — and I couldn’t wait to read it.

The basic premise behind Happy Money is that most of us have arrested development when it comes to finances. We hold deep-seated beliefs that we adopt from a young age based on our parents’ attitudes towards money — and we’re not typically conscious that we’ve taken on those messages as we get older. As a result, the vast majority of adults struggle with money and finance-related issues. …

Do It Now — Don’t Wait; Tomorrow May Be Too Late

Image Courtesy of LA Times

I got the news via a colleague’s post on Facebook two weeks ago. A cherished, much treasured colleague I’d known for three decades ended his life suddenly. No one saw it coming. And he had just reached out to me recently wondering when I was going to be in LA next so we could get together. His name was Gary Stewart and he was a giant among men in the music/tech world. He’ll be very sorely missed.

There have been some great tributes and coverage about the impact of his life and work in all manner of publications since his death ranging from Rolling Stone to the LA Times and the New York Times. He was a master archivist in rock music, and was responsible in large part to re-issues, compilations and boxed sets of some of the most beloved artists in the rock canon primarily working with Rhino Records to bring these wonderful products to market. Gary was a truly nice guy who gave so much to everyone around him generously and graciously. …

Anagrams (and Alliteration) Abound in April

And now for something completely different. I’ve been noticing intriguing anagrams popping up all around me lately. An anagram is a word or phrase created by re-arranging the letters of another, such as cinema formed from iceman. Many people are familiar with these in doing the Word Jumble in their newspaper. But the ones that have been showing up for me lately are ones that have a little more significance — almost like sign posts that encourage me to slow down and ponder their meaning in my life. Here are a couple of examples that have crossed my radar recently — perfectly normal, and yet (!).  …

The Power of Expanding Your Communities (Network Effect)

We all tend to swim in familiar waters — and many of us are members of the same community of business professionals year over year. I know I’ve been guilty of that. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but, every once in a while, it would behoove you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with new groups of individuals. Doing so can afford you fresh perspectives, insights, ideas and new business relationships that can lead to greater opportunities and the ability to add to your network and cultivate new collaborators and friends. …

Serendipity: Pay Attention to Random Occurrences

Part of being mindful is that we are that much more attuned and receptive to seemingly chance occurrences as we go about our day. Especially if we live from a stance of “what if” and possibilities as I do. For example, recently I ran into a woman in the green room as I was in NYC getting ready to tape a segment for a business show on TV — and she asked what I did; I told her I was a super-connector. She held up a book that she’s just written called “The Connector’s Advantage” and we both had a laugh. I made a new friend instantly in the author, Michelle Tillis-Lederman, who is an author and leadership speaker — and who subsequently invited me to become part of a group she’s involved with for female authors. You just never know right? …

Pay Attention – Our Most Precious Commodity

When you think of our most precious commodity, what would you say it is? Is it time, money, freedom, something else? All those things are definitely important, but it turns out one of the most important things to cultivate is how and where you place your attention. In a noisy, crowded world with an abundance of information and things coming at us every day, it’s never been more important to stay mindful of this. Your attention is money; are you investing it wisely and actively with determination or are you wasting it? As one of my colleagues Roberta Ross recently observed, if you want to be successful and free, mastering your attention is your greatest power. And if you want to create momentum, transform the experience of your business and earn more, you really must invest your attention and your efforts wisely.  Simple as that. …

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