Great art has depth – that’s what my friend Josh Steimle taught me. It’s true. When you revisit greatest masterpieces, you find new things. There’s substance, thought, and meaning that you didn’t catch the first time. There’s nuance, texture, scope and possibly a hidden storyline or two. Great artists incorporate excellence in all aspects of their work, …
Most marketing is a waste of money. Too many business owners are frustrated by failed marketing efforts. They think (hope) that marketing magically leads to sales. This is especially true for many early stage companies. Founders believe they need to raise gobs of money to spend on marketing. But no amount of marketing will overcome …
Don’t take it personally when others fail to understand, or choose to ignore, the amazing and unique things you’re creating. Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza once said, “Everything great is just as difficult to realize as it is rare to find.” Some people just don’t get it. That’s okay. Even those closest to us can be …
It’s the things we do consistently throughout our lives that define us. Small, incremental efforts over long periods of time are much more meaningful than large, significant efforts sustained for only a short time. When we see someone who is successful, we rarely give them credit for their preparation to get to where they are. …
Have you ever noticed… Things never turn out how you expect, but we’re still surprised when things don’t happen as we planned. We’re conditioned in our youth to expect linear pathways; every step is always followed by another, certain step. The entire education system is an entrenched linear system with predictable outcomes. But real learning …
Do you feel like people don’t understand the method to your madness? This 1957 Synergy Map from Walt Disney (published in the Wall Street Journey in 1958) shows the complexity of the Disney operations. Look how the various parts work in harmony to create a sustainable growth engine. 60+ years later, the machine is still …
My mother and sister died in a plane crash when I was in high school. Afterward, a close friend gave me a book called “Thoughts from the Pattaya Orphanage”. It’s full of quotes and photos of the orphans. I think only a few thousand copies were ever sold – to raise money to hire a …
We did a full-day quarterly planning session with two of our companies over the last week. I was worried we weren’t ready to process everything going on in the business. I was worried we were still just putting out fires; that we wouldn’t be able to see the big picture or create a clear go-forward …
Ever feel like you don’t own your business, but your business owns you? I’ve noticed when business owners are in the day-to-day details of their companies, they’re prone to burnout and have less satisfaction. They don’t have the freedom to live the life they wanted when they set out to be an entrepreneur. I’ve systematically …
To my entrepreneurial friends: Have you used EOS or Scaling Up to grow your company? Using an operating system has allowed us to get everyone moving in the same direction, speaking a common language and measuring the right things. It’s been a key to successfully scaling our businesses. We use Gino Wickman’s EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating …
Everything good in my life, both professionally and personally, has come in collaboration with partners. I’ve spent my entire life learning to be a good partner, and proving out a unique partnership model.
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