Kirby is the coolest guy because he’s so darn open about his journey of self-discovery as he battled with measuring himself against others around him. Today, Kirby spends his time investing in early stage start-ups as the General Partner of Ascend VC and while he certainly invests in ideas, he’s incredible at evaluating people.
Read MoreThe first time I met Fran Dunaway, she made me cry. I had shared with her the journey and struggle of our transgender son and she gave me a hug and let me know that everything was going to be okay. Fran was right. I was just scared. But Fran knows what it’s like to be scared and what it means to persevere when you believe in something strongly.
Read MoreSarah Dusek is someone who is very clear on the world she wants to create and who she wants to be a part of that journey. Sarah shares with us her experience in dealing with raising capital for Under Canvas. Read this post for an excerpt from my recent book, One Life to Lead.
Read MoreMadeline Haydon is so disarming in the best way possible. When I first met Madeline while interviewing her for my book, One Life to Lead, I was struck with how reflective she was about her business, her family and her life. There is a subtle power that has made her a force in the food and beverage industry.
Read MoreDavid Nilssen is a rockstar. As the Cofounder and CEO of Guidant Financial, he and his team have helped over 20,000 business owners achieve their dreams. But there was a time when the future of Guidant was in question. Hear how David navigated in an excerpt from my recent book, One Life to Lead.
Read MoreWhat attracted me so quickly to Lori Torres, former CEO of Parcel Pending, was her tenacity in going after a problem to solve and her willingness to ask for help in getting there. It made me realize how easy it is to fantasize about what could be and how you could be the one to do it, and another thing to execute. Lori executes and it’s why I wanted to share her experience in my most recent book, One Life to Lead.
Read MoreThe act of bringing a book into the world isn’t just about writing or editing or the layout or the cover design. Nope. It’s really about marketing and communication and positioning. And like any product launch, it requires lead time and planning and coordination. So in this post, I share how I used Asana to help me become a published author. Note: I don’t get paid or endorsed by Asana so this is legit.
Read MoreI’m not sure there is any other way to say it. Running 100 miles is super tough. But it’s that challenge that stretches each of us to contemplate what we have in the tank and how much more capable we are than how we spend the majority of our time. I learned a lot on this one and it was more than just run from a bear (but that’s good info too).
Read MoreAs I have been thinking about an upcoming 100-mile race, I was drawn to Max Nelson, one of the people whose stories I share in the book, One Life to Lead. What so inspired me about Max was how he overcame so much in order to follow his passion and rather than knocking on the doors that wouldn’t answer him, he pushed on those that were open.
Read MoreCall it a bubble. Call it a snowglobe. Call it a self-imposed prison if you want. The point is that when we are in our small arena, it is easy to become a product of our surroundings. Often it is not until we break out and observe those surroundings did we realize how much it stifled our creativity. I got that in spades!
Read MoreThe journey to write One Life to Lead began when I was sitting in a cafe while living in Costa Rica in 2019. It was the first time when I could finally take a step back and observe everything that I had learned and experienced without trying to justify it. What resulted was the beginning of a journey to learn from other business leaders the emerging patters that create the powerful steps to designing one’s life.
Read MoreIt is just so perfect. I’m four weeks out from a 100-miler and I slip on the trail, hit a rock, open up my ankle that is bleeding like crazy and I’m six miles from access. Yes, that really sucked. At the same time, it was there for me to learn something. And yes I did.
Read MoreWe finally go behind the scenes to look at what we really mean when we talk about what we talk about on the trail. Yes, you heard it, “Trail Talk”. In this rare, behind the scenes view, you get a lens into the truly meaningless but life changing banter when friends are running on the trail and just trying to pass the time and learn a thing or two. But what we learn surely cannot be taught in a classroom. Enjoy.
Read MoreHey, some things don’t always go according to plan. That’s the idea, right? Well, on 8/15/20, a small group of friends and I ventured out on to the 93-mile Wonderland Trail at Mt. Rainier. The conditions were perfect. Our fitness was good. It was set up for success. We did succeed, but not in the way you might expect!
Read MoreIt is in the moments of uncertainty, of fear, of the unknown, that we are tested. I have been a student of self discovery for many years and been training for exactly this moment. So why is it so freakin’ hard? Shifting perception when the external powers feel overwhelmingly strong is the work. So let’s do the work.
Read MoreWe control our story and the story we tell directly impacts the life we design. My stories in Costa Rica were filtered through axioms of curiosity and wonder and minimal judgement. I was able to let go of control and be open to what a new country and new relationships would throw our way. As we get ready to head to Seattle to continue our adventure, I appreciate the Costa Rica experience. But what I will bring with me is a new outlook.
Read MoreThe sales - product disconnect is what keeps teams from building a well oiled machine and it usually is the result of a timing difference. The urgency to sell precedes finding product market fit. As a result, the product or service deliver team gets frustrated. This post gets to the root cause of why that happens and how companies can avoid it.
Read MoreWe always think that being busy is this badge of value. Look at me. I’m a busy person. I have realized after many years that it’s exactly the opposite. Being busy is not a power statement of successful leaders. In fact, it undermines power by implying it is something that is being done to you. There is nothing wrong with occupied time but there are ways to do it that keep you in control of the life that you are trying to create.
Read MoreThe journey to Costa Rica has had less to do with where we decided to live and more to do with how we decided to live. We are moving to Seattle in July but are committed to taking with us the feelings of how we want to design our lives.
Read MoreThis is a post about life, love…and productivity. My wife and I did our own start-up titled, “move the family abroad for a year to Central America and figure it out.” It has been amazing with a lot of challenges we take one day at a time. But we never would have made it without good coordination and planning.
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