I’ve never been fond of the phrase “Go big or go home!” In my view, this type of mantra and mandate is often counter-productive. People won’t even start for fear of failure. But a mini deadline can be oh-so-effective. I’ve been working (on and off) on a new solo play, and when a theater company …
When it comes to organization and individual mission statements, I believe there are two kinds: those that are directed outward, in service of others, and those that are directed inward, toward oneself. This past Wednesday, I was at Benjamin Moore’s headquarters to deliver the closing keynote for their HR Summit. As I passed this wall, …
About 15 years ago, a colleague named Noah Rickun mentioned the title, Acres of Diamonds. I had never heard of it. You may be thinking, “Never heard of it?! It’s a classic!” But if the name is new to you too, Acres of Diamonds was a speech delivered by Russel H. Conwell. He delivered it …
In a world so focused on the “new” there’s something incredibly valuable about returning to one’s roots in order to grow. . . . This 21-second video offers a sneak peek into the world where it all began for me: Theater. Whatever your field, whether sales, marketing, leadership, law, arts, education, entrepreneurship, advising, technology, …
A current area of interest for a lot of my clients is how to create a more connected culture–– one with less isolation and exhaustion, and with more collaboration and support. The focus is frequently on sweeping plans, new systems and structures but it’s so often in the micro-moments that the difference is really made. …
One question I get asked a lot (and got asked 3x last week) is how I stay in shape. So I made a video to provide a glimpse. It’s 33 seconds long. Ha. As a keynote performer, being in shape is part of my job… but I feel it’s part of each of our jobs …
“What do you mean by ‘collaborate’?” I smiled at John, a top executive at a multinational software company in Silicon Valley. The other execs in the room looked at me like I was insane. I was coaching 6 leadership team members on their presentations for the big upcoming company event. I continued. “What kinds of …
A Leadership Essential: Clarifying What Your Words Mean Read More »
The Sting Earlier this summer, I delivered a keynote to a few hundred people. It went well. I got a standing ovation. I received a lot of nice comments from audience members who stopped me after in the halls. But a few days later, my agent reached out to say the client “thought it was …
How to Turn a Client Setback Into a Significant Success Read More »
When I was a child, in late summer of every year, my mother would take me and my sister to the local shoe store to pick out our “school shoes” for the coming year. This was for me the start of a new year. I still feel that same excitement each September. Client projects are …
This past week, 3 consecutive flights were canceled for a trip to Ohio. So, I got in a rental car and drove 10+ hours through the middle of the night from Newark airport all the way to Columbus. Here’s a 1-minute video that tells the story. Driving was the only way I could get to …
