Late afternoon recently, the door bell rings. Normally, I check the camera, notice the salesman with their branded polo and clipboard, and ignore them. As I’ve previously shared, I’m not a fan of this style of marketing. Most pitches, in my experience, while designed to maximize and speed up trust, actually have the opposite effect. This time, I check the camera and – to my great surprise – I see a young girl, probably elementary school age. She seems to be alone and she looks scared. As a...
7 days ago • 2 min read
A few years ago I was about to kick off a big project. I was excited and eager to dive in, even though the scope of work was a little daunting. Now, I try to be a self-aware person, but even I get it wrong: I tend to be a chronic over-estimator of how long things will take. My gut reaction is to look at the looming work and think “OMG this will take forever.” As an Enneagram 5, I tend to be stingy with my time. My gut reaction is to protect it. I tend to be skeptical and immediately on guard...
14 days ago • 2 min read
I tend to have a big to-do list every weekend. I’m usually too ambitious and want to clean every square inch of the house, try a bunch of new experiments in the kitchen – oh and then deep clean the kitchen after that, and have a little family time too. And, most weekends… I get a little overwhelmed with the size of the list. Sometimes I sit and stare at it, unsure where to begin. It keeps happening though – as if I’m meant to learn the same lesson over and over until it sticks: “Oh right,...
21 days ago • 2 min read
This summer we lived through a kitchen remodel. We crammed our kitchen into dozens of boxes and built a temporary setup on a small IKEA table kitchen near the front door. It was exciting to see progress and challenging to live without a real sense of place. I don’t offer this as a complaint. I’m overjoyed we get to transform our home. At the same time, it's essential context: there was just a low hum of stress in our house for months. This was a summer of disruption. Disruption is neither...
28 days ago • 2 min read
In my last newsletter in May, I said: “I’ll be taking a break from the weekly newsletter this summer, giving myself time to recharge and focus on a few projects I’m excited to share with you this fall.” And I meant it. There was indeed a plan. Actually, it was more than a plan. Things were in motion. Things I was excited about. In fact, I was certain this plan was the right plan. And, then, none of it happened. None of it. What happened? In a word: perspective. The first two weeks of summer,...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Heads up! I’ll be taking a break from the weekly newsletter this summer, giving myself time to recharge and focus on a few projects I’m excited to share with you this fall. We spend so much of the year in motion: planning, building, solving, logistics, taking action. Intentional pauses create space to think big and explore something new (or rethink something old). It’s a chance to wipe the windshield clean and see things with a fresh perspective. And I’m really looking forward to it. 🤓 How...
5 months ago • 1 min read
I’ve written about a wide range of topics over the years and I want to know what you’ve found most valuable. Three quick questions: #1: When you think about the 321 LIftoff newsletters that stuck with you, what was the underlying theme? Building and growing a business (strategy, storytelling, money management, etc.) A mindset of adaptability, resilience, patience, etc. Personal development, like how to set and pursue goals Leadership – of your life, at work, in business, etc. #2: What helps...
5 months ago • 1 min read
I was walking home after dropping off my kids at school. I was moving quickly to try and get a few extra things done before my meetings started for the day. Mentally, I was already in work mode, stepping with authority in a kind of march toward my home office. Suddenly, I woke up from my trance. A little green hummingbird flew right in my path, just a few feet from my face. I could see it's tiny pink and purple feathers around it's neck It hovered there for what felt like a long time, just...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Ever feel a bit anxious on Sundays? The anticipation of the week ahead. The stress of a heavy to-do list. The worry that one of the many plates you’re spinning will fall. All of it casting a shadow over what is supposed to be precious time away from work. You want to be a person with a healthy work-life balance, a person with boundaries. But, sure enough, every Sunday those thoughts creep in, stealing your attention. For years, I felt the weight of the Sunday Night Blues (also called the...
6 months ago • 3 min read