Behind everything is a market

Been thinking about this for a while now.
I wonder about the root causes behind things. How it got started, how it ended up where it is today.
Like, why is Chicago situated geographically where it is? Why not 10 miles further north? Or, why do insurance companies mostly congregate in Des Moines and Hartford? Or even, [...]

Checkboxes

I have an ongoing debate with a good friend of mine.
Right now he’s in the middle of grad school, getting his MBA. He’s always been a go-getter, so it’s not surprising he’s getting an advanced education so young (he had to extra-apply to get into what is traditionally an MBA program for older professionals). His [...]

The short dance

I have been mulling over this post for almost a week now. I can basically sum it up like this:
It’s possible. It’s not easy and it isn’t for everyone, but you can do it.
I’m talking about doing what you love, about changing the world–in both big or small ways–and fighting for a belief (or finding [...]

94

It officially took 94 posts until this blog–this personal rally flag of mine–landed me a dream opportunity.
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining Andy Sernovitz and his crew at GasPedal as their editor. I’ll be writing blog posts, newsletter articles and anything else that comes my way.
In about two weeks I’ll be (hopefully) settled [...]

Infinite

Of all of Hugh MacLeod’s cartoons, this one speaks to me above all others.
I think I find it so compelling because it sums up in nine words what I’ve tried to say in 90-some blog posts.
I was reminded of it when Hugh posted it along with his interview of Seth Godin. They talk about Seth’s new book, Tribes, [...]

Missions

Give your followers a mission.
If you’ve got employees, donors, supporters, students, fans, whatever… you owe it to them to give them a mission. And the simpler the better.
Missions lead to goals, to accomplishments, to a sense of purpose and to a more rewarding experience. It’s equally true for work as it is for youth baseball.
So this is [...]

How do you know when you’ve found it? A CEO and author’s response

I had the opportunity today to speak with a pretty smart guy. He’s an author and a CEO of a growing company doing some exciting stuff.
So I asked him, “What drives you? And how did you know when you found it?”
He responded by saying that you don’t know. You just start doing stuff and testing [...]

The Dip

The Dip is Seth Godin’s little 80-page book that teaches you that winners quit all the time.
Everything you start–from hobbies to relationships to jobs–has a dip. The dip is the lull following the honeymoon period when everything is new and exciting. Every journey has a dip.
On the other side of the dip lie the rewards and [...]

Night Ranger and the power of saying what we’re all thinking

So last night I rocked out to a concert of two bands older than I am.
Night Ranger opened for Foreigner, and to put it into perspective, Night Ranger’s Sister Christian and I both turned 24 this year. Even better: Foreigner’s tour is sponsored by AARP.
And here’s the thing with any classic rock concert: We were [...]

Pedal

Photo by night86mare
I’m out. I’m going “off the grid” this weekend and I’m pumped.
Without going into much detail, imagine canoes, beer, lots of friends and family and glassy rock-bottom water so clear you can see the fish swimming along. You start to get the idea.
As I head out, I’ll share this bit of advice from Dick Costolo, [...]