Perception is everything when it comes to shaping our impressions of people, places, groups and/or movements. The idea that a first impression can lead us to create fictitious story lines of each other – with hardly any depth of interaction – is a powerful tool. Or maybe a lethal weapon. This idea encouraged me to…

Succeed. Get better. Strive and push. Be smarter. Do more, faster. Isn’t that what progression is about, more or less? Aren’t these the words that (arguably) structure the ways we excel at what it is we do? Personally, these words, in mixed forms, serve as a reminder of how I need to operate day in…

For the majority of Americans, television is a constant and sometimes the focal point of households, especially for children. In 1969 television met education in what some would argue was the best and most methodical way possible. Sesame Street. If kids are going to binge on TV, then why not teach them at the same…

A daily self-imposed rule that I intently practice is that of never give unsolicited advice unless it’s my job or unless asked. Although my hyperactive mind is always spinning to create some sort of solution or stop gap for all problems that cross my path,  I know there’s nothing worse than a person who consistently…

“The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger. Suddenly they saw a traveler coming down the road, and the Sun said: “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveler to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin.” So the Sun…

Always plan ahead. Years ago Nestle became the company responsible for forming coffee culture in Japan. It started with an idea and conversation between the Nestle execs and a French marketing consultant, Clotaire Rapaille. Long story short: Nestle wanted to sell coffee (now known as Nescafe) in Japan. But Rapaille stopped them from unsuccessfully breaking…

We’re in a revolving door of FOMO (fear of missing out). For most of us, the first thing we do in the morning, before actually sitting up, is reach for our phone. Scrolling and scrolling until we think we’ve figured out what happened in the past 8 hours? I’m guilty of doing it and it…

Own it. Communicate your intentions. Learn. Get better. Mistakes. We all make them. Some people, more than others and sometimes they go undetected. This week I was asked a question that caught me off guard… “What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made and what changed from that point forward?” Instinctually these are the things about myself…

Know your boundaries and determine how much discomfort is tolerable. The goal is to do something different. The goal is to grow, but not too much too soon. There’s no way to learn where our true boundaries are set if we aren’t pushing ourselves beyond the four walls of our comfort zone. Knowing how far…

Over the weekend, a friend and I had a casual conversation about our careers. Nothing new. In fact, it’s a conversation that I can always rely on us having, but this time it was different. He said something that 1) made me remember why I enjoy these conversations and 2) sparked my thinking for this…

Let’s set the tone now… the word “sorry” is grossly overused. We say sorry when we don’t mean it and it happens more than we know. When you’re stuck in an awkward situation and you need to deliver bad news, then usually “I’m sorry” sneaks its way into the conversation. In reality you never wanted…

The ego versus reality is a long-standing battle that at some point has taken place in every mind, including yours. If you disagree, then either you’re lying or wildly delusional. Memory. We age and gradually life becomes more hectic than we remember in the past. Our memories are also put to the challenge of doing…