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All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. And so, in this blog series, I’m going to…

Being religious about how you make your money is the quickest way to go out of business. Entrepreneurs need to give their little economic engine every possible advantage in the current postmodern landscape.  A useful practice for doing so is conducting an ongoing product and portfolio analysis. Getting in the habit of constantly evaluating your personal buying continuum, always looking for new ways to create value for people. Because…

I have a songwriter friend who once complained, I’m loving the music, but the music isn’t loving me back. I’m speaking to the universe, but the universe doesn’t giving a damn. What the hell?  It’s a struggle we can all relate to. The frustration of doing the work, but having nothing to show for it. When it feels like days, weeks and sometimes months are passing with nothing happening…

I have a friend who jokes that I should travel around with him as his official stenographer.  Apparently I possess the superpower of being a gifted note taker.  Which is amusing to me, since I never viewed taking notes as a useful skill. It’s just something I love to do. Not just because I’m a writer and sentences are my currency, but because mirroring people’s thoughts back to them,…

We all have those moments when we see through the matrix. When we realize, wow, if I don’t create my own structure, I’ll have to deal with somebody else’s. If I’m not clear about what I want, life will just happen to me.  I’ll never forget attending the job fair during my senior year of college. With a stack of resumes in my hand, I headed toward the auditorium….

All creativity begins with the moment of conception. That little piece of kindling that gets the fire going. That initial source of inspiration that takes on a life of its own. That single note from which the entire symphony grows. That single spark of life that signals an idea’s movement value, almost screaming to us, something wants to be built here. And so, in this blog series, I’m going to…

The big question is, do you have to make money before you can consider it a business? Does money have to go next to you when you act the way you act?  Not necessarily. At least, not in the early stages. Because in the beginning of the entrepreneurial journey, creating art is rarely economically rewarding in the way you want it to be. And that’s okay.  I remember when…

Truly creative people tend not to be motivated by money.  In fact, most artists struggle to even assign monetary value to their intellectual property, much less ask for the sale. It’s just how we’re wired. Being heard is job number one.  And yet, despite our most idealistic tendencies, our most benevolent nature and our most romantic notions, nothing beats getting paid. There is no close second to financial compensation. …

Mentoring isn’t a relationship, it’s an inheritance. The generous and wise people who take a real interest in our aspirations and encourage our goals and dreams, that’s a priceless asset.  I’ve been fortunate to have a galaxy of mentors over the years. Teachers, family members, coaches, advisors, guides, therapists, professors and industry veterans, all of whom saw something in me that somebody once saw in them, generously took me…

Onion articles never fail to make me laugh out loud.  I once read a piece addressed to recent college graduates, saying that the world would thwart every attempt they made to achieve even one of their goals, to the point where they would completely abandon every aspiration they ever had in their adult lives, leaving them no shred of hope for the future.  Satire doesn’t get much better than that. …