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I once convinced the entire staff of a sushi restaurant to wear nametags. Not on purpose. Like most things in life, it just kind of happened. The waitress asked why I was wearing a nametag, so I told her. She seemed to like it. So much so, that she asked if I had any extra nametags with me. Which I did. So I pulled a spare out of my…

I’m always making something. Books, blogs, speeches, songs, training modules, concerts, podcasts, thinkmaps, brandtags, software, strategies, videos, notes, just to name a few. But what about the works in progress? What about the exciting projects that aren’t finished yet? That’s what this page is for.  To remind you (and myself, I suppose), what’s in the hopper.  Now, although I can’t give away too many juicy details––after all, the first rule…

Inhaling is a key part of my meaning making mission. I usually spend the first hour of my day scouring and learning and reading and annotating from any number of newspapers, blogs and online publications. By the time I’m done, my desktop is littered with new documents and ideas and perspective and insight. And my brain is ignited and ready to engage. I’ve been practicing this daily ritual for…

I like people who join people. They’re the ones you don’t even have to ask. The ones who just want to be part of everything. Whatever you’re doing, whatever you’re thinking, whatever you’re feeling, they’re happy to be there. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. On board at a moment’s notice. It’s the opposite of pulling teeth. Relentless affirmation. Instant encouragement. Endless participation. Radical acceptance. You’re never met with a tilted head….

Everyone has religion. Whether god is involved or not. In fact, the world religion literally means, “to link back.” So it’s less about an omnipotent power and more about an organizing principle. Our religion is the one thing in our life that all the other things in our life link back to. Kelly Slater says surfing is his religion. Olivia Newton John says nature is her religion. Quentin Tarentino…

When I was a kid, I knew I was going to be a writer. Because I already was one. Writing wasn’t my dream, it was my dominant reality. I can’t remember not doing it. It was the only territory I could always go to. The only instrument I could always just play. The one activity that, when I did it, put me back together again. If writing wasn’t the…

When I was in college, I had lower back problems. Which is kind of embarrassing when you’re only nineteen and everybody expects you to be strong and flexible and resilient. But your body never bullshits you. I remember my low point. Literally and figuratively. It was the summer before junior year. Just another night at our house. One minute I was eating dinner with my family, the next I…

Every year, our family has a gift exchange. But it’s not the typical snow globes and picture frames and ugly sweaters. Our tradition is, you have to make your gift. By hand. From scratch. What’s beautiful is, every gift is amazing in its own right. Over the years people have made leather belts, musical instruments, hot sauce dispensers, custom designed clothing, carry on luggage, even fine art pieces. Proving…

Nobody cares about nametags. But I do. Probably more than anyone on the planet. In fact, caring is an understatement. Nametags are an obsession. A religion. An addiction. A pathological psychosis. At least that’s what my therapist says. But here’s the interesting part. A few years into my nametag crusade, once I started caring and believing and committing to this thing that was meaningful to me––even if it was…

Yelp is great for reviews, but it’s gold for research. Where else can you find such timely, honest and accurate insight into the user experience? Where else can you gain such an intimate perspective about what really happens in a store, at a home or on a job site? Recommendation websites are veritable smorgasbords for cutting straight to the heart of the many problems customers are waking up with…