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The pile never gets to zero. When we choose to go our own way, take the road less traveled and hire ourselves, there will always more to do, all the time, forever, until we die. Or go out of business. It’s an infinite regression. Like two opposing mirrors, Parkinson’s Law proves that the list of stuff to do, things to learn and people to contact will continue to refill…

I don’t remember not knowing what my passion was. Since I was four years old, I always had an honest understanding about what I loved, what I was good at and where I was born to invest meaning. Unlike a lot of the world, passion was never something I had to search for. It was just there. Waiting for me. But it’s not because I was special, it’s because…

There are four words we need to hear. “It was worth it.” Whether we’re interacting with customers, employees, students, vendors, fans, readers or listeners, the ultimate goal is to be worth it in their eyes. Worth noticing, worth crossing the street for, worth standing in line for, worth taking a picture of, worth paying extra for, worth showing off, worth socializing around, worth blogging about, worth sharing with others,…

A division of Brooklyn United, Brooklyn Digital Foundry directs and produces engaging video and visualization pieces to connect brands with online and offline audiences. I sat down with Brian Lemond and posted three crucial questions on belonging: 1. Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours? Both of our businesses,Brooklyn Unitedand theBrooklyn Digital Foundry, have grown up as DIY operations….

When I was twelve years old, my dad taught me how to play music. One of the first lessons he taught me was, it doesn’t matter how good the song sounds, as long as you start together and end together, you’re still a rockstar. And whether you’re playing music, pitching a customer, telling a story, professing your love, giving a speech, firing an employee or giving any kind of…

I started my business the day I graduated college. And unlike many of my counterparts, I had no debt to cover, no spouse to support, no kids to feed, no employees to motivate, no coworkers to support, no community responsibilities to fulfill and no social obligations to juggle. Sound liberating? It was. And I’m eternally grateful that I was in that position for so long. Certainly sustained my productivity….

Saying yes to uncompensated work can be a smart move. I’ve done a handful of pro bono gigs over the years that changed my career forever. But when we donate our services, our job as independent professionals is to set a precedent of value. To always remind buyers what the market pays us, even if they don’t. And to always alert buyers that our time isn’t just valuable –…

ROKKAN is an independently owned digital agency reinventing the way brands interact and engage with their consumers.  I sat down with co-founder Chung Ng, and posed three crucial questions about belonging: a) Good brands are bought, but great brands are joined. Why do you think your employees join yours? Time and time again, when a new hire joins our team, they talk about how it was the work and…

“Thank you for allowing me to learn something today.” That was the exit line from the customer service agent of Bank of America. Not, thank you for calling. Not, is there anything else I can do for you? Not, are you satisfied with your level of service today? Not, would you be willing to take a minute to answer our online survey about your customer experience for the chance…

As much as we seek consistency, there are parts of us that are always changing. What we thought was a cherished value was just a preference that was too convenient to be killed. What we thought was a limitation was just an illusion about what we can and can’t do. What we thought was a perfect future was just an outdated plan that had no relationship with reality. And…