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Woody Allen is famous for saying, “Eighty percent of life is showing up.” I adamantly disagree. In my experience, eighty percent of life is following through. That’s what people notice. That’s what people remember. That’s what people are counting on. And since so much of the world sucks at it, today we’re going explore a collection of strategies to help you do so beautifully. But. This isn’t about goal…

Every speech I give is two speeches: (1) The speech my audience thinks they’re getting when they walk in the door, and (2) the speech my audience realizes they got when they walk out the door. The first speech changes each gig. Depends on the audience, depends on the venue and depends on the needs of the client. The second speech rarely changes. It’s almost always about commitment, consistency…

“Ideas are free; execution is priceless.” That’s my next book. That’s my company mantra. That’s my personal philosophy. Today we’re going to talk about a few things rich entrepreneurs know about execution: 1. Slow footedness is the enemy. My biggest takeaway from The Social Network was when Facebook nemesis Divya Narendra exclaimed, “Zuckerberg knows that getting there first is everything!” Sure enough, he was right. And that’s exactly how…

“I am large. I contain multitudes.” Walt Whitman wrote that in the 1860 edition of Leaves of Grass. Now, the way I see it, his words challenge the reader to do two things: First, recognize how much potential you actually have. Second, spend the rest of your life making use of everything you are. Here’s how: 1. Beware of editors. When I was a kid, my older brother used…

I’m sick and tired of people saying, “This, too, shall pass.” Worst. Consolation. Ever. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a nice cliché and everything. But it doesn’t change the fact that for a lot of people right now, life sucks. And the last thing they need is another marginally helpful, fluffy aphorism that sounds like the title of some heartwarming mini-series on Lifetime. People know this, too, shall pass….

Know your customer. Know your customer. Know your customer. Since day one, you’ve been beaten over the head with those three words. And while they’re important, there’s actually something bigger at stake: How well do your customers know you? ANSWER: Not enough. And if you think you don’t have customers, look harder. Everyone has customers. And they need to know who you are, where you are and why you…

Last week I wrote a post about making your messages more meaningful, more human and more heard. IN SHORT: Speaking straight to the heart of human experience. Does that describe your messaging? If not, consider these additional practices: 1. Recognize the humor and absurdity of being human. That’s what Scott Adams has been doing for over two decades. His Dilbert comics never fail to illustrate just how stupid, selfish…

“Damn it! Now why didn’t I think of that?” Wrong question. Because odds are, you probably did think of that. What I want to know is: *Why didn’t you write it down when you thought of it? *Why didn’t you Google the idea immediately to see if you were crazy? *Why didn’t you register the domain of the idea to secure ownership and protection? *Why didn’t you ask yourself…

The best way to win the game is to change the way it’s being played. That’s how you dwarf the competition. That’s how you reach the people who matter. That’s how you solidify your place in the history books. AND THE SECRET IS: It not important what game you change. It’s important why you want to change it. It’s important who you become while you change it. It’s important…

You can’t force people to join your organization. Not legally, that is. Don’t get any ideas. What you can do is increase the probability that people will join – simply by making yourself, your people and your organization more joinable. That means new approaches are required. And if you want to reach the people who matter, consider this counterintuitive suggestion: Instead of getting people to join you – try…