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A nametag isn’t just a sticker; it’s a statement. About friendliness. About identity. About culture. About human nature. Now, as The World’s Expert on Nametags, I’m not suggesting you should wear a nametag everyday. However, in my experiences over the past 3,000 days, I’ve discovered a series of simple truths that answer the question, “What’s in a nametag?” THEREFORE: My challenge you to is twofold: (1) consider the following…

A few weeks ago I sat down with my STL homebody, David Siteman Garland, for an interview me on his new show, The Rise to the Top. We chatted about branding, writing, commitment and, of course, waking up early. Watch both segments of our episode here! LET ME ASK YA THIS… How will you rise to the top? LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “22 Questions to…

If you don’t have a “real” job, keep reading. Because one the biggest challenges of being a solo practitioner, entrepreneur, independent contractor or self-employed spare-room-tycoon .. is the loneliness. It sucks. You have no coworkers, save your dog. You have no employees, save your spouse. And you have few local customers, or if you DO, you don’t see them that often. Bummer. You have nobody that’s going to make…

1. Develop burning desire. You have to be on fire or else you will not succeed. You have to sustain an undousable flame in your belly or else you will not survive the cruelty that naturally gravitates to those who boldly venture out of their wussy little boxes. Are you on fire yet? 2. Develop deeper silences. That’s where you hear the good stuff. The stuff this noisy world…

1,400. That’s how many pages are in War & Peace. Making it one of the longest novels in the history of literature. This little piece of trivia isn’t exactly obscure. Anyone with access to Google, Amazon or Wikipedia could figure that out in about seven seconds. But what you might NOT have discovered in your Internet search about author Leo Tolstoy is that during the time it took him…

Past Posts ATTRIBUTE #1: Have conversations that change people. ATTRIBUTE #2: Meet people where they are. Today’s Post ATTRIBUTE #3: Vortex people in. My high school English teacher, mentor and close friend, William Jenkins, is the consummate example of this attribute. He’s the kind of guy whose presence you value SO much, that when you’re with him, simply “absorbing who he is” is enough. Whether you’ve taken his class…

FACT: If you’re a writer and you’re using Oprah as an example of “effective personal branding,” you’re not a very creative writer. Nobody can relate to Oprah. In the history of the world, nobody ever has, nor ever will, be able to relate to Oprah. I don’t care how “regular” she claims to be on her show. She simply has too much money, too much power and too many…

What did you used to build as a kid? Lego houses? Popsicle stick sculptures? Bunk-bed spaceships? In my family, we built forts. Give us a few blankets, a couple of chairs and an afternoon to kill, and my brother and I were SET. Structurally, they didn’t always work out the way we planned. Apparently stacking seven bar stools upside down on top of a porcelain elephant lacked the architectural…

If you want to learn a LOT about someone quickly, just ask that person to take you through her daily routine. Nothing is more revealing. GREAT EXAMPLE: During a recent coaching call, my client explained that her biggest challenge as an entrepreneur was translating her overflowing passion, energy and ideas into tangible things. In short: Taking Action. “Heidi, can you take me through a typical day for you?” I…

In ONE word: Relax. In TWO words: Be prepared. In THREE words: Ask better questions. It FOUR words: Any time, any place. In FIVE words: Incorporate passion into the conversation. In SIX words: Develop and maintain mutually valuable relationships. In SEVEN words: Articulate what you do quickly and memorably. In EIGHT words: Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. In NINE words: Encourage people to approach you by…