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Ideas are your major source of income. As such, you need to become a MASTER of entertaining those ideas. Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Note the distinction. He’s talking about being objective. Being open. Brainstorming. Considering the possibility that an idea MIGHT be good. Or, that it might suck. You won’t know until…

I was walking down the Las Vegas Strip one day when I saw the coolest t-shirt of all time. A teenager was wearing it. The front was emblazoned with the New York Yankees logo. Right above it in big, bold letters, it said: DO THE MATH. It took me a second, but eventually I figured it out. See, you can talk all you want about how much you hate…

1. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If everybody loves it. 2. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If nobody wants to steal it. 3. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can easily duplicate it. 4. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you don’t have them at hello. 5. Your idea probably isn’t that good … If you can’t explain it to…

If you can’t define your product … it doesn’t exist. Because a confused mind never buys. If you don’t have a unique product … it doesn’t exist. Because a choice-saturated mind never buys. If it doesn’t exist on the Internet … it doesn’t exist. Not just a web-SITE; a web-PRESENCE. Octopus, not earthworm. If you can’t Google it … it doesn’t exist. What happens when someone googles your name?…

I was once forbidden from entering into a dance club because I was wearing my nametag. Another time I got kicked out of a fancy restaurant for wearing my nametag. And a few years ago, I dated a girl who was so uncomfortable with my nametag that she stopped going out with me. I know. Ridiculous. But hey, that’s cool. Those are the types of people and places I…

I’ve been writing books since I was 21. But, I didn’t find my true author’s voice until I was about 25. It comes with the territory. Whether you’re a rock star, a artist or a business owner, you’ve got to “get the shanks out.” LESSON LEARNED: be willing to suck in the beginning. Dare to do it badly. Seek progress, not perfection. Spend some time paying (or playing) your…

1. Hang with it. Keep daily appointments with yourself. Clear it. Set aside time to just think. Encourage your mind to get better by doing creativity exercises. 2. Feed it. Read more books; watch less TV. Go for more walks. Exercise rhythmically for 30 minutes a day to flood it with endorphins and expand its idea-generating prowess. Have regular conversations with super-smart, creative people. 3. Listen to it. Figure…

Today is day 2,500! Man, that’s almost seven years. Wow, what a ride it’s been so far! Can’t wait to see what the next 2,500 days brings! Anyway, I’ve been saving this post for just the right occasion… * * * * Last night I asked my friend Maria, “What was the major contributor to your success?” She told me that when she married a man from a different…

Yes, all that positive attitude stuff is TOTALLY corny. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I say: Believe in whatever makes you more focused. Believe in whatever makes you more motivated. Believe in whatever makes you more productive. Because if you have a negative attitude, all the nametags in the world won’t make you more approachable. Which means: It’s about your thinking. It’s about your questions. It’s about…

Companies who GET talked about GET business. That’s why you need to differentiate with remarkable service. See, in a market with infinite choices, the only thing that stands out in customers’ minds … is something cool. Something unexpected. Something worth talking about. Because (unfortunately) … nobody notices normal. SO, HERE’S THE KEY: seek to create insistent – not just satisfied or loyal – customers for life. One suggestion is…