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A is for ATTITUDE B is for BREAK PATTERNS C is for CONSISTENCY D is for DISCIPLINE E is for EVOLUTION F is for FRIENDLINESS G is for GOOD WITH NAMES H is for HAPPINESS I is for IDEAS J is for JOY K is for KNOWLEDGE L is for LAUGHTER M is for MUNDANE N is for NAMETAGS O is for OFF BUTTON P is for PAINT YOURSELF…

You gotta love the opening scene of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. The former presidential candidate takes the stage, PowerPoint clicker in-hand. His famous Global Warming Slideshow appears on the enormous screen in the background. Thousands of bright-eyed college students anxiously await his opening remarks. The applause fades. The crowd falls silent. And the first words out of Al Gore’s mouth are, “Hello, my name is Al Gore, and…

On the shelves of my father’s library, I recently found a book called Dare to Live, by Joe D. Batten. First published in 1966, this was one of the first titles in Batten’s extenstive leadership library. Over the decades, Joe went on to accomplish great things in the world of “Tough Minded Management.” He was also Ross Perot’s mentor. Can I finish? He was also among the first professional…

I had a chance to catch up with Oregonian Tim “Gonzo” Gordon this week. We chatted about nametags, speaking, writing books, mentors, and the “weirdness” of the Rose City. NOTE: I’ve been slacking on the podcasts lately, so it’s nice to finally post another audio clip. Enjoy! Gonzo Podcast #54 LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do you think there varying types of “weird people” out there? * * *…

A is for ATTITUDE B is for BREAK PATTERNS C is for CONSISTENCY D is for DISCIPLINE E is for EVOLUTION F is for FRIENDLINESS G is for GOOD WITH NAMES H is for HAPPINESS I is for IDEAS J is for JOY K is for KNOWLEDGE L is for LAUGHTER M is for MUNDANE N is for NAMETAGS O is for OFF BUTTON P is for PAINT YOURSELF…

Nope, it isn’t “marketing.” Wrong, it ain’t “credibility.” And no, it’s not “Oprah.” The most important word in any author’s vocabulary is: platform. Here’s what that means: • A platform is what helps sell books • A platform is the way you reach readers • A platform is your expertise on your book’s topic(s) • A platform is a network of notoriety and exposure • A platform is how…

You could argue that free is bad: That free gives no value. That free wastes people’s time. That free is setting your business up for failure. Or you could argue that free is good: That free DOES give value. That free captures attention. That free brings customers into your sales funnel. I’m gonna go with door #1. For 6 reasons: FREE helps others. Don’t be selfish with your knowledge….

Lately, a lot of people have been asking me the following question: “How much information should you put on your nametag?” I say: nothing but your first name. Here’s why… It’s simple. Too many nametags are jam-packed with too much information, thus decresing the font size of each word, thus making the nametag harder to read. First name is enough. It’s easier to remember. Sigmund Freud explained that “a…

A is for ATTITUDE B is for BREAK PATTERNS C is for CONSISTENCY D is for DISCIPLINE E QTis for EVOLUTION F is for FRIENDLINESS G is for GOOD WITH NAMES H is for HAPPINESS I is for IDEAS J is for JOY K is for KNOWLEDGE L is for LAUGHTER M is for MUNDANE N is for NAMETAGS O is for OFF BUTTON Lately, many of my clients,…

When I read Seth’s manifesto on Gaping Void yesterday, it truly inspired me. I’ve actually been wanting to finish my own manifesto for a while now. Thanks to Seth, this week I finally got around to it: HELLO, my name is Manifesto 1. Friendly always wins. Because it’s easier. Because, shockingly, not enough people are friendly. And because our world needs it. 2. Consistency is far greater than rare…