Happy New Year 2024! Your Year to Celebrate has arrived... Are you excited about what this new year could bring, or resigned to the idea that nothing will change for you? Making resolutions for the new year are so last millennium and didn't work for most of us anyway. Instead, creating an annual theme that's in alignment with your goals, dreams, and vision for your life makes more sense. While I found 2023 to be challenging for me on a personal level, that did not affect the way I have … [Read more...]
A Christmas Miracle
Christmas miracles come in all shapes and sizes, and when you're least expecting them to arrive... It was Christmas Eve in 2006 and I had been online as an entrepreneur for almost six months. I took a call that was intended for a family member who had just recently started a handyman service. I answered and the voice on the other end said... "Is the handyman available this afternoon or evening? I have some computers and equipment that need to be set up. I do realize it's Christmas … [Read more...]
The English Teacher
If you darken a door for too long, there's a chance you won't ever go inside... Mrs. Kranick could set up a scene that would come to life in my mind. It was 8th grade English class and I was struggling with my school work for the first time in my memory. Whether it was the clinking of champagne glasses at a cocktail party in Westport, Connecticut during the 1950s, or applying for credit at Sears to buy a guitar for her son's birthday and being turned down because her husband wasn't there to … [Read more...]
Success Habits to Create a New You
Develop Growth Mindset Success Habits Habits are something we all believe we know everything about, yet few of us actually know how to use success habits to create a new version of ourselves. When deciding what new habit to pursue, it's easy to look at all the things we shouldn't do as a place to begin. We want to stop smoking or stress eating. We want to learn how to say ‘no’ or to quit spending so much time on social media. Have you ever considered the flipside of all that by building a … [Read more...]
How Mad Money Led to a Decades Long Friendship
How the Concept of "Mad Money" Forged a Decades Long Friendship... We'd first met in person in the weeks before 9-11. Suzanne and my stepson, Nick had been married the year before and baby Melissa arrived a year to the day later. It was 2000 and international communication could be slow and awkward. There were faxes sent and cards mailed back and forth, and the occasional phone call where the minutes were carefully watched so no one would go over their budget. I finally made the trip in … [Read more...]
Productivity and Goal Setting for Writers and Entrepreneurs
Productivity and Goal Setting Are Achievable for Everyone... I've written and spoken on these topics in great detail over the years, but the truth is that productivity and goal setting go hand in hand. Here, I'm sharing my thoughts, ideas, and strategies on productivity and goal setting for writers and entrepreneurs because I believe our needs are quite different from those who identify in different ways. The Ivy Lee Method is a simple productivity technique that dates back to the early 20th … [Read more...]
Optimism As a Way of Living
Optimism as a way of living is currently in vogue. And it's true that optimism sets people apart from one another. Okay, I'll admit it... I'm optimistic most of the time. Throughout my life I've been called "Pollyanna" and most recently someone referred to me as being panglossian, which I had to look up. But what about the majority of people: Is this a common trait and state of mind? The good news is that studies by psychologists reveal that the majority of people are primarily optimistic. … [Read more...]
Don’t Overthink It… It’s Just Sunglasses
On Overthinking Your Life Experience... Every few months I find myself making the four-hour trek from my home in southern California over to Las Vegas. Sometimes I go there to speak at or to attend someone's marketing event, for years it was twice a year it's to host my own Weekend Marketer Workshop (I moved it to Manhattan Beach, California several years ago), and once in a while, it's just to see a show and enjoy some time away from my business with friends, family members, or even by … [Read more...]
Inspired Actions and Focus: The Secret to Life!
The Secret to Life... the Life You Want and Deserve... is Inspired Actions If you heard me say that inspired actions and focus lead to powerful results, would you believe me? I want you to think about how you feel about your life and the work you do. Is it a joyous experience, or are there times when you feel like you'd prefer to create a brand new life for yourself? In my case, I made the conscious decision in 2005 to spend a year preparing to resign from my job as a classroom teacher … [Read more...]
Dancing Beneath the Hunter’s Moon
Reflections... on dancing beneath the Hunter's Moon I hope you were able to see the gorgeous "Hunter's Moon" in the night's sky at the end of October. It will still be visible tonight, depending on where you are in the world. I learned to love moon lore from my friend, colleague, and co-author Geoff Hoff. We met in an online group in 2008, and the following year he came to Las Vegas to cheer me on as I participated in and won the "Better Your Best" contest that came with a 25K cash prize. … [Read more...]