1. The Little Phoenix “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.” Bruce Lee 2. The Man in Black “How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man.” Johnny Cash 3. The Spokesman...

1. Continually Build Mental Models All of us tell ourselves stories about how the world works, how our relationships are going, and who we are whether we realize we’re doing it or not. Some of us build more robust stories than others. Psychologists refer to these stories as cognitive mental models. These models shape what we think, how we react, and...

Valuable lessons have a way of continually working their way back to the surface time and time again. This week’s repeating lesson: having the right people in the room. In my work, it makes sense to be vigilant about the details. The right venue can create an open environment. Great facilitators can move things along. The content is critical. But...

I spent the week developing and facilitating an innovation strategy with one of the most recognized CPG companies in the world. It’s been fascinating and challenging work. One of the challenges is the word strategy itself. It has become a bit of a business “suitcase word” used as a catchall in attempting to articulate what we’re working on and how...

In the last week, we ventured to the North East side of the island and spent our time hiking in the tropical rainforest, exploring the breathtaking Onomea Bay, and taking in one of the most incredible sunsets I’ve ever seen in between the Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes. The highlight, for me, was the time I got to spend with...

For the last few years, I’ve been coming to the Big Island Hawaii for many reasons. The largest of which is something about Hawaii – the land, the people, the ocean, the traditions – that “vibrates at a different frequency” in a such a way to recharge and focus me from my core. It’s hard to explain precisely what this...

Admittedly, when audiobooks started to gain traction I felt a sense of Ivy League defiance – listening to a book is not the same thing as reading a book, after all. Beyond my arrogance, I found this had little to do with the format itself and lots to do with my tactile need to interact with the content through scribbles...

In the context of setting out on the journey to write my second book, I’ve been thinking a lot this week about the changes needing to take place in myself to accomplish my goal. Here are four thoughts on how to get your mind right when approaching a new chapter of life. 1. Fight Resistance If you want to accomplish, learn, or...

All too often organizations from startups to enterprise growth teams go into growth mode before they are ready. Launching into growth too soon can squander resources, your customer's good will, and obscure successfully preparing for growth. Here are 5 reasons you shouldn't be focused on growth. Reason # 1: YOU DON’T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER The customer is at the core of...

Working on an innovation team is hard. Anyone who says different is just flat wrong. Not only does innovation work inherently mean you don't already know the answer; the complex dynamic of working on a team searching "in the wilderness" for answers to questions that likely haven't been asked before makes for a lethal one-two punch. In the midst of these challenges, most...