This Is Not ClickbaitHi Reader, Just around a decade ago, I wrote a weekly blog on business strategy that eventually got picked up and was syndicated. I did that for about 8 months before I just couldn't keep it up. I was pulling all-nighters to hit my self-imposed deadline most weeks, stressing over every word, image, link, and headline. Perhaps, worst of all, I hated that crash of disappointment when I didn't get the response I was hoping for after hitting 'Publish.' Even when one of my posts did go "viral", or…Keep Reading
Flip The ScriptHi Reader, Earlier this week, I wrapped up the 6.5 week class I've been teaching for New York City Small Business Services with 15 fantastic business owners who wanted to dive into growth strategy and create a scalable three-year plan. It's the first time I've taught this class since the pandemic. It was also the first time I taught it remotely. So, I spent a lot of April crafting a new curriculum with loads of updated and new lessons and resources. When I started building the updated…Keep Reading
Shall I Compare Thee…?Hi Reader, The other week, a young web designer asked me how she could distinguish herself from other freelancers offering the same types of services. I'll be honest, this question always makes me think of Jeff Bezos talking about how, in building Amazon, he didn't focus on the competition but on customers. As a result, his competition began to focus more and more on Amazon as it ate up more and more of the marketplace. In other words, Amazon distinguished itself from the competition by…Keep Reading
Off the Beaten PathHi Reader, This past July 4th weekend, one of the guys who works in my apartment building jokingly said to me, "I think we're the only two people left in the building this holiday weekend." I've never, personally, enjoyed traveling on holidays. Sitting in traffic. Waiting in long lines. Feeling like part of a crowd. It's not for me. Instead, I like to look at the mass exodus of holiday travel as a unique opportunity—especially here in New York—to enjoy the more relaxed pace and unique…Keep Reading
Prep for SuccessHi Reader, A few weekends ago, I had a truly awful and thoroughly frustrating experience with Verizon Fios through their live chat customer support. I spent over an hour typing messages back and forth with their rep only to wind up back where I started our conversation. I'll be honest, I'd love to blame the rep, but I really can't. This is a failure of the organization that employs him. He only has the resources and tools they make available to him, and clearly, these were inadequate for the…Keep Reading
Everything That's Not an ElephantThe other week I spent the afternoon binge-watching the HBO Now show "Julia" with my mom. It was actually the second time watching for me and mom's first. In one of the episodes, Julia's editor Judith Jones meets with her most prestigious client, a young John Updike, fresh off the success of his National Book Award-winning debut novel "Rabbit Run." Judith is giving Updike some sage insight into how he might improve his follow-up effort, "Rabbit Redux." Updike looks at her with amazement on…Keep Reading
Hi Reader, Just around a decade ago, I wrote a weekly blog on business strategy that eventually got picked up and was syndicated. I did that for about 8 months before I just couldn't keep it up. I was pulling all-nighters to hit my self-imposed deadline most weeks, stressing over every word, image, link, and headline. Perhaps, worst of all, I hated that crash of disappointment when I didn't get the response I was hoping for after hitting 'Publish.' Even when one of my posts did go "viral", or…Keep Reading
Hi Reader, Earlier this week, I wrapped up the 6.5 week class I've been teaching for New York City Small Business Services with 15 fantastic business owners who wanted to dive into growth strategy and create a scalable three-year plan. It's the first time I've taught this class since the pandemic. It was also the first time I taught it remotely. So, I spent a lot of April crafting a new curriculum with loads of updated and new lessons and resources. When I started building the updated…Keep Reading
Hi Reader, The other week, a young web designer asked me how she could distinguish herself from other freelancers offering the same types of services. I'll be honest, this question always makes me think of Jeff Bezos talking about how, in building Amazon, he didn't focus on the competition but on customers. As a result, his competition began to focus more and more on Amazon as it ate up more and more of the marketplace. In other words, Amazon distinguished itself from the competition by…Keep Reading
Hi Reader, This past July 4th weekend, one of the guys who works in my apartment building jokingly said to me, "I think we're the only two people left in the building this holiday weekend." I've never, personally, enjoyed traveling on holidays. Sitting in traffic. Waiting in long lines. Feeling like part of a crowd. It's not for me. Instead, I like to look at the mass exodus of holiday travel as a unique opportunity—especially here in New York—to enjoy the more relaxed pace and unique…Keep Reading
Hi Reader, A few weekends ago, I had a truly awful and thoroughly frustrating experience with Verizon Fios through their live chat customer support. I spent over an hour typing messages back and forth with their rep only to wind up back where I started our conversation. I'll be honest, I'd love to blame the rep, but I really can't. This is a failure of the organization that employs him. He only has the resources and tools they make available to him, and clearly, these were inadequate for the…Keep Reading
The other week I spent the afternoon binge-watching the HBO Now show "Julia" with my mom. It was actually the second time watching for me and mom's first. In one of the episodes, Julia's editor Judith Jones meets with her most prestigious client, a young John Updike, fresh off the success of his National Book Award-winning debut novel "Rabbit Run." Judith is giving Updike some sage insight into how he might improve his follow-up effort, "Rabbit Redux." Updike looks at her with amazement on…Keep Reading