People think that being “average” at something is inherent. You’re either born “great” or you’re born average. And worse, once you become average, then you can no longer improve. They believe it’s set in stone and there’s nothing they can do about it. They are just, well, average. Consider this… The next time
Being a business owner is not easy. At the end of the day, everything falls on your shoulders. Even if it’s not “your responsibility,” it’s all you’re responsibility. It’s a career path not meant for everyone — and those that pursue it for themselves can all relate to each other in some very fundamental
About 6 months before I took the leap from my 9–5 job, I told my dad I was thinking about leaving to start my own thing. “Then you should go to business school,” he said. Hundreds of moments from my formal education came to mind: Falling asleep in algebra and having
You want a raise. You feel you’re worth more. Your responsibilities have increased. You are getting the work done — and done well. You feel like it’s time to have “the talk.” How do you walk in, take a seat in front of your boss, and get a raise? Here’s how. 1. Walk
In the past 5 years, I have written over 4,000 articles on the Internet. That’s not an exaggerated number. As a result, I’ve learned a tremendous amount regarding what resonates with readers and what doesn’t. Originally motivated by my own desire to “make it” as a writer, throughout my journey
When you are given a Question to Answer, the writing process happens so much more naturally — and the reason is because Questions provide two things: context and audience. A blank page has neither. Let’s say you want to write about the process of waking up early, pouring yourself a cup of
These days, I feel the same way I felt as a teenager, shouting from the rooftops of how important the Internet was going to be, only to be told that it was just a “trend.” This is a true story: In 2008, I attended one of the top journalism schools in
The term “thought leader” is one of the most misunderstood titles in business. Tied for first is the term “influencer.” But the truth is, most people are neither. They’re not influential, and they aren’t a Thought Leader. And the reason is because they don’t understand what game they’re actually playing. Being
At a certain point, every founder comes to a crossroads. “Is this a small business? A medium-sized business? Am I trying to build the next hundred-million user platform?” The vast majority of companies start as small businesses — and actually, remain small businesses (since that’s the underlying foundation of our
Entrepreneurs love to live in the clouds. It’s so much easier to talk about the big vision, the grand achievement, the cliche mantras that those who have already achieved “success” claim inevitably ladder up to a massively successful business. But the moment you become an entrepreneur and step into the