Reader, If asking a question is not a test of your value then why do we often treat it like one? We think asks are a sign of weakness. Or worse, can reflect something about our identity or our worth. One CEO begrudgingly shared she’d just lost a foundational client. Knowing she needed to replace that revenue quickly, we discussed a plan to rebuild her pipeline. The fastest path to new business is always through the people who already know your value. I invited her to consider a short email to...
about 13 hours ago • 3 min read
Reader, When everyone has access to more knowledge, what makes you valuable? For most of our careers, knowing more created an advantage. It was your slight edge. Today, I can ask AI to explain an industry I’ve never worked in, summarize 20 years of research, analyze a business problem, teach me a skill, or give me 50 ideas in seconds. So can you. AI is the knowledge equalizer. I distinguished myself for years by being prepared and knowing my clients and my people deeply. I spent two hours a...
8 days ago • 3 min read
Reader, It was 4:30 in the afternoon when a meeting invitation landed on my calendar. 5:00 PM. The CEO’s office. I knew what it meant. I was about to meet the man who would become my new boss. I had 30 minutes to prepare. But prepare for what? I had been at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for almost 20 years. I had grown up inside that company—through six roles, sitting on the launch teams for four magazines, marthastewart.com and MARTHA TV, and going through an IPO, public scrutiny, and...
22 days ago • 4 min read
Reader, I almost said no to one of the best dinners I've had all year because I wasn't sure I belonged at the table. I was at the National Speakers Association annual conference - a newbie, my first time. I had a conversation with someone who recognized me from a virtual event in 2020, and he asked me if I’d like to join him for dinner with a few others. I was attending the event with a few other speakers and waffled on the decision. Questioning whether I should hang with my speaker friends...
29 days ago • 4 min read
Reader, This week, I spoke to a room filled with accomplished leaders from higher education, healthcare, and leadership development. After I presented The Vision Gap, many stayed to talk about the same question: “I’m having trouble seeing what’s next.” For their organizations. For their careers. For themselves. These people weren't lacking ambition, talent, tenacity, or training. They were lacking clarity. We get so busy doing what today demands—checking off the never-ending to-dos, solving...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Reader, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” — Wayne Dyer I love this quote, and I found myself thinking about it differently after three days in Keystone, Colorado last week. What happens when you change the way you look at yourself? I cried in Keystone and I laughed until my stomach hurt. I spent three extraordinary days with a small group of wildly accomplished women who are less interested in proving how successful they are and far more interested in...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Reader, I went to Scotland a few weeks ago, spending time in Edinburgh and St. Andrews—one of my mother's favorite places in the world. In St. Andrews, we toured a Scotch whisky distillery to sample what the Scots affectionately call the country's "mother's milk." I'm a bourbon fan, but when in Scotland... I learned about barrel aging and the Angel's Share—the portion of whisky that evaporates each year as it matures—more on that in a future post, but what intrigued me is what happens before...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, After Martha returned from prison, we were rebuilding the business and advertiser confidence, trying to convince the market and disbelievers that our best days were ahead of us. We wanted to make a splash at one of the industry's biggest conferences. Where the entire market was hoping to capture attention, generate meetings, and win new business. The pens, tote bags, and giveaways of the day were all a part of it. The pressure to perform often results in everyone looking the same....
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, I asked several people who spoke to me after a recent keynote what their biggest takeaway was — and I heard the same answer from all of them: my 20% impact. It's also how you responded. A few weeks back, I asked what you wanted me to write about, and 37% of you said the same thing: Identifying the 20% that creates 80% of my results. We all want more impact. To feel we are doing meaningful work, even significant work. But the pressures of the day often pull us away from the work that...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, I've been watching some of the World Cup. I'm not a soccer fan, but when it's being played in the U.S. alongside my kids' fandom, I've joined in. I asked my son what's up with the pink cleats [in other parts of the world they are called boots]. Pink is all over the pitch. He shared that it's not just one brand but many sneaker brands in pink. Nike. Adidas. Puma. New Balance. Skechers. Five competitors, one color across the pitch. Turns out, five brands read the same trend forecast and...
3 months ago • 2 min read