It’s Hard To Be Really Good At Anything You Don’t Think About In The Shower

A Paul Graham-ism that brings me comfort as I get water all over my bathroom floor while trying to record voice notes mid-shower, risking life and limb (and confusing my dog, who is patiently waiting for me to stay in the shower long enough to steal my socks).  It’s hard to do a really good … Continue reading It’s Hard To Be Really Good At Anything You Don’t Think About In The Shower

Mike Tyson, Little Mac, And Planning Around Getting Punched In The Face

Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” And who can disagree.  I like to think of this as the Mike Tyson Rule.  You know what you want to happen, but you also know reality is coming for you, it’s gonna punch you in the face, and your … Continue reading Mike Tyson, Little Mac, And Planning Around Getting Punched In The Face

Three Levels Of Teaming Up (VWW)

I've been doing a lot of team-building lately (hi Ben!), talking to my friends about team-building (David R., Dan M., Laurie H. - I see you), and reading/re-reading stuff with a particular eye on this (shoutout to the Digging The Greats "Soulquarians" episode especially). Here's my riff to the various levels of teaming up: There … Continue reading Three Levels Of Teaming Up (VWW)

Career Paths (The 3 E’s)

I have an emergent pet peeve: career advice that doesn’t align with the career path. Elon Musk’s morning routine doesn’t matter to an administrative assistant. And, for that matter, administrative assistants can end up happier and wealthier* than extravagant entrepreneurs, so maybe leave the morning routine be?  Differentiating between these paths is essential to giving … Continue reading Career Paths (The 3 E’s)

Respectful Disagreement (And Andy Warhol Disses)

We need friends who we both respect AND can disagree with.  Because there’s no growth without resistance.  Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe were that type of friends. They were also upward-bound artists.  Mapplethorpe loved Andy Warhol and wanted to be a part of his scene. Smith didn’t feel the same. But they were still deeply … Continue reading Respectful Disagreement (And Andy Warhol Disses)

Stutter (And Goal) Smashing Ken Sema

Ken Sema is a Swedish-born midfielder playing in the 2nd tier league of English football (soccer). And he has a stutter.  He’s not much for public speaking and isn’t seeking post-match interviews on a regular basis.  But after scoring twice to pull his team into a playoff spot, he gave this interview.  There’s nothing revelatory … Continue reading Stutter (And Goal) Smashing Ken Sema

Applying Les McKeown’s “Predictable Success” Map

Before we dive in: this is a slightly longer note than normal because I needed to riff on one of my favorite “business” books, "Predictable Success." One of my goals for 2023 is to write more posts about things I reference all of the time but don’t have an anchor - like this - to … Continue reading Applying Les McKeown’s “Predictable Success” Map