I did all the work, ran all the numbers, made the presentation look pretty, got dressed up, and… they didn’t even want to look at it. The whole conversation went somewhere else. I called the audible, focused in on what I should have been focused on in the first place, and got it done. Been … Continue reading The Power Of “I Don’t Get It”
Tag: movies
When It Rains, Get Wet
RZA said one of the best pieces of advice he ever heard came from Quincy Jones: “When it rains, get wet.” If something good is happening, partake. And not “good” meaning perfect, or positive, or not confusing, but… natural. Don’t grab an umbrella, don’t run inside, don’t hide from the tide - if it starts … Continue reading When It Rains, Get Wet
Podcast Of The Week: Quentin Tarantino
Oh to be a fly on the wall for this one. Rounders and Pulp Fiction were critical parts of my formative years, and I still hold these movies on such a pedestal when it comes to dialogue, stories, and character. To have the writers of each sitting together and geeking out over each other's work … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Quentin Tarantino
Podcast Of The Week: The Little Mermaid Was Wrong
Malcolm Gladwell’s at it again. If you grew up with/raised kids on Disney (and Disney princesses, and the like), you’ll want to pay attention to this one. The Little Mermaid, in the traditional sense, is a queer allegory. In the Disney sense it's an abuse of the understanding of contract law. In a cultural sense … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: The Little Mermaid Was Wrong
The Meaning Of Life Is That It Ends
Kafka said, “The meaning of life is that it ends.” How’s that for a reminder? And yet, meaning is squishy. It's not just what we focus on to find meaning, but if it deserves our focus. There's a lot of crap competing for our attention. Are we really just going to toss it away like … Continue reading The Meaning Of Life Is That It Ends
Sunday Music: Cause You’ve Got Soul, And Everybody Knows, And It’s All Right
How we talk to ourselves, how we think of our purpose, why we think we do or do not belong - these are the heavy, weighty, and extraordinarily beautiful concepts Soul wrestles with. I don’t care if you don’t have little kids in your life. I don’t care if you’re “too old for cartoons.” I … Continue reading Sunday Music: Cause You’ve Got Soul, And Everybody Knows, And It’s All Right
Podcast Of The Week: From Anxiety To Productivity With M. Night Shyamalan
Immigrant parents with a survival mindset. The terrifying, anxiety-inducing risks of failure (and not surviving). Why the enjoyment of creating joy is a business opportunity. These are just a few of the ideas in this podcast. I’ve always appreciated M. Night Shyamalan’s work, but this interview gave me a whole new level of respect for … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: From Anxiety To Productivity With M. Night Shyamalan
Doing Our Work Like It’s A 1000 Piece Puzzle
M. Night Shyamalan thinks his superpower is his anxiety. Will anybody care about his next project? Is this the one that flops irrecoverably? Is he ever going to figure out what the next story is (let alone his next signature plot twist)? He knows there’s only one thing to do with questions like that on … Continue reading Doing Our Work Like It’s A 1000 Piece Puzzle
Open With The Fire
Do you know why action movies start with a crazy fight scene? Because they’re action movies. The opening sequence is to affirm what we expect. We can find the same formulaic approach elsewhere too. Romance movies start with love, loss, or longing. Comedies start with a gag. Now, why would our work be any different? … Continue reading Open With The Fire
The Client Is Always The Hero
Smart businesses understand the client is always the hero of the story. We get it - you built something from nothing and rescue people from problems. It sounds very heroic, but it’s not actually our role. One clue is “I will save you” isn’t the tagline of any Fortune 500 companies. Another clue is we … Continue reading The Client Is Always The Hero