If you were an 80s kid you recall the whole going out to play after dinner and coming home before the street lights come on thing. You may also recall that most folks’ parents had some sort of whistle or call, a code that said - get your a$$ ho

Raising the Bar

12 days ago 9m 8s

I’m not sure when it happened but at some point, good healthy competition and the drive for self-improvement and growth became a zero sum game where one person’s success was only valued at the cost of someone else. That the climb to the top be

Taking a Stand or a Position

19 days ago 10m 55s

I grew up in a family where I was taught that speaking up and using your voice matters. That having beliefs and standing by them, matters. Today’s world, though, seems saturated with folks who are so focused on doing that, they lock into where

Ain't Over Till It's Over

26 days ago 7m 54s

Ah the joy of musical memories. Experiences, thoughts and phrases that trigger some song or another in my head. In the case of this week’s episode, though I reference Kate Smith and the whole “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings” thing, the s

The Problem is How You See the Problem with GUEST Lisa Kalmin

Apr 10th, 2024 50m 9s

This is a very special episode. Both because I diverge from my usual format and because of the incredible guest whose wisdom you get to experience. Her name is Lisa Kalmin and she is among the elite in the world of Transformational Leadership.

Take the Red Pill

Apr 3rd, 2024 12m 31s

It’s one of the key moments in the movie The Matrix. That moment when Neo chooses the “red pill”. Now if you haven’t seen the movie, that makes no sense. So if that’s the case, here’s a metaphor that might work - the idea that you cannot un-bak

Falling Down

Mar 27th, 2024 12m 56s

When you’re learning to walk, no one berates you for falling down. Somehow, once we get older, falling down is seen as humiliation. Embarrassment. And that applies whether that falling down is literal or figurative. Last thing you want to do is

Don't Ask Why

Mar 20th, 2024 11m 53s

We’re taught to listen to authority. Kids learn to ask “Why?” and parents respond “Because I said so.” Over time, we question, query and dig underneath. Today’s culture - saturated by psychotherapy and coaches - encourages people to ask “What’s

Burn Baby Burn (Book)

Mar 13th, 2024 14m 26s

When I heard Kara Swisher was writing her memoir, Burn Book, I couldn’t wait. Besides being one of - if not the - most influential Journalists covering Silicon Valley and tech at the rise of the Internet Age, she’s a stupendous writer, and is n

Balance

Mar 6th, 2024 14m 30s

When you think about balance, what comes up for you? Do you go immediately to the ever-present impossible expectation of life/work balance? If so, this episode is absolutely for you. It’s about a terrifying experience I had with literal balance

Where Do You Belong?

Feb 28th, 2024 11m 48s

Where do YOU belong? Where is the place you just fit, no matter what? The whole idea of “home is where the heart is” has such value - and it’s not just about the heart. Those online “quizzes” that ask the question - “where would YOU prefer to

Currency of Gossip

Feb 21st, 2024 10m 30s

This week, inspired by a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, I ponder the value that society places on one of the most toxic behaviors around communication - gossip. Let’s be clear - we all have done or do it. Everyone. So let’s take a deep breath. T

Power in PAWS

Feb 14th, 2024 13m 15s

Some topics just like to stick around. Pausing. Silence. The power that comes from taking … a … breath. This week, the power of the pause (but that’s always PAWS for me). How do dogs stay in the moment and what can we learn from that and how do

Poetry and POWER of Silence

Feb 7th, 2024 11m 41s

This week another meander into a concept that everyone seems to “get” and plenty of people talk about. But for some reason, most folks have their heads shoved squarely up their a$$ when it comes to what it *actually* means. The power of sil

Brutal Honesty is Bullsh*t

Jan 31st, 2024 11m 30s

Last week I talked about how context is bullsh*t. Since there’s so much shit around these days, figured taking on the ridiculous premise of “brutal honesty” would be next. Put simply, #brutalhonesty is a load of horsesh*t. The word brutal lit

Context is Nothing

Jan 24th, 2024 10m 39s

Amazing how words and concepts get hijacked and bastardized. Because OF COURSE communication has a level of context to it. Saying “I love you” for example in one setting (like to a friend) has an entirely different meaning when looking into the

I Am An Oak Tree

Jan 17th, 2024 12m 2s

If you were a tree, what kind would you be? It’s one of the oldest urban legend interview stories. It’s said that Barbara Walters famously asked that of Katharine Hepburn. Turns out the actual interview didn’t go that way, but Hepburn DID note

Getting Baked

Jan 10th, 2024 11m 44s

This is about cookies. Bet you saw the title and thought this was about something else. Sorry to disappoint, but this is about cookies. Also it’s about complacency. It’s about what happens when you get so “comfortable” with a skillset you’v

Like Riding a Bike

Jan 3rd, 2024 10m 31s

Kicking off a New Year felt like this particular topic was apt. Getting back on the horse. Starting again. Most skills we develop require some level of practical application or practice to maintain. Learning an instrument as a kid doesn’t mea

Lessons Shopping at Target

Dec 20th, 2023 10m 36s

Going shopping during holiday season can be a bit like a full contact sport. Which is precisely why it’s my favorite time of year to go shopping. It’s when the best and most powerful lessons about human behavior and communication are writ lar

GPS For Communication

Dec 13th, 2023 14m 41s

There’s something romantic about an old school map - those things made out of paper folks used to use to navigate from one spot to another. Technology made these obsolete. Navigation built into cars or on your cell phone - plug in your destinat

The Wisdom of Weather

Dec 13th, 2023 14m 1s

Mother Nature sure has a way about her. Damn smart, really. Not that this should be new information, I guess, but there’s something remarkably powerful when she lands messages that are relevant for every aspect of life. In this week’s episode -

Don't Look Back

Dec 6th, 2023 14m 42s

Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it. I always found that statement to be dark. It also can sometimes create a whole new problem. Spending time saturated in the past not only doesn’t prevent things from happening again,

Square Peg, Round Hole

Nov 30th, 2023 14m 21s

Making it work. Getting it done. Powering through the problem. This way of thinking has its value AND it’s also a colossal contributor to the mess that is our world. After all, if someone doesn’t speak a language, talking more slowly and loudl

Does a Bear Sh*t in the Woods?

Nov 22nd, 2023 14m 59s

Well, I can confirm it’s true. Bears DO sh*t in the woods. I know because I came across a very very very very very fresh pile of bear scat during a hike. The good news - I didn’t step in it. The better news, though incredibly fresh (and likely