Vulnerability in business can help or harm
Our Director of Education, Steve Mattus, is no stranger to being vulnerable. He was really vulnerable about a particularly deep state of depression he was in. Did it work? It was a really popular and helpful article among our readers generating dozens of comments. How did he decide how vulnerable to be? How could he […]
Seven years to build a business?!?
Before we get into the topic, I want to allow us all to take a few breaths in prayer and remembrance for all of those affected so horribly by extreme weather events. India, Pakistan, Nepal, Mexico, U.S…. and I’m sure others. We’ve ignored the calls to mitigate petroleum-fueled climate change since 1978, and millions of […]
No healthy shame. (A significant correction to last week.)
Last week I wrote an article about Toxic Shame versus Healthy Shame. While I received a lot of positive feedback from folks by email, we had a pretty intense, open-hearted, revealing discussion on the topic within our Community. So, I know that it wasn’t just positive responses that were happening, even though that’s all I […]
The healthy role of shame in business (and life)
This past weekend there was a significant, and deadly, U.S. white supremacist/Nazi terrorist presence in Charlottesville, where one person drove a car into a group of people, killing one and injuries others. Consequently, I was involved in a conversation on Facebook in the Awarepreneurs group about the responsibility that influential people have to use their […]
Can anyone, everyone, make it self-employed?
Someone emailed me a question this past week, that was asking whether anyone, everyone, has the capacity to make it as self-employed? She asked, can everyone learn the skills? It’s a great question. Especially if you’ve been either struggling for awhile, or thinking about it and not launching. The answer is a little complicated, but […]
Safety and Comfort
I have a question for our hearts as you and I contemplate the various things we’re working on to develop our respective businesses. It has to do with discerning the difference between comfort and safety. I used to, years ago, advocate that you put a physical address on your website so that people knew where […]
How your mind protects and undermines your business at the same time
As I write this, I’m sitting here waiting for a big thunderstorm to roll in. I saw the dark clouds approaching an hour ago, and now I can hear the thunder become louder and more insistent every minutes or so. As someone more talented than me once said, “A hard rain’s gonna fall.” I felt […]
Four questions to ask if rules and structure have caused you pain
In our Community we’ve recently introduced Compassionate Accountability, to help everyone take the steps needed, week after week, to develop their business. In one of the first calls, I asked the question in a Remembrance meditation, “How have you been hurt by structure?” The responses from folks brought up a lot of vulnerability. So many […]
Two specific ways businesses struggle
Two specific ways businesses struggle, and why, and what’s needed I’ve been as guilty as anyone, at times, of that pressured, scurrying response to fear and anxiety, trying to answer the question, “What do I need so that this pain/challenge/trouble goes away?” Even when you know better, it’s so tempting to try and fix something […]
Manipulation, a big breath, and a podcast (not in that order)
Big changes the past month, so today’s a short one from me. Awarepreneurs, founded by my friend and colleague Paul Zelizer, explores the intersection of social justice, business, and mindful practices. Recently he interviewed me on the topic of “Why marketing is so hated.” I really enjoyed the conversation with him. And I’ve really enjoyed […]