High School graduation was a long time ago for me. In fact, this summer, I celebrated 25 years since my peers and I loped through our alma mater’s blue and gold halls. Now, I have two high school students of my own. But this blog is not about the ins and outs of guiding kids into independent adulthood. It’s kind of the opposite.   For years I have been following Brian Johnson and his work at Optimize.me. I love his passion

How does mindset impact someone’s business?  It affects all of it. Because what’s in your subconscious really influences about 95% of your life and your experience. And you don’t always know what’s there other than seeing how your life is playing out. So, if you’re not focused on what’s going on at the moment, whenever you’re on autopilot, that’s your subconscious. And stuff that’s in there, people are always surprised, you know, shocked and surprised when they find beliefs that

“Clarity is essential. The first and most important need for your business is to know what it does, who it does it for, how it does it, and what you ultimately want to create with your business. When there is uncertainty, pause to regain clarity.” What Businesses Need To Know: How to Flourish in Uncertainty This quote comes directly from the most recent volume in the Sagacity Series, “What Businesses Need To Know,” which was released on April 20, 2022.  The

As leaders, we are very visible.   We are visible to our clients, team, community, competitors, and vendors.   When things go well, we are happy for them to see our success.   However, that happiness is a double-edged sword. It can also lead us to hesitate on taking the next risk for fear that these same watchers will see our mistakes.  This leads us to believe we must appear perfect to the world, and in turn, can stifle our growth and creativity. 

What is a brand? And is the term “brand” only used when referring to a business? Businesses need to understand and know about branding, in general, and understand the term “brand” itself. What does that mean? A lot of times, especially startup businesses, they hear the word “brand” and instantly think, “Oh, that’s just my company or my logo, my visual identity.” But it’s the entire experience.  Now, post-pandemic, or when transitioning into a new normal, we need to understand

I first came across the idea of Kaizen when I was working as a professional organizer with chronically disorganized people. I picked up the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Mauer (Workman Publishing Company, 2014) and was fascinated by how we can make big changes with little steps that circumvent the normal fear response in our brains.  But this process is not just about a mental exercise. It is an application and affirmation

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ― Jim Rohn I love this quote. It is a reminder that who you hang out with impacts who you are.   Yet the research is clear – you are not an average of the five people you spend the most time with.  But what you are is influenced by those around you – and their friends, too.  As a child, your sphere of influence was probably rather

Why do you need to network virtually? People still want to connect, and virtual networking gives us the opportunity to connect and continue to build relationships. Webinars have replaced seminars. Zoom meetings have replaced networking events. And phone calls have replaced coffee meetings. We all miss the in-person networking, but there’s no sense complaining about it. We must really embrace what we have. And we’ve got to play the hand that we’ve been dealt. Remember, this is a marathon, not

Why is self-empowerment so important right now? It’s important because as I started to talk to people, as we went into quarantine, they felt like everything was so uncertain. They felt like they were losing their power and their self-empowerment, not just in business but for themselves as well. So, when that happens, the important thing is to realize, the one thing that we can control when we can’t control anything that’s going on around us is how we react