How to never be afraid again

The problem is not that the fear is an unavoidable part of being alive and doing your very best work, it’s that the fear has convinced you that you are the only one wrestling with it.

Stephen Shedletzky is here to serve

After achieving early professional success, Stephen Shedletzky found himself unsatisfied and unwilling to do work he didn’t believe in. The tension that existed between his work and his values eventually led him to Simon Sinek, with whom he now works closely. In addition to affording Stephen an opportunity to do work he cares deeply about, Simon also acted as an … Read More

Dan Cumberland on work and meaning

Dan Cumberland never quite felt like he fit while growing up. Dan’s strengths and passions differed from that of his family and he spent many years trying to discover how his gifts could be married to work that would provide both income and meaning. This conversation will challenge you to rethink your ideas about whether we should be looking for … Read More

Heath Padgett lives in a van down by the river

Heath Padgett does not, in fact, live in a van down by the river, but he does live in an RV. Fearing he would get stuck in a state of comfort and a year-long trip across the country – a bucket list item he and his wife shared – might never happen if they waited, Heath quit his job and … Read More

The best is yet to come

10 years, 7 months, and 9 days ago I signed a seemingly endless number of documents as a promise to make a seemingly endless number of payments, all so I could take ownership of half of a printing company.

Gary Waterfield on Taking Pride in Your Work

I can’t remember when I bought my first Waterfield Designs bag, but I can tell you that I’ve been a fan from the moment I held it in my hands. I love bags – a lot – and I have spent the past 8 years trying to find a bag that is better than my trusty Waterfield “Cargo,” but I’ve … Read More

Meet Preston Pollard

Preston Pollard is a man on the move. I became aware of Preston because his admittedly handsome mug is featured on the cover of photographer Brian Adams’ book “I Am Alaskan” and he has connections to Joel’s Place, a skate park and youth center here in Fairbanks, so I started checking into his story. It didn’t take long to realize … Read More

Al Pittampalli: We Need Better Meetings

When I read “Read This Before Our Next Meeting” by Al Pittampalli in less than 45-minutes on a cruise ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I was blown away by how much good thinking he was able to pack into such a small book. His assessment of, and solutions for, the broken meeting culture that exists in so … Read More

Seth Godin: If I’m a Genius, Everyone’s a Genius

I have just enjoyed the unique and unusual opportunity to spend the past 2-1/2 days in a room with Seth Godin and 80 other people with a “bias for action” at Seth’s invite-only Ruckusmakers event. It will take me some time to process all of the challenging material Seth covered in a really compressed span of time, but I wanted … Read More

Simon Sinek: Leadership is Not About Being Perfect

I had the incredible pleasure of spending 45-minutes talking with author and speaker Simon Sinek this morning and he was gracious enough to allow me to co-opt a few of those minutes to ask a question and share his response with you. Simon is the brilliant mind behind the books Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last which, in concert … Read More

An Incomplete List of Things That Really Matter To Me

Because I forget too easily and chase the dumbest things Having breakfast with my daughter each morning before school Long talks with my wife about the issues of the day Developing deep, meaningful relationships with people I care about Having my work regarded as valuable by the people it impacts directly Mattering to my employees Music People who care Interesting … Read More

The Truth Is We’re Only Telling Half Of The Truth

This is what I look like about 20 seconds after I roll out of bed. I’m sharing this photo because I spend a lot of energy trying to make my face/work/body/marriage/life look ideal, but that’s only half of the truth. I want the things I share to inspire you to reject the status quo, do your very best work, and … Read More

The Unapologetic Truth About Your Work

Your Work is occasionally quiet and orderly and beautiful. Other times your Work is windswept, and messy, and caustic. Your Work does not care, not even a little bit, if everyone else is okay with that. Your Work is unaffected by the opinion of others. It loves them anyway. Your Work is unafraid of it’s value. It knows what it … Read More

Falling In Love Is Like Getting Gum In Your Hair

The woman lying next to me in bed this morning has a tremendous reservoir of patience. Today marks 17 years since we were married and started waking up together, a span of time in which I have tested her patience extensively. On the surface it may seem like completely loving someone means you choose them over every other person on … Read More