When It’s Time to Stop Standing at the Crossroads Hey Reader, One of the things I love most about my morning walks with Max is that they allow me to turn my brain off for awhile. Interestingly enough, that's when I have some of my most powerful thoughts and insights! Recently, I've been thinking about how often life — and business — asks us to choose. Every day, Max and I reach the same corner in our neighborhood. From there, we can turn left, turn right, or continue straight toward the park....
7 days ago • 4 min read
A Better Question Can Change Your Direction The path forward may become clearer when you stop rushing toward the first answer. Hey Reader, Every morning, Max and I begin our walk the same way. We leave the house, follow the sidewalk in front of our yard, and head toward the corner at the end of the block. Then we pause. We can continue straight toward the park, turn left for a longer walk, or turn right for the quickest loop around the block. Sometimes we choose based on time or energy....
14 days ago • 4 min read
Busy Employees React. CEOs Think.Why protecting your attention matters more than protecting your time. Hey Reader, Most of us don't begin the day planning to spend hours reacting to interruptions. But somehow it happens. An email arrives. A client has a question. A notification pops up. One quick task leads to another, and before long, we've been busy all morning — but the work we actually wanted to accomplish is still waiting. That realization hit me recently while I was out in the garden. I...
21 days ago • 4 min read
The One Appointment That Changes Everything Hey Reader, Have you ever noticed how easy it is to protect everyone else's time ... while treating your own as completely optional? Most of us wouldn't think twice about showing up for a client meeting. We'd be there a few minutes early, notebook in hand, ready to listen, ask good questions, and help move things forward. But when the appointment is with ourselves? That's often the first thing to disappear when life gets busy. I've been thinking...
28 days ago • 4 min read
Connected Doesn't Mean Constantly Available The lesson I brought home from a week when my laptop never left my tote bag. Hey Reader, When we left for our week in Cayucos, I packed my laptop. Not because I planned to work. But because ... well ... just in case. Just in case inspiration struck. Just in case something urgent came up. Just in case there was an emergency that couldn't wait until I got home. That laptop rode all the way to the beach in my tote bag. And then it stayed there. For the...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
The Invisible Report Card Hey Reader, Last week, I found myself looking at my to-do list at the end of the day and mentally calculating how I'd done ... Did I finish everything? Did I make enough progress? Did I accomplish what I planned to accomplish? Before I even realized it, I had started assigning the day a grade. Maybe not literally. But definitely in spirit. And that's when I caught myself. Why am I still grading my days? Because the funny thing is, I haven't been in school for a very...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Different Days Need Different Plans Hey Reader, As I write this, our upcoming week in Cayucos is getting closer. And while I'm looking forward to the beach, the ocean air, and a genuine break from work, I've also noticed something interesting. The week before a vacation doesn't feel like a normal week. Projects need to be wrapped up earlier. Content needs to be scheduled in advance. Loose ends need attention. Somewhere between checking my packing list and making sure everything is ready, I...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Nothing's Wrong — Your Season Just Changed Why the routines that worked before may not be the routines you need right now. Hey Reader, A few weeks from now, my husband and I will be heading to Cayucos for a week by the beach. The goal isn't to work from a different location. The goal is to take a genuine break. But what's interesting is what happens before a week away. Projects need to be wrapped up earlier. Content needs to be scheduled. Decisions need to be made ahead of time. Tasks that...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Why the Space Between Effort and Results Feels So Uncomfortable — and What To Do About It Hey Reader, There comes a point in almost every business owner's journey when things start to feel a little confusing. You're showing up. You're doing the work. You're staying consistent. You're focusing on the right things. And yet ... The results don't seem to match the effort you're putting in. Not yet, anyway. If you've ever found yourself wondering whether something is wrong because progress feels...
2 months ago • 4 min read