Now You Know More Than You Did Before Hey Reader, I think harvest has a way of settling arguments. For months, a vineyard can be studied, tested, watched, and discussed. Everyone can make their best predictions about what a particular block will produce. Then the grapes come in. And now you know. Not whether the season was officially a "Success" or "Failure." You simply have information you didn’t have before. Our businesses give us that information, too. The problem is that when you're both...
11 days ago • 5 min read
Your Best Resources Need a Better Assignment Hey Reader, There are only so many hours in the day when your brain is doing its best work. Only so much creative energy. Only so much emotional bandwidth. Only so many people, projects, opportunities, and ideas you can care deeply about at the same time. We know this. And yet, as entrepreneurs, we can behave as though the goal is to somehow manufacture enough of ourselves for everything. Maybe if we get more organized. Find the right app. Wake up...
18 days ago • 4 min read
Would Your Best Employee Want to Work for You? Hey Reader, Imagine you’ve hired the best employee you’ve ever had. She’s smart. Dependable. Creative. Resourceful. Clients trust her. She knows the business inside and out. Frankly, you’d be in trouble if she left. Now let’s examine her working conditions. Lunch? Sometimes — although eating at the kitchen counter while answering email apparently counts. Vacation? Absolutely! As long as she keeps an eye on her inbox. Working hours? Very flexible....
24 days ago • 4 min read
It's Harvest and The Vineyard Isn’t Panicking Hey Reader, This time of year, harvest has its own infrastructure at our house. There’s a laundry hamper in the garage for crush-pad clothes stiff with sweat, grape juice, and pomace. My winemaker husband keeps extra clothes in his car — including multiple pairs of socks — because after enough harvests, you learn what the season can ask of you. It all looks very active once the grape trucks start arriving. But here’s the thing: The harvest didn’t...
30 days ago • 4 min read
The Quiet Habit That Changes Everything Hey Reader, There’s something comforting about tending a rose garden. This time of year, my roses are in full bloom. Some mornings I wander outside with my coffee and find gorgeous blossoms that seem to have opened overnight. Other mornings, I notice petals scattered on the ground after yesterday’s heat. A bloom that's finished its season. A stem that needs deadheading. Leaves asking for a little more attention. I never look at a struggling rose bush...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
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....
about 2 months 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....
about 2 months 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...
about 2 months 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...
2 months ago • 4 min read