Ridiculously Reliable

What are you willing to be ridiculously reliable for?

Taking It Over The Edge

There is a thing that brilliant creatives do—they push their work not just to the edge, but over the edge.

And then they pull it back.

Homaro Cantu of Moto started the molecular gastronomy movement (think science, technology and art) with exactly that kind of ethic. Like most great chefs, his experiments rarely make it to the menu in their initial form. Continue reading

Broke And Tortured

Tired of attracting the broke and tortured? Try these tips…

Can We Talk About Your Photo?

This question is only slightly less intrusive than asking about your sex life.

But I’m gonna ask it anyway. Can we talk about your photo?

No matter how brilliant you are, how riveting your work, your photo matters and it deserves more than a passing glance.

Last week I coordinated a photo shoot for a client who had to pretty much be dragged—kicking and screaming—to the session. The result? Mr. hate-to-get-his-photo taken has not one fabulous shot, but a half-dozen to populate his new book jacket, social media profiles and websites (for tips see “Are You Ready For Your Close-Up”) Continue reading

Passion Rules

You don’t need another exercise to find your purpose or “follow your bliss”. You want to work from your genius zone…

On Being Picked

I can still vividly recall the moment when a boss—think snarky, entitled despot—decided to pitch a screaming hissy fit.  (I was hard at work on Plan B when he got himself fired instead. Karma, baby, karma.)

So it’s his face that popped up like Freddie Krueger in my head when I read Seth Godin’s piece on being picked. 

You own the power to be picked. Not some critic, not Charlie Rose or Oprah or an editor at your dream media outlet. You. Continue reading

Your Go-To Team

Who will you trust with your vision?

Declare Your Manifesto

A manifesto is more than the last ravings of a lunatic. Or the musings of a politico.

It’s a public declaration of what you believe to be true for your work, your company, your big idea. It’s stepping into the light and holding yourself accountable to your belief system.

Depending on your style and voice, you can play it straight like gastronomic entrepreneur Claus Meyer or Bruce Mau Design. Or have some fun with it, like Jonathan Adler or Lunch Beat.

Time to create your manifesto? Continue reading

Your Website Is Not Your Resume

A website that really draws your ideal clients to you is not a resume—it’s a conversation.

A Salute To The Good Guys

This last week in Boston gave Americans a window into a new world.

There was terror. Unspeakable horror and loss and tragedy. A whole city on edge, waiting, not knowing if they were next.

And yet.

The good guys stepped into action. The cowboy-hatted Carlos Arredondo, (who lost his son in Iraq) immediately tended to a severely injured young man who would suffer double amputations. Continue reading