Blogs

In the best of all worlds, for every decision we make and every action we take we would have sufficient time to consider every angle, think through all scenarios, and answer every “what if” question that comes to mind. We don’t live in such a world. In business, especially, success often depends on the ability…

The rites of late winter are upon us. The Superbowl is over. Major League Baseball pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training soon. The days are getting longer, and warmer temps are with us more consistently here in southern California. My Dodgers seemed primed for another stand-out year, especially with the recent addition…

Have you ever been a mentor to someone—and I don’t just mean have you ever given someone else advice (who hasn’t?). What I mean is have you ever truly mentored someone? Have you been that adviser, counselor, or guide to someone who’s just starting out or to someone who’s looking to change careers or his…

Much has been written and said this week about how the New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl again. Clearly, many fans outside of New England are suffering from “Patriots Fatigue” as it seems the Pats play in the Super Bowl practically every year. Well, they don’t play every year, but after they…

We’ve been told from the time we could understand the spoken word that “hard work pays off” (or some variation on the theme). And while I’m not about to question the veracity of the statement—who am I to argue with such a truism—there are times when I begin to wonder if routinely burning the candle…

Four in 10 Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions. Are you one of them? According to Statistic Brain, top resolutions include getting healthier (21%), improving one’s lifestyle (12.5%), and making better financial decisions (8.5%). Of course, of those who do make resolutions, only 8% carry through on them. No matter how you look at it,…

The “devil is in the details” is a centuries-old saying that refers to how something might seem simple at a first glance but ends up taking more time and effort to complete than first expected. Now, I may be going out on a limb here (what else would you expect from a monkey), but I have to…

There’s a common saying that timing is everything. I tend to agree. After all, who am I to argue with a sage pop philosopher like Alanis Morissette who wrote about the irony of bad timing in her iconic hit “Ironic” in 1995. In it, she sings that “an old man turned ninety-eight. He won the…

This week was time for the annual MLB All Star Game—a time for the American League and National League to showcase their best talent. Watching the game got me to wondering why companies—rank and file businesses—don’t field their own all-star teams. Call me a crazy monkey, but a business team’s contributions to its organization’s bottom…

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! By now you’ve probably got plans for the weekend—maybe the beach, a cook out, a hike in the mountains, or some kind of get-together with family and friends before you top it all off with a fireworks extravaganza. Also by now, you and your employees are probably thinking more about…

We entrepreneurs like to think we can do it all. It’s what drives us. It’s what makes us successful in the first place. It’s what makes us think we can do more and have more . . . always. I’m sure you’ve heard the well-known story of the professor and his seemingly “full” jar that…

Success doesn’t just happen. Contrary to popular culture (and the occasional suggestions of our elected leaders), success takes hard work, perseverance, a little bit of self-made luck, and tenacity—and it’s the same whether you’re looking for success in relationships, at school, in your career, or landing that new client. I define tenacity as “strength with…