So You Want to Start Your Own Small Business?
I am always being approached by friends, colleagues, and sometimes even strangers who are thinking about starting their own small businesses. They want my advice, my insight, a glimpse at whatever “secret sauce” I’ve been cooking that’s allowed me to start-up several successful small businesses in the last decade. On one hand, I want to…
Let the Success of Others Motivate You to Do More
When someone gets a bonus at work, or some other form of recognition, are you happy for him or her—even when you get no such recognition? Or do you become overwhelmed with the feeling of sour grapes (or bananas), wishing it was you in the spotlight? What about when a family member or friend is…
With a Clean Slate, Anything’s Possible
Maybe it’s because I spent time over the holidays in Alaska, marveling at the wonders Mother Nature has to offer, or back here in California skiing in the mountains, refreshing mind, body, and spirit—whatever it is, I am looking at 2012 with a feeling of renewed energy, piqued curiosity, and clarity of purpose. Even though…
Keep Your Business on Simmer through the Holidays
Are you looking forward to year’s end? Do you find yourself thinking, “If I can just hold on another week or two” or “If I can just make it to January 1, everything will be OK?” If so, you’re not alone. What with the economic ups and downs of 2011, business as usual in Washington…
Plan to Succeed
This time of year, people of every size, shape, and walk-of-life tend to step back from the monkey chatter for a look at the preceding 11 months, wondering where did the year go? I know I do. And the older I get, the faster the days and months seem to fly by. For many, December…
It’s Your Move
What do you do when times get tough, personally or professionally? Do you curl up in a ball and try to ride it out, hoping for the best, or do you take action? This King Monkey believes nothing’s going to happen unless you make it happen. Just as the military teaches soldiers to move when attacked, to initiate…
The Changing World of Work
I wager that few of your high school teachers or college professors—and certainly not your Mom or Dad—told you years ago that your work day could be conducted poolside or reclining on the beach with friends and family nearby playing volleyball, grilling steaks or veggie burgers, and sipping a few cold ones. Yet nowadays, especially…
Surviving and Thriving
Mardi Gras has come and gone. There was lots of celebrating leading up to Fat Tuesday, followed by what many call “Trash Wednesday” (which is actually “Ash Wednesday”), the inevitable and much dreaded “day after.” While Mardi Gras is popularly depicted as a time for parades, balls, and widespread partying, at its roots, Mardi Gras…
All Hail the Entrepreneur
Four tradeshows in six weeks gave this king monkey a first-hand glimpse at the attitudes of American entrepreneurs from coast to coast. From the laid back, friendly vibe of Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City, (where there were smiles for everyone) to the more uptight, “who-knows-who” scene I encountered at the Toy Fair in New…
