Blogs

Barrel O’Monkeyz knows that inperson events like CES create the spark digital tools can’t. When you’re in the room, your presence, energy, and story stand out—and that’s where meaningful relationships and real business momentum begin.

Holidays are about tradition, and like me, I am sure you have a few “rituals” you engage in around the “winter” holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, etc. Some traditions are grounded in faith and religion, while others are as simple as family and friend get-togethers or watching a favorite holiday special. (Who doesn’t remember as…

When you talk to others, do you fully engage? Do they? I was watching a discussion panel the other night on TV. It became readily apparent that the talking heads really weren’t listening to one another. Each was simply waiting for a moment of quiet as the cue for when it was his or her…

It was “swearing-in time” in Washington DC this past week, as well as for state legislatures around the country. Newly-elected and returning senators and representatives smiled for the cameras, swore their oaths, and took their seats. It was a fairly drama-free exercise, especially since it was a mid-term election cycle, meaning there was no Presidential…

One of the things I’ve learned in my career as a Marketing and Product Development Executive and Entrepreneur is that difficult conversations are often necessary and productive. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the phrase “difficult conversations” the first things that spring to mind are images of people arguing and going away…

Do you have a hard time saying no? Lots of people do, including me. It must have something to do with my entrepreneurial spirit or some fear that I’ll miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime. Or maybe I’ve just got this nurturing soul deep down inside that never wants to let anyone down…

Long time readers of this blog as well as newbies have probably figured out by now that relationships are important to me, whether we’re talking about business relationships, personal relationships, or something in-between. Relationships are intrinsic to human nature. Even if you choose NOT to have a relationship with someone—you still have a relationship with…

There’s something about being on the road that gets my creative juices flowing. Tom Petty said it best in Runnin’ Down a Dream when he sang, “I felt so good, like anything was possible.” Indeed. Maybe it’s the mystery of not knowing what’s around the next bend (despite the best efforts of my very insistent…

Did you attend a work party over the holidays, or get together with co-workers or colleagues to ring in the New Year? If you did, chances are you did more than spread some holiday cheer. Whether you know it or not, you were “networking”—either creating relationships important to your business, job, or personal life, or…

Two years ago, as Thanksgiving approached, I wrote a blog about gratitude, service to others, and living life with enthusiasm. I was going to do another this year, but looking back, I found there’s really not much new I need to say. Gratitude for what we have, service to others, and living life with zeal—that’s…

I am often surprised when I hear people grumbling how they didn’t get something they wanted, only to find out from them later that they never really asked for it. “I built this new Web site and all I really wanted was for people to contact me for a free consult.” (Well, did you actually…

It’s easy to tell people what they want to hear. After all, politicians do it all the time (sorry, I couldn’t resist!). But what about what people need to hear, whether it’s good news or bad, or something in-between? What about those “tough” conversations, which some might even call “fierce”? I don’t know anybody who…