[EDIT: Download the presentation slides here] Ivy Exec is an online set of resources for building community among those serious about getting ahead. Among other resources, they host webinars on workplace skills. Today at 12:30 I’ll host a webinar on the core of my seminar “How to Lead People So They Want You to Lead Them Again,” principally the central exercise. As with all my seminars, I will give a[…] Keep reading →

The last ten days’ experience was challenging and rewarding—too much to cover fully, so I’ll just put some highlights. Top benefit 1: time without distraction Few vacations give you undistracted time like ten days without internet, phone, reading, writing, talking, or almost any obligations. This retreat gave that, though it was not a vacation. It was work. You know your world distracts you. Sometimes you can tune some of it[…] Keep reading →

If you didn’t know, I spent my past ten days at my second ten-day mediation retreat. Here are old posts on it for your background: Vipassana Meditation Goenka and 10-day meditation retreats These retreats have no internet, phone, reading, writing, or talking. You sit still for about ten to twelve hours a day. Because writing here is one of my SIDCHAs and I don’t want to deprive readers of my[…] Keep reading →

With the semester finishing, I wanted to record what I did at NYU. My main goal was to help my students and give to the NYU community. Taught Entrepreneurial Marketing and Sales. One of main roles NYU hired me for was to teach this elective for graduate students. Several students said it was the best course they took at NYU and I was their best instructor. More than half said[…] Keep reading →

Meaning. Value. Importance. Purpose. What I call MVIP. They aren’t identical concepts, but close enough to consider them together. Whatever you want in life—money, power, fame, beauty, youth, etc—matters to the extent it overlaps with these things: what it means to you, how much you value it, what importance it has to you, how it relates to your purposes… what MVIP they have. But think about the last job offer[…] Keep reading →

Want to influence someone? Yes, you do. Your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, manager, people you manage, kids, … anyone you communicate with. I don’t care if you think they’re perfect. You want to influence them. Why else do you communicate with someone except to influence them? (A question worth thinking about!) If you want to know your potential to influence them, ask yourself how well you understand them. If you don’t[…] Keep reading →

Do you notice the difference between something tasting good and something making you want to eat more of it? If you want to eat healthy, you’ll care about the difference because companies that make junk food know the difference and use it to manipulate you. You end up spending money on unhealthy things that are profitable to them and you lose control of your eating habits. Most of the time[…] Keep reading →

I coach and work with a lot of people with MBAs. A lot of people without too. They keep doing what school taught them for social and business interactions. It kills me. School teaches you the bare fundamentals. It gives you training wheels to practice new behaviors, if it even does that, since it mostly just teaches abstract skills. Training wheels are great for getting you on a bicycle but[…] Keep reading →

I can’t stand people who give up too easily. I never want to be like them. People who overcome adversity to achieve greatness inspire me. They remind me I don’t need external advantages to succeed. If they could do it, so can I. So when I hear of someone’s greatness coming despite adversity, I take note of them and when I can I record them here—their names, achievements, and the[…] Keep reading →