Years ago I enjoyed television dramas but now I can’t bear to watch them. Sopranos, Oz, Orange Is The New Black, House of Cards, Mad Men, etc. It hit me when some friends had me watch a few episodes of Breaking Bad. I enjoyed the acting. Each episode was compelling. Other dramas also have stunning sets and effects and beautiful people. I want to watch each next episode. But something[…] Keep reading →

The movie Thirteen Days illustrated how John Kennedy and the executive branch handled the Cuban Missile Crisis. I recommend the movie (and Robert Kennedy’s book of the same name). I edited some parts to highlight one aspect of the situation—the personal perspectives and behavior of people closest to the President. While you won’t likely face decisions with stakes as high as nuclear war, you’ll face similar structures of conflict. Many[…] Keep reading →

The art of telling stories is one of the great communications skills that spans all cultures and time. Learning to tell them effectively helps nearly all relationships. Every story has a protagonist and an antagonist. When I studied storytelling, I learned that although we root for the protagonist, we usually find the antagonist more interesting. Yesterday I told my friend how I remember that: Although most religious people say they[…] Keep reading →

A professor / actor I’m working with described a harrowing experience that illustrates the value of fundamentals and technique. He told me he forgot his line on a Broadway stage in front of around 500 to 1,000 people. Some paid hundreds of dollars for their seats and want a professional performance. What do you do if you forget your lines on stage? There’s a fundamental technique a lot of actors[…] Keep reading →

Notice this pattern and you’ll know how to improve it. It applies to an activity. I’m thinking of exercise when I write it, but many activities fit it. The pattern When you’re not about to do it, you think of it as something you generally want to do. When you’re about to do it, you feel anxious, maybe to the point of fear. You have to overcome that anxiety and[…] Keep reading →

Coco and Breezy Prince wore their sunglasses — from his album cover — on Saturday Night Live. Beyoncé showed them in her video. Vogue labeled them “fashion icons”. Rhianna, Serena Williams, and more wear their accessories, sold in twenty countries and growing, as well as at cocoandbreezy.com. Find out how these twins from Minnesota started their brand in their teens … with a thousand dollars between them. I didn’t mention[…] Keep reading →

Last night I went to a release of my friends’ sunglasses launch event. They’re Coco and Breezy and you can almost see us meeting for the first time here and here. They’re famous and becoming more so all the time. They designed the sunglasses Prince is wearing on his recent album: and that he wore on Saturday Night Live: Here I am showing off the sunglasses that aren’t for sale[…] Keep reading →

Many people associate due process and rights of the accused with being soft on crime and coddling criminals. The documentary After Innocence tells the stories of several completely innocent men falsely jailed for a variety of reasons and the organization, The Innocence Project, devoted to helping them. I recommend it, though it’s at times painful and may infuriate you. The movie won many awards, including a Special Jury Prize at[…] Keep reading →

This post follows up, “Integrity in successful leaders: Gandhi cleaned toilets,” on integrity and sticking with your values. I came across the anecdote below about Stella Adler from a student of hers. Adler was one of the great acting teachers of the twentieth century. According to Wikipedia she taught Marlon Brando, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Dolores del Río, Lena Horne, Robert De Niro, Elaine Stritch, Martin Sheen, Manu Tupou, Harvey[…] Keep reading →