Jan 27Why Opportunity Bows to Execution…Yesterday, I had a short but inspired dialogue with my assistant. She sent me an article on Unicorn companies — you know, those behemoths who score billion dollar valuations. But are still in low-asset, high venture capital growth mode. Amazon was there once. Living negative cashflow for years. But Mr…Startup4 min read
May 16, 2020Mindset and Motivation: Startup StyleQ: Why are the right mindset and motivation important for entrepreneurs? Because unless your last name is SnapChat, TikTok or Instagram, this is not a sprint. This is a marathon. The Must-Do list of stress-inducing, heart attack producing issues is much longer than the Get-To-Do list of drinking mojitos on your private yacht filled with hookers and blow. First: I cannot…Startup2 min read
Jan 29, 2020Raise Your Kids on Music…I’m serious… Raise your kids on music. No matter what, raise your kids on music. Teach your children to listen closely to the words. To appreciate both the simple and the complex. To engage polyrhythms and 4:4. To emotionally dance with chord changes. To engage their heart of hearts. Teach…Music2 min read
Jan 28, 2020What’s Your Escape Velocity?Satellites don’t get to space in a straight line. Their donor rocket uses gravity and the curvature of the earth to accelerate, slicing through the various “spheres” that protect us. (From low to high — troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere). Escape velocity is the exact amount of thrust to…Life Lessons3 min read
Jan 13, 2020Defeating Depression: 4 Real Steps to Owning Your HappinessThere were a few times (OK, more than a few) where the dark chasm of depression nearly took my life. Many more that I allowed to steal life’s joy. I don’t have all the answers. Sure, the basics are clear: Get plenty of sleep (but not all day!) Get healthy (sleep and exercise…Health3 min read
Nov 22, 2019Business is problem solving.The more problems you solve. The bigger the problems you address. The more valuable your business becomes. Seth Godin’s excellent Akimbo podcast is a smorgasbord of insights. History lessons. And novel ideas. This is one of his maxims. One that snuck out and attacked me during one dog-walking moment. I love making cool products. I consider both the process and the products a form of art. But dammit, they better also be highly functional. Effective. And both interesting and beautiful to look at.Seth Godin1 min read
Nov 12, 2019Veteran’s Night. A Concise (Hi)story.Let’s let Rod Stewart ring in the night… The year: 1979. After being kicked out of the house for being a non-conformist kid (my claim to fame was District Tennis Champ and Clearing a 6-Foot Bong in One Hit), I hit the wall. My best friend Steve and I had…Family4 min read
Jan 6, 2019Money money money mo-ney, Money…We’re experiencing one of the greatest transfers of wealth in the history of the world. Like Carnegie before him, Bill Gates has spearheaded a revolution to push the capital he’s received through expanding and pioneering the computer revolution, back to the infertile soil of poor 3rd world countries. …Life Lessons7 min read
Sep 8, 2018Giving Birth vs Raising the Dead…Years ago (25 years ago, to be exact) a mentor and friend said this to me: “Mark, it’s easier to give birth than it is to raise the dead”. At the time, he was talking about not wasting time with clients and channel partners who had lost momentum (Momentum… that’s…Entrepreneurship2 min read
May 10, 2018SIMPLE SUCCESS: A Measly 1% More…Most people reach a point in their lives where they’re looking to relax, rather than perform. They’ve resigned themselves to a fixed or declining energy level. They’ve allowed common thinking to give the excuse to the middle age bulge. They’ve been beat-up enough that real fulfillment and success are long…Productivity2 min read
