Success drives motivation

Through self-reflection, it’s been my longstanding opinion that a top motivator for accomplishing goals and objectives is success, in small measure, while working toward a larger goal. All it can take is a bit of traction to spark inspiration…

Marketing lessons from the ski hill: Overcoming the fear of trying something new

As someone who has lived most of my life in close proximity to some of the best ski hills in North America, people were always shocked to learn I didn’t know how to ski. Three years ago I decided enough was enough and I had my life-long skier…

Are you selling what your customers want, or what you want to sell?

Unless you’ve talked to a broad spectrum of customers, you may have little idea what attracts them to your products or brand. You may have a skewed notion of what they like least about them. You might be in the dark about what keeps them coming…

Beating the Winter Blues, One Bloom at a Time

January is finally over, and while the days are gradually getting longer, it’s still freezing here in Philadelphia and it’s taking an extra lot of effort to pry myself out of my apartment. A few things that have motivated me to venture out…

Mindfulness, Gratitude, and the Power of Silence

This past weekend, I experienced my first silent retreat, focused on mindfulness and stress reduction, at a peaceful center on the Chattahoochee River. I’ve been aware of this retreat for quite some time now, though I never seemed to find…

TikTok and the Power of Humor: How Brands are Winning with Creative Marketing

Does anyone else following the TikTok controversy in the United States feel like they have whiplash? TL;DR: TikTok was briefly banned in the U.S. for about 14 hours but is back online…for now. Instead of debating whether TikTok should be…

Trail Tested: Mind Over Matter in Every Mile

In my world, January usually means signing up for another spring running clinic. The half marathon is my preferred distance (I ran a full once—enough said), and I’ve set my sights on a race in late May. While road running is my go-to, back…

The Power of One Hard Goal: Why Doing the Difficult Thing Matters

Every January, there’s a lot of talk about the ritual of setting New Year’s resolutions. By February, most of those well-intentioned goals are abandoned, left in the dust of holiday nostalgia. It’s easy to see why—lofty, vague goals…

Seas The Day: Exploring the Oregon Coast

Growing up, my family and I never referred to the beaches in Oregon as "the beach." Like most Oregonians, we called it "the coast." To me, "the beach" brings to mind images of palm trees, warm sunshine, and a gentle breeze. Visiting the coast…