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Do You Have Permission to Make Mistakes?
"You are so stupid!" He slammed the T square across my drawing table in a fit of rage. If his intention was to humiliate me,...
The Cost of a Bad Hire
“He was a D1 football player. A walk-on who earned a full ride.” I was bragging and so very proud of my first hire as...
Winning in the Experience Economy
It started with Larry Mullen Jr. banging out the opening stomp of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" as the rest of the band, Bono, The Edge, and...
Why Innovative Thinking Doesn’t Happen at Work
Where do you do your best thinking? My research shows that it usually isn’t at work. In fact, when discussing where creativity and big breakthrough...
How to Give a More Effective Presentation
I was sitting in the front row, anticipating the start of the sales kick-off meeting. In 45 minutes, the stage would be mine. I was...
Everything You Need Is Already Within You
Change is a process. Not an event. I try and focus on the process and make a little bit of progress every single day. The...
Is Your Smartphone Addiction a Problem?
“You won’t have access to a phone or computer for the entire week.” I paused. Or to be more accurate, I said “no way.” I...
Disrupt Yourself Before the Marketplace Does It for You
“We need to go to New York and tell them two years. They should actually forecast us losing money for two years. That’s what it’s...
Why Do We Become Complacent, Comfortable and Bored?
“Why do we as people become complacent, comfortable, and bored? ... I have a fire in me. I'm going to start each day with a...
Prepare to Win or Prepare to Discount
“This is the max budget. Can we make this work?” We’ve been asked this question twice in the last 24 hours. I fully expect to...
Leverage the Power Of Celebration
I love NBA basketball, and I’ve been known to express my passion for the game and our hometown team when there are moments worth celebrating....
Confronting the Fear of What Other People Think
The stories we invent from a place of fear don’t serve us. They aren’t the truth. They’re bullshit. The truth is, the future hasn’t happened....
What Does It Take to Be Successful?
I was sitting in the front row. We were an hour into the sales kick-off meeting, and there was plenty of energy in the room...
Conducting Little Experiments
I didn’t eat for 40 hours. 20 hours into the experiment I was miserable. All I could think about was food. I went to bed...
How a New Furniture Company Is Completely Disrupting the Industry
I finally chose my new couch. As soon as I confirmed my order, I had visions of settling in for my standard Saturday afternoon nap....
How The Memphis Grizzlies Deliver Fan Experience
I love NBA basketball! This March I am heading to Grind City to team up with the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies as part of the team’s...
How to Make This Year Truly Epic
“In 2014 at the Marine Dealer Conference Expo, Ryan Estis encouraged and inspired me to make a "Take Action Now" plan. Part of my TAN...
Kill the ‘Coffee Shopping’ with These 7 Ideas for Better Networking
“Dude, if you could figure out a way to get paid from having networking and brainstorming meetings at Starbucks everyday, you’d be crazy rich.” The...
Overcoming Adversity: The Speech That Saved a Life
It was the shattering moment when everything shifted for Matt Mayberry. He was a talented athlete with loving parents, supportive coaches, and a bright future,...
When Things Fall Apart
“Mom, do I have cancer?” I was waking up from surgery and could feel the effects of the anesthesia but I wanted to know. It...
Disagree and Commit to Get Things Done
“Disagree and commit” is a principle I originally came across while learning about the leadership philosophy at Intel. The principle essentially mandates that leaders driving...
What Happens When a Sales Pro Loses Confidence?
Halfway through our first cup of coffee, we cut to the chase. She’d asked to meet for a specific reason. “I’m going to change careers...
Welcome to the Future of Selling: My New Ebook, Adapt & Thrive
Do you feel it? We’re competing in a marketplace that’s incredibly transparent, where sophisticated customers have unprecedented access to information. We’ve all seen what happens:...
Advice I Would Give My 22-Year-Old Self Today
Who’s coming with me? Do you remember that defining moment in “Jerry McGuire”? Jerry was quickly fired after distributing an emotion-packed mission statement that espoused...
How to Get Unstuck
I’ve shared the story of my career journey and how I got “unstuck.” In 2009, I made the decision to leave a secure corporate job...
You Are a Total Fraud
I walked off the stage feeling great. I’d delivered a solid keynote that was met with appreciation and positive feedback from the meeting planner. I...
Change Is a Process, Not an Event
“That isn’t you. That isn’t living inside your heart. You let fear take over.” I took another step and then another. The elevation on our...
Teaching Sells
“We’ll compete on price every single time unless our people show up with insight and perspective that has real impact for the customer. I need...
The Puppy Dog Close
Since I am fond of talking about why everyone ignores your email sales pitch, I’m occasionally on the receiving end of examples of awful cold...
My Heart Is in Cleveland Today
I needed help on Sunday morning. I could handle the route every other day of the week but on Sunday the load was too large....
Rethinking Human Resources and the Future of Work
I was sitting in the cheap seats. There were probably 1,000 people in the audience and the speaker was doing a decent job holding my...
Leadership Lessons from the Kitchen of Gavin Kaysen
A short walk. One block from my front door, to be precise. We settled into a couple glasses of red and started with a selection...
Leading People Through Dark Alleys
60 Minutes is a Sunday evening ritual for me. I love the interviews. Charlie Rose is one of my favorites. He hits hard. I recall...
The Crowd Goes Wild
It was game day! A beautiful Sunday afternoon in the summer as we headed to the ballpark. All of us hometown fans were dressed in...
How Much Does an Appendectomy Cost?
My side hurt. Bad. I was doubled over in pain, waiting in the emergency room. After a brief exam and some X-rays, the diagnosis was...
Unleash Your Inner Superhero
Why am I going second? Julie, seriously this has to be a mistake. Right? It makes absolutely no sense. Julie, my agent, assured me it...
My Journey Home
I arrived on the doorstep of Cabin #5. This tiny cottage in the woods was going to be home for the next nine days. I...
Blow Up What Isn’t Working: 10 Steps to Jump-Start Change
“What is the cost of not taking action? Where will you be 12 months from now if nothing changes?” What are you doing that isn’t...
3 Things Innovative Leaders Do Differently
Everybody’s talking about innovation. Of course, everybody wants to innovate. We’re living in a disruptive time. Most of the business conferences I attend have a...
The Hardest Lesson I’ve Ever Learned About the Power of the Mind
I could feel my heart starting to pound. A wave of anxiety washed over my chest as I realized I was next in line. Pull...
How I’ve Found My Work-Life Blend
It was Sunday night and Ryan’s flight was delayed. He needed assistance reworking transportation in both his departure and arrival cities. Sunday night. I was...
Creating My Next Breakthrough
“You won’t have access to a phone or computer for the entire week.” I paused. I was exploring the idea of attending a personal growth...
How Data-Driven Storytelling Drives Sales Growth
Tim Minahan is CMO at technology powerhouse Citrix. His role puts him directly at the intersection of the changing relationship between sales and marketing. I...
Every Problem Is an Opportunity
“Lynn, we have a problem.” I’m occasionally on the receiving end of this news from Ryan — which I’ve actually come to expect given the...
The Overwhelmed Customer
“Busy is the new fine” and it’s having an impact on the way customers decide. Sure, customers have more information available to them than ever...
Dealstorming: Sales Genius Is a Team Sport
I laughed. I cried. I took 5 pages of notes. I was ready to change. After the keynote presentation, I waited. I had to meet...
Living the Dream
Think of one person in your life who’s helped you get where you are today. If you want to have a powerful moment of human...
Show Me a Better Cold Pitch
The assault on my inbox continues. I am following up to schedule a quick introductory call to discuss your talent acquisition initiatives that may require...
Write to Grow: How Writing Helps You Learn
I missed my flight. There was no excuse. I was sitting in the airport lounge. I had arrived in plenty of time. I had my...
Shame Doesn’t Close Sales
I’ve already told you why nobody is responding to your cold email pitch. I’ve also shared what has the potential to pay off. Get to...