Most people wait for permission to dream big. Damaris Melo decided at seven years old, before she even knew what the word "architect" meant. Damaris is an award-winning architect in Minnesota and author of Making My Way: A Story of Grit and Grace. She grew up in inner-city São Paulo, the first in her family to finish high school, and now designs community projects that turn desperation into hope. Her story lands different in a world that needs more of both. 3 Lessons Learned Mentors don't...
4 days ago • 3 min read
Most business owners think growth means saying yes to every deal. Alex Hennick built a 17-year company by knowing when to say no. Alex recovers value from distressed and excess inventory for brands and family businesses. His core team has stayed with him for over a decade each. In a shrinking-margin economy, his focus on profit over volume is worth hearing. 3 Lessons Learned Serve first, sell second. Alex sometimes tells people to donate inventory to charity instead of selling to him. That...
11 days ago • 2 min read
Most people chase a goal and fight themselves the whole way. Bob Raybould figured out how to win that fight before it starts. At 90, he's still building, still hiking two to three hours at a stretch, and still trying to hand people the tool that quadrupled his income in 30 months, then doubled it every year after. His idea is simple. Build the mindset of someone who's already succeeded before you begin, so your subconscious starts working for you instead of against you. As Bob put it, "I...
18 days ago • 2 min read
We're taught to keep the hard stuff behind closed doors and let time heal it. Cendie K. Stanford believed that for 30 years. Then the research proved it wrong. Cendie founded the nonprofit behind acesmatter.org and wrote The Crucible of Childhood Adversity. Her focus is ACEs, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and how they shape who we become. 3 Lessons Learned Ask what happened, not what's wrong. Trauma is a program installed in childhood, not a flaw. That reframe replaces shame with relief....
25 days ago • 2 min read
Most leaders think their team exists to serve them. Kenny Wyatt runs a company that serves churches, and he'll tell you the whole chart is upside down. The best leaders flip it. They serve the people, and the power flows back. Kenny is CEO of Pushpay, a technology company helping thousands of churches and nonprofits know and serve their communities. He grew up in the church but spent 25 years leading software companies around the world, so he sees both sides. That mix is exactly why this...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
We hand our kids the most powerful tool on earth. Then we tie their hands to a desk. Freedom Mandela, neuroscientist, grandson of Nelson Mandela, and founder of the VR School at Stanford, grew up watching his grandfather do the opposite. Three things stuck with me: Anger is a tax you pay on yourself. Mandela left 27 years in prison without it. Freedom says compassion literally restructures your brain. His grandfather knew that before the science did. Declare a mission, not a major. Pick the...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
One mom's story of raising a son through severe mental illness, and finding her way. For years, Stacy Ross thought she was failing as a mom. Her oldest kept getting sicker, the diagnoses kept missing, and she felt completely alone. Then she learned that 17 million other parents were carrying the same weight. Stacy is the author of Searching for Slippers, a memoir about raising a child with borderline personality disorder, and her story is one of hope. Her message is simple. Honor what's...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
For years, buyers ran from salespeople. They wanted the website, the price, and the exit, all without a single conversation. Then AI showed up and flipped the whole thing. Now people want a real human before they spend real money. Simon Severino has watched this shift up close. He's coached sales for 23 years, runs Strategy Sprints out of Vienna, and just co-wrote a book with legendary marketer Jay Abraham. His view on selling with a servant's heart is worth your morning coffee. 3 Lessons...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Most of us quit when the job gets hard. Aaron Hale lost his eyes to a roadside bomb, then lost his hearing four years later to meningitis, and decided he still had a mission. He runs real estate deals, an online fudge company, and a podcast. He can't see or hear any of it. Run an after action review on one thing that isn't working. Four questions, that's it. What should I start doing? What should I do more of? What should I stop doing? What should I do less of. Write the answers down. Then...
2 months ago • 2 min read