Nov 16Simple Titles, Strong TeamsConvention, Clarity, and Culture in Job Naming It’s really hard to define job titles in a small company. When a company has only 2 or 3 people working, everyone does everything. Or perhaps one person does everything and hires a few specialists to help. Either way, it usually seems silly for one of these three people to…Leadership4 min readLeadership4 min read
Aug 15Podcast Interview with AL4EPI recently had a great conversation with Dino Cattaneo for the Authentic Leadership For Everyday People podcast. We talk about my career transitions from musician, to web developer and CEO, to business coach and product lead; and my efforts to integrate these disparate perspectives. We talk about vision and core…Leadership1 min readLeadership1 min read
May 24, 202290% Of Marketing Is Reminding People You ExistI’ve built up a lot of maxims, mantras, and slogans over the years. I started writing these articles to quantify, clarify, and share them for posterity. Also, when I exited Lullabot and started focusing on my Business Coaching work, I wanted a way to share what I’m thinking about and…Marketing3 min readMarketing3 min read
Apr 12, 2022Are Algorithms Eating Your Culture?This issue has come up with a number of my coaching clients recently. So I thought I’d jot down my thoughts about personal vs impersonal decision-making. As an organization gets larger, there should be an effort to treat everyone fairly. Rules and policies are created so that everyone knows what…Startup Lessons4 min readStartup Lessons4 min read
Feb 25, 2022Getting The Boat Off The DockTom Petty said, “the waiting is the hardest part.” But I would like to suggest that the starting is the hardest part. …Leadership2 min readLeadership2 min read
Jan 21, 2022Your Backpack Of BricksBy the time my business coaching clients come to me, they’re usually having trouble sleeping. Sometimes their marriages are falling apart. Their stomach or their back hurts. Or maybe they’re just feeling overwhelmed. I used to joke that the greatest thing about running my own company was that I couldn’t…CEO3 min readCEO3 min read
Dec 6, 2021Not Profit; SustainabilityWhen I first started a company, I was uncomfortable talking about the money. I justified it by saying that we were shielding our employees from the business of the business. It’s the owners’ job to worry about the ups and downs of the company. We, the owners, were the ones…Startup3 min readStartup3 min read
Oct 15, 2021It’s Not What You Can Do, It’s What You Can Get DoneI started a company because I was a good web developer. Most founders start a company because they’re good at doing something — whether it’s baking bread, fixing cars, or creating websites. But as an individual, there’s only so much bread you can bake, cars you can fix, or websites…CEO3 min readCEO3 min read
Sep 29, 2021Shame, Embarrassment, and GrowthIt’s really effing hard being a leader. One of the hardest parts is that you usually need to look like you know what you are doing. Sometimes you know what you’re doing. Sometimes you don’t know what you’re doing. And sometimes you think you’re one when you’re actually the other. …Decision Making3 min readDecision Making3 min read
Sep 1, 2021Stonemasonry & Company BuildingWhen talking about building a company, I often talk about finding the right puzzle pieces to grow your business. You need to find the right people, the right processes, and the right philosophies to make your business fulfilling, productive, and successful. But “puzzle pieces” probably isn’t the right metaphor. It…Leadership3 min readLeadership3 min read
