I’ve had a lot of fear this week. Fear that people won’t approve if I change my business model. Or renegotiate a retainer package, take several weeks off from work, fail to respond quickly to emails, say no to a request, miss a deadline, and on and on. It is SO uncomfortable to be scared. […]

You’re a special snowflake. I’m a special snowflake. We’re all special snowflakes, which is great news! So it’s a cinch to make it clear how you’re different from your competitors, right? It’s obvious that you offer unique value, right? YOU WOULD THINK SO, but this is hard! Even though you know you’re unique by your […]

Today I spent time with a nine-step diagram in the shape of a wheel, which outlined The Hero’s Journey. I love the hero’s journey. The fact that humans have a deeply-wired, evolutionarily-honed capacity for hearing and telling stories fills me with awe and gratitude. I love that many, many resonant stories follow the arc of […]

Let’s say you have a podcast or a radio show or online course, and you really really really want to get more reviews. There are a 1000 ways to do that: Ask people directly whether it’s friends and family, clients, subscribers, guests, colleagues, etc. Run a contest – the first ten people to leave a review […]

“I think I regret everything I said.” That’s how my interviewee described how she felt after a podcast interview. You know that feeling: that a combination of chagrin and embarrassment from thoughts like, I expressed myself badly! I squandered this opportunity! I sounded like an idiot!  These buzzkill thoughts are super normal, but why? Why do […]

My sister works at one of those self-aware restaurants – the kind with a high opinion of itself. The management instructs their staff that everything at the restaurant is an experience: a brunch experience, a cocktail experience, a dining experience. I rolled my eyes. Insisting on calling everything an experience is a little egregious, don’t […]