Chris Do

This post turned people off.
It’s also my highest performing tweet. Ever. By a long shot.

It triggered some responses like:
Oh. This is gross. Social media flexing. I thought you grew out of that phase as a teenager? Is this a D* measuring contest?

Or, I sure hope when I’m that age I’m no longer talking about social stats.

Some of the best comments come from TikTok. Like this one… and yet no one knows who you are. Haha. Or have you made $1000 yet?

And, isn’t this just promoting hustle culture and how toxic this can be?

I think they missed the point, but maybe it wasn’t phrased correctly. And I’ll take responsibility for that. I write from a place of positivity, optimism and empowerment (mostly). I have a blind spot for negative interpretations.

I turned 51 this year. In the past I’ve been reluctant to talk about my age. Not because I’m self conscious. I could care less. It was more about keeping some mystery about myself.

Then I realized that some people thought I was too young to be talking about business. That I was just some kid offering up bad business advice (more on that on another day) with no experience.

Or I’d hear about the frustrations that social media was a young person’s game. New tech can be confusing and feel exclusive to people who didn’t grow up with a smart phone.

Let me clear this up. Or at least attempt to.

Whatever your goal in life. However you measure success, joy, connection or find meaning, I’m here to tell you it’s not too late. You can start. Today. Or tomorrow.

Just don’t let anyone tell you, you’re too young, you’re too old, it’s too late.

That’s all.

I’m slightly embarrassed that despite having a following, I barely know how to use social media. I often wind up asking my much younger staff how to do “basic” stuff. My kids often roll their eyes when I post content. They laugh and call it “boomer” posts. Whatever. I’m gonna do me. You do you I tell them.

See you at the top, friends.

Here if you need help. You know, one old timer to another.

What are your thoughts?

#goalsetting #contentmarketingtips

Warning. This post is going to be a little spicy.
Skip it if you don't like spicy. I have been described before as a charismatic razor blade. I might earn it today.

Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors and people lose their minds because they don't know what to pick. So many flavors. If the person in line picked vanilla and every other person after picked vanilla, they'd run out of vanilla. But more importantly, flavors like mint chocolate chip, rocky road, and cookie dough would go largely unappreciated.

As my design and carousels evolve, I can't help but notice how other “influencers“ are making similar changes. I even tried “ugly“ colors like pink, salmon, persimmon, hunter green and celery. Color combos I thought no one would use.

And then. copy. Paste.

It's gotten to a point that I'm feeling a little crowded like I can't breathe. I'm not telling you that I own any of this, or that it's original. It's not. But it did get me to think: being like someone else isn't good branding. It's not good business. It's not good for personal growth. Why not choose another color, typeface or illustration style?

So next time you are at the ice cream parlor, try going a little crazy. Try French Vanilla. Add some nuts. Find your own take on design. It's actually really fun.

If not, I've included every color, typeface and even the illustrator that I use. I want to make it easier to rip off. If anything, it'll force the conversation, if everyone is doing what you do, what will you do?

Better to be an imperfect you than a perfect someone else.

#branding #designprinciples #entrepreneurmindset

Good design can save lives.

Typography is thinking made visible. Before someone can understand your ideas, they must first be able to read the words.

I find this to be true with designers and non designers alike, when it comes to functional type vs display type, legibility is an after thought.

The human mind can recognize shapes before we can read the words. Experiments have been created where letters of words were scrambled and we can still decipher the meaning.

Setting type in all caps is good for some use cases like titles and headlines, but should be avoidable for body copy. Upper case is harder to read because the letterforms go from baseline to cap height line, making them harder to distinguish from one another.

Instead, use upper lower case, or all lower case for blocks of text.

Hope this helps. Let me know your thoughts below.

#graphicdesign #legibility #typesetting #typography

It’s better to fail in the pursuit of excellence than to be successful at being mediocre.

I think many of us settle for what we have because we are afraid of failure and rejection. So we choose to remain the big fish in the small pond. We are never forced to see how high we might go and therefore how far we might fall.

Be brave enough to find the edges of what you are capable of. Be the small fish in the big pond. Dream bigger. Be bold enough to think you can play at the highest levels against the very best in the world. You can.

Don’t be a settler. Be an explorer.

Tell me about how you are pushing yourself to find your edges. What are your big, hairy audacious goals? Mine is too change how people learn. I might not be successful, but the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.

#Entrepreneurial #successtips #businessquotes #mentorship

Having been in the business for 20+ years, I've had my fair share of clients from hell. Consider this a public service announcement for those of you that are still new to the game or haven't quite figured out why some relationships turn sour quickly. And, if you're a client, see if any of these rings a bell.\n\nMost of the time, if you're paying attention, you can see bad clients from a mile away, but all too often you're “temporarily blinded“ by the need to hit a sales quota, or have a stack of invoices that are unpaid. Alarm bells ring and red flags are raised, but fall on deaf ears. This is a tongue-in-cheek guide to help you quickly identify the sinners and see the light.\n\nCover image is designed by art director/concept artist james levy and used with permission. \n\n#nightmareclients #clientsfromhell #thewarningsigns #jameslevydesign #badclients #howtoavoid #entrepreneurship #clientmanagement #salestips #salesadvice #avoidatallcost #hellclients

Plan the work. Work the plan. Repeat.

Have a strategy for how you will achieve your goals. A clear goal will often reveal the steps necessary. Then, do the work. If the steps you take don’t bring you closer to your goal, adjust the plan.

It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.

Are you working your plan?

#strategy #work

Why passion and purpose are essential to your goals.

Purpose—beyond money, the reason why you exist. Purpose determines priorities. Priorities determine courses of action. Purpose without action is fantasy.

Passion—what drives you. “Passion is energy.“—Oprah Winfrey.

Purpose sets direction while passion keeps you going when you the hit the the “dip“. You will need to draw upon your passion to stay committed, to not give up, to not get distracted, and to climb the hill towards your goal.

Passion without purpose is going nowhere fast. “Passion without purpose is like a shot without a target.“—Ifeanyi Enoch. Purpose steers, passion propels. Get clear on your purpose. Find your passion.

Here’s the secret—if you want to be successful, go places, make a name for yourself, go on an adventure, all you have to do is...
Start. That’s it.
Start.

Believe it or not, the hardest part is to just start. Everything else will work itself out.

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t? What habit can you start today?

Original tweet by @wearenotwizards. Follow @werenotwizards on IG<<.
Unsplash photo by Ian Dooley @sadswim.

Futur European Tour Posters generated by #MidJourney v.4.
Two full day workshops. Business Clinic. Personal Branding.
See event for details.

Multi-ticket discounts available for teams.

Cities/Dates:
Manchester April 12
London April 14-15
Stockholm April 17
Amsterdam April 19
Berlin April 21–22
Bucharest April 24
Lisbon April 26
Barcelona April 28–29
Dublin May 03
Stavanger May 05 ← Just added

Get your tickets here:
https://lnkd.in/g8Jix5ek

See you in April!

#personalbranding #businessdevelopment #businessfundamentals

High quality writing beats high quality design. It's odd for me to say this considering two things: 1) I'm a designer 2) I don't consider myself a writer. After creating 100+ posts on Instagram, I've come to discover that the single biggest thing that will help you to grow is to learn how to write for the platform.

Short, clear, simple and honest writing that feels conversational outperform all other types of posts. Write from the heart. Share openly. Reveal your true, vulnerable self. Share what you've learned.

You can spend time to make your writing look better, but if the idea isn't there, it's the law of diminishing returns. Start with good writing. Finish with good design. Not the other way around.

What's been your highest performing post on Linkedin or Instagram? What was the key to your success? I want to know.

For more tips on how to write better for #instagram, check out this latest video: https://lnkd.in/gNcTMum     

#instagramgrowth #contentmarketingtips

It's been 8 years and 10 months since I've used the term to describe myself.

How we describe ourselves also shapes how others see us. There we must choose our titles with great care.

Let me show you what I mean.

A graphic designer designs graphics. 
An interior designer designs interiors. 
A fashion designer designs fashion.

Is that all you do?

In servicing clients, are we not helping them to design their:

Strategy, identity, messaging, marketing, funnel, culture, products, positioning, customer journey, packaging, user experiences, etc…?

Pick a title that is more representative of what you do. 
Let me know what title you use that accurately describes all that you bring.

Friends, I'm delighted to tell you that I'll be speaking (in real life) for the first time at Adobe MAX this year. I'm one of the “luminary“ speakers that will be on the big stage.

What's cooler than cool? So many of my friends and professional acquaintances are speaking as well: Aaron James Draplin, Adam J. Kurtz, Timothy Goodman, James Barnard, Monotype, Andrew Hochradel, Eran Stern, Annie Atkins and Kyle T. Webster. Sounds like a partay!

If you've never been, Adobe puts on an amazing multi-day event. Max bash doesn't disappoint with music acts like: 21 Pilots, Beck, and Vampire Weekend (past years). There will be thousands of creative types (just like you) roaming the hallways, jamming in sessions and workshops, or just slumming it with us on the exhibit floor.

Every year, we have a 10x20' booth where I'll be doing my #whiteboard sessions each day. We'll have posters, books, and a variety of merchandise for sale… but only for the die-hard DoNuts.

Are you planning on attending?

Price plays a big role in perception of value. Here's what you can learn from how luxury brands like Gucci price their products to attract the right type of customer. We buy on emotion and use logic to justify our purchase.

Did you need to buy the fancy import car? Or did you just want it because of how it made you feel? Do you reach out for the cheapest bottle of water or do you buy the fancy one because you question the provenance of the generic label? It turns out, our imbic brain (or gut) makes all of our decisions.

Before you comment on the background pattern as being more like Louis Vuitton, I'm aware of this and yes it was deliberate.

#pricing #marketing #positioning #value #perception #thefutur #carousels #pdf

What if no one likes me? What if people think I'm stupid, a complete fraud with no talent?

The fear of being disliked, ridiculed or hated on is enough for most people to never share their ideas in public. So they keep their ideas to themselves and therefore rob others the joy of learning from their stories of triumph and tragedy.

The greatest personal and professional transformation that I've had came from letting go of this need to be loved, supported, and popular. Once I leaned into my strengths and weaknesses and stopped caring what others said, I discovered my true voice in my 40s. Learn to turn the criticism into motivation. Embrace that if you have a point of view that others will not agree with you.

A quick and easy guide on how to lose clients. Simply do one or more of the following and watch your clients disappear, bookings suddenly cancel, and account balance dwindle.

If this has happened to you, you may be guilt of committing some of these “sins“. Did I miss any? Questions? Let me know what you think. Share with a friend who needs to see this.

#1BminusOne #howtogetclients #howtoloseclients #freelance #freelancer #tips #advice #bizofdesign

I often emphasize the importance of personal branding, the art of storytelling, and the power of vulnerability.

But perhaps I'm not walking the talk.

My friends encourage me to reveal more of myself. Maybe I've been too focused on creating value for others that I've been inadvertently hiding. Let me rectify that.

Hi. My name is Chris Do. I'm a loud introvert, husband, father, serial entrepreneur, charming razor blade, caring snob, refugee, and recovering graphic designer.

I used to run a company called Blind™.
Now, I run the Futur—a content and education company with a really big mission: Teach 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love.

If you've been on this journey with me, thank you for your support, encouragement, and interaction. It would be a lot less fun for me without you.

I've shared with you my 9 lives. Having gone through so many evolutions, I think I'm going to stick with this one for a while.

What are some of your lives? How have you evolved/reinvented yourself over the years? Let me know in the comments.

ArtCenter College of Design

#selfbelief #brandmarketing #entreprenuerlife #growthmindset #beyourownboss #personalbrandingguide #personalbrand #personalbranding

You can lose yourself in the pursuit of some goals and pay too heavy a price. On social media, it’s designed to make you chase numbers: the amount of likes, followers and shares each post gets could make you happy or depressed.

It might even make you pretend to be someone who you are not. If that happens, then you need to find your way back. You do you. Cause no one else will do.

It is better to have a small following than to have a big following and lose yourself. Writing should be a process of self discovery, finding your own voice and sharing your personal stories with others as you learn.

Do you struggle with self acceptance? Do you feel like you can’t show up as yourself and be 100 percent you? Let me know.

The often quoted Jim Rohn is one of my favorite business philosophers. It's Tuesday here and if you need a push to finish the day strong, this might do it for you.

This is frustrating—to have a client that hovers, questions your creative decisions and plays pretend art director. It’s easy to hate the micromanaging client who wants to pixel push you off the design cliff.

Now if this keeps happening, it’s a sign that you are part of the problem. Here’s how to stop clients from playing the role of creative.

First, identify the problem. Then apply the appropriate solution. Let me know if this helps or if you have any suggestions.

#freelancegraphicdesigner #freelancedesigner #freelancelife #entrepreneurlife #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurtips #micromanaging #designlife #business101

"We told you our budget was $100k. Why is this $118k?"

The client was pissed.
My producer was sweating.
I remained calm.

Here's what happened:

Big branding client. Mid-project, they need a video for the CEO's keynote.
"We have $100k for this," they said.
"Fine," I said.

When we built the bid, it came in at $118k.

My producer panicked. "Chris, they TOLD us their ceiling. We should come in at $100k."

"Submit it at $118k. I'll handle the blowback."

Twenty minutes later, he's in my office, exasperated, with that "I TOLD you so" look on his face. "They want to hop on a call. They're not happy."

We got on the call.

"We told you our cap. Why is this more?"

I took a breath, not out of desperation, but to slow things down, and ground the room.

In a calm, deliberate tone (Late Night FM DJ Voice) "I understand you might feel frustrated about this budget. Here's why it's higher:

I don't like nickel-and-diming clients.

Inevitably on projects like this, you'll ask for a change here, a tweak there, and I'll be forced to ask for overages. That hurts the flow. Creates friction. Kills momentum.

This budget anticipates those changes, so we don't have to stop mid-project to renegotiate—unless you have major changes.

Now, if you want me to submit it for $100k, I can.
But when those changes start creeping in, I'll hit you up for overages.

Your call. I respect your decision either way."

Silence.

Then a sigh (of relief).

"You're right. Let's move forward at $118k."

They hardly asked for any changes.
They were delighted with what we made.
The project flowed beautifully.

Everyone was happy (including the CEO).

Here's what this taught me:

The budget is never THE budget.
It's an anchor. A starting point. Not a ceiling.

If two parties want to work together, money is rarely the real problem.
They find a way. Always.

Premium clients want premium experiences.
Paying more for zero friction? Easy yes.

Your pricing signals your experience.
When you price to avoid problems, you're saying "this isn't my first rodeo."
That's worth $18k.

Most creatives would have caved at $100k.
In fact, they would often submit below, never wanting to create friction.
Then spent the project bleeding money on changes and the "we should've asked for more" regret.
Resenting the client.
Hating the work.

Instead, we made an extra $18k.
The client got a better experience.
Everyone won.

Your price isn't just a number.
It's a promise about how the project will feel.

Your price tells a story.
Price accordingly.

What's a time you held firm on pricing, or asked for more, when everyone told you to cave? How did it turn out? What did you learn?

#pricingstrategy #clientmanagement #businessgrowth

Mindset shift. Don’t sell what you do.
Sell how you think.
Because you are not what you make.
You are so much more.

When you sell what you make, you invite the world to compete with you. When you sell how you think, you only compete with yourself. Because there is no one else who thinks like you.

Today’s post is an excerpt from my book Pocket Full of Do. Bite sized pieces of things I’ve learned in my 20+ years as a creative entrepreneur.

Let me know what you think of this concept. Are you selling what you make or how you see the world?

Save this post for later.

Its jaws are menacing.
Its grip vice like.
It’s the mind killer and destroyer of dreams. It’s the perfectionism monster. Once it grabs a hold of you, it’s very hard to break free.

Perfectionism hides its true face—avoidance, and attachment. We hide behind “I want it to be perfect…“ as a way to avoid facing our biggest fear… proof that our idea either works or it doesn't.

It's more comfortable to be content with the reassuring story of “I could've…“ and not realize our goals, than to face the cold, objective reality of failure.

But the perfection monster, however formidable, has a major weakness. If you don’t believe in it, it dies. For it to live, you must want it to continue to live.

Your ally in this battle is to not run from failure, but to embrace it. Jeff Bezos said “Invention and failure are inseparable twins“. And, there's a mountain of evidence that the most innovative companies and individuals have had more failures than most people even try.

What do we say to the God of perfection?

Not today.

Tag a friend. Bookmark this post. Share it with someone who needs to reframe perfection and failure.

#perfectionism #mindsetshift #mindsetcoaching #businessadvice

Should you be alarmed of how #ai or #machinelearning will be a disruptive force to creative industries, in ways we have yet to imagine?

What you need to know to prepare for this paradigm shift:
• Machines are great at reverse engineering and pattern recognition
• Machines have access to the entirety of human knowledge. What can be seen, scraped, read, watched, listened to, referenced and synthesized can be done in mere seconds.
• Machines can analyze, review and grade creative work at velocity and scale that no human can do.
• They are getting exponentially more powerful and “human“ like in their ability to recognize natural patterns of speech and understand context.
• The machines can learn but do need to be “taught“ as to what you like/dislike.
• Machines can iterate on ideas and provide endless variations on concepts, themes, and styles.
• Machines can take boring, repetitive, labor intensive tasks from humans…freeing us up to do more creative things, like think, dream and direct.

Today, in less than 15 minutes after gaining access to #midjourney (with no help or instruction), I was able to generate over 20 “sketches“ for a cybernetic, robot, skull helmet/head. The results are included here for reference.

Are these works of art? No. But they are more than sufficient as #3d #ConceptArt for a potential character design. I can already see these crude ideas as a “Destiny“ game character or a Sith Lord in a Star Wars film. What is surprising to me is that the machine came up with concepts, in all honesty, that I would not be able to come up with.

“AI is going to change every single business and every single sector. It's going to be the most disruptive technology in the history of mankind.“ - Ginni Rometty, IBM CEO

Change is coming whether you like it or not. Progress, however, is a choice. There will be some that overhype what AI can currently do. Others will raise questions about ethics and paint a picture of a dark, dystopian future. How we use this technology will determine which future we manifest.

Here are just some of the things you can use AI/ML for today:
• Generate ideas for: headlines, book titles, taglines
• Write scripts or blog posts based on a headline or any text you feed it as a starting point
• Grade business ideas
• Evaluate open ended essays
• Automatically swap out assets in design systems
• Auto-populate websites with copy, brand elements
• Write brand manuals
• Sketch visual ideas for set designs, ad campaigns, video thumbnails, character designs, architecture, landscape paintings
• Write lyrics
• Compose songs
• Read text in any voice

The machine needs a good teacher. It works best with someone who knows how to articulate what they wants. We're heading into a future where there will certainly be fewer jobs for those in production. But there will be more opportunities for art directors.

Next post, I'll share a YouTube script that copy.AI wrote for me. You be the judge if it's any good. Questions? Comments?

I was in a mood…
Theory and action aren't enemies.
Theory and practice are two lovers.
They belong together.

One typography tip that will instantly separate you from non designers—use smart, not dumb quotes.
​​
​​This is an ongoing aggravation of mine when I see prime and double prime marks in lieu of the proper quote marks. My team knows this as well but these errors continue to slip through the cracks.
​​
​​Let me know if you want more design and typography fundamentals like this. And for goodness sake, please, please stop using the wrong mark.
​​
​​#typesetting #visualidentitydesign

As a full-time content creator, former designer, and director, I pay careful attention to the tools that I use in my daily life. Every piece of equipment I use is highly attuned for my specific needs and a balance of: performance, ergonomics, aesthetics, build-quality, and general ease of use. I create an insane amount of daily content, so I don’t leave anything to chance.

I get a lot of questions about what my workstation/home office setup is like. Here’s the breakdown: Apple iMac Pro, Logitech MX KEYS keyboard, MX Master 3 mouse, Zone 3 wireless headphones, Blue Baby Bottle Mic, Blackmagic ATEM mini, Rodecaster Pro, M-Audio speakers, BenQ secondary display, Sony FS5 camera, Ikan teleprompter, Intuous Pro, Elgato Stream Deck and Aputure 120d w/ Lightdome.

What is one piece of kit you can’t live without in your office setup?
https://logi.link/8fpcpw
#sponsored #Worklifeupgraded

When they say you're wrong,
simply agree.
What?!! Yes. Agree.

"You're too expensive."
"I hear you. From your perspective, what feels too expensive?"

No defensiveness.
No justification.

Lead with curiosity.

Here's what 30 years of client conversations taught me:
The moment you argue, you lose.
Even if you win.

Because nobody wants to be proven wrong.
They want to be understood.

"This isn't what I want."
"I understand I might've misunderstood. Can you redirect me?"

Notice what I didn't do?
Didn't defend the work.
Didn't explain my process.
Didn't make them wrong.

I made them right.

Hard truth. Gently said—
Your need to be right is costing you relationships.
And relationships are costing you money.

When clients object, they're not attacking.
They're communicating.
But you're too busy defending to hear them.

Here's the framework:

Step 1: Agree
"You're right to feel that way."
"Oh, I see."
"That makes sense."

Step 2: Get Curious
"Help me understand..."
"What specifically concerns you?"
"What would feel better to you?"

Step 3: Redirect Together
"Based on what you shared..."
"Now that I understand better..."
"Let's explore a path that works for you..."

The magic isn't in the words.
It's in the surrender.

You stop being the expert who knows better.
You become the partner who listens better.

Try this next time:
Client: "This timeline is unrealistic."
You: "I see. What part feels most unrealistic to you?"

Watch their shoulders drop.
Watch their guard come down.
Watch the conversation shift.

From combat to collaboration.
From defense to discovery.
From "you vs me" to "us vs the problem."

Agreement isn't weakness.
It's aikido.

Use their energy to move forward together.
Not to prove who's stronger.

What client objection do you instinctively fight against?
What would happen if you agreed instead?

Small Business Builders

#salestips #smallbusinesscoach #smallbizadvice
#clientmanagement #businessgrowth #salesstrategy

Some people have guts. And then there is Carlos Segura the founder of type foundry T-26.
​​
​​In design circles, his terms sheet is legendary for its bold, honest, direct and I don’t give AF approach.
​​
​​If you work with him, you know what you’re signing up for. Respect.
​​
​​Could you be this brave? Why? Why not?

The counterintuitive nature of design.
Design, at its best, feels almost obvious—the byproduct of a series of intelligent decisions that reaches a natural conclusion.

Young designers add.
Experienced designers subtract.

“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible,”
 — Don Norman

"If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design." — Ralf Speth

"Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent." — Joe Sparano

"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea and modest expectations." — Paul Rand

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." — Steve Jobs

"Good design is like air conditioning. We only notice it when it's missing." — Jared Spool

You often don't notice something until it's done poorly.

My friend watched me work for 10 minutes and said:
“I think I’ve been using AI wrong this entire time.”

He’s an AI phenom. Years deep in platforms, prompts, and processes. A wizard with AI. There’s very little he can’t do with it.

Me? I’m an old-school Photoshop and Illustrator guy.

We spent the last week jamming on new projects. While making YouTube thumbnails, he hit a wall. The AI kept producing images that were almost right. Close, but not quite.

Weird facial expressions. Odd skin detail. Missed references. Strange lighting. No extra fingers anymore (progress), but mystery hands holding things up.

We laughed every time it output something absurd. Prompt. Re-prompt. Prompt again. Tokens burning.

After his 47th iteration, I said, “Let’s do this like it’s 1999.”
I jumped into Photoshop. Fixed faces. Adjusted lighting. Painted over the weird bits. Combined three outputs into one image.

Fifteen minutes later: done.

He stared at the screen. Then at me.
“I forgot I could do that.”

That’s when it hit us both. He’d become obsessed with one-shotting it. Slowly, conveniently, he outsourced judgment to the machine.

“Lost in the gloss” of shiny AI output.

There’s a "reported" Apple finding that AI isn’t intelligence. It’s sophisticated mimicry. Like a knock-off luxury bag. Good from afar. Far from good.

The irony of AI?
It reminds us to be human.

Back to craft.
Back to taste.
Back to judgment.

Not for nostalgia. But to get it right.
He thanked me—not for fixing the image—but for reminding him why he fell in love with design.

AI didn’t replace his creativity.
It just made him forget he had it.
AI is great for ideation. Terrible for precise, nuanced execution.

The ideal workflow:
Intent and ideas (you).
Repetitive labor (AI).
Judgment, refinement, editing (you).

The best work still happens when you don’t export thinking to the machine.

Are you trying to one-shot your work?
What skills have you let atrophy?
What happens if you pick them back up?

This post reflects how I use Stanley (AI):
Human input. AI output. Human refinement.

I’ll drop a link if you’re curious.
#sponsored #designthinking #creativity

251 comments later… (thank you)
I know where you struggle to tell stories.

You're trying too hard to be interesting. (Too self conscious.)
You're comparing yourself to others. (Comparison is the thief of joy.)
You're overly concerned with what others will think. (When you stop caring about what others think, others will start caring about what you think.)

Stop overthinking.
Stop second guessing.
Stop looking for perfection.

Start sharing your story.

After launching my Story Challenge, I spent hours reading every single comment. Three patterns kept showing up. Same struggles. Different words. Wrong solutions.

Here's what's you shared:

No. 1: "I don't know what story to tell" or "I don't have any stories worth sharing"
I can tell you unequivocally, with absolute certainty, you don't have one, not two, but infinite stories to share. Yes. Infinite!

Use my photo album technique. Look through your photo album. You know, the one with tens of thousands of images on your mobile device. Scan for anything that stirs up an emotion and favorite the photo.

This is your starting point.
Good stories tell.
Great stories move us emotionally.

No. 2: "My story isn't interesting"
It's because you've sanitized it.

Too corporate.
Too polished.
Too safe.

Boring.

Every story worth telling has tension. You lost a client. A project tanked. You doubted yourself. You almost went bankrupt. That's the good stuff. But you keep smoothing out the edges, removing the conflict, sanitizing the struggle.

Stop making yourself the hero who never fails.
Don't rush past the bumps and bruises.

Everyone loves an underdog story.
Give them someone to root for.

"The audience admires a character for trying more than for their successes." (Rule number 1 of Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling for a reason)

No. 3: "I can't find the point"
Because you're getting lost in the sauce. Too much context. Too much build up.

The lesson isn't some profound revelation you need to package with a bow. It's usually simpler. What did you do differently after that moment? How were you transformed? What did you learn? That's your point.

If you're stuck, do this.
Start at the end.
What is the point you want to make?

Now, build your story to land your lesson.
Lean into those moments.
Get rid of everything else.

Here's your homework:
Think of one moment this month when you felt uncomfortable in your business. Write about that. Don't pretty it up. Just tell us what happened and what you did next.

That's a story.

What uncomfortable business moment are you avoiding talking about?

We kick off the 5 Day Story Challenge on Monday.
If you've signed up, great. See you there!

I'll drop a link in the comments if you haven't joined yet.

#storytelling #businessstorytelling #contentcreation

Stop asking for the sale.
Start showing them the gap.

Here's how I close six figure projects in under 22 minutes. Not because I'm some sales genius. It's because I focus on what clients care about most.

Spoiler alert. It has nothing to do with what I do/make.

Here's the formula—

Don't skip the 2 B's between A and C.

**A = Asking** (Discovery)
**B = Baseline** (Where they are)
**B = Benchmark** (Where they want to be)
**C = Closing** (The decision)

Here's how it plays out:

Started with asking. Simple questions.
"What's the reason for our call today?"
Client: "I want to close more clients."

"What's your current close rate on proposals?"
Client: "38%."

"What about your competitors?"
Client: "The good ones? Probably 60-65%."

"So if you could hit 60%, what would that mean for your business?"
He did the math out loud while I followed along.

Then I laid out the 2 B's (Baseline & Benchmarks):

**Baseline (Their Reality Today)**
• Win rate: 38%
• Average deal: $400K
• Proposals per month: 8
• Monthly revenue: $1.2M

**Benchmark (Their Potential Tomorrow)**
• Win rate: 60%
• Same average deal: $400K
• Same proposals: 8
• Monthly revenue: $1.9M

"That's $700K per month you're leaving on the table. What's a reasonable amount to invest to achieve this?" Pause. "Does 10-20% sound fair?"

His response? "When can we start?"

No pitch deck.
No feature list.
No convincing.

Just clarity on the gap.

Here's what I've learned in running a service business for 24+ years.

The sale isn't in your solution.
It's in their realization.

When you focus on the 2 B's, you remove all the friction. They stop asking "why should I buy?" and start asking "why haven't I done this already?"

The gap sells itself.
You're just the bridge.

Most people go straight from A to C. They ask a few questions then jump into their pitch. That's like proposing on the first date.

Slow down.
Quantify their pain.
Show them what's possible.
Let the gap do the heavy lifting.

What's the biggest gap you've helped a client see between their baseline and benchmark?

What is the benchmark you help people with?
Is it specific, measurable, and time bound?

#salesstrategy #businessgrowth #clientmanagement

Revenue is vanity.
Profit is sanity.

The number one mistake small business owners make is to not understand how to determine their actual profit margin.

Often times, they believe they are more profitable than they really are.

You don't have to be a financial wizard or even love numbers. Just understand these 3 core concepts:

1. Revenue = the total amount of money generated (gross billings)
2. Gross profit = Revenue minus COGS (cost of goods sold). But don't stop there.
3. Net profit = Revenue minus all expenses (COGS, operating costs, interest, tax, etc…)

The most common mistake here is to not include your own salary in your calculations. Many small business owners determine profitability while subsiding their business with "free labor".

Here's how to do it instead.
Hypothetically, remove yourself from your business and hire someone to do the jobs that you do. After everyone has been paid, what money is leftover is your actual profit.

Once you understand this, you will probably realize that you aren't very profitable. In fact, without you doing the "free" or subsidized work, you would be operating at a loss.

Design your business to run without you so that you can determine your actual profitability. Then, if you elect to do the work yourself, you will have protected your bottom line.

Are you running a profitable business that isn't dependent on you doing "free" work? How did you learn to do this?

Run the calculation. What are your actual Net Margins? In percentages, and what industry are you in? Please share in the comments.

Got questions?
Here to help.

Small Business Builders
#smallbusinesscoach #smallbizmentor #freelancedesigner #smallbizcoach

You're negotiating against yourself
before the client even opens their mouth.

Fresh out of ArtCenter in '95, I did what every new designer does: quick math. $30/hour x 8 hours = $240/day. Seemed like real money to a 22-year-old with a bachelor's degree and zero business sense.

Clients booked me immediately.
Red flag #1 that I missed completely.

Here's what happened next:

I watched other designers work. More experienced, yet slower. Not as progressive. Their typography and visual communication skills weren't as sharp. Yet no one seemed to notice but me.

I think I might be undercharging.

So I played a game called "Go high until they say bye."
Every time someone would call to book me, I raised my rates.

$300/day. Yes.
$400/day. Yes.
$500/day. Yes.
$800/day. Still yes.

Within 3 months, I went from $30/hour to $100/hour. Same skills. Same output. Different price tag.

The only pushback came when I was raising rates weekly on the same client. The head of production at LA's top title design company called:

"Chris, I noticed you keep raising your rates. Not sure we can pay these rates. What's your reason?" she asked.

"I think it's a fair price. Can you do me a favor? Ask the creative director if he thinks I'm worth it. If not, have him call me."

Never heard back.
Kept the client.
Kept the rate.

Here's what established professionals need to understand:

Your avoidance of friction is you leaving money on the table.
Your fear of losing clients by raising rates means you'll never know your true worth.
Your neediness to land the client actually creates doubt.

The clients who balk at your price are savvy negotiators. They're testing your resolve. They don't feel good about themselves unless they push back to find the "real" price.

When you crumble like a house of cards, it reinforces the idea that you were overcharging.

Stop telling yourself stories about what the market will bear. The market hasn't rejected you—you've rejected yourself.

Test your ceiling. Create necessary tension. Make them stretch a little.

Because here's the thing: I was helping companies win projects worth hundreds of thousands. My hourly rate was pocket change compared to the value I created.

Eventually, I ditched hourly altogether.
Fixed fees based on outcomes. But that's another story.

What's the highest rate you've ever quoted—and what story did you tell yourself before lowering it?

#smallbusinesscoach #pricingstrategy #smbmentor #freelancedesigner

Is she charging too little?
Are you underpricing your services?

How will you know if you never push to see where the ceiling's at?

You're the bottleneck in your own business.

Yesterday someone asked me how I stopped being everywhere at once in my company.

Hard truth. Gently said—
You're not irreplaceable.
You just haven't taught anyone to replace you.

Here's how to "Buy back your time". (hat tip to Dan Martell)

Step 1: Time Audit
Track every task for a week.
Not what you think you do.
What you actually do.

That Instagram scroll? Write it down.
That "quick" email that took 47 minutes? Document it.
That client revision you should've delegated? Note it.

Step 2: Create Your Escape Plan (SOPs)
Record yourself doing the task.
Loom. iPhone. Whatever.
Just hit record and narrate your thinking.

"I'm choosing this font because..."
"I always check this metric first because..."
"When clients say X, I respond with Y because..."

Your brain on video.
Your process in pixels.
As Dan says, Camcorder yourself.

Step 3: The Three-Phase Handoff

Phase 1: "Watch me"
They observe. Take notes. Ask questions.
You're still doing. They're learning.

Phase 2: "Let's do it together"
They drive. You navigate.
Supervised practice with immediate feedback.

Phase 3: "You've got this"
They own it. Random quality checks.
Only escalate when stuck.

This isn't delegation.
This is how you clone yourself.

The result?
They get agency.
You get freedom.
The business gets systems.

Most founders think they're protecting quality by doing everything themselves.

You're not.
You're protecting your ego.

Your business shouldn't need you to function.
It should need you to grow.

Big difference.

What task are you doing this week that someone else should be doing next month?

Name it. Own it. Then delegate it.

Small Business Builders



#smallbusinessmentor #businessgrowth #delegation #buybackyourtime

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
—Maya Angelou

Stories are the operating system of the human brain. (Eric Edmeades)

Yet so many of us fail at doing what was once so natural as kids.

We tell stories to relate to each other.
We tell stories as cautionary tales.
We tell stories so we know who we are.

Kicking off a 5 Day Story Challenge
Oct. 27–31

What you’ll get:
• Daily prompts and short lessons from Oct 27–31
• One simple writing task per day (about 10 minutes)
• A completed story by the end of the challenge
• A live 90-minute workshop with me on Nov 1
• The Complete Story Planning Checklist Workbook for live attendees

FREE

Want to get better at telling stories?
Know someone who can use some help? Tag them.

Tell me what is the hardest part for you.
Link in comment below.

Carrie Green

Hiding behind the professional mask?
Afraid to tell your story?

You could be doing the very thing that is needed to build meaningful connection on social platforms and in real life.

By showing up as you— 100% you (mask off), imperfectly perfect, weird, eclectic, divergent, fully embracing your story and culture, you create the space for others to say, "Hey, I'm just like you."

What's holding you back from showing up more as yourself?


Video podcast with Neel Dhingra
#UnblandYourself

Your best people are slipping through your fingers.
And you probably don't even know why.

If you don't want to lose brilliant team members, pay attention. They aren't leaving you for more money or a better opportunity. They are leaving because you might be suffocating them.

Here's the uncomfortable truth about keeping top talent:

1. Give them agency or watch them leave.
Micromanagers, this one's for you. Every time you hover, every time you dictate the 'how', you're creating dependent robots instead of empowered humans. The best people don't want to check their brains at the door. They want to know their decisions matter.

2. Tie their wins to their wallets.
Not always cash—sometimes it's time off, public recognition, or just a genuine "that was brilliant." Recognize your top performers or you train them to become indifferent.

3. Tell them what, never how.
"I need this to convert at 20%" beats "Use this font, this color, this layout" every single time. The moment you rob them of their process, you rob them of their pride.

4. Growth or goodbye.
Top talent has a ceiling allergy.
Small team → bigger team → client face time → financial decisions.
Show them the ladder or they'll find another building.

5. Treat them like family (the functional kind).
Look out for them. Actually care. Not that "we're a family" corporate BS, but genuine "how can I help you win?" energy.

Bonus:
In interviews, ask: "What would make you stay somewhere for 5 years?" Take notes. And actually follow through.

Already missed that chance? Sit down with your best people TODAY. "What gets you excited about coming to work? What would make you never want to leave?" 15 minutes. Could save you months of recruiting.

Who's the best person you ever lost?
What would you do differently now?

Small Business Builders

#leadership #talentretention #teambuilding

"Hey, you're a design celebrity!"

A what?!
No. Not me.

That was my reaction in 2018, four years into my content creation journey. I am a teacher, I thought to myself. Not an "influencer" and least of all a "YouTuber". My default was to stay in the shadows—quietly observing. Taking in the world around me, but not taking up much space.

This was my comfort zone.
It's not that I didn't have anything to say or contribute.
I did. But I was really uncomfortable being in the spotlight.

As time went on, the channel grew, and so did I.
I often tell people, the single most important decision (as a professional) that has had the greatest impact on my business and life was to say 'Yes' when I wasn't ready.

See, in 2014, an old ArtCenter College of Design classmate, José Abraham Caballer, invited me to do something unthinkable at that time. He said, "Let's make YouTube content together!"

Naturally, I resisted. No way… Jose.
#notracist

But Jose is a charming guy, and empathetic. He didn't take 'No' for an answer. So he made me a very generous offer. "I'll do all the talking. Speak only when you feel comfortable." (Music to an introvert's ears).

How could I say no to this?
So, I said, "Hell yeah!"
No, just kidding. I said, "Let's give it a try," and took a deep and heavy breath.

I was so bad. I couldn't even introduce myself so Jose did.
So I sat there. Leg nervously bouncing on the floor, jaw clenched, completely silent.

That was 11 amazing years ago.
So much has changed.

• I'm more comfortable in my own skin.
• My voice doesn't creep me out anymore.
• I stopped giving an F* about what people think.
• I'm exploring my identity through fashion.
• I've built a global community of friends and followers.
• My life and business are in 100% alignment.
• Free from client work.
• Speak on stages in front of hundreds, sometimes thousands.

You know what hasn't changed?

I am still a teacher. Different stage. Bigger scale. Greater impact.
I am now collaborating with authors I admire and brands I love.

It feels like a dream.
And if it is, don't wake me.

This is me.
100% unapologetically myself.
Namaste.

What's something you've been terrified to do, but know it's necessary for your personal growth? What's holding you back? What would it take for you to say 'yes'?


Photo:
Rodrigo Tasca 🎥
Tokyo, Japan



Hat: DSquared2, Shirt: Dries Van Noten, Trouser: Commes des garcons, Shoes: Adidas Y-3

The rule: "You can't fire the client. We can't. So you can't either."

Challenge accepted.
Mo Ismail wanted to see how I would handle a really difficult client with rather unreasonable expectations. And we was more than happy to play the role of the client.

It was almost as if he were born to play this part.
And boy did he.

He channeled every nasty, cheap, short sighted client he'd ever encountered and built a composite character to test me. This was an Academy worthy delivery.

He threw everything at me. "I don't want to pay. I don't want to take the risk. I don't want you to make too much money if this works." Yep. It's that video—the one that has been seen over 20m times across multiple channels.

I have to admit, it took a lot for me not to blow a fuse.
But I kept the rule in mind. Don't quit. Stay in the pocket.

So I dealt with each sales objection, one at a time.
For a moment, I had him contradicting himself. He went from "I don't think this is going to work" to "I think this might be too effective."

What do you think?
How would you have handled this situation?
Do you think this is unrealistic?

Guess what? I've had multiple people who saw this video offer me the same deal that I had proposed—50% of the new clients.

So for those who think this is preposterous, think again.


#salescoach #salestraining

I turned 54 this year. (But it’s not my birthday)

One year away from official "senior citizen" status.
Senior. Citi. Zen?!!! (It's hard to even acknowledge)

I am not old. People older than me are old.
54 is the new 44 right?

Or, maybe I'm kidding myself?
There are benefits to getting older.

Knowing who I am.
Being comfortable in my own skin.
Giving less F***s about other people's opinions.
Enjoying the passage of time with family and friends.
Confident in my life experiences.

And…
Discounts.

Movie tickets.
Museum entry.
The early bird special at Denny's.

I'm not above it.

"Sir, that'll be $12."
"Actually, I'm 55." 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘐𝘋 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳
"That'll be $9."

Worth every gray beard hair, hyper pigmentation spot, and deepening Marionette line.

But here's what's funny.
I don't feel like a senior anything.

I still dress like a retired anime villain.
I still stay up too late on "brain rot" mode scrolling through IG.
I still get carded at—okay, no I don't.

People expect you to "act your age" at 55.
You know what acting my age looks like?

Cargo shorts. New Balance 624s. Golf shirt. Dad bod.
Dreaming about retirement.
Slipping into irrelevance.

Not happening.
I refuse to go gently into that beige night.

My plan?
Take the discounts.
Ignore the expectations.
Keep dressing like I have a stylist (I don't).
Challenge the status quo.
Make dad jokes and use Gen Z slang until my kids disown me.

55 is coming.
But boring? Never.

I'm not slowing down.
This is just the warm up for the third act.

I'll see you backstage in the green room, on the runway, on the tarmac, out in the wilderness, or in the streets of Dubai, Tokyo or Sydney.

Who else plans to collect senior discounts while refusing to act like one?

What's the most "age-inappropriate" thing you do?
Drop it below. No judgment.

Photo: (Rodrigo Tasca 🎥) Two guys wearing "kilts" meeting in Dubai at the 1 Billion Followers Summit.

I froze on national TV.

Brain completely blank. Cameras rolling. Strangers staring.

This was during the taping of season 1 of "60 Day Hustle." My friend Olivia Owens at Teachable had recommended me as a guest mentor to talk about branding.

Day of the shoot, I'm in Burbank at the studio.

The director counted down, 5-4-3… I jogged up the stairway into the incubator— bright minimalist set, red walls, desks, whiteboards.

And then… nothing.

I was experiencing the strangest deja-vu. Like I'd been here before, seen this exact moment, this exact setting. My brain was short-circuiting.

Silence. An eternity of it.

Finally, I said to the director Ian, "I'm having a brain freeze."
He reassured me. "Take your time. You're good."

Luckily, my YT producer Mark Contreras, was there. He quietly googled a reference I had made and fed it back to me. I was good after that. He saved my butt.

When season 1 premiered, I was cringing at how this was going to look. Everyone reassured me it came out great, but that's not how it played in my mind.

The team at Sonic Gods Studios did an amazing job in the edit. Not only was I not embarrassed by my segment, but I was invited back for season 2 with a bigger role— and got a co-executive producer credit.

None of this happens without Mark in that moment.
None of this happens without the editors who made me look competent.
None of this happens if Michelle Delamor doesn't give me the shot.
None of this happens without Olivia who believed in me enough to recommend me.

They say it takes a village to raise a child.
Turns out, it also takes a village to save a mentor from himself.

I'm proud of how season 2 turned out. The production, challenges, editing, and storytelling are next level.

And in case you're wondering— no brain freeze this time.

Who's saved you when you needed it most?



#60dayhustle

It took a long time for me to learn to be comfortable in my own skin.
Growing up in a predominantly white community, with very few Asians, I always felt out of place. Forever the outsider.

It was as if I lived in two different, very fractured worlds—
At home, I was raised in a traditional, immigrant Vietnamese culture.

The emphasis was on education, following rules, fitting in, working hard, going to church, and being dutiful children. I was sheltered, but at least I was safe.

The outside world—school, and everything beyond our neighborhood, was a different story. I had to learn a different set of rules, words, and food.

There, I got strange looks, teasing, and sometimes got into physical altercations. This culture was foreign. It wasn't kind, nor safe.

That was my reality. Up until 18.
Couldn't wait to finish high school and move on with my life.

College was entirely different. I went to an art school, and met people who shared a deep passion for the arts (graphic design, illustration, photography, industrial design, architecture, and cinema).

There was still a hierarchy, but it was based on talent, not ethnicity or skin color. So I created a new identity—not of an immigrant refugee from Vietnam, but one of a designer who could be world class some day.

Brick by brick, I built myself up.
I told myself a new self-story—one who was capable of greatness.

I envisioned a desirable future version of myself, and worked hard to back fill the skills I hadn't yet acquired. With each small accomplishment, I took another step closer towards that identity.

Slowly, the disintegrated self became the integrated self.

My surname "Do" used to be a source of jokes and teasing.
Today, it's a source of pride—a representation of the sacrifices my mom and dad made and how they raised me.

It might not seem like much, but my book, titled "Pocket full of Do", is the completion of my self acceptance arc.

As tough as it was to endure as a kid, the adversity gave me an opportunity to find myself, and I am grateful for it.

What is something that was hard in the moment, but turned out to be a gift?
What was the obstacle that was an opportunity in disguise?

The LinkedIn hack you probably forgot about.

It costs nothing.
Requires no strategy.
And it might be the most powerful thing you can do on this platform.

Like. Comment. Repost. Share.

That's it.

A few days ago, Uma Thana Balasingam posted something raw and vulnerable. She shared a hateful comment she received—someone called women like her "mediocre." Instead of shrinking, she stood tall and responded with clarity and conviction.

It was the kind of post that deserved to be seen.

So I commented. Not because I was trying to "boost engagement" or play the algorithm. I commented because I believed in what she said.

That single comment helped her post reach 18,000 additional impressions.

One comment.

You are not a passive consumer of your feed.
You are an active curator.

Every like is a vote.
Every comment is an amplifier.
Every share is a signal to LinkedIn—"show more of this."

We spend so much time worrying about our own reach, our own content, our own growth. But what if we spent just as much energy lifting the voices that matter?

The algorithm isn't some mysterious force.
It's trained by us. By our behavior. By what we engage with.

If you want a feed full of noise, engage with noise.
If you want a feed full of substance, engage with substance.

You have more power than you think.

Who's a creator you believe in that deserves more visibility? Tag them below. Let's give them their flowers.



#personalbranding #linkedin #community

A workbook a week?
Is it possible?

That's the challenge I'm on right now.

My hypothesis is this: people don't have the time or patience to sit through multi-part, hour long videos nor read a book cover to cover. They are reluctant to spend a lot of money only to find out that what they bought doesn't work, or is poorly made.

They have a problem.
They want a solution fast.
They have been burned before.

If the offer delivers a clear outcome, makes it easy to do, then the likelihood that someone will buy, increases.

Unbland Yourself™ has sold over 1000 copies and is $99. (thank you)
Is it worth more than this? Yes.
Should I charge more? Maybe.

However, I'm testing this idea of "micro products" based on my own consumption habits. If something is so cheap (say $9-$99), the price relative to the outcomes becomes inconsequential.

I buy templates, mock-ups, textures, brushes, digital downloads in this price range and don't have to agonize over. Rarely have I been disappointed by the value to price ratio.

One thing I realized is that they often deliver too much, which is a lesson I'm still learning. I don't want 100 mock-ups or brushes. I just want the 3 best ones. Less is more (valuable).

I am an educator. My goal is to help people achieve a result faster and with less pain. But I can't if they don't enroll in a course, watch a video, attend a workshop or keynote, or join my coaching community.

Rather than build big, all encompassing solutions, at a high price point, I am releasing a series of micro products that help solve 1 specific problem at a price everyone can afford. (I think)

Unbland™ Essentials $39
is a workbook to help you hone your "Core 3" brand essentials:
• The one thing you want to be know for (keyword)
• The thing you want to rid the world of (enemy)
• A catchphrase that bridges the keyword + enemy (rallying cry)

For example, Brené Brown— vulnerability, shame, "Be brave" & "Dare greatly"

Want to try?
Tell me what your Core 3 are (keyword, enemy, rallying cry) and I'll run it through my Claude bot to help you improve it.


Comment "UE26" and I'll send you a link to get your copy of the workbook.

#UnblandYourself #personalbranding

My business coach asked, "There are two types of people. Those who run towards change, and those who run away. Which are you?"

I've always said I run towards it.
But lately? I'm not so sure.

I drifted into what I'll call my "retirement phase."
Running a lifestyle business.
More maintenance, less growth.

The hunger wasn't there.
We were comfortable.
My boys are almost done with college.

We had enough.

At 54, I should be thinking about taking it easy.
Travel. Hotels by the sea. Watch the sun set.
Go quietly into the night.

But I don't do quiet.
And I've never been good at following the status quo.

Looking back at the last 30 years:
• Built two businesses
• Early pioneer in the LA Motion Design scene
• Reinvented myself more times than I can count (designer → motion designer → director → brand strategist → educator → creator → speaker)

Here's what I realized: I can't be pushed into action. I have to be pulled.
And nothing was pulling me. Until now.

Late last year, my wife and I made a decision that scared us back to life.

We made an offer on a house. But not to live in.
A compound for TheFutur—a space to host, create, and test ideas I've been sitting on too long.

My wife asked, "Are you sure? Because you'll have to work again."

Without hesitation: "Yes. You find the financing. I'll make the mortgage payments."

So here's what I'm building toward.

For 8 years, I've traveled the world—conferences, conventions, workshops on sales and branding. (See the photo of lanyards)

Now I'm bringing it home.

The experience: One hour of private 1:1 coaching with me. Then join 9 other guests for a curated dinner party—private chef, open California sky, great food, and conversation you won't forget. Maybe a surprise guest.

10 seats. $5k per person.

I know that's not nothing.
But neither is what happens when the right people get in a room together.

This is my season to kick butt.
Retirement can wait.

Have you ever made a decision that scared you back to life?
Let me know if you want to get on the waitlist.

Fingers crossed, we close on the house and I write the next chapter.

Well we're movin' on up, to the east side
To a deluxe apartment in the sky
Movin on up

To the east side
We finally got a piece of the pie

Fish don't fry in the kitchen;
Beans don't burn on the grill
Took a whole lotta tryin'
Just to get up that hill

Now we're up in the big leagues
Gettin' our turn at bat…

My friend and podcast co-host, Jodie Cook, wrote a piece on my new workbook "Unbland Yourself" in Forbes. (Link in comment)

Not gonna lie. It feels pretty good.
It's good to have friends in high places.
Thanks a million Jodie.

#unblandyourself #personalbranding