Tapping Into Empathy

Wherever you are right now stop what you’re doing and listen to the people and the conversations going on all around you. I’ve been working in public places a lot recently and here’s what I’ve found. Nobody is listening to anybody—not really. They’re pretending to listen while they wait for their turn to speak, but…

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The Entrepreneurial Paradox

By definition entrepreneurs undertake to build whatever they are building at considerable risk to themselves. They do what humans are not naturally evolved to do, which is break free from the pack to try something different—something that might not work and may leave them exposed and on the edge, away from the apparent safety and…

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The Limitations Of Knowing ‘How To’

For years we’ve been rewarded for knowing the right answer. All of those gummed gold stars licked and stuck in copybooks next to neatly spaced handwriting, served their purpose. We can’t help wanting to know the answer. Knowing ‘how to’ is barely an advantage to the twenty first century business owner or entrepreneur, because there…

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It’s Harder To Matter On Purpose

It’s easy to think about what it would be like to build your business around the quick win. To be the author of the book discovered by a random stranger at the airport, or the designer who gets picked by the awards committee. It’s much harder to matter on purpose, to be intentional about the…

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30 Questions Every Startup And Entrepreneur Should Answer

We’ve become really good at looking for answers. So good in fact, that we get close to asking a billion questions every day in Google search. And yet as busy business owners and idea creators, we struggle to find time to ask really important questions of ourselves. Here then, are questions worth taking the time…

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Blonde Or Brunette?

Still or sparkling? Red or white? Stuffed crust or deep pan? These questions might give people a reason to choose in the moment, but they are not the foundation of a lasting relationship. You don’t win in the long run by simply being one of the alternatives. You win by being ‘the one’. What will…

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What Are You Promising?

I loved Ryan’s corner shop when I was a little girl. The smells of freshly delivered bread mingled with newsprint from the Evening Herald. It was a relief that Mr Ryan knew exactly what kind of ham your mother would want, without you having to explain in detail the part about making sure it was…

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Attention Is A Two Way Street

Do you know what’s really ironic? Businesses spend thousands of dollars, manpower, head space and creative energy trying to get the attention of potential customers, and when they get it they waste it. The question for all of us, (not just in business but also in life) is how can we expect what we’re not…

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