Monday Morning Mojo

Twenty-five years ago I was in a 2 1/2 minute video that shows another part of me, yet also strangely reveals what has stayed the same. Cuppa Cuppa was conceived, produced and directed by my good friend, B. Guerney, and features another close friend, Kurt Nemes. That’s Kurt and me in the picture above, from

In my work, I spend time with CEOs of professional societies and trade associations, helping them to find a way forward in the 21st century. It most often involves innovation, taking them beyond the status quo to create new ways of serving their members. In particular, I am interested in how these leaders, along with

Calvin Dove and I are pictured above. Calvin is the coffee roaster at Quartermaine’s, one of my hangouts here in Bethesda. I wrote my two last books in Quartermaine’s. Calvin and I often strike up a conversation while I am there. Yesterday we took some time out after he got off his shift to get

That’s me above telling an original story at Busboys and Poets just last month. I am a lover of a good story well told and enjoy listening as much as performing. I was fortunate to contribute to the investigation of storytelling as a serious business tool during my time at the World Bank. Through a

One of the things I love about my work is that I get to spend time with groups of professionals designing and executing “Grand Challenges,” those big, bold goals that leverage expertise and experience, combining it with partners from other organizations, and using it to make a positive contribution to the world. This work fills

I am in Madison, Wisconsin, where I lived from 3-5 years of age. Of course, the world looks different from a toddler’s point of view than an adult’s.  I remembered the Paul Bunyan (an American folk myth, for my non-US readers) murals in the student union, and especially the one where his dog is running

I love Mondays because they are the starting gate for the work week. I know I am an odd duck in this regard, but it’s true. Over the next five days, I have the unique opportunity to move the needle in the areas of work that are most important to me. I get excited about

You may know that my wife, Laura Baron, is an award-winning songwriter. She is creating a music video of her latest song, On the Streets of New York – have a listen and feel free to share. Now she is looking to connect with agencies in NYC that work to empower and educate the public

Almost all of my clients and friends are always defending time for themselves. There is family, work (multiple projects), self-care and the need for downtime. Downtime is extremely important for processing everything else. That’s one reason we sleep, so the brain can reorganize and integrate. If people deprive themselves of too much sleep they first

Yesterday was Saraswathi puja. Puja is a form of Hindu worship and Saraswathi is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom, and learning. Since we brought our daughter, Ruchi, home from India over seven years ago, we have stepped up our participation in Hindu activities, and I love them! I particularly like Saraswathi puja.