Getting employees to put their goals down on paper is easier said than done. That’s why I was intrigued when I heard that at Creative Nation, a Nashville-based music services company, setting goals is part of the culture. Creative Nation CEO and co-founder Beth Laird says, “Setting personal and professional goals is one of the […]

Let’s say you walked out of the pitch meeting feeling uncertain about whether your investors want to fund your idea. Later you get the email or phone call—they’re not interested. What’s the best way to proceed? “As an entrepreneur, one of the smartest things to do is when meeting an investor you’re not going to […]

Every day there seems to be a new story about an overworked office slave who broke free and now lives an inspirational life of travel. Or someone who quit their job to travel in an RV. Or a tiny house. Or a couple whose travel blog supports their vagabonding. It sounds nice, doesn’t it? Save […]

What Is Uptalking I have a confession to make: I’m an “uptalker.” (And I’m not the only one out there.) Uptalk, or “upward inflection,” is the speech habit of ending sentences like questions: the pitch of your voice trails up at the end. Examples Of Uptalking “The Millennial generation is known for uptalking, and there […]

It’s a common saying that some of the most successful entrepreneurs are usually early risers. And when you’re running a business, it may seem like there are never enough hours to get work done. In this series, First Hour, we explore the morning side of creators and how they set themselves up for a productive […]

Whether you already have funding or are still looking for that initial interest from an investor, building out revenue streams has got to be on the top of your wish list. Once the cash starts rolling in, you’ll probably start seeing a pattern before you even look at the reports on QuickBooks. Like crashing waves […]

Quarterly taxes, legal contracts, invoices, health insurance? I didn’t sign up for this. If you’ve freelanced before, chances are high this thought has run through your mind. A few months after moving to the Bay Area, I tried to teach kayaking full-time as a freelance instructor and 1099 contractor. I was 23 and had no […]

“It’s not the things you add that bring success to what you’re doing,” says free climber William Gadd. “It’s the things you cut away. It’s the focus.” At WeWork Summer Camp 2015, the climbing enthusiast talked about having the courage to follow what seem like crazy dreams. The former business executive seemed like he was […]