She shares advice from her Silicon Valley experiences Are you ready for something new? Something exciting? I’ve started interviewing people I feel have had extraordinary success in their careers. I’ll share the insights and takeaways in the newsletter and articles, but the real magic is hearing them share their own words in their voice. So,…

It happens when you’re unfocused and unprepared Did you know that people lose interest in your conversation if you talk longer than 40 seconds uninterrupted? To make matters worse, our bodies release dopamine when we talk about ourselves. The more we talk — and hear ourselves talk — the better we feel, so the more…

I’m going to share some tough love today. Since I can’t tailor this message to each of you, it will address some common patterns of behavior that I’ve observed over my long life. If you’ve been following my newsletter and articles for the past few years, you know that this is a departure from my…

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” — Benjamin Franklin Robert John Downey Jr. enjoyed great success in the early years of his career. But then it began to fall apart. From 1996 through 2001, he was arrested numerous times on charges related to…

The old school of management training must have told young managers to knock the weaknesses out of their employees. I experienced my fair share of this style of management in the early years of my career. I was mostly given a list of weaknesses that my manager thought I should address. I was frequently reminded…

“Being memorable equals getting picked.” — Jeffrey Pfeffer1 When we meet people for the first time, they decide how they feel about us in 1/10th of a second. I know that sounds crazy. But, research2 has found that people can glance at a person’s photo for less than a second and make judgments about attractiveness,…

“Are you aware of any tried-and-true methods for making the transition from being a full-time employee at companies in the Bay Area, to becoming a consultant or contractor who is able to reap the financial rewards of providing their skills and expertise? Regardless of career stage.” I was asked this question recently via my anonymous Q&A…

Do you enjoy the sound of your voice? You probably don’t. I know that I don’t like listening to myself on my podcast or in videos. Research conducted by psychologists Phil Holzemann and Clyde Rousey (referenced in this article) found that you experience an affective disturbance when listening to a recording of your own voice.…