adventure
Life | Work

Life is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing at All

Helen Keller said it best. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. The last 6 weeks have been nothing short of crazy. I’m adjusting. I’m still learning balance of work and life. The line is so blurry, it’s hard to know where one ends and another begins. I’m working more than ever…it’s […]

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good enough
Life | Work

Is Good Ever Good Enough?

Starting a small business takes work and resources – specifically your most limited of assets, time and money. You invest a great deal in something you believe in, but are still uncertain if it will succeed. Nobody likes to fail, but too often people settle so they don’t have to. Being hard on yourself means […]

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passion
Life | Work

What’s Your Passion?

What’s your passion? Dictionary definition is “a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.” Why do people start their own businesses? Is it for money, for freedom (from corporate structure or otherwise), for power? What would you want to do if you didn’t need to work? Some people might answer that they’d want […]

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ambition
Life | Work

The Key to Success: Ambition or Competition

What’s the difference between being ambitious or competitive? Some people are competitive by nature. They grew up playing sports, knew they had to study hard and be the top of their class, and now put that same mindset into their jobs. This makes me wonder, is being “competitive” a good thing or a bad thing? […]

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happy
Life | Work

Successful: Rich or Happy?

What defines success? Merriam-Webster describes it as a “favorable or desired outcome; the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.” Just as every word that conjures emotion, a dictionary definition doesn’t do it justice. So what does it mean to you? Is success having 2 cars, 2 kids, and a suburban home, or what about breaking […]

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negotiation
Life | Work

What’s Your Negotiation Style?

Good negotiating involves give and take. It applies to work and home, friends and family and is an important part of relationship starting and building. Being good at it takes practice and patience, both of which many people do not have. In the business world, negotiating is the key to getting what you want, if […]

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consulting
Life | Work

The Story of Promise Consulting Group

6 years ago in July 2010, Vistaprint (my employer at the time) offered a free website for life to employees. I loved testing the new products, so quickly signed on and claimed www.promiseconsultinggroup.com. Did I do any consulting at that time? No. Did I give any thought to what I may someday do with this […]

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invest
Life

Invest in Yourself

The return on investment by investing in your business – and therefore yourself – offers higher rewards and lower risks than trying to beat the stock market or going all in on the latest pyramid scheme. That’s not to say that if you pile all your savings into a half-baked idea it will come out […]

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purpose
Life

What’s Your Purpose?

There’s what you like to do and what you love to do and what you’re good at doing. I like marketing and I love animals and I seem to be pretty good at helping people answer life’s many questions. Things like how to budget, save, negotiate and so on. But in all of this, you […]

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american dream
Life

The American Dream

Maybe that’s the power of the American Dream. You can be anything you want to be. Those who know me know I’ve been on a kick about this lately. Society teaches you that the American Dream is to go to college, meet someone, get married, buy a house, have kids and have a successful career […]

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