In 1999, Hyundai began offering a 10-year, 100k mile powertrain warranty on all their new cars. It was a brilliant move that illustrates one of the core principles of effective brand promises that marketers often overlook.

A 7th grader with above-average intelligence is your audience. Every time. A lesson on keeping it simple from my early days as an attorney that stays with me to this day.

Elephants in the room don’t go away on their own. And if ignored long enough, they have a tendency to start breaking stuff. Which is why it’s so important to address them when they’re around.

Listen in to a great conversation with Michael Orlowski where we discuss mental health journeys from the perspective of a caregiver. We cover strategies for self-care, accepting situations beyond our control, tools for emotional regulation and effective communication during a crisis, and other lessons I've learned along the way that have helped me in both my professional and personal lives.

Owning where you are isn't defeat or a sign of weakness. It's essential for getting to where you want to go. It's tempting to project confidence to internal teams and the outside world, even if you don’t quite see this as “faking it ‘til you make it.” Acknowledging current challenges and limitations can seem discouraging. It can also trigger embarrassment and shame. But that reluctance to acknowledge the current reality carries real costs. Erosion of trust with customers, investors and team members who can see the gap between the narrative and reality. Time, energy and money spent chasing the wrong questions or the wrong answers.

Listen in to a great chat with Craig Andrews on the Leaders and Legacies Podcast talking about a couple of my favorite topics: asking better questions and the importance of looking at data, not just anecdotal or gut impressions, when making important decisions.

This year in particular reminded me of the parallels between what I’ve learned on the mountain and what I’ve learned in my laps around the sun. So, at the risk of posting something that looks like it was written by ChatGPT (I promise it wasn’t), here are a few lessons that stand out…

A few years ago, we were given a crash course in Parelli natural horsemanship during a parent workshop at a program that one of our kids was attending. At the workshop, the head of equine therapy took us through natural horsemanship basics so that we could better understand some of the principles they were introducing to our kids. Little did I know at the time that it would create a foundation for a significant shift in the way I approach almost any situation.

In honor of men’s mental health month, I kick off a series about some important life lessons I’ve learned through my journey as caregiver supporting multiple family members through their physical and mental health journeys. I didn’t sign up for this, and yet the lessons I’ve learned along the way have made me a better friend, colleague, partner, advisor and coach.

My favorite interview question provides great insight into a person's journey. And like all good interview questions, the answer to it becomes an invaluable tool for leading and supporting a person once they're on board.

Two recent experiences with restaurants at the opposite end of the dining market had one thing in common - extraordinary customer service. I take a few moments to appreciate each one.