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It’s funny, but in all the time that I’ve written on this paleo diet topic I’ve never really defined (in my terms) what I think constitutes a “paleo diet.” I laid out some general guidelines in the book and FAQ of course, but I’ve never done that for the blog. Read more...

From Small Business TrendsWhat’s Wrong with Your Employees? From Small Business TrendsWhat’s Wrong with Your Employees?

We generally think of mindfulness as an idea that has been around for thousands of years, originally emerging out of Buddhist traditions. Many Buddhist researchers are doing great studies showing that mindfulness has an impact on many aspects of human experience.I have a bit of a problem with that. When you understand the underlying physiology of mindfulness, you begin to see that any discussion about human change, learning, education, even politics and social issues, ends up being about mindful...

As I am sure you are aware last week Steve Jobs died. He was a galvanizing figure to say the least. He was a thought leader and he demanded a lot of himself (and his employes). I always enjoyed his interviews and speeches because there was always nugests of hope, inspiration and challenge. Here are some of my favorite Steve Jobs quote. Are you looking for a great way to start your day on a creative inspired foot? Then just read these and tap along.

How meditation helps managers make better business decisions—and why it’s good for the bottom line. Your mind is like a wild buffalo.” This comment from a Buddhist meditation leader in Sri Lanka struck a chord. When I first heard it years ago, though, it didn’t work for me to sit still and concentrate on my breathing. And today, I still can’t calm my head. The thoughts tumble over each other. Did I call back the client? Have the invoices been sent? I sit in an uncomfortab...

In Isaac Asimov's sci-fi novel Second Foundation, the long-dead psychohistory master Hari Seldon reappears as a super-hologram to give inspirational strategic guidance to his followers. Sure beats air travel, doesn't it? Too bad you cant do that with your remote colleagues and staff. Air travel is tiresome and hard to justify these days, so instead of traveling you: call, email, conference, and video conference. Hows that workin for ya? When all you need to do is share content, those communi...

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted here about the value of the local Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), a network of about 1,000 locations in the United States, generally a great place to go for frontline, street-level small-business advice. The SBDCs offer classes and one-on-one counseling sessions on practical topics related to starting and growing a business. The details vary by state and specific office, but usually you’ll find a good selection of specific classes on topics s...

Last week I was at the movie theater watching a great movie and I found myself worrying about work. I realized it was a waste of time to worry about something I couldn’t do anything about at that moment, but I couldn’t stop it either. The next morning I called a friend of mine who is Buddhist and one of the most interesting people I know. I told her about what happened and she shared with me a method to overcome worry and anxiety. Step 1: Make a List of All the Things You CAN Control About t...

“I’m not smart enough to start my own business.” “I don’t have enough experience to get this job.” “I don’t deserve to be successful.” Are you plagued with thoughts like these?  If so, they are probably keeping you from moving forward with your job search, business plans or even the ability to deepen important relationships.  Negative thoughts can be discouraging or even debilitating, but you don’t have to let them rule your actions! You can beat negative thoughts and negat...

Funny, I was talking about the value of stories here just last week, and that got me thinking. Stories are at the core of business planning, in a sense. You imagine a future and calculate the steps to make that happen. From vision to strategy to steps, and then you’re planning. I posted Use Stories to Make Your Business Planning Real this morning on the American Express OPEN Forum in John Jantsch’ marketing channel there.  The key is: With business planning, you don’t just tell the storie...

Don't let unresolved conflict poison your office.

4 steps to creating your perfect world using the power of thought

If you have been following my blog, you know that I often talk about ANTs (automatic negative thoughts). These are the thoughts that come into your head and ruin your day. Negative thoughts release chemicals in the brain that make you feel bad! Challenging your negative thoughts is key to a better brain, a better life, and a better body. I encourage everyone to get an ANTeater to patrol the streets of their brain, so you can imagine how tickled I was to see the following post on my Facebook page...

Banks and bankers have a relatively bad reputation, largely undeserved. Being more of a natural hermit than a networker, I can’t say I ever looked forward to dealing with banks, even though I had to. But over time, through the years of running the business, I’ve met a lot of smart, likable banking people. And if you’re going to run and especially grow that business of yours, without a lot of other people’s money, then you should get used to dealing with bankers. So, thinking about bank...

I posted about Good Clean Love last month; it’s a local (Eugene, Ore.) company that won our angel investment contest. And I’ve been meaning to post about the national SBDC program ever since. Good Clean Love is one of several good local companies that have been through our SBDC’s business management program. Do you know where your local SBDC is? If you’re serious about starting a business, growing a business that already exists or managing your business better, and you’re in the Unite...

Why is it that career coaches are typically assigned only to rising executives and the floundering unemployed? At Jones Roth, everybody gets a coach. Heres how it works for them, and how it can work at your workplace.

If you're waiting for a boss or an editor or a college to tell you that you do good work, you're handing over too much power to someone who doesn't care nearly as much as you do.We spend a lot of time organizing and then waiting for the system to pick us, approve of us and give us permission to do our work.Feedback is important, selling is important, getting the market to recognize your offering and make a sale--all important. But there's a difference between achieving your goals and realizing y...

The Small Business Development Center at CLIMB Center for Advancement, Portland Community College launches its third cohort of the Entrepreneur Development Series (EDS) July 8th 2010. EDS supports first-time entrepreneurs between day-one and year-one to succeed by combining a five-month series of small business management classes with ongoing business advising. (PRWeb Jul 2, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/07/prweb4214354.htm

Did you know that your chances of obtaining business financing can increase by more than 250% if you have good business credit? The problem for many business owners is that they think that just because they're in business, they're automatically building the good business history required to get credit. Not necessarily so. This week we invited E-Myth business partner Trent Lee to join us for a discussion about financing your business. Lee's company, Corporate Credit Concepts, specializes in helpi...

While I’m not a big fan of surveys, this one is pretty straight forward, and I like the results. Palo Alto Software asked thousands of Business Plan Pro users a couple of dozen questions about their businesses, goals, type of business, years in existence, and business planning. Almost 3,000 people responded. And here, in the chart below, is one good summary: Simply put, those who finished their business plans were about twice as likely to successfully grow their business, get investment, or l...