We're all feeling unsure right now, that's for sure. Without much to do, most of us—myself included—have been sitting around, reading the news, and worrying about the virus and its sweeping economic impact. Well, it’s fine to be worried, but I think we’d all feel better if we channeled that energy into actions.

I always thought being a "True Leader" just meant long hours and tough decisions. I didn’t know it meant sometimes you have to feel like a dork in front of a bunch of people that you like and hope respect you. I didn’t know it meant that people will tell you that your ideas are good when they’re not. I didn't know that I would feel a lot more like Michael Scott than Gordon Gecko. When I watch The Office now, I am alarmed by my empathy for Michael Scott. He just wants to be liked, admired and feel like part of the team. I want that too, but that’s not really what it means to be a leader. 

I had a client ask me “Where is the gift guide? I was looking for it on Cyber Monday.” And, I was like, “you took the gift guide seriously? That’s awesome!” Sorry we missed Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday, but here is our gift guide just in time for Forgetful Friday! I am proud to introduce you to 2019 gifts and the wonderful people who swear by them.

Last year, just for fun, we did The Most Random Gift Guide in Ever. It was just a fun post right before Christmas. We had everything from lint removers to harpoons. It was just the stuff each person on our team really liked- liked enough to share it on this list. And, guess what happened? People bought the stuff based on our recommendations. This was not our goal. Which is precisely why it worked. So, yeah, we are influencers.

Tonight is game 7 of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros. I live in Houston. There’s a pretty cool energy in the city. You can’t go very far without seeing an Astros hat or jersey. I'm actually a Cardinals fan, so I have to be careful about showing my allegiances.

I have slow internet, and it’s making life not easier. AT&T is also making my life not easier. I have had three calls with them, and I somehow still have slow internet. How can this be? How can you treat customers this way? I sure as heck can’t treat customers that way, so why can they? First, because they’re behemoths and I (currently) need them more than they need me. And, second, it’s still easier for me to stay with them and their crappy customer service than it is to endure the hassle of switching to someone else.

This post is not about money. And, it’s not about me. It’s not even about branding. It’s about fear. If life is an exhilarating motorcycle ride through the hill country, fear is the wonky sidecar. Fear distracts, derails and worst of all, derides us. Fear makes us feel bad about things that haven’t even happened yet. Fear is a thief. Can you imagine the number of lives that are never fully realized because of fear? Millions. Maybe more.

The back of her suede vest has words encrusted with rhinestones that I can barely make out through her hair. I do manage to read “Lamb & Goat Auction Committee.“ She is super proud to be on that mutton committee. And, hell yeah, she should! She’s got a look and a role and she’s owning the ostrich leather out of it. It occurred to me that everything this woman cares about I didn’t even know existed before this moment. That’s the thing about things, they only really matter when they matter to us.

Recently, I have been digesting a steady diet of “feedback is everything“ from my various podcasts and audio books. All the gurus were goating me into sending out the dreaded customer survey. “They” tell us how feedback is essential and critical for positive growth. And, I am sure they are right. I know they are right. But, I also know it’s probably right to harvest my own rainwater in sustainable tanks and bathe my children to lower my carbon footprint. But, that sounds like a pain in the ass and I don’t want to do it.

I wonder this often. I mean, it’s work after all. And work, simply put, is producing something so you can provide something. That’s not exactly a tagline for a trampoline park, but work today is not shoveling coal. Work today is air-conditioned, safe, and fueled by gourmet coffee and that one lady with the jar of M&Ms. Our work environment has improved in the last century. In 1919, some of the top jobs listed were woodworking, tobacco manufacturing, and textiles. The only place I’ve ever encountered a textile is in a history book. What the F is a textile anyway? Is it fabric, tile, corduroy? I guess it’s one of life’s great mysteries that may never be answered.