Is Your Bias Holding You Back?

In 2017, at my wife’s insistence, we took a vacation to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun. Since I traveled so much back then, I wanted somewhere without crowds and, selfishly, without kids. After years of Disney trips, I was ready for a break surrounded only by...
Reflections from a Trip to Jamaica

Reflections from a Trip to Jamaica

Let’s be clear. I know you could care less about my vacation to Jamaica. Nothing annoys me more than when friends come back from vacation all excited and want to show you all their pictures. I love you, but I’m jealous. I’m also a member of the “it must be nice” club,...
The Things That Hold Us Hostage

The Things That Hold Us Hostage

It’s a November afternoon in 2006, and I’m ecstatic. I just got off the phone with a sales rep from the American Management Association (AMA). They want me to facilitate a week-long leadership seminar in Baltimore. The pay isn’t great, but a week of facilitation...
The Cleanse

The Cleanse

It’s four a.m. on a Tuesday morning in April 1989, and I know it’s inevitable. I can feel it. It won’t be long now. This happens about every four to six months. I wake up nauseated and spend the morning throwing up. I’m sure it’s from stress and a terrible diet. It’s...
How to Wow and Audience

How to Wow and Audience

A few years ago, I attended an HR conference in Pennsylvania. I was speaking in the afternoon, so I arrived early to prep and network. During lunch, a few speakers came up to make announcements. Like most conferences, a big draw—besides the sessions—was networking....