For years, many of us have lived under the mantra "time is money," a belief deeply ingrained in the fabric of our society. We race against the clock, equating speed with efficiency... and efficiency with success. But what if that strategy is misguided? Today is the perfect moment to conduct an experiment. It's February 29, a day that occurs only once every four years. Will you choose to embrace it as an extra day of work or to use it as a gift to spark understanding and inspiration? Time should not be a commodity to be optimized but a space to be cherished. For years at a time, many people cli ..read more

I'd like to suggest that you can learn a hugely important lesson about your own life by recognizing a key truth about the most successful entrepreneurs. Name me an entrepreneur who begins his or her startup journey by asking "how will we do this?" and the odds are overwhelming that no one has ever heard of that person. No, successful entrepreneurs start with a big goal that seems impossible. They ignore limitations, at least for a while. Airbnb started as a way to rent out space during a conference when hotels were full. It grew to a market cap of over $74 billion. WhatsApp was a simple way to ..read more

The most likable people generate their own energy. Their attitude does not depend on everything going well and everyone being so grateful for their good work. They are just positive because they are positive. I know all the reasons this is hard. I know what it’s like to be grumpy, discouraged, and frustrated. I’ve had years in which nothing in my career seemed to be working. Was I positive the whole time? No. And that was probably a big part of the problem. A bit more background: Kim Cameron, Associate Dean of Executive Education at the Ross School of Business at the University of Mi ..read more

Before you can find a job (or partner... or passion... or purpose) that you love, you need to be honest with yourself about what you love. Most people aren't. That's an old photo of my son above. No, he's not injured or tired, just delighted to see snow after being forced to endure another balmy summer and fall. He didn't care that the white stuff was coming from a snow gun, or that it was really cold and wet under that gun. He loves snow. What do you love? Don't edit your answers. What do you love so much that you'd gladly do it all week and happily skip the weekend to keeping doing it? I'd l ..read more

Double down on heart. That's my career advice for you. Some random valedictorian may be able to outthink you. The latest AI may be able to be more creative or productive than you. But no one can hold down a human being who has true heart. Let's get specific... People with true heart steer via an internal compass. They stand for something that has deep meaning to them. Rather than looking around constantly for external validation, they obey their own instincts. Such individuals can be quite intelligent, but they aren't blindly subservient to logic and reason. They know that "let's be realistic ..read more

You’re sitting in a small comedy club because a friend suggested—no, insisted—that you come here. After protesting a bit, you eventually relented. The club has an odd vibe. Some of the audience look like 1960’s hippies; others are 2024 AI engineers. A guy in back keeps shouting, “Elvis rocks!” The host is about 95 years old, but has a contagious energy and a gleam in his eye. He steps to the microphone and says, “I was wandering around out back and found this guy. If you’re old enough, you just might find him familiar.” An even older man comes onstage. His head is tilted to the side; his hair ..read more

(Disclaimer: everything in this newsletter is shared as a set of observations, rather than a list of instructions...) My path through life looks like the dotted black line wanderings that characters used to take through Bil Keane's Family Circus cartoon. I have prolonged periods of "what is he doing?" wanderings that puzzle my family and friends, interspersed with bouts of irrational confidence. I had such a bout last week, and that's why you are reading these words today. After a few years of thinking I need a new creative challenge, in the space of an hour I... Had an eureka moment in whi ..read more

By Bruce Kasanoff How many people do you know who consistently fail to make any progress because they are always trying to leap past all the folks who are actually working? I'm sad to say I know more than a few. Our business world is filled with aspirational mumbo-jumbo, from the posters put up by HR to the latest pep talk given by your newest boss. Everyone aspires to be the best of the best. Besides Avis, I can't think of a business that advertised the fact it was number two. That having been said, I'd be thrilled to: have a book that's number two on the New York Times bestseller list, help ..read more

by Bruce Kasanoff People, including me, are often searching to find purpose and meaning in life. Today, I’m sharing what might be the shortest, clearest and most profound potential answer to such quests. I didn’t come up with it, and I can’t prove it’s correct. You can decide for yourself, and I’d love to hear your reaction. The following comes from a video featuring author Rupert Spira answering questions at one of his frequent retreats… The only purpose of life, he says, is to find happiness. “Happiness is the knowing of our own being. The common name for the knowing of being is I; the relig ..read more

by Bruce Kasanoff Rule number one: Treat people like people, even online You wouldn’t give a party and never even talk to any of your guests, so when you post something online, be sure to reply to contents and engage others in conversation. Be warm and curious. Ask questions to show interest. Listen, learn and give positive feedback. Rule number two: Be human, not perfect No one likes a know-it-all. Don’t act like you have everything figured out and all you do is share your wisdom. If you choose to share pieces of your life online, share the good, bad and ugly. Take others on your journey of l ..read more