04 Sep 2018
Blind Dog: A Coffee Company with a Vision

Blind Dog: A Coffee Company with a Vision

Business
When Mark Berry began losing his eyesight in 2005 at the age of 48, coffee was the last thing on his mind. He had retinoblastoma, a degenerative form of eye cancer, that left him with a bleak prognosis. As his vision deteriorated over the following year, a new vision emerged. A park ranger friend of Mark's introduced him to the world of quality coffee, and thus began a new chapter in his life. Today, Mark Berry is retired from the successful company he started 11 years ago—Blind Dog…
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31 Jul 2018
What is Flow and How Do You Access It?

What is Flow and How Do You Access It?

Business, Psychology
Have you ever had the experience of being so absorbed in a task, so hyperfocused, that you lose track of time and your actions become almost effortless? If so, you may have experienced what is known as “flow.” Flow theory was developed in 1975 by Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. More familiarly known as being “in the zone,” flow is a state of heightened awareness, concentration, and proficiency while completing a task. Whether you’re in the grueling sixth hour of a Wimbledon match or tackling the colossal project of…
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10 Jul 2018
Narcissism Goes to Work: The Double-Edged Sword of Difficult Leaders

Narcissism Goes to Work: The Double-Edged Sword of Difficult Leaders

Business, Psychology
From Alexander the Great to some Silicon Valley CEOs, many powerful leaders throughout history were thought to have been high in “narcissistic” traits. These days, it is common to slap the narcissistic tag on anyone we perceive as arrogant, dominant, or vain, but experts believe that narcissism is a trait that more or less exists in everyone. What is Narcissism Derived from the Greek myth of Narcissus, who famously fell in love with his own image in a reflecting pool, narcissism is a personality trait characterized by excessive…
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22 Jun 2018
5 Reasons We Don’t Want to Work

5 Reasons We Don’t Want to Work

Business
We've all had the experience of work dread. The repeated tap of the snooze button, the “case of the Mondays,” the “I’m leaving early to beat traffic.” While technological advances have changed the physical location of our snooze buttons, the desire to delay our morning trudge to work is likely to remain a cliché in our culture. The fact is, the whole workday is filled with instances of wanting to put off an undesirable task. Microsoft Outlook even has a “snooze” feature to postpone reminders of events on…
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06 Jun 2018
Why We Buy: Sales Wisdom from Glengarry Glen Ross and Jerry Maguire

Why We Buy: Sales Wisdom from Glengarry Glen Ross and Jerry Maguire

Business, Sales
In a legendary scene from the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin’s character delivers a browbeating sales sermon to a downtrodden group of real estate hucksters. When one of the salesmen, played brilliantly by Jack Lemon, gets up and pours himself a cup of coffee, Baldwin famously exclaims, “Put that coffee down! Coffee’s for closers.” The film captures the struggle to survive in the Darwinian business of real estate sales, depicting the desperate (and deceitful) measures taken by salespeople to close a deal. Al Pacino plays smooth-talking…
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21 May 2018
The End of Face-to-Face Communication in Business?

The End of Face-to-Face Communication in Business?

Business
Just the other day, I was in the drive-thru of a popular fast food restaurant. When I pulled up to the window to pay and get my food, I was greeted by a peppy manager who addressed me by my first name and thanked me for stopping by. I eat fast food fairly often, and my encounters are mostly unremarkable. When they are memorable, it’s usually not for a good reason. What I appreciated about this gentleman was his effort to make my experience in the drive-thru line…
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