There’s a silly scene in Wayne’s World which finds Wayne and Garth lying on the hood of their car at the end of an airport runway reveling in the wake caused by planes taking off. Mike Myers says this scene was inspired by a favorite pastime of his family called No Money Fun. The idea, of course, was to come up with entertaining activities that didn’t cost a dime. 
 When I heard Myers tell that story, I thought, “No wonder he’s so creative.  What a great thing to learn early in life.“  No Money Fun is a terrific way to [...] Continue Reading…

As I was busily rearranging the hotel ballroom where my seminar was to be held, a man arrived, marched to the front seat, sat down, folded his arms over his chest and said in a demanding voice, “This better be good!”
I was quite certain that he was about to be disappointed.
During the break at the same class, another man rushed up to me, eyes glowing, and said, “I can’t believe what is happening. I wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight. I came to take notes for a friend who couldn’t make it. Already, I have thought of several [...] Continue Reading…

One day a friend casually mentioned  pirating some software on her job. When I asked her if that wasn’t stealing, she shrugged and said, “Everyone does it.”
That’s not really news, of course. Years ago, Time magazine had an essay that made a huge impression on me. That piece, Larceny in Everyday Life, explored a growing trend among folks who considered themselves moral and honest. 
As the journalist discovered, these upright citizens saw nothing wrong with stealing from their employers. They weren’t embezzling money, for goodness sake. Pens, copy paper, even ground coffee from the employee lunchroom were finding their way [...] Continue Reading…

When Karyn Ruth White was a little girl she discovered that she could diffuse her father’s anger—and subsequent punishment—if she could make him laugh. Her father gave her plenty of opportunities to practice and she honed her comedic skills early in life. Somewhere along the way she decided that she wanted to spend her life making as many people laugh as she possibly could.
Karyn left her New England home after college and headed to Los Angeles to build a career as a stand-up comedian. After seven years of performing in nightclubs, she realized she wasn’t happy and it terrified [...] Continue Reading…

When I moved into my house in Las Vegas, I decided to use the master bedroom as my office since it’s not only larger, it’s also brighter, than the smaller bedroom. I especially liked the roomy walk-in closet which has been accumulating all manner of things for the past four years.
With the new year, the time had come for a makeover of World Headquarters. I decided to begin in the closet. There was a large, mysterious box that I hadn’t opened since the mover brought it. I had no idea what it contained, but decided today was the day [...] Continue Reading…

Yesterday I met Dorinda Mangan who had come to Las Vegas with a group of Denver folks to attend a Super Bowl event. We connected at my favorite hotel, Bellagio, for a chatty brunch. 
Then I suggested that we walk to the sculpture gallery where Richard MacDonald’s stunning work is displayed.  MacDonald is a figurative artist who has worked with Cirque du Soleil performers to create some intriguing works of art. 
What I love most of all about the exhibit is the video showing MacDonald at work. Each piece begins with an exploratory session as the acrobats and dancers pose and [...] Continue Reading…

According to Wikipedia, singer Josh Groban has sold nearly 20 million albums in his short career. The other evening he told his Twitter followers that he’d just finished a two hour voice lesson and  “think it’s time to turn pro.”
So why would a rich and famous performer keep taking lessons? More to the point, why would a would-be entrerpreneur or freelancer or traveler not be investing in their dreams?
It’s that second question that keeps me awake nights.
Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk had a particularly interesting piece this week called Frugality is a Career Tool. She wrote “I have earned a [...] Continue Reading…

Before I became friends with Georgia Makitalo, I had never heard of the Pre-Raphaelites or knew their intriguing story, although I was familiar with the name William Morris who founded this creative group. 
Frank Lloyd Wright was just the name of a famous architect to me until Jill McDermott and I became friends. 
Both Georgia and Jill were wildly passionate about their creative heroes and it was contagious. I wanted to know what they knew. Fortunately, they loved to share.
Georgia and I made several excursions hunting down William Morris and his tribe. We traveled to Toronto, Delaware and London looking at [...] Continue Reading…

Every day we are inundated with advertising that urges us to buy things that may or may not improve the quality of our lives. Seldom are we encouraged to invest in experiences that will enlarge our inner selves.
If you’ve read Making a Living Without a Job you may recall my story about the call I received from a stockbroker who asked, “How would you like to get a higher yield on your investments?” When I told him that my primary investments were my businesses, he said, “Oh, isn’t that scary?”
“Not at all,” I said. “Giving my money to a [...] Continue Reading…

“As soon as you trust yourself you will know how to live, “ observed the German philosopher Goethe. Apparently,  that’s easier said than done. 
I frequently receive calls from people who have attended my seminars. The opening query often sounds like this: “I have an idea for a business and I want you to tell me if it’s really dumb.” Before I even hear what the idea is, I point out that in the past 20 years I’ve only heard one bad idea so the chance that they’ll come up with the second bad idea isn’t great. 
However, it doesn’t matter [...] Continue Reading…