Here in the United States, we gather on February 7 for Super Bowl LV.

Bah, humbug.

If I haven’t upset you yet, keep reading.

I never use male sports metaphors to tell stories because I simply do not understand the rules–and have too many other hobbies to invest time to learn them.

For today, I’ll break my own rules by sharing an attention-grabbing story about one of my fellow 100 Coaches members, Curtis Martin.

Curtis, an NFL Hall of Famer and top running back, once reveled in the “work hard, play hard” lifestyle….

The January 20 inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris marks a moment of liminality between separation and unity.

And it’s much more than that to me.

It’s a moment to rediscover Optimism.

For me, there were way too many times last year where optimism was fleeting. When the COVID cases and economic swings overshadowed forward movement.

Now, optimism is slowly re-entering the zeitgeist.

For even my most ardent skeptics, I offer you this perspective from one of our world leaders, Dr….

In spite of the social unrest and tribulations, most of my clients and friends are thriving. We are connected, committed to helping each other, and wise enough to focus on things we can influence and control.

Based on what I’m observing, I’m providing 7 strategies to help you seek opportunity and stay healthy in the frigid weeks ahead. I promise that they will help you feel more confident and prepared for the economic and social post-pandemic resurgence.

I just read Monday’s Wall Street Journal investigative story about Tony Hsieh, co-founder and former CEO of Zappos and author of the 2010 bestseller, Delivering Happiness.

I knew Tony, and it breaks my heart to learn about his rapid downward emotional spiral since the pandemic began. He delivered happiness to thousands without first securing his own metaphorical oxygen mask.

As many of us experience more aggressive pandemic restrictions and a potential increase in isolation, I encourage you to take note of this tragedy, how our loved ones and colleagues may also be feeling similar emotions, and what you can do to help them avoid extreme emotional distress….

As we enter the holiday weeks ahead, we might be anticipating some difficult discussions with loved ones, over-packed Zoom meetings and multiple (physically distanced) gatherings. This has been a politically and socially charged year, to say the least.

That’s why I was happy to spend time with Ben Wolf on “The Win Win” podcast to discuss very tangible methods to apply mindfulness in our daily interactions.

Here are some of the highlights:

05:30 –…

If there is such a thing as a silver lining with COVID, it’s this: the pandemic has created existential crisis for organizations.

Their raison d’etre is being challenged, and may even be falling on deaf ears. Tradition is no longer a valid criteria for investing in a market or for growth mapping.

And in some cases, tradition is more of a hindrance than a help. It may no longer valued–Just ask your customers and your most disengaged employees….

Last April, I received a surprise phone call:

“COVID has been a real wake-up call for me. I don’t know why I’m working this hard and building my company. I have a family member who needs me more than my employees and clients need me. We need to spend more time together. I’m going to keep a few clients, lay off my team, and shut down the office in Atlanta.”

The pandemic suddenly pushed this client to re-think their purpose….

What’s on the mind of CMOs these days? Based on last week’s private breakfast discussion with our Marketing Growth Leaders, a lot! If you are a marketing leader, or work with CMOs, you need to know what keeps them awake at night, and find ways to help them navigate these challenging times while designing a new course for the post-pandemic world.

Subscription businesses are reported to grow revenues five times faster than S&P 500 company revenues and US retail sales.

In this episode of the Mindful Marketer Life Stream, we sat down with the global expert on subscription businesses, Robbie Baxter, as she shares her wisdom and excerpts from her newest book, “The Forever Transaction.” We discuss how to build customers for life, steady revenue streams and mindfully designed membership business models.

Since March, I have received a steady stream of client requests on how they can identify and address extreme stress levels within their teams—not to mention their own lives. Their teams act distracted and downtrodden, sometimes missing commitments and important email messages.

My coaching often focuses on helping clients create greater calm and focus in their daily schedules. Their mental health concerns and team behaviors are clearly affecting their bottom line. For example, one mid-market CMO recently told me that team engagement and productivity has reached all-time lows….