Project Exponential

Tag: experience

  • What connects us

    Understanding that first and foremost, the life you want to create for yourself, the type of person you want to become, the parts of yourself you’re most excited to develop will attract individuals who will help you get there.

    Realizing that true, authentic connection is expansive. The right relationship discovered at the right time can help you soar, find freedom, create, and see a limitless future.

    Recognizing that relationships are catalysts for growth and independence — for supporting both reckless abandon and providing the foundation to carry the wisdom that comes from experience, failure, frustration, pain.

    Acknowledging that your highest highs and lowest lows are probably different than mine; the value lies in sharing and discovering what these experiences were like for each of us.

    Accepting that at your very worst, you are someone’s pride and joy. Knowing this helps reveal the very best parts of you.

    That through the fog of confusion and longing, we can help each other find shared laughter and bouts of success, punctuated with gratitude and contentment along the way.

    That our mutual appreciation for life — the ups and downs, the hard lessons and the easy ones — may or may not happen at the same time. Your up might be my down, but no matter, when we find ourselves on the same plane, we can share the lessons we learned and the tricks we used to get us through.

    Embracing that this is all really about compassion, about elevating each other and pushing one another to succeed by sharing our struggles and our wins.

    We collaborate because our ideas become greater. Like a brilliant prism, the unique perspectives we each offer leads to undiscovered treasure.

    It’s our gift to find it.

  • Celebrate Tuesday

    Many folks believe they need a special occasion in order to organize a gathering. A birthday, a wedding, a holiday, a housewarming. What if you didn’t wait for a reason to bring people together? Tonight sounds like a perfectly great night to introduce some friends in your circle who may not know each other.

    Sound stressful? Focus on creating meaning with the people in your life and let the rest work itself out.

  • The anti-resume

    The kind of people you want to work with don’t want to see your list of interests and accolades. They don’t care about your work history, what schools you’ve attended, what awards you’ve won. They want to know what work you’ve put into the world, what you’ve left behind, where you’re going. The best work stands for itself.

    Your resume is the communities that miss you after you’ve left, the imprint you leave behind. The relationships you’ve forged, the lives you’ve touched, and the work that sparkles with your finesse — this is your resume. When you realize this, you’ll be filled with freedom and independence: titles no longer matter, job descriptions are irrelevant, length of employment fails to indicate your loyalty and value. Your success doesn’t rest in the hands of another.

    Why spend another moment waiting for the phone to ring? You’re worth more than that. What if you created your own tribe, shipped your own art, designed a viable solution? Don’t wait for opportunities that may never find you. Create them for yourself and change lives along the way.

  • Creating opportunities

    I’m looking at a room of individuals who refuse to accept complacency, who want to embrace the revolutionary times we’re living in. These people are risk-takers, entrepreneurs, storytellers, researchers, bosses, and creative weavers. They are here because they want to understand where their biggest opportunities are, and they want to figure out what to do about them. It’s no accident we are here together.

    There’s something to be said for making decisions that allow you to place yourself in environments that support your work and your dreams, for seeking out others who encourage you to keep going, and for putting yourself in the game. It takes concentrated effort, some sacrifice, and the ability to imagine — to ask yourself what if, to wander away from the beaten path, to dare yourself to explore, and to schedule time into your days to chase opportunity.

    The best moments rarely come to you. They are the result of channeled energy, thought, patience, and effort. Look to create the opportunities you want. Possibility surrounds you. Make the choice to embrace it. It is absolutely possible, and you must.

  • 10 questions to the best version of yourself

    1. Are you surrounded by people who encourage you to step up your game?
    2. Does your work excite you?
    3. Do your daily priorities align with your grander visions and dreams?
    4. What do you gravitate towards during unscheduled time?
    5. Have you set subgoals that tee you up for greater success?
    6. Do you schedule time each day to recharge and create?
    7. Have you written your dream list?
    8. Do you actively step outside of your comfort zone and seek adventure?
    9. Do you scare yourself regularly?
    10. Are you proud of the story you tell? (Is it positive or discouraging?)

  • Find people better than you.

    He always makes the deal. She finds coveted inside information. He lands top meetings and befriends the opposition. Her comments catalyze progress that proceeds company-wide change. These folks are not your competition. Their work, their composure, their grace under fire, their successes are not your threats. In fact, these people are your greatest allies.

    People better than you offer a tremendous opportunity. They are resources to help you up your game. Their excellence can challenge you to learn the tools and techniques you need. Their greatness can inspire you to ask difficult questions. Their wins spur self-assessment. Their honesty can remind you that little steps and a slow start is what is needed until answers become clear. Their bravery and fearlessness can spark your own leap into the unknown.

    Extraordinary individuals provide an outside window into your own work. If bridged properly, these relationships will lead you to goals you have yet to dream of.

    Forget comparisons. Use the gifts of others as a personal springboard, and align yourself with those you admire as you continue to polish your own story. Delight in the company of those who push you.