How a Side Project Can Advance Your Career

How a Side Project Can Advance Your Career

The beauty of a side project is that you don't need anyone's permission to get started. And while your company might not be able to afford to put you in a role in which you'll be mostly learning instead of producing, side projects let you stretch yourself in any direction that interests you.

Bon Voyage! Here Are Two Business Ideas that Need to Die

Bon Voyage! Here Are Two Business Ideas that Need to Die

I nearly scrapped this column, because they’re not bad ideas per se. Both are still in fashion today, especially in the startup-o-sphere, and like many popular ideas there's more than a grain of truth to them. But these two ideas have run themselves ragged, and I see them doing more harm than good when I encounter them. 

Lessons on Authenticity from Aziz Ansari, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Salespeople

Lessons on Authenticity from Aziz Ansari, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Salespeople

I realized that all the most successful people I see have zero difference between their at-work personality and their everyday personality. They've all figured out how to monetize who they are. No matter what role or industry you’re in, that’s where you want to be.

Lingerie, a Camel Burger, and the Moment of Inspiration

Lingerie, a Camel Burger, and the Moment of Inspiration

This week, it gives me great pleasure to direct you to two pieces I published last week in Fast Company and Elite Daily about seizing on moments of inspiration in business. I wanted to describe a few of the most formative experiences in my career that ultimately led me to start my latest venture, UserMuse.

"It's Okay - Odds Are No One Else Is Any Good Either." - More Wisdom from Great Thinkers

"It's Okay - Odds Are No One Else Is Any Good Either." - More Wisdom from Great Thinkers

Several months ago, I shared a few of my favorite pieces of business wisdom that I've come across in some of the books I've enjoyed most. Inc.com was kind enough to republish that piece afterward, and based on the enthusiastic feedback from that, I decided to do another today. I recommend reading any of these books if you haven't, but if you don't you'll now at least have a small piece of wisdom from each.

CEO Interview: Lessons from Bootstrapping an Idea to 15 Years of Profitability

CEO Interview: Lessons from Bootstrapping an Idea to 15 Years of Profitability

In an age where it’s easy to gawk at the latest unicorn funding rounds, Ernie is proud to have bootstrapped a company that is closing in on fifteen years in business, all of them profitable. As he prepares to expand his company’s headquarters for the second time and bring ever more companies onto the software platform his team has built, he was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.