Is Jazz Camp the New Las Vegas?🎷
Jazz camp is like Vegas for musicians—minus the neon. You take chances, crash, soar, and sometimes hit the jackpot. At the Port Townsend Jazz Workshop, even wrong notes lead to wins. It’s all groove, growth, and great people. Forget the slots—roll the dice on jazz camp instead.
The Compassionate Drummer: Michael Shrieve's 25-Year Journey Creating “Drums of Compassion”
This interview with Michael Shrieve covers Michael's reflections on his 25-year journey creating "Drums of Compassion," the influence of Olatunji, and how it shaped the album. We dive into personal stories and career milestones, including his time with Santana and other iconic musicians. Michael also shares how he overcame self-doubt and the importance of staying true to one's artistic vision. You'll gain insights into his creative process and his valuable advice for aspiring artists.
Doubt Riding Shotgun Audiobook!
Exciting News: "Doubt Riding Shotgun" Audiobook is OUT!
I’m thrilled to announce that the audiobook version of "Doubt Riding Shotgun" is officially complete and will be available very soon! Recording and editing this audiobook myself was a labor of love. It was crucial for me to deliver this in my own voice, believing in the power of my own authentic, personal touch.
THE BEST PRACTICES BOTTLENECK
We often get caught in the "best practices bottleneck" - seeking advice from experts that doesn't apply to our unique business. This leads to analysis paralysis rather than action. The truth is you know yourself best. Instead of following someone else's best practices, just start doing and aim to continuously improve. Meet your audience where they are, build trust in the marketplace, and don't get hung up trying to check every box. Focus on what will drive real growth for your specific business.
Communication Overload: How to Set the Right Response Time Expectations
As a former VP of Marketing, I juggled 100+ emails a day—now it's email, Slack, text, and nonstop social media. But how much is enough? How often should we post, respond, or engage? And who decides the rules for all this digital communication overload?
The Lost Art of Context Setting
Why is context setting important for effective meetings? Even in a one-to-one conversation, context-setting is vital and often helpful to grounding the conversation and determining the agenda of what needs to be discussed. In an effort to help you have better meetings, here is a quick checklist to set the context and clarify the reason you are meeting: State what is the meeting about. Propose why is it important now and any recent developments. Define what you are trying to accomplish in this meeting. (Hint: the big opportunity — lean in folks! This is important.) Optional: If time allows, you might open the floor to questions before you begin. This can usually be done in less than one minute (with a few more minutes for questions).
Dialing In Your Marketing Mix with the 8 Ps of Markting
Marketing 101 courses typically talk about the “4 Ps” of marketing: Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. While these are still important, I find that using 8 Ps is more nuanced and helpful when planning a product launch or new campaign. This article will help you think over each “P” below with my starter questions to see how you and your team might improve your next go-to-market plan, product launch or sales campaign.
My Year of Fearlessly Finding my Voice
This year, I fearlessly embraced my voice as a songwriter, releasing several songs that hold deep personal meaning. From overcoming grief to finding catharsis in music, I leaned into my doubts and discovered a new passion. Join me as I reflect on my creative rebirth, share my journey, and offer insights into how you can unlock your own voice.
Do What Gives You Goosebumps
Do you know what makes your heart sing? What lights you up? What makes your heart sing? Or as I like to say, what gives you goosebumps?
I think it’s really important to listen to your heart and body as they tell you how you find your best joy.
Don’t Wait for the Diagnosis
Inspired by a powerful message from Andrew Huberman’s podcast, I reflect on the idea of living without waiting for a diagnosis. Don’t wait for life’s wake-up call to start appreciating and acting on what truly matters. In this post, I discuss how the simple advice, "Don’t wait for the diagnosis," can motivate us to take action and embrace life fully.