All feedback is not valid. A big problem with feedback is that we often listen to the wrong sources.

For example, my friend Julie felt called to make handmade cards.

From an early age she crafted masterpieces. She spent hours on each card; they were true works of...

What does the phrase "state of the art" mean to you?

How about "third generation?"

Does that get you jazzed? Probably not.

Yet this is the kind of meaningless language that fills most business presentations.

Sales blogger Geoffrey James says, "You have to differentiate between jargon and...

Whose photo would you rather see on the news, the killer or the hero?

Should we be deconstructing the life of an alleged murderer?

Or honoring the lives of the heroes?

In the aftermath of the Boston bombings many have suggested that the media attention paid to the suspected...

I have a ringside seat to the success and failures of others. As an executive coach, I share in the triumphs and challenges of my clients.

One of things I'm really good at is spotting patterns. There are distinct differences between the ways successful happy people approach life versus...

I admit it; I'm a language junkie. I believe that words matter.

I was recently in a business situation that revealed how much our word choice can affect our relationships.

A major manufacturing company was choosing a consultant to help them revamp their sales strategy and develop their...

Have you ever been infuriated by someone's Facebook post?

You're not alone.

One minute you're mindlessly trolling pictures of your high school girlfriend's nephew's graduation, the next minute, someone's political post makes your head spin.

How could they possibly be so misinformed?

Wrong question.

The right...

Do you have a brand?

The answer is yes. It doesn't matter who you are, or what you do for a living -- you have a brand.

Your brand is your reputation and it affects almost every aspect of your life.

Branding expert Dorie Clark says,...

Do you worry about decisions that you don't have to make yet?

I call them the decisions after the decision. Worrying about them will totally derail you.

A client of mine was interviewing for a big promotion. She was excited. On paper it looked like a great opportunity for...

Life is not safe. You can't protect yourself from heartbreak. No matter how hard you try. If you love, you're at risk for loss.

Gut-wrenching, god-awful, soul-searing loss.

Within the last week two separate friends lost their daughters. The two women don't know each other; the deaths weren't...

People often ask me how I can work from home. They say, "I'd be so distracted. I would have a hard time not watching TV or doing the laundry."

All I can say is, you must not like your job. I have the opposite problem. I...

A family friend who worked at the White House said that one of the biggest challenges is deciding what to tell and what not to tell the president.

There aren't enough hours in the day to brief the boss on everything. You have to figure out what's important and...

It starts with a great idea. It's exciting at the beginning. But then, as you try to implement it, your efforts aren't greeted with enthusiasm. Instead you encounter apathy, resistance, and derision.

Thus begins the long slow slog of getting things done.

It doesn't matter whether you work...

Quick: If you saw a Rolls Royce on the side of the road and a guy in a suit standing next to it staring at his flat tire, what pops into your head?

If you find yourself laughing at a rich guy having to suffer, you may be suffering from...

Every organization has a poison person; some organizations have lots of poison people.

They're the people who suck the energy out of projects, complain about routine events and whine about the slightest inconvenience.

For example, I once worked in an office where our boss' admin was so negative...

What goes through your mind before you walk into an important meeting?

If you're like most people, it's a mixture of positive and negative self-talk, along with rehearsing your key points.

This thought jumble -- "What if they don't like me," "What if I trip," "No, I can do...

There's nothing like trying to use a foreign toilet to make you realize just how spoiled you are.

Dispatch from China: My oldest daughter and I have hiked the Great Wall, braved the smog of Beijing, walked the ice at the Summer Palace, and stood beneath Chairman Mao's massive...

What springs to mind when you hear the word salesman?

If you're like most, you probably think pushy, aggressive, and sleazy.

Best-selling author Daniel Pink conducted a survey to find out what people thought of sales and selling. Pushy and yucky were at the top of the list, along with...

You know the people who are always worrying about whether or not someone is trying to take advantage of them?

Maybe you know someone like this. They question the motives, quality and price of everything. When they need to buy something, they spend hours trying to figure out the exact...

Life is complicated.

We know this, but yet we always want to find the one thing. The one thing that made everything go wrong. Or the one thing that will make everything go right.

The one thing the parent did wrong that made their kid turn to drugs....

To: John Schnatter, CEO Papa John's
From: Lisa Earle McLeod
Subject: How to stop killing your business

Dear John,

How can I say this tactfully?

You're blowing it!

You're eroding your brand, you're destroying employee morale and you've enraged half your customer base.

I am...