I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Living In the Now and Then
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This fall my mom was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate dementia. While sad, it did not come as a surprise. It's one reason I sold her house and we moved in together late last summer. At first, I planned outings to the Y and other senior programs, scheduled visits from family and friends, coordinated physical therapy appointments, and designed little daily activities to keep her engaged and stimulated. This winter it's gotten harder and harder to get mom out of bed let alone dressed and out the door. Some days, I'm truly happy if she just joins me for dinner and a little TV before turning in for the night. While Mom is living in the perpetual now as her short term memory shrinks to mere seconds, I've been forced to adjust and adjust and adjust some more. For me, there is no new normal. There is only ever-changing movement of the goal post. What defines success on Monday isn't even a possibility on Tuesday. As a first-class strategist, this is humbling, to say the least. No amount of thinking through the could bes, might bes, maybes and what ifs has prepared me for the daily little joys of getting mom to do something she couldn't or wouldn't the day before and the feelings of abject failure when the opposite occurs. Even if you're not facing the same challenges—and I sincerely hope you're not—odds are you're dealing with your own situations and uncertainties. So maybe these lessons and perspectives I've shared in the past will be as valuable to you in navigating what's to come as they continue to be for me in this new phase of life and its impact on me and my business.
Should you like some help coping with the present while mapping out the future of your business and livelihood, let's talk. Until next time, PS—If you missed it, last month I affirmed that This Is NOT Normal and we shouldn't act like it is. Your success is our strategy!No longer want to receive my newsletter but don't want to miss my special offers and announcements? Click here. |
Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Hi Reader, I promised I'd share some AI wins after bashing on it for the last couple of months, so here goes. An old client of mine runs a wine shop in Brooklyn. She's got some help but she's largely a one-woman show. She's been using Monday's AI features to help her analyze and manage her inventory and understand seasonal sales trends to purchase more smartly. She had to level up her investment and hire someone to help her set up the AI agents she needs but feels it's been money well-spent....
Hi Reader, There are lots of thoughts spinning around in my brain at any given moment. Maybe you can relate. We're kind of living in whirlwind times where information is coming at us incessantly; it's like being caught up in a tornado. There's just no way to catch your breath and really marinate on anything for too long. So here are a few things I'm trying to give a little bit more thought and attention to these days: What impact will Pope Leo's AI encyclical have on governments, tech...
Something I've been enjoying of late are multiple influencers showcasing the limits of ChatGPT and the like. One guy asks it some pretty basic questions, such as to name a number between one and one hundred that includes the letter 'a.' (Spoiler alert: there aren't any). ChatGPT lies to his face over and over again. Another one provides examples of business fails due to AI. Some are pretty extraordinary. But here's the thing, this isn't just a harmless gimmick, it's a warning cry, a canary in...