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  • Thinking.

    Posted on February 2nd, 2010 by Robbin and currently 9 commenting.

    I have been thinking a lot lately. Maybe it’s the weather.

    I’ve been thinking about my life. My family. And how I choose to spend my time.
    I have been thinking about Brains on Fire and what success really looks like for us.
    About how on earth can you fairly compensate such a wildly talented group of people who see Brains on Fire as a passionate cause and not a job.
    I have been thinking about the work we do and the big opportunities in front of us.
    It’s all sort of been running together for some reason.

    So, yesterday I had an interview. (Yes, we have are considering a new hire and that feels good.) And when I asked this smart, bright lady if she had anything she wanted to ask me she replied, “What do you expect of me? What are your expectations?”

    Hmmmmm….

    I told her we are all in grad school now. Exploring new ideas. And the learning you choose to do every single day of your life is completely self directed. You’re driving the ship and collecting ideas and inspiration every single day. Read. A lot. Write. A lot. Think out loud and share with others. Even when you aren’t sure you’re right.

    Let yourself experience life with your eyes and heart and mind wide open.

    I know I am lucky and rare. I love what I do everyday. Especially the work we have found ourselves doing now. Connecting people. Lifting people up. Inspiring. Helping them fall in love with what they do again. Helping them find the shared passions that connect the dots.

    Cordell has this great story about this lady he met in a bar many, many years ago. (I promise I’ll get him to tell it to you some day, he does a much better job than me…) Anyway he was well, intoxicated (Jagermeister was involved). And he was having a hard time hearing her. She asked him what did. And he said, “Advertising.” Then she looked at him and said, “Pretty trash.” So he said, “No. I am okay. I’m not trashed.” And then she said “You make pretty trash.”

    Hmmmm.

    Learn something new today.

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  • Overheard in the Brains on Firesphere

    Posted on April 3rd, 2009 by Spike and currently 2 commenting.

    You can’t measure love on a 10-point scale.

    -Justine Foo, PhD

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  • Overheard in the Brains on Firesphere

    Posted on March 17th, 2009 by Spike and currently 4 commenting.

    Once you’ve busted your ass, poured out few gallons of sweat and blood, survived the heat, the mosquitoes, the snakes, the fevers and shakes in the middle of the night as you machete’d your way through the jungle to carve a new trail, the people who come along behind you ride in Land Rovers.

    -Greg Cordell, Chief Inspiration Officer

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  • LOVE your Business

    Posted on February 9th, 2009 by Geno and currently 3 commenting.

    I never, ever read newspaper columns. The only reason I stumbled on Rhonda Abrams weekly column Sunday was because an article on “Circuit City Liquidation” caught my eye. But I’m glad it did, since Rhonda offered some very timely advice for business owners and employees to get into the Valentine’s Day spirit. Ten ways that LOVE helps your business succeed. You can read Rhonda’s entire column here, I’ve made a Monday through Friday check-list from Rhonda’s column for this week.

    Monday: Love what you do. Have a passion for what you do. It shows in the enthusiasm, energy and caring you bring to your business. It carries you over the tough days when the paperwork’s due or the deal falls through. It keeps you and those you work with motivated. Always remember why you love what you do.

    Tuesday: Love your customers. Without customers you don’t have a business, but most of us don’t ‘love’ our customers enough. This month, find ways to regularly communicate with customers, and, hey, take one or two to lunch!

    Wednesday: Love your employees. This year is going to be an especially tough year for your employees — the uncertain economy scares them, family members may be losing jobs. Meanwhile, you may not be in a position to give any raises. So respect and fair treatment are even more important.

    Thursday: Love your employer. If you’re reading this and you’re an employee of a small business, understand the pressures facing your boss. Small businesses — far more than huge corporations — do everything they can to hold on to their employees in tough times. Be supportive, flexible, and energetic. Do absolutely everything you can to help your company succeed — and keep your job.

    Friday: Love the future. Yes, I know we live in uncertain economic times. But entrepreneurs are optimists. We not only trust the future — we create it. We change the world. After all, all we need is love.

    Bonus: Love your family. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t have made it this far in my career without the support and love of parents, siblings, my wife, my daughter… my list could go on and on. I think this week is the perfect time to pick up the phone and call someone that helped you at a critical time in your business life.

    At Brains On Fire we talk about LOVE a lot. Maybe it’s a squishy business term, but I can’t think of better time than now to take Rhonda Abram’s advice.

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  • Overheard in the Brains on Firesphere

    Posted on January 30th, 2009 by Spike and currently 1 commenting.

    “Your Twitter is not my Twitter,” and “Don’t use Twitter before coffee or after beer.”
    -Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu, whom Geno and I had the pleasure of visiting with today.

    “Remember when you were a kid, how every shot you took at the basketball hoop was the “championship, last-second, save the world and the crowd goes wild” shot? That’s the way to approach things every time.”
    -Greg Cordell,  Chief Inspiration Officer

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