Why I Worship The God of Boredom. It’s 6:30am and I’m at it again. I’m writing this thing that you’re reading. Every morning, just as the sun is coming up, I sit down at my desk to write. I’m talking deliberate writing, with a serious expression on my face. This isn’t a game. I don’t do this out of novelty. I don’t do this for money (most of…
Ok, I get it! You’re fed up! You’re ready to leave the 9-to-5 forever. But hold it right there… Should you quit your job? When is the right time to quit and how will you know when you’re ready? Keep watching to learn exactly what you’ll need to know. If you liked this, take a quick second to subscribe to my new channel on YouTube. …
About two years ago, my friend Marcel Benson (Barry) wanted to start a watch company. A lot of people probably thought that was a dumb idea. Watches? The world doesn’t need more watches! But that’s not what Barry thought. He liked watches. He’d always been fascinated with them. He had a whole collection, even as a kid. So that’s what he started working on. And when he worked,…
In the words of Renee Zellweger’s character in Jerry McGuire, the geniuses at Nike’s marketing department “had me at hello.” What other company on the planet besides Nike has been able to create an iconic brand around 3 words? Just Do It. It’s so simple, yet the concept of just doing something sheds light on the fact that in many cases, we just aren’t doing anything. Or we…
You have an idea. You think it’s awesome. You get pretty psyched about it. Maybe you mention it to a friend or two. Maybe you even mention it to your mom. It feels like this could be “The One” — even though in the back of your mind, you know the “perfect idea” doesn’t really exist (along with 6 other weird cognitive distortions you probably have). So you…
Maybe the sole purpose of television is to make us feel like losers. I know I’ve definitely felt like that before. Every time I turn the channel, there’s a new commercial for a car that I don’t have, a new reality show shot in an exotic location that I’ve never been to or some movie with a gorgeous girl that I’ll never meet (don’t tell Sara). Social media…
Back in late 2011, I got the opportunity to pitch Mark Cuban. I was just a student at the time, at Howard University, and cofounder of a company — no longer existent — called My College Hustle, a bartering platform for college students. Hoping to grab a $25,000 prize, my business partner Edward Lyles and I participated in a Shark Tank-style competition, in New York, that actually predated…
Almost daily, someone tells me about his or her amazing app idea. It will blow up into something huge, gain millions of users and make millions of dollars. All with word-of-mouth marketing. That enthusiasm makes sense, really. Apps are massive right now and show no signs of slowing down. Developers make billions of dollars in the app store every year, so people naturally chase any idea that could…
The day begins when you go to bed. If success is trackable, then look no further than the night before. To wake up early, you have to set the stage for success by purposefully designing a bedtime ritual for yourself. In my case, this involves a few things every single night: 1. No tech. I try my HARDEST to ban screens (TV, computer, phone) 60-90 minutes before bed. The…
Are you unmistakable? Here’s what I mean… When something is unmistakable, it’s so distinctive that nobody else could have done it but you. It’s immediately recognized as something that you did. It has your stamp on it. Ever seen a phone designed by Apple or a car designed by Mercedes? Just a quick glance at these distinct brands and you know exactly who they are. They are boldly…