Artifacts / Fetish Items / Micro Obsessions
This is a scribble for a later idea. I’ve been obsessed with a stupid thought: I have the typical ADHD thing where I get obsessed with something and then don’t care after. It’s like fiery intense attention and then, Oh whatever. That old thing?
I stole the ingredients for this idea. Some from our man Van:
I get obsessed with some things. But the thing is, only in passing fancy kinds of ways. Like, right now, I’m obsessed with the idea of getting a bluetooth turntable, because I have a few bluetooth speakers laying around and thought about how fun it’d be to get a few vinyl albums and play them nice and loud the old fashioned way on a turntable.
But I won’t be super into it after a little bit.
Then, I’ll get obsessed with something like micro cassette recorders or maybe handheld digital microphones like the Tascam ones that look like menacing tasers.
See how both examples so far are superfluous? I have a mobile device. It streams music. It records audio. I don’t need these things. But there’s some kind of obsession around the artifact itself.
But maybe branch into other things, like mechanical pencils, or certain pens. Etc. Objects that when you touch and feel them, they made you FEEL a certain something. Or in the case of the record player, that sound that vinyl gives.
So it’s not an amazing idea, but I started listing out some of the “things” I think might be interesting. Then, I’ll refine that list a bit. Then, I might think about a theme. Like “ways we communicate and consume” or something.
Or “things an ineffective spy might use” and so on.
Dumb? Probably. But I might still do it.
Commonplace Journaling
I’m just going to accept that I’ve been a bit obsessed with journaling lately. As I don’t really know where else I’d ever want to store this information, I’ll just log it here in this long forgotten and abandoned blog. You don’t mind, do you?
He basically means a Commonplace book, but he takes a while to say that, so I’m saying it here. He’s right about everything. Just a tiny bit long-winded in getting there. It’s okay. He’s nice and his point is good.
Sorry, Other Other Place
I tried to like it.
Near as I can tell, there are just a lot of voices upset and angry about the things they’re upset and angry about. I thought it looked cool. It looked like old Twitter. And hey, the maga crowd wasn’t there.
But this crowd’s just a different group of people upset about a different bunch of things. I guess they just didn’t feel like the people I would normally hang out with. Their causes are fine or whatever. I don’t have a vote about them. It just seemed like a whole lot of negative energy and not really very productive, either.
I’ll Just Do My Thing
This other other place hates pretty much everything AI. I understand the arguments. I get why “real” artists get mad at AI art. People hated hip hop and sampling culture and remix culture, too. Whatever you’re doing that some other group is doing, they’ll tell you it’s not real.
Today a friend of mine told me they learned how to write a JQL query for their work dashboard. They did it by asking ChatGPT what to do. I didn’t even know ChatGPT knew what Jira was. It’s crazy how cool this is, because it means the friend didn’t even have to put in a support ticket and ask an admin or developer to create what they needed. They just coded it with a little help from a GPT.
I’d never dare talk about this at the other other place, because it’s wrong or bad or whatever.
Chasing Tails
I saw a whole lot of posts defending the current US president about his memory issues (as reported by some investigation), mostly by bashing the previous US president about things he’d done wrong. Neither one is good. Neither one is palatable. It’s like choosing supper between broken glass or very small rocks.
But holy cow, at the other other place, there’s only one point of view allowed. I just can’t operate that way, nearly no matter the topic. I have to say nearly. Racism is bad. Human rights matter. Love is love. All that. I just don’t want to hear people acting like they’re on the right side of American politics. Voicing opinions loudly about the two current likely candidates is not moving anything forward.
My Own Little World
I’m going to bed now. I think when I get up, maybe I’ll just create my own little world. Seems like it would be more fun than that other other place. They’re all grumpy over there. I’d rather create and invent and explore and invite other people in and learn about them, connect with them, share my thoughts and ideas.
You’re always welcome here. As long as you’re kind and you respect people’s rights. I guess that’s my only big thing. Everything else, we can agree to disagree. For instance: I love black licorice. It’s okay if you don’t.
What’s this over here? Oh right. I still have to create it. Tomorrow. Once I wake up. I’ll start dreaming it first.
Okay?
Things to Learn in 2024
Projects and learning performed in public
Want to learn some interesting things? Want to see where at least some of my learning time for my word “fusion” is spent? I thought I’d keep an updated list of some of what I’m learning, videos and articles I’ve found interesting, and I’ll update this page periodically over time. Bookmark this page if you want to learn some interesting things.
This page is a mishmash of things. Scroll around. You’ll find something of note. Maybe you’ll also find something you feel like learning. Again, this is a kind of “junk drawer” page. You might find some neat stuff, though.
Low Effort Blank Book Idea
I saw this video from Mark Tilbury about selling blank books on Amazon KDP, and thought I’d check it out. I ended up using BookBolt as per his recommendation and used his code “marktilbury” to save a few bucks. I only submitted the book January 1st, so I have no idea how that’s going.
How to Journal Better - Improve My Life
I started this learning at the end of 2023, and thought I’d share some of what I picked up along the way. These are some videos about journaling and planning that I found really useful. This all take about 20 minutes or less. More are videos from YouTube. Some are articles.
Jesse Itzler’s planning a year method (YouTube). Kinda neat.
My own article about journaling (on LinkedIn)
Morgan’s amazing note taking method (YouTube)
Making a commonplace notebook (YouTube) <- I’m dabbling with this
The Cult of Done manifesto (YouTube) <- my old pal Bre Pettis
Reclaim our attention (YouTube) <- Ryder Carroll, the Bullet Journal dude.
How to regain control of your life today (YouTube)
More to Come
I’ll add the next segment here when it’s ready. This will be updated frequently throughout 2024.
My 3 Words for 2024
Since 2006, I’ve promoted a kind of planning exercise for every year based around the idea that I call #my3words. It came to me when I realized that having one words as a way to set my intentions for the year was quite limited. Instead, I wanted at least three “points” by which I might be able to consider the challenges that come along.
Every year after that, I’ve invited others around me to share their #my3words experiences and tens of thousands of people have gone through the process. It’s a very lightweight way to evaluate any decisions that might come up in the year ahead, and as such, you might find it useful.
I’ll share my own personal 3 words at the bottom of this post, after the section showing past years.
How the Process Works
Select three meaningful words with which to guide any decisions you may need to make in the coming year. The words should point to who you intend to be, what you want to focus on, and how you want to perceive the work of the year ahead. It sounds like a lot, but my first year, the words were “Ask. Do. Share,” and those were very powerful for me. It was one of my best years ever.
The words work well if they help you decide and guide yourself towards your intentions. Not your goals, exactly, but intentions. So, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds, maybe your intention is to eat better foods. Maybe you’ll use a word like “temple” to point out that your body is a temple. Or that you’re building towards something important.
The very very very key word is “Decision.” You’re looking for words that answer questions for you. “Oh, what should I do? I just got a job offer from a crazy new opportunity, but I feel so safe here at work.” If your word is “Adventure,” then maybe this is your year.
Each year’s words must be new to that year. People often want to reuse last year’s words that worked well, and then the following year, they report to me that it dropped off and they regret choosing it. A word reused tends to turn invisible. I don’t know. Just does.
Tips and Words to Avoid
I’ve had almost 20 years of experience doing this process, and as such, many people have shared with me what’s worked, what hasn’t, and we’ve worked together to discover which methods or processes have yielded the best reward as gathered up by hundreds of reports back from people practicing #my3words with us.
Words work better if they can help you make decisions with them. For instance, in 2010, I knew that I wanted to work on the idea of promoting “owners” instead of other words to represent how small and solo business owners needed to ACT like owners. Thus, having the word “Owners” reminded me to write to the people I serve as such, frame things as such, answer any requests and decision points with whether an owner serves.
Simple words work better than complicated ones. On the years where I chose “clever” words, they were harder to utilize in the ways I wanted. For instance, one year, I had “Walt” for Walt Disney, to signify his creativity, his drive, the way his legacy lives on. It just never quite stuck.
Phrases never work. If you make your three words “do the thing” or whatever, the “the” in that is a wasted word. It also is really only one thought.
“Focus” is an ineffective word. It’s kind of the word that overlays the real word you need. The thing is, focus is a result, not a way to decide. So instead, if you want to get that book written, a word like “500” might be more powerful, as in, “Write 500 words every day on your book.” Should I go out drinking with my friends? (Decision point) 500. Ah, no. I should write my 500 words.
I prefer verbs, but as of 2024, I’ve got more nouns. Who knew?
Ask yourself, “Are these words higher up than the actual work it’ll take me to stay on track?” For instance, if you have something like “Peace” for inner peace, what actual work or effort can and will you make to get there? I taught a few people this past year about “shenpa,” a word in my buddhist practice that talks about getting hooked on things we’d rather avoid. (You’ll have to read the piece to get it.) To find peace, one might want to practice observing and better handling shenpa moments. So, in this example, “shenpa” is better than “peace,” which is a RESULT of the actual word.
Previous #my3words Entries
Here are my past years, good and bad:
2006 - Ask. Do. Share (amazing year)
2007 - Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 - Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 - Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 - Ecosystems. Owners. Kings (amazing year)
2011 - Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 - Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 - Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 - Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 - Plan. Leverage. Fabric. (Barely remember these)
2016 - Home. Shine. Win. (Even worse)
2017 - Move.Voice.Game (Not my best)
2018 - Ritual. Execute. Value (Great Year)
2019 - Station. Stacks. Movement. (Got there eventually)
2020 - Push. Structurequence. Package (Tricky year - COVID)
2021 - Showrunner, Monk Options (Amazing year)
2022 - Scout, Co-Create, Pluses (One of my favorite, but only 2 of the three)
2023 - Master, Pleasure, Gather (one of my best years yet)
My 3 Words for 2024
Fusion - I’ll be learning a lot in 2024, really amping up some of my efforts. I chose “fusion” because not only will I learn, but I’ll be merging some of what I learn with other efforts, and these will combine and become more than the sum of their parts.
Apps - I’m making “apps” of a sort, and by that, I mean executable bits of “code” that will prompt me to take certain actions when timely. What I least mean with this word are actual software, but more like I talk about all the time: words are software. Thus, I’m programming some “apps” for myself.
Pulse - One detail I will improve in 2024 is that I’ll reflect and review and better document my efforts. Thus, I’ll keep a pulse on my work. I went to write down my 2023 accomplishments, and while I’d started that process, I forgot about it by late January. I aim to do that differently this year.
What are YOUR 3 Words for 2024?
This is my favorite part. Share with me your favorite words of 2024. Post them on your socials or write a blog post or newsletter update or somewhere like LinkedIn. Use the hashtag #my3words so that others will see and share theirs as well.
THAT is the most exciting part to me. The chance for community. If the hashtag can get us finding each other across whatever platforms you like (anyone on Threads?), then maybe that’ll be worth doing this for 18 years and counting.
I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Chris…
Solve Small Problems
For many years, my big passion was to work on much larger ideas, big world-changing concepts. I really felt, for instance, that social media gave us an amazing platform where we could speak without needing a major media platform to decide we were worthy of anyone’s attention. It’s why I launched my first blog in 1998. Big ideas are tricky, though. It’s hard to figure out how to get paid for them, for one thing. It’s also hard because you have to explain to thousands (tens or hundreds of thousands) why the “thing” is important and why you know what you’re talking about.
I think the real win is in solving small problems that people will pay for you to fix.
Solve. Get Paid. Repeat
That’s the formula. It’s that easy. For instance, my kitchen faucet broke and needed replacing. It’s a really simple problem. It impacts one person, one part of the house, one technology.
You might not know this but plumbers are hard to come by these days. They either work on commercial projects only, or they’re so backlogged that they can’t come to your house until a cosmic event occurs.
But there’s a great tool for this: Taskrabbit. Man, I wish I’d invented Taskrabbit. It’s basically like “Uber for skilled humans.”
I have a small problem: broken faucet. I need one person to fix it. This person has skills. Oh look, a little bitty marketplace where I can read his reviews, he can read mine, and we can pay him easily through a system. Small problem. Solved. Paid.
Even Huge Companies Have Small Problems
The real win inside of your big company might be to find small problems and fix them within the walls of your organization. For instance, look for any sources of friction. Are there parts of the organization that are slowing down the rest of the company? Can you do anything about it?
Those problems are worth solving.
So many inventions come from this. I was thinking today about the Raspberry Pi, you know, those little computers that are basically the size of a cell phone (but aren’t a phone). It was designed to be a low-cost alternative to traditional computers. Who wants that? Students, hobbyists, people who might have a project idea but can’t risk wrecking their primary computer.
Maybe there’s something for you to solve out there. I know for me, I’m going to work on solving some more small problems in my own world, at work, and beyond.
Chris…
Well, He’s At It Again
You won’t necessarily know it from looking at it, but this site’s running on Squarespace. Why? Because Chloë Forbes-Kindlen uses Squarespace and makes it amazing, and she helped me cobble this together. (This is NOT a great demonstration of her skill. I pled with her to keep this boring and simple.)
A New Website? Again?
Well, first, take a look around. A lot of the posts down below this one are from the old chrisbrogan.com that ran on Rainmaker. Chloë salvaged them and kept them in a little box somewhere, even though I told her to throw them away. You can thank HER that you can browse through old things, but if I had my way, you wouldn’t bother with it.
Why Another Blog?
This takes a tiny bit of unpacking.
First, Twitter is dead. I think that’s sad, but it’s what it is. Second, I think we’re tired of blathering out into the wild blue yonder on social platforms. We primp and preen there, if we want to sell something or sell ourselves, but I think we’re craving community, and that requires a much smaller group of people gathering around our stuff. It’s the opposite of marketing the way we’ve tried it for the last 20 years. I think people want to group up tightly around like-minded-ness.
Second, I am an author. I write. It’s what I do. It’s how I think. Some of my thoughts fit my newsletter. Others fit my LinkedIn page. But sometimes, I just want a place to talk with you that doesn’t have the same requirements. And that’ll be here. For now.
A Year With No Blog
Did I miss not blogging? Hell no. Because I write so much and so often. Who cares what format? And I really thought my little Cardd site was cute. Chloë made that, too.
But now, this will be where I muse about the things that excite me, complain because that’s what blogging can be, and observe, because a lot of what I do is observational. Did you ever notice that? ;)
Stuck with Me
No more throat clearing. My next post will be about something. I’m sure. And oh - it won’t be daily or on any specific cadence. I hope you get to it when you do. I’ll write when I feel like it. It’ll be good that way. Like a friendship.
Fair?
Chris…
My 3 Words for 2023
What is My 3 Words About?
The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. "Should I say yes to this project?" "Well, does this align with my three words?"
The idea came from realizing that resolutions almost always end by January 19th of a new year. One reason is that we often choose them from a negative mindset: "I need to lose weight. I'm not making enough money." Instead, the idea of the 3 words is more like: what can I use to guide me towards results I want to support for the entire year and beyond? Not the result itself. The path. The process.
How to Choose Three Words
I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were "Ask. Do. Share." I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.
Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. Think of words that inspire an action, especially when faced with a choice. If you want to travel more, maybe the word is "Stamp," because it encourages you to get more country stamps in your passport. (However: evidently this is largely a non-existent thing any more. Boo.)
I can tell you a few things about choosing your 3 words from experience:
Don't make it a phrase. "Publish the book" is a terrible choice. "The" is wasted.
Try to make the words action-oriented (a verb, if you can). "Expand" is better than "bigger."
The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I've changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can't explain it. But I can report it.
Years where I've tried "fancy" words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
BUT the words don't have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don't worry about explaining them.
Words like "focus" never seem to pan out (Mike Vizdos notwithstanding). Instead, focus on what? Pick a lane. Hint, if you have too many things to focus on, THAT is the lack of focus.
Review Them Daily
The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have the act of writing mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind. I even put up a sticky note. I write them by hand into my journals, too, because kinesthetic learning is powerful.
Past Iterations of My 3 Words
2006 - Ask. Do. Share
2007 - Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 - Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 - Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 - Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 - Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 - Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 - Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 - Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 - Plan. Leverage. Fabric.
2016 - Home. Shine. Win.
2017 - Move.Voice.Game
2018 - Ritual. Execute. Value
2019 - Station. Stacks. Movement.
2020 - Push. Structurequence. Package
2021 - Showrunner, Monk Options
2022 - Scout, Co-Create, Pluses
How'd I Do With 2022?
Looking at my work in 2022, I didn't nearly do Scout as much as I thought I would. I did, but just not at the level I thought. Co-Create? Daily. Pluses? I got so much better at the end of the year. I really learned this process. I really nailed two out of three, and I'm okay with the third one. What about YOU? How'd you do? Email me: chris@chrisbrogan.com
Okay. Are we ready? (And a note: I changed ALL three words of mine at the last minute on December 30th, 2022. Give the process time. It reveals itself.)
My 3 Words for 2023
Master - Hidden in this word is "preparation" and "practice," and also the reminder that to master something, I must make choices that highlight my efforts and let everything else fall away. Precious few people master multiple gifts. One or two are often quite enough.
Pleasure - I bought a ten dollar string of purple and orange lights that hang behind me in my videos lately. They make me so happy. I drink this amazing coffee. It's a subscription service thing that *sounds* expensive, until you realize it's just $2 a cup. Sure, there's cheaper coffee at the store. This is premium gourmet coffee from several top quality roasters, and it's less expensive than a Dunkin coffee every day. I choose pleasure in 2023. I WILL visit the beach more often. I WILL take an extra day during business travel.
Gather - I love collaboration and interactions. I love finding like minds and big thinkers. One quick talk with Clay Hebert keeps my head spinning. Saying hi to everyone at the company holiday party feels great. I'm an introvert, so I need breaks. But I want to gather smart people, like-minded people. I want to bunch up the people I want to love for a while. I'm gathering.
How will the year go? I don't know. That's the fun of it. But those are my three words.
What are YOURS? Post on Twitter and use the hashtag #my3words (the number not the word) to see each other. Not on Twitter? Whatever. Post anywhere. Tag your blog post. Put it on Myspace. Whatever. :) Be part of it. GATHER with us! And email me - chris@chrisbrogan.com
A Few to Remember
From this article: https://baditaflorin.medium.com/unlocking-the-power-of-the-chatgpt-revolution-100-use-cases-to-try-before-you-are-fired-979e5986814c
I like that I can just noodle like this.
I asked it to teach me some useful business phrases in Spanish. Eat it, Duolingo. ;)
Well, I had to check.
That's enough for right now.
The Procedurally Generated Son Returns
I'm writing here for the first time in a long time. Why? Because of ChatGPT. Because it's pretty wild. It's a "chat to _____" kind of tool where you can type out a request and get some really interesting feedback. What kind? This article covers it better than I want to, because that's not my goal.
Instead, I wanted to keep a running list of ideas I've had about it, and share some of that with you. If you're not getting my weekly newsletter these days, then you'll probably feel a bit lost. I talked about it there a lot the last few weeks.
I haven't felt this way about a technology in years. This is the good stuff. At least so far. Just like anything, it could implode.
Stick with me?
Portugal and Spain - November 2022
On the Occasion of my 52nd Birthday
Okay, so first off, my birthday was yesterday, but I was at a conference in Las Vegas, and I flew back on a red eye. That's not an excuse. I could post yesterday if I wanted to, but I'm not even sure. I haven't blogged in whenever. Why should I? I've got a newsletter. I've got two.
Blogs are dead.
Or are they?
That's all you get. I'm writing it in my newsletters.
My 3 Words for 2022
What is My 3 Words About?
The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. "Should I say yes to this project?" "Well, does this align with my three words?"
How to Choose Three Words
I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were "Ask. Do. Share." I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.
Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. I can tell you a few things about this:
- Don't make it a phrase. "Publish the book" is a terrible choice. "The" is wasted.
- Try to make the words actionable. "Expand" is better than "bigger."
- The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
- Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I've changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can't explain it. But I can report it.
- Years where I've tried "fancy" words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
- BUT the words don't have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don't worry about explaining them.
Review Them Daily
The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind.
Past Iterations of My 3 Words
2006 - Ask. Do. Share
2007 - Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 - Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 - Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 - Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 - Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 - Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 - Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 - Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 - Plan. Leverage. Fabric.
2016 - Home. Shine. Win.
2017 - Move.Voice.Game
2018 - Ritual. Execute. Value
2019 - Station. Stacks. Movement.
2020 - Push. Structurequence. Package
2021 - Showrunner, Monk Options
And now, let's look at 2022
My 3 Words for 2022
Scout - I don't often choose nouns, but I do when I want to pack some pointers into words that will guide me through an intention within an identity. A scout fits my role as Chief of Staff at Appfire, because my job is to move ahead of the main troops, to survey the landscape, to recommend paths of action, and to communicate a cohesive plan based on what I bring back. In my profession, that makes sense. The most famous scouts in the real world were also very physically capable, so I'm tucking my obligations to get my health back into this word. It has to carry a lot. (And yes, "scout" is also a verb - thanks, Samantha!)
Co-Create - This idea is a lot more simple than scout: what do I intend to co-create with other people in any given situation? When I work with the Executive Leadership Team at Appfire, I tell myself certain things before going into my meetings. When I talk to owners with Rob Hatch, I set out to co-create a very different type of experience. Sometimes, with my kids, I get a bit lost in the actual intentions of the moment, so this relates to me there as well. My job is to co-create situations where my kids can grow and thrive, as best as I can.
Pluses - This one's the hardest for me to explain to you because I'm still working on it. I'm practicing a concept that's between "manifestation" and also intentional living, and as part of that, I'm learning how to spin up and maintain a flywheel of positive energy. The enemies to that kind of energy are many: people having a rough day, negative people, situations where you have to wait on others to catch up to a checkpoint, and on and on.
This idea, roughly, is to seek out the pluses (+) in every day's opportunities. If I hit a wall or a roadblock, waste NO time, but instead go around, switch tasks, move to the next state of being. If something bad happens, shrug it off and find the next plus.
This one will be the hardest of all 3, but if I pull it off, all will go rather interestingly for me in 2022.
What Are YOUR Words for 2022?
It's your turn: either type up a blog post, or share it wherever you like to share. Use the hashtag #my3words to find other people's shared experiences, and if you're a last minute person, don't worry. Start when you're ready.
See you in 2022.
Chris Brogan Joins Appfire as Chief of Staff
Yeah, so I'm taking a role inside a privately held company for a little while as Chief of Staff. That means that I report directly to the CEO and am responsible for keeping the Executive team rolling along nicely, leading strategy initiatives, and communicating with the board externally and with all the various other teams internally.
I haven't worked for any other company since 2009, so that's interesting, but I don't really mind/care/think much about it. I'm really tuned into the mission. That's what got me excited. Well, that and the fact that I get to work with all the C-level titles and do all kinds of executive leadership development.
Am I still going to write books, keynote speeches, etc? Yes.
Just also doing this really fun-ass job with my friend and now boss, Randall Ward.
Carry on.
What Does it Mean to be Chris Brogan These Days?
For all the years you might have followed me, I never sit still in one place for too long. That's tricky to wrap your head around, especially in a world that really feels we need to categorize and understand everything. For me, I've always just chased after whatever problems seemed fun to solve, and I didn't think much about any larger overarching narrative. If there was anything in common, it's the easiest way to sum me up: I like being helpful and sharing what I know with others.
Over the years, what I've done with companies has changed a lot. I taught a lot of huge companies what business value might come from engaging people via the social networks and social media channels. I created content for companies and showed a few how to do it for themselves, assisting marketing departments and others in devising ways to reach out and connect more in a world that values different types of media.
Chris Brogan: Strategic Advisor
For the last several months, I've worked using some of my strengths in a really specific and pointed way. Strategy at its simplest is: "what's the plan?" I spend a lot of time creating plans, sharing plans, ensuring that we're working on the right parts of the plan, and often asking "does this fit into the plan?"
It's a lot of language work. If we are going to show off how well the company's products function in a "hybrid work environment" like everyone has these days, then I make sure we add in phrases like "and anyone can participate no matter where they're working today."
The client I'm working with is Appfire and I've been reporting directly to the CEO for a while now. They are a software platform comprised of over 200 apps that companies use to build better software to support businesses. Most of my meetings in any given day and almost all of my projects surround moving Appfire's strategic goals forward, and it's been fascinating. I'm learning about financial stuff, mergers and acquisition, and all kinds of detail around what it takes to guide a company from 200 employees to 400 and beyond.
Where Are You Focusing Your Attention, Chris?
This has changed a bit. While I still run Owner Media Group with Rob Hatch and that focuses on small business, I'm doing a lot in larger scale business and B2B companies these days. Appfire works on top of the Atlassian ecosystem, and doing my strategic work has led me to pay more and more attention to larger companies and strategy around that, as well as paying attention to how companies structure acquisition deals, and so forth.
Technology-wise, I'm really interested in just how far people haven't come with digitization of common business practices. Both in B2C and B2B, I'm floored how many times a business process dips back into things like paper and telephones. (I can't stand paper.) I feel like there are so many opportunities to do big work right now with helping companies digitize and work more like we should be in the future.
I watch all the gadget and tech updates all the time, but a lot of what seems to thrill other people (Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces) isn't all that interesting to me. I'm fascinated with how we can move data closer to the real world application of it, and how tools like VR/AR (XR) will change how we can display data and information in the real world.
Oh, and I'm still very happily running The Backpack Show along with Kerry Gorgone. That show continues to be a gem.
So that's me. What about you? Come chat me up. Email me at chris@chrisbrogan.com or Tweet me at @chrisbrogan :)
Chris Brogan and Kerry O'Shea Gorgone Release the $BKPK Cryptocurrency to Support the Backpack Show
The other day, Kerry O'Shea Gorgone and I launched a new cryptocurrency called the Backpack Show Coin (or just $BKPK, if you want to be like the cool kids). It's built by a company called Rally and was part of a project they launched called Creator Coins. The idea is that if you nurture a community like we do around the Backpack Show, then you could build your own micro-economy and invite participants and members of that community to buy, sell, hold, and trade a special currency.
What does ANY of that mean?
At the highest level, "Hey, if you buy $BKPK coins, it supports the Backpack Show, but also, you get the benefit of possibly earning even further rewards than you would if you just sent in typical money. WE get a reward for you buying the coin, but you ALSO get a reward for holding it. Kind of like two people benefiting instead of one.
A little more "in the weeds:" cryptocurrency, you've maybe already heard about. Coins like Bitcoin or Etherium or the currently popular "Doge coin" are other types of cryptocurrency. So, the $BKPK coin is basically a small decentralized (meaning everyone has control of it, not just one person) tool to pass value (in this case, money) back and forth between people who accept that type of currency.
What can we do with the coins?
You can buy sponsorship spots on the show, backstage passes, special heavily discounted private coaching, and more. We're working up more and more offerings and ways to have fun with the coins as we speak.
What do you want me to do?
We can approach this two ways. I shot a little video for you, but I'll explain it right after the video, too.
There are just a few steps to the process:
- Set up a free account at Rally.io
- Find the Backpack Show coin page.
- Buy some coins if you want to just hold onto them. (Click BUY) OR
- Click one of the offerings like "Buy a Power Hour of Coaching" to buy a specific reward
- Once you have the amount of coins needed for that offering, click SEND, and send those coins to "TheBackpackShow"
- And if you get stuck, just email chris@chrisbrogan.com
And you don't HAVE to send us the coins you buy. That's only if you want to buy something like a backstage pass or sponsorship or whatever. You can just hold onto them and see what happens with the market.
VERY IMPORTANT: Cryptocurrency is a very volatile environment. The value of any crypto coin can go up and down drastically and we have no control over that. If you put in $10, you might find $100 the next time you log in, or you might find $5. It's a bit like the stock market. If you're unsure of whether you want to try this out, it's okay if you don't want to, and that's quite understandable.
The Cool Part (So Far)
Just by HOLDING onto the coins (meaning, you buy $10 worth or something like that and do nothing else), you add to the value of the Backpack Show community. And because of that, there are even rewards.
Each coin has a rewards pool that can be earned weekly (and I still don't really understand how this all works). So for instance, on my personal "chrisbrogan" account, I have coins from seven or eight different creators. I bought some of my friends' coins to show support. Each one of those coins has the chance to earn some rewards, and when they do, coin holders get some of that money sent to their account, too.
Meaning, you have the opportunity for the coin's value to go up and down AND you have the opportunity to earn even more rewards just because you're holding onto coins.
(Disclaimer: I know only a tiny bit more about crypto than most of you. Learn more if you feel antsy.)
Going Forward
While we continue to experiment with this, there are lots of new opportunities to try things out. I'm working with some friends and partners to come up with ways to offer rewards to people simply for holding the coins, plus ways that I can tack on value for OTHER people, if you choose to pay them with our $BKPK coins.
For instance, let's say a friend is throwing a concert. You can pay at the door using their coin, or you can pay at the door using the $BKPK coin. If you pay with BKPK and show us the receipt, we'll give you additional rewards just for choosing our currency as your payment method.
Another instance is if we hold a virtual event, the cost might be as inexpensive as buying a small amount of every speaker's Creator coin to get in.
And so on.
Want to Join an Economy Experiment?
It's all a grand experiment. It's wayyyyy too early to know what to make of all this. But if you want to have fun *and* support Kerry and I and The Backpack Show, consider picking up some $BKPK coins today.
- Go to Rally.io and make an account
- Go to the $BKPK page and click BUY (or buy the reward you want directly)
- EITHER hold the coins and feel good about it OR click SEND if you're sending coins to buy a reward
It's that easy! :)
37 Interview Questions You Could Ask a Podcast Guest
I had an interesting experience the other day that has me laughing and a bit befuddled. A guy wanted to interview me for his show, and then canceled saying that he couldn't come up with a few questions to ask me. It's obviously quite the insult, if I were to care all that much. I mean, what would you ask a New York Times bestselling author who has worked with the biggest companies in the world and who has presented to a princess? What would you ask someone who's written 9 books and who interviews 10 new people every week for a daily video show?
So, maybe you need some questions (not about me). Maybe it'd benefit everyone that this person couldn't come up with a few questions to ask me, after asking me to be a guest on his show. So I'll help while I'm still in a certain mood.
Interview Questions to Ask Anyone
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- Tell me a bit about where you grew up. What was important back then?
- What kind of challenge do you love to dig into?
- Who would you hang out with at a party? Or do you even go to parties?
- Describe a typical work day for you
- What makes you most proud about your career so far?
- Were you a shy kid?
- Do you travel? What's your ideal trip?
- What makes a successful project for you? How do YOU measure it?
- Do you listen to music while you work? What's your go-to?
- Are you a systematic kind of person or a "let's just wing it" type?
- If you had a free two hours, what would you do with it?
- Who do you think of as a mentor? What did you need to learn from them?
- What's changed for you since the pandemic? What had to adjust?
- Why do you do it? Why not stop?
- How do you know you're right?
- What brand do you think is cool? Do you want to emulate them?
- What is a life lesson you have learned from a video game? from Jonathan
- What is the biggest misperception of you in your last role? from Scott
- What type of work makes up the happiest part of your day? from Angie
- If you could disappear and reappear at any point in time, when and where would that be? from Geri
- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it? from Lori
- You do x, y and z today, and have had a lot of cool successes. But we’d love to hear, how did you get your start? from Ben
- If you could only take one technology item with you to a desert island, what would you take, and why? from John
- What's the biggest myth that you see shared as advice over & over again? from Julia
- What's something you've learned this week? from Brittney
- Where do you feel most comfortable?
- Who plays you in a movie?
- What does failure look like for you? What do you do with it?
- What gets you down? How do you bounce back?
- What's the time span of a typical project for you?
- What do you know for sure? from Brent
- Tell me about a time you screwed up royally, what you learned from it, and how you fixed things after. from Kerry
- If you didn’t have to work and money wasn’t an issue, what would you do in your life? from Rafal
- Do you remember the moment when the light switch went on and you went yeah, that's it with regard to your life/career? from David
- Are you close with your family?
- Where do you go when you need a reset?
- Ask me a question.
You can use these all you want. If you use some of the questions provided by other people, feel free to Tweet them a hello and that you liked their question.
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My 3 Words for 2021
Thank BUDDHA that it's 2021! Since 2006, I've been recommending that people choose 3 words to guide their actions and choices over the year to come. You've shared with me 14 years of your experiences with more to come, I want to share with you how this works because I want you to choose your own 3 words and share them around. (We use the hashtag #my3words when sharing so that others can find your examples.)
What is My 3 Words About?
The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. "Should I say yes to this project?" "Well, does this align with my three words?"
How to Choose Three Words
I started this process back in 2006. Back then, my 3 words were "Ask. Do. Share." I picked these very simple words and they served me very well. One of my best years ever. When I asked questions, I learned. When I took action based on what I learned from asking, I made more ground and took over more of the universe. When I shared what I learned with everyone, I made connections and some friends.
Choose any three words you feel will guide you forward. I can tell you a few things about this:
- Don't make it a phrase. "Publish the book" is a terrible choice. "The" is wasted.
- Try to make the words actionable. "Expand" is better than "bigger."
- The more utilitarian the word can be, the better. These words have to be your compass.
- Stick with the 3 words all year. Every time I've changed one a month or two later, the year mucks up. I can't explain it. But I can report it.
- Years where I've tried "fancy" words with layers of meaning, I lost the thread. Use plain words, maybe.
- BUT the words don't have to mean anything to anyone but you. Don't worry about explaining them.
Review Them Daily
The more you review your 3 words, the better. I have mine built into my daily planning guides and action stacks. I try using them for a mantra when I can. Sometimes on walks, I just repeat them over and over. I like to reflect on them and meditate a little with those words in mind.
Past Iterations of My 3 Words
2006 - Ask. Do. Share
2007 - Seek. Frame. Build. Bridge (yes, that was 4. It also was a less successful year.)
2008 - Believe. Loops.Farm
2009 - Equip. Armies. Needles
2010 - Ecosystems. Owners. Kings
2011 - Reinvest. Package. Flow
2012 - Temple. Untangle. Practice
2013 - Walt. Ender. Monchu
2014 - Lifestyle. Monchu. Black.
2015 - Plan. Leverage. Fabric.
2016 - Home. Shine. Win.
2017 - Move.Voice.Game
2018 - Ritual. Execute. Value
2019 - Station. Stacks. Movement.
2020 - Push. Structurequence. Package
And My 3 Words for 2021 Are:
Showrunner - Not only do I mean this literally. I'm running The Backpack Show and at least three other shows in 2021, I'm using the concept of a showrunner to explain how businesses need to think about their brand strategically in all their communications, marketing, and interactions. It's a big word for me in 2021, so I'm not worried that I'll falter on it.
Monk - 2020 gave us the gift of a lot less noise. We thus could see where our lives were still a bit too messy. I plan to operate far more intentionally and simply in several areas of my life. For instance, I'll get rid of my car entirely (Lyft's fine for how rarely I need an actual ride). I'll pare my wardrobe down to 6 of everything and just do a load of laundry on day 6. I'll eat simply. I'll meditate and journal (I started 12.9.20 and going strong so far.)
Options - Somewhere near the end of 2020, I reflected that "leadership is option management." If your team has too many options, they lose focus and flounder. If they feel stuck (lack of options), they feel pressure and anxiety. I survived 2020 because of always seeking the option. Looking for a next move. Those next moves kept me housed and fed in 2020. I'll do even better with my options in 2021.
Your Turn
Share your #my3words ideas on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, wherever. Spread them far and wide. This gets SO much more fun when I get to see your words and hear their meanings, and understand how you plan to make your 2021 amazing. Remember to use the hashtag so that all of us can find it. Okay?
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How the Beast is Us - by Chloë Forbes-Kindlen
This post comes from a conversation with Chloë Forbes-Kindlen, where we ended up talking about the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. She said that the part she hates the most about that movie is that the Beast transforms into a normal human at the end, and why do that? The Beast was fine as he was. So, I asked Chloë to collaborate with me about it. She ended up writing such a great and passionate piece that I don’t want to add a thing. Here’s Chloë:
Beauty and the Beast was one of my favourite Disney films growing up but even watching it at age 5, it just felt so disheartening watching the Beast be transformed back into a Prince at the end.
The message was supposed to share the importance of seeing people for who they were and valuing love, kindness and acceptance over the superficialities of external appearance.
So why at the end of the movie would they turn the beast back into a Prince?
I’m mad at Disney.
The beast wasn’t the monster in this story.
In the movie, Prince Adam is transformed into a Beast for being arrogant. That seems like a slightly harsh punishment but I guess they figured it would be fitting to have his outward appearance match his internal persona. I get it.
As soon as he became a beast, the villagers (including the truly arrogant hunter Gaston) no longer looked up to him. They feared him. In an instant, their perceptions changed.
The Beast is supposed to be the monster in this scenario. A questionable theory given he was the exact same character, just a different appearance.
Some *may* argue the group mentality of the villagers who followed Gaston’s lead and were quick to dismiss, cast aside and stereotype the Beast without a second thought, are the truly arrogant, and ignorant ones.
It left me questioning who the real monsters were.
We are all Beasts.
Granted, the Beast was a little rough around the edges. He presented himself as the version society portrayed him to be. He started to personify that character as a consequence of being judged and stereotyped.
Belle saw who he truly was behind his hardened exterior - armour he used as protection. She saw all of him including his heart and his potential. She showed compassion, understanding and a willingness to open her heart and mind. In doing so, she was able to show the Beast how to do the same. How to let down his guard and be vulnerable.
Vulnerability is arguably one of the more human emotions there is and it’s an emotion most of us struggle with.
We are all some version of the Beast. We are all flawed. We all put our guard up sometimes. When we are judged, we react more often than we respond.
That’s the point, the one Disney missed when they decided to change the beast back into society’s version of what a Prince should look like.
The true story is better.
Now, you could argue that the Beast started off as a Prince so it was only right he transformed back into his original form. That’s such a backwards way to look at life though especially given that life is a one-way system.
Not only does it completely dismiss the core lesson, you can’t go back and you can’t just bippity-boppity-boo away all the struggles that we all go through in life.
Beauty and the Beast was based on real life events. In 1547, a man named Petrus Gonsalvus was shipped to King Henry II of France as a gift for the king's coronation.
Petrus suffered from a condition known as Hypertrichosis. It’s a condition that causes excessive hair growth, sometimes all over the body hence why people thought Petrus resembled a beast.
This was a real man, with a real condition, who was not punished for being arrogant but rather, for being different. For having a condition he had no control over.
King Henry II did not judge him on his appearance. Instead, he taught him how to act like a gentleman. Petrus went on to marry a ‘beauty’ named Catherine and have children, some of which also had this condition and were given away as ‘gifts’.
I didn’t know this watching as a 5 year old. I just knew the beast turning back to the Prince seemed wrong. He should have remained as the beautiful (yet still flawed) version of who had grown to be. Loved as he was, for who he was.
Knowing this and knowing the message, I’m mad at Disney. They completely failed to see that this was an opportunity to teach children (and adults) that it’s not about being a different version of yourself but rather, a better version of yourself.
The Beast was handsome in his beast form.
Whether it was those long luscious locks or his kind eyes or all his little slip ups on his journey to being a better version of himself, the beast was extremely handsome. I say that jokingly but in all seriousness, having the courage to be yourself is extremely attractive. Even more so, sharing the true version of yourself with others so that you can empower them to also be themselves.
Beauty comes from within and I think deep down, we all perceive it that way.
If this is in fact a tale as old as time. I think we need to write a new one. Redefine what it means to be ‘normal’.
‘Normal’ shouldn’t be a red velvet rope we are all trying to get through by waving some entry ‘See, I belong’ band you paid way too high a price for. It should be more like an all access party where everyone gets to show up and share their story of what normal looks like for them.
Chloë Forbes-Kindlen is a web designer and Squarespace Expert living not all that far from the kind of castle that might have a Beast roaming its upper halls. She's a writer and poet and creative business expert.
Company Culture at a Distance
To build a strong company culture for all employees challenges leaders when working from home (WFH) becomes the norm. Most leaders say that "corporate culture" ranks very high up on their list of priorities, but if I looked at 100 managers' budgets, I'd find almost no money at all dedicated to creating a culture (or even reinforcing the existing one). Further, if you ask most employees to describe the culture of their workplace, they'll rarely say what the bosses wish they'd highlight as competitive advantages based on the culture.
Core Values Are The Heart of Culture
Does your company value fast? Are your norms based around accuracy above all else? Is this a top-down organization or a performance culture? Without knowing this, how on earth would you communicate it out to your remote or even local teams?
If empowerment is important, for instance, your desired culture won't emphasize a hierarchy. If you want a culture of innovation, then reward failure every bit as much as success. Teamwork thrives when every employee values accountability and a culture of leadership.
Start here:
- Work either with the senior team or the whole organization to draft what you believe the core values of the team should be.
- Highlight any inconsistencies where you'll have to improve the culture to match the goal.
- Keep these values posted visibly and talk about them in alignment with projects, briefings and updates. For your work from home (WFH) employees, mail out postcards with the values printed on them.
Successful Culture Tips for Remote Workers
We must adapt some values for remote work anyway. If trust is a core value, then "always available" employees runs counter to that. Just because leaders panic now that "butt in chair" management can't be monitored, if you say trust matters, don't force countless status meetings and ultra fast response times.
Instead, motivate and reinforce the leadership and communications values of your organization and point out that you want team members to send their own status updates to match company culture goals.
Employee retention comes from the feeling that employees are understood, seen, and valued. This requires leadership to connect and communicate and deliver even more feedback and praise while employees work remotely. When the team isn't gathered, it's easy to feel invisible and left out. Add extra "attaboy" experiences where it makes sense.
Emphasize cultural values often in communication. "As keeping our customer well informed is very important to us, we ask that the customer never go more than an hour without a status update until their problem is resolved." Make the norms match the daily language. "It's only a win if all your teammates also feel confident that they can lead if you're away for a few days. Can we train them up to feel even more prepared?"
Remote work thrives on everyone acting accountable to their projects, their teammates, and their leadership. Reinforce this wherever possible.
"Play" is Part of Company Culture
Or it should be. Developing a culture with many remote employees means that spontaneous hallway conversations are at a minimum. While the whole Zoom Cocktail Hour experience feels a bit tired already, finding ways to build in non-essential interactions becomes vital for successful culture.
Even working memes into company culture would help. As we build desired culture elements, leave in personal interactions, family talk, and all that. It's vital. Again, people want to feel seen and understood. They want to know that their contributions belong. And part of this involves a sense of acceptance as a whole person and not just the role at hand.
Work Culture is a Verb
Remote workers have tasks and schedules and meetings and status assignments. None of these have a "build culture" task assigned to it. That means it's up to you as a leader to keep culture in mind at every turn. With your knowledge that company culture improves employee retention, speeds instructional comprehension, and encourages stronger team dynamics, it becomes your project to keep it rolling forward at every turn. It's simple but not easy. But the payoff is quite worth the effort in this regard.
StoryLeader™ is built around helping leaders use stories to improve their skills around remote leadership. If you want to talk about training concepts, get in touch.