Have you ever wondered why some people seem to achieve their goals effortlessly while others struggle to make progress? The answer often lies in a single, transformative principle: intentionality.  Intentionality is about consciously choosing how you live, work, and connect.  It's about realizing that you matter, your story matters, and yes, what you have to offer matters. Let's explore how embracing intentionality can lead to A New You and transform your life.

What Does Intentionality Mean?

Intentionality isn't just a buzzword; it's a purposeful living practice.  It's about:

• Setting clear goals and aligning your actions with them.
• Being mindful of your time, energy, and resources.
• Focusing on what truly matters instead of being reactive.

A recent study from Harvard Business Review found that individuals who set intentional goals are 42% more likely to achieve them.  It's not magic, it's mindfulness.

Why A New You Starts With Intentionality

How Intentionality Impacts Your M...

As the calendar turns to a new year, the world seems to burst with energy.  Resolutions are declared, goals are set, and planners are filled with lists of tasks to conquer.  But amidst this whirlwind of ambition, there's a quieter, often overlooked resolution that has the power to transform your year and your life. 

It's the resolution to pause.

The Importance of a Pause

Life moves fast.  Between work deadlines, family responsibilities, and the endless pings of notifications, we can find ourselves running on autopilot.  Yet, the magic happens in the pause.

As Viktor Frankl wisely said, "Between stimulus and response there is a space.  In that space is our power to choose our response.  In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

 A pause is where clarity is born.  It's the space where you reflect on what truly matters, recalibrate your priorities, and refill your cup.  Think of it as the moment to sharpen your axe before cutting down the proverbial tree.  Without it, we risk...

The holidays are a season of joy, connection, and hope.  A time to reflect on the journey of the past year and look ahead to new possibilities.  While life often brings its share of challenges, these moments also offer opportunities for growth, learning, and transformation.

Napoleon Hill's timeless principles in Think and Grow Rich remind us that within every difficulty lies the power to create something extraordinary.  His chapter on The Power of Decision teaches us that purposeful, decisive actions can turn obstacles into stepping stones for success.  This holiday season, let's explore how we can embrace Hill's wisdom to find joy, reflect, and step into the new year with a renewed sense of purpose.

1. Celebrate Where You Are

The first step to enjoying the holidays is appreciating where you are right now.  Hill emphasizes the importance of acknowledging our current circumstances as a foundation for growth.  Every step of your journey, whether marked by triumphs or lessons, has brou...

Nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains, Abruzzo is a hidden gem in the heart of Italy, offering untouched natural beauty and a serene escape for those seeking renewal.  Its unspoiled beauty, rich cultural heritage, and tranquil pace make it the perfect destination to escape the chaos of daily routines and reconnect with your inner self. For those seeking renewal, reflection, and relaxation.  Abruzzo offers an unparalleled setting for a wellness retreat. 

The Natural Beauty of Abruzzo

Abruzzo’s diverse landscapes are nothing short of breathtaking. From majestic mountains to rolling hills and pristine beaches, every corner of this region invites you to pause, breathe, and take it all in. Gran Sasso and Majella National Parks are havens for nature lovers, who experience tranquil walks through lush forests and serene meadows.

Unlike crowded tourist hotspots, Abruzzo remains a peaceful escape.  Here, you’ll find a sense of calm that’s rare in today’s fast-paced world...

Recently, a friend shared something remarkable with me.  His business, moving along steadily, suddenly seemed to explode with opportunities.  It was as though the floodgates had opened, and he couldn't quite pinpoint why.  

This reminded me of a powerful concept from Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.  Hill describes the phenomenon of riches - or success - coming to you in unexpected, often overwhelming ways.  It's as though the universe or as I like to believe "God" rewards preparation, persistence, and belief all at once, and often when you least expect it.

In Hill's words, "Riches, when they come, come so quickly, in such great abundance, that one wonders where they have been hiding during all those lean years." But here's the catch: when those riches arrive, you must be ready to receive them.

Success rarely follows a linear path.  It builds quietly as you take small, consistent actions.  Every lesson learned, every challenge overcome, every decision made with faith and vision ...

This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending a teaching on completeness inspired by Thomas Troward. One simple yet profound idea has been resonating with me ever since:

"What you think about, you become."

Troward's philosophy centers on the idea that everything begins with thought. Your reality, achievements, and sense of self-worth all start in the mind. This teaching wasn't just theoretical - it was a wake-up call to the immense power we each have to shape our lives.

Completeness: The Key to Unlocking Your Potential

Troward describes completeness as the recognition that you are already whole and capable.  Fulfillment isn't something to chase or find externally -- it's about realizing that the seeds of everything you desire are already within you.

What a freeing and empowering thought! When you embrace this idea, you no longer wait for the "perfect time" or external circumstances to feel complete.  Instead, you act from a place of confidence and abundance.

Everything Star...

At a recent concert, a simple question from the musician sparked a powerful reflection:

"Why do we have to make America 'great' again? Why not focus on making it 'good'?

The question stuck with me, not just because of its political undertones, but because of its deeper implication for how we approach life, work, and goals.  It reminded me of Jim Collins' famous quote from Good to Great:

"Good is the enemy of great."

These two perspectives - embracing the value of "good" and striving for "great" - may seem like opposing ideas.  But what if they're both essential, depending on the context? Let's unpack the tension between good and great, and why it matters.

The Case for 'Good'

Being good is often underrated.  It represents competence, consistency, and reliability.  In a world obsessed with constant growth and perfection, "good" can offer stability and peace of mind.

Sometimes, striving for greatness can feel overwhelming.  In those moments, being "good" is not just enough - it's e...

The modern marketing system is broken.

I take no joy in making that admission. I may have been part of the problem. But so have you.

But we didn't do it on purpose. And our intent was pure. Our motivations wise.

...At the time.

This is not that time.

But here's what's happened over the years: We kept adding and adding to the marketing stack, and we never took anything away!

Now it's just too much. For us, for our audiences, and for our limited capacity in time and resources.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

It didn't happen overnight. When I got into this business, you had two choices: you could either pay for attention (paid media, aka advertising) or you could try to earn it (earned media was pretty much publicity at the time).

By the mid 90s, we all became publishers. We owned our own media, in the form of websites and email marketing. More channels...yay! And now we had total control over the messaging, pretty much for free!

A decade or so later, we were all flocking to shared media, or social media...

When we look at growth and planning/budgeting for growth there are a few levers we have at our disposal.  Expenses and Revenue = Profits.  Looking at each of these through its own lens will tell us which lever we need to pull to make profits increase.  Each lever has consequences, managing those consequences will produce profits or loss. Profit is the name of the game if we want to win.  Growth comes as an expense sales comes as revenue.

We find entrepreneurs primary goal is to grow their enterprise, they think by generating more sales they increase revenue.  But focusing on selling more just to increase the top line many times overlooks the necessity of the cost related to delivering on the sale to truly scale the business.

In order to scale, we must first have a strong foundation to the business processes.  Process that includes deliberate planning, thoughtful assessments of key people and targeted allocation of investment capital. 

A first step is asking a series of fundamental q...

In any discussion of business models, one of the primary questions is: is it scalable?

Answers to this question typically run to discussions of financial, technological or physical resources. However, what often fails to get addressed when looking at scalability is the human side of the business. The financial, technical and physical resources, although certainly not easily obtained, seem to be more available than the most scarce resource today -- talent.

One of the major roles of the CEO/Founder is that of coach, which involves all the ways that you can help your people develop professionally.  And, like the CEO, one of their major challenges is also becoming better leaders.

Scalability requires the CEO/Founder to become a leader of leaders; to not only practice leadership but to teach it as well.  For many, this means learning a whole new skill set and developing the willingness to go beyond their own personal comfort zones. But for entrepreneurial business leaders, the reward for...