It was a big week. The producer Tara and I partnered with sent out our movie script to some of the biggest comedy directors you can think of. By any measure, getting eyes on our writing at this level is a win. And it got me thinking about how we got here. The most obvious observation I have looking back is how much all the progress we’ve made over the last three years was invisible. Not only was it invisible, but much of the time it actually felt like failing.
Read MoreThe best use of your time is to build quality assets that work for you after you’re finished working on them. Once you see how powerful this idea is, it’s impossible to unsee it. It’s what I spend 90% of my time thinking about and implementing. Here are some ways I'm doing it...
Read MoreEveryone wants success. But most people aren’t willing to start down a path filled with unknowns unless they get a guarantee of success before they take that first step. The worst thing you can do is NOT start because you’re waiting for a guarantee your idea will work. The embarrassment of starting and failing is temporary. But the regret of not starting at all is forever.
Read MoreWe had just opened a second bottle of wine after dinner. The producer’s dining room was beautiful - a huge wooden table with an expansive bar collection covering the wall behind us. And the house was even nicer - newly renovated with a massive backyard in a wonderful Los Angeles neighborhood.
Read MoreAfter writing, shooting, and editing our first video sketch, I’ve learned something you can steal. Batch similar creative work together. Here’s why, using the steps of my process so it’s clear. For this first sketch, the writing process was very informal…
Read MoreThere’s an old saying in Hollywood: “Write the movie you want to see.” When I’m thinking about what to work on next, that’s where I start.
Read MoreAnyone can Google stuff. Not everyone can ask specific questions about their project to a partner who has shared upside in the outcome. That’s the power of apprenticeships - the better the apprentice, the more upside for the one sharing their specific knowledge.
Read MoreA common trap smart people fall into is to see something that works, but avoid “borrowing” it to use it themselves. Instead, they try to come up with something uniquely their own that could work even better. Don’t be one of those people. Don’t be too proud to take an execution you see working, and make it your own. Don’t be too smart to borrow what works.
Read MoreMy grandma just turned 90. I spent a week celebrating with her at a “cobbage” (as my 3yo niece would say) on Lake Michigan. It’s amazing what you can learn from someone who has lived 60 YEARS (basically another lifetime) longer than you! Here are a few of those lessons.
Read MoreI once flew to Ireland for a weekend. My wife and I showed up at the airport in Toronto expecting to fly standby to Paris, but the flight was full. So we hopped on the only other flight with open seats - the flight to Dublin. I didn’t know it then, but I had become a Rational Flâneur. Unlike the tourist who’s stuck in a schedule, the flâneur embraces uncertainty. They alter their course easily based on new information. They keep their options open. And you can use this idea to embrace optionality and capture upside in your life and work.
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