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Where Did Community Go?

One of the things that attracted me to blogging was the community. Ten years ago, commenting communities were HUGE on the blogs I would visit.

I remember voraciously reading thoughts from Dan Miller, Michael Hyatt, Jon Harrison, Chris Lautsbaugh, Alex Barker, and many others. Their ideas would percolate in my mind and I would begin to think out my own thoughts on their latest topic.

fiver people running on the field near trees

Photo by Jed Villejo

I felt like I was getting a peek inside of their minds. Then, as a bonus, I could comment on their work. I could share the thoughts they inspired and have a conversation with them.

It was a great time to be online and connecting with people. It was the thing I loved most about blogs. The connection and feeling of community.

Times Change

In recent years, the online community has changed. I was reminded of this recently when I was looking for something from Alex.  Read more...

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Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Brightburn

The best way to describe the movie Brightburn is this: Imagine a world where Clark Kent didn’t choose a path of good and becomes Superman. Instead, he chooses a path of selfishness. He chooses to use his powers to get what he wants.

The story is similar to Superman. A young couple, Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman), are struggling with infertility. They long to have a child. Their house is filled with infertility books.

Jackson A. Dunn as Brandon Breyer in Brightburn

One night, Tori hears a loud crash outside of their home. The couple discovers a crashed spacecraft with a young baby inside (sounds a lot like Superman, right?). They raise the baby like he was their own child.

This child, Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn), feels a pull to the spacecraft hidden in the Breyer’s barn. Soon, Brandon realizes he’s not like other people. He has superhuman strength, eyes that can shoot lasers, and he can fly.  Read more...

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Two Questions To Ask Every Leader You Meet

Grow yourself by asking the right questions

Any leader who has been around for a while will know he doesn’t have all the answers. Far from it. This is why great leaders surround themselves with people who have expertise in areas they lack.

But what happens to a leader as he rises through the ranks? He may lose touch with the notion he needs to continually learn. Or he may believe there’s no one else he can learn from.

Man standing in front of a pink brick wall

Photo by Andre Hunter

This would be an unfortunate thought. There are plenty of ways to continue to grow yourself and your leadership ability. One of those is through asking great questions.

The Answer Is Through The Question

Do you remember when you were a child? You went around and asked everyone you met various questions. You may have asked:  Read more...

  • What’s your favorite color?
  • Why’d you do that?
  • Who are you?
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Helping Your Small Business To Keep Expanding Steadily

This is a contributed post to JMLalonde.com. For more information on contributing a post, please see our contributing policies.

Running a small business is a ceaseless struggle. You’re competing with other small companies, but you’re also trying to beat the big players at the top of your industry. It feels like a neverending battle, and that’s a pretty accurate summary of the business world. But it doesn’t have to be a losing battle. In this article, we’re going to talk about some ways in which you could start helping your small business to keep expanding steadily.

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Stop Isolating Yourself

I’ve watched the last couple of months as the church world has been rocked by suicides from Pastors Jim Howard of Real Life Church and Andrew Stoecklein of Inland Hills Church. I’ve also heard of suicides in the business and professional worlds. Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain both took their lives as well.

This breaks my heart. The world is losing brilliant minds to depression, mental illness, and emptiness. These men and women no longer see the value in continuing to live their lives.

Woman standing with her head down

Photo by Eric Ward

Time after time, you hear from their friends and families how they couldn’t see this coming. They seemed so happy, so alive. Suicide was the last thing on their minds. But they were wrong.

Suicides are happening. To those you know and love. To those you may have heard of. To those you don’t know.  Read more...