Displaying the most recent of 67 posts written by

Vik

Eight Small Steps to Move Outside Your Comfort Zone

A few weeks ago, I was at a conference when I struck up a conversation with an older businessman. As we talked about the economy, I mentioned how it was really important for people to constantly adapt in an ever-changing world. The businessman turned to me with a surprised look. “I’ve been with my wife [...]

Lose the Jerks

I recently got this e-mail from a good friend: “Hi Vik. I need a bit of advice. I have this co-worker who is a total jerk. He keeps bad-mouthing me and generally gets in the way of my productivity. I’ve made some efforts to fix the situation; after all we’re supposed to be helping each [...]

Crawl Before Walking, Walk Before Running

A few years ago, a good friend of mine set a New Year’s resolution of getting in shape. He was planning to hit the gym at least five times a week. On January 1st he went to the gym and worked out hard for two hours. The next day he was extremely sore, but he [...]

The Secret To Maximizing Your True Net Worth

It’s so easy to get comfortable in life. We start out all excited about our relationships and careers. We’re willing to work hard to learn about the other person and develop our skills. Fast forward five years. We’re set in our ways. Somewhere along the journey, we stopped learning and growing. How do you fight this [...]

How To Build A Great Network

It’s great to meet people, especially successful ones who can help you. But meeting them isn’t enough…your goal should be to build a long-lasting relationship. That’s when you’ll really start getting some value out of your network. Here are several things you can do to increase your chances of networking success:

Four Experiments to Help Fight the Downward Spiral

Have you ever had one of those days where you just can’t seem to catch a break? Those days where you feel like you don’t have a purpose and that nothing really matters? These are the days that can really hurt us. We might make a bad spending decision or say something inappropriate at work. [...]

Similarities Between Poker and Business

I’ve been an avid poker player for nearly 10 years now, and it always amazes me how many similarities there are between poker and business. Many people dismiss poker as a game of luck. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, on a given night some people will get luckier than others, but I [...]

Are You A Pirate or An Architect?

There are two types of people in the business world: Pirates and Architects. Architects add value to the world. They design valuable stuff. They create great businesses and build great teams. And they make lots of money. The ultimate architect is Steve Jobs. He started Apple when he was just a kid, and took it [...]

Do What You Love, And Get Paid To Do It

When I was in college, I had one goal: make a lot of money. Then, after I was rich, I could do what I really wanted to do. Throughout high school and college, I kept asking myself that question: what is my reason for being here…and I could never come up with a definite answer. [...]

Focus on Solving Real Problems: A Dog Food Story

Several decades ago, a dog food company held an internal sales conference. First, the advertising director presented an exciting new media campaign. Then, the director of marketing explained his new go-to-customer strategy that would “change the industry.” Finally, the sales director got up and excitedly talked about how their sales team was the best in [...]