Start Something That Matters

Remember, in this era when so many of us spend our work and personal hours sitting alone with our computers and digital devices, people want to be part of something that throws them back into the world and connects them to other people—even if they won’t make money on it.

The lesson: The power of your story isn’t just a way to connect to your ultimate consumer but is also a means of making you attractive to potential partners who want to attach themselves to something deeper than buying and selling.

I surround myself with inspirational quotations.

Quotes from people who have seen their way through fear and failure and still risen. Surround yourself with these powerful words.

Involve yourself actively only at the beginning and end of a project, giving others the freedom and creativity to guide it along the way.

in its own 2002 study, the communications agency Cone found that 77 percent of respondents said that a company’s commitment to social issues was a major factor when deciding where to work.

If you are doing good, customers have a greater reason to care about your work.

99designs (www.99designs.com),

I ask you to please put it down and think about whatever plans have been running through your mind. Let those ideas move from the back to the front of your mind. Take this time to write them down in your journal or call a friend or relative to discuss them. Get your idea out in the open. Decide that you can do this. Tell yourself you’re not going t

This is the moment when too many people turn back, give up, or start thinking of excuses for or explanations of why they should call it quits.