Blog Posts
Our Default Self Is a Foundation Worth Protecting
Our default self is not minimal. It is the baseline integrity of who we are. Default is foundation. Worth protecting. Worth preserving.
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Momentum ≠ Speed
Momentum reflects internal alignment: founder and venture. Momentum is the force that moves the venture forward. Speed shows movement.
The Absolute Anchor
An absolute mindset and narrative collapse choice into either/or. When we allow more than one option, we open ourselves to change.
Fast ≠ Far: When Speed Shrinks Your Field of Vision
Build Fast / Fail Fast is sustainable until what it costs outweighs what it teaches. Products reboot quickly. Companies don’t.
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The Flow of the Gift
We often think our “best self”means being at our peak: poised, prepared, and perfect. But our best self isn’t appearance. It’s alignment.
The Hidden Cost of Bootstrapping
Bootstrapping is a mindset. A survival strategy. And it starts out useful. The same mindset can later you hold back.
The Vital Anchor: Breath
Our breath is an internal anchor within our reach; it’s seldom optimized. It can serve us well if we learn to use its full power.
The Hidden Side of DIY
The DIY mindset and approach can launch startups, but founders need to build solid infrastructure for a seaworthy venture.
Inner Worth and Outer Worth – Grounded in Being, Fulfilled in Doing
We often speak of self-worth as if it were one thing. Yet it lives in two realms: inner and outer. Our worth is the quiet force behind every choice we make.
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Seamanship for Founders: The Integrated Mindset
Seamanship is how founders steer with confidence. Start with an integrated mindset and approach. Build on a sound hull, not patchwork.
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The Anchor from Within
Being an Unseen Anchor does not always lead to depletion. It becomes a source of steadiness. Your anchor is strongest when it also supports you.
Self-Worth Reclaimed
Our worth is not earned—it’s embedded in our being. It’s not something to earn or prove. Define your worth or others will do it for you.
The Founder’s Private Weight
The hardest part of scaling a startup isn’t strategy or capital. It’s founder stamina and well-being — often overlooked by investors and the founders themselves.
The Ecology of Self-Management – A Taoist Approach
Beyond self-manage, self-cultivate your inner ecology: nourish your Jing (Essence), Qi (Energy), and Shen (Spirit).
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The Noble Path and Its Hidden Trap
The Noble Path — steady, devoted, selfless — is an ideal honored in every culture. You can honor what you’re giving as a conscious trade-off, rather than a sacrifice that drains you.
The Overlooked Founder Tool: Self-Management
As founder, self-management is your most defining role. You’re both the captain and the compass. Seamanship starts from within.
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The Wisdom of the Stall
Stalls and lulls are signs to step back from speeding toward outcomes that may need readjustment, to reassess what’s being overlooked.
Founder IQ Starts with Seamanship
Founder IQ starts with seamanship: intangible, operational, and strategic skills to lead a venture. Top of this list is self-management.
When the Anchor Needs Anchoring
Those who anchor us are often unseen. Sometimes, even the anchors need anchoring. Repose is self-healing and nurturing.
A Taoist Meditation on Repose and Renewal
The Tao favor rest and renewal. If we don’t move our Qi, we stagnate. If we don’t press Pause, deplete.
Allow the pause that heals.
Self-Worth Redefined Through Taoist and Tibetan Wisdom
Our worth is not earned—it’s embedded in our being. Self-worth lives in both doing and being. Define self-worth in your own words; or others will define it for you.
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The Illusion of Founder Readiness (Part II)
First-time entrepreneurs need BOTH product and founder readiness. You’re not just launching a product. You’re learning to captain a ship. Develop founder skills before setting sails.
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The Illusion of Founder Readiness (Part I)
First-time founders, being passionate about production execution is not enough. You need to be passionate about founder execution as well.
The Tao of Letting Go
The Tao of letting go — one act a time. Know when to row and when to drift. Letting go isn’t failure. It’s a form of wisdom.
How an Ancient Philosophy Can Transform Your Well-Being
Life often feels like a constant journey of endless “Either/Or.” Taoism, with its Yin-Yang principle, invites us to step off that exhausting path and embrace a more balanced middle way, which reduces stress and enhances well-being.
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Own Your Well-Being: Set Boundaries!
Set boundaries. Control your time. Prioritize your health. View boundaries as self-respect and a positive act of self-care. Boost your well-being.
Overcoming the Cycle of Overthinking
Learning to watch your thoughts come and go—without holding on to them—is a habit that can be developed over time.
Time to Declutter
Clearing your clutter will free you on numerous levels, bringing new energy and clarity that you’re seeking.
Before Adding More to Your Life, Subtract First!
Sometimes, enhancing your life isn’t about adding more; it’s about removing the energy drains and making space for positive things.
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How to Get Unstuck: Discover Your Blind Spots!
Allocate time to reflect and discover your blind spots, as this can lead to more self-awareness and personal growth.
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Honor Your Life and Your Calling!
Discover your archetypal role and channel all your energy toward honoring your life and your calling.
Who Should Be Our First Go-To Person?
We all need a go-to person. Who should be that individual? How about turning to the person who’s available to us 24/7?
React or Respond?
We don’t always have control over events. But there’s one thing that each of us has complete control over: we can choose to respond instead of react.
Create Momentum with a New Initiative to Get Unstuck
Is there an area in your life where you feel completely stuck? What to do? Create and build momentum with a new initiative to release you from your rut.
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What’s The One Thing That Shall Transform Your Life?
Are you at a juncture where you wish so much for change? What’s The One Thing (TOT) that shall transform your life?
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Want to Get Out of Your “I Don’t Have Time” Loop? Change Your Narrative!
Our current narrative might have been set for a while, but it’s not set in stone. We can change it. If you want to change your life, change your narrative.
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Our Most Valuable Asset is Our Health!
Our most valuable asset is our health, not time.
Our Body Is Our Only Home 24/7!
That’s right, our body is our only home: 24/7. We all know this, but it’s a blind spot that we don’t see because we’re inside our physical self and we’re too busy focusing outward on daily demands and responsibilities.
The Gift
Are you mulling over your creative powers and your contributions to the world? I recommend Lewis Hyde’s The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World.
The Grace of Great Things
A founder’s toolkit that includes openness, integrity, a love of the problematic, an acceptance of suffering, and courage.
Strong Body = Strong Mind
Our body is our only home 24/7. It’s the only home you have. You can replace your car, but not your body. Invest in yourself.
Entrepreneurs, how do you define your Founder IQ?
Founder competency is crucial for startup success. Review your Founder IQ.
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Why Founder Competency is More Important Than Product Idea
Your product will evolve. The one constant remains. You — the founder and captain — are the most enduring force in your venture.
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Strengthen Your Founder IQ to Prepare Well as a First-Time Entrepreneur
To prepare well as a first-time founder, you need to think beyond your “Product” room and allocate time to develop and boost your founder IQ——qualities and skills that will help you lead your startup team…
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How to Find the Right Support for Your Startup.
Your startup needs a team to cheer you on and support you during rough moments. How to find the right people whose values and business practices align with yours.
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The Product-Centric Startup Approach Can Derail First-Time Founders
By focusing solely on product, entrepreneurs fail to see the whole picture — overlooking the demands of their founder role.
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What Founders Can Learn from Architectural Design Principles.
The founder’s life can consume you. It’s easy to lose perspective. Try viewing your venture from an architect’s design approach.
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A Healthy Startup Needs a Healthy Founder.
A healthy founder is the best thing you can give your new startup. Your health directly impacts your venture’s success
Creativity Versus Experience?
Founders need creativity, experience, and founder other skills to increase their chances for entrepreneurial success.