Endeavorance
The point of our blog isn’t to show you how up to date we are with buzzwords and jargon. It isn’t to instruct you with how-to guides, tips, tricks, and hacks. It isn’t to encourage, endorse, or engage in conformity. The point of our blog is to provoke, to counter popular notions, to question the status quo, to prompt your imagination, and to challenge you to think and achieve more than you might otherwise. Whatever happens, it’s worth the endeavor.
Endeavorance
The point of our blog isn’t to show you how up to date we are with buzzwords and jargon. It isn’t to instruct you with how-to guides, tips, tricks, and hacks. It isn’t to encourage, endorse, or engage in conformity. The point of our blog is to provoke, to counter popular notions, to question the status quo, to prompt your imagination, and to challenge you to think and achieve more than you might otherwise. Whatever happens, it’s worth the endeavor.
Tomorrow’s Garden
CHILDREN & GARDENSTomorrow's GardenJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 30, 2023Last weekend, as we’ve done the past four years, my children and I planted seeds for our summer garden. We planted beans, sunflowers, snap peas, peppers, watermelon, corn,...
Hopeful
SPRING & HOPEHopefulJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 23, 2023The definition of hope is “the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” Have you ever felt hopeful? I know I have. Hope is a powerful emotion....
Forget Regret
FREUD & BROADWAYForget RegretJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 16, 2022One of my favorite Broadway shows of all time is Rent. Before I ever saw the show on Broadway, I had the two-disc, 1996 Original Broadway Cast CD. Aside from the beautiful cover...
The Power
WOMEN & THEATERThe PowerJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 9, 2022In the mid-nineties, a young JoAnna starred in her first play. Her elementary school put on a production of The Wizard of Oz. She earned the role of Glinda the Good Witch. This...
Rescheduled
PROSPECTS & PERSPECTIVERescheduledJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMarch 2, 2023Picture this: You’ve finally gotten in touch with a prospect you’ve been reaching out to for months. The prospect decides to schedule a call with you to learn more about...
What’s Your Why?
BOOKS & MY WHYWhat's Your Why?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 23, 2023I’ve been reading Dr. Dan Siegel’s new book, IntraConnected: MWe. I must admit to being a huge fan of Dr. Siegel. Some people are fans of sports, movie stars, or Instagram...
A Warm Winter
WINTER & CYCLESA Warm WinterJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 16, 2023Yesterday, I had to do one of those routine household tasks. I had to take the garbage outside to the large bin. When I got to the front door – large bag of trash in hand – I...
Groundhog Day
GROUNDHOGS & THE MINDGroundhog DayJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 9, 2023Last week, my children came home from school discussing Pennsylvania’s own Punxsutawney Phil. They informed me the groundhog had seen his shadow as he emerged from his...
Finire
READING & LEARNINGFinireJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupFebruary 2, 2023My blog post last week was about my current literary adventure. This week’s post will confirm I’ve completed the final book in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels. And wow. What a...
Hi There!
NOVELS & ANCESTORSHi There!JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 26, 2023It’s me. Your friendly neighborhood bibliophile. It’s January 25th and I’ve already finished four novels this year. When I get into the mode for reading fiction, I’m insatiable....
Clear Water
MEDITATION & WISDOMClear WaterJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 19, 2023In 2019, while reading Bessel van der Kolk’s, The Body Keeps the Score, I was introduced to the idea of meditation to help regulate emotions. Specifically, Bessel says, “If...
Joy
LIFE & PHASESJoyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 12, 2023The definition of joy is “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.” Joy is a feeling. And feelings will come and go. Joy isn’t a state of being that we can carry around with us...
What Will it Be in 2023?
PROMISES & PROGRESSWhat Will it Be in 2023?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJanuary 5, 2023In 2019, I began the practice of making myself a promise each year, as opposed to a resolution. You can read about my past promises in my blog post from last...
Peace and Joy
THOUGHTFUL & PRACTICALPeace and JoyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 22, 2022This time of year is brimming with thoughtful greetings. Friends and family will wish you joy and peace as the year comes to an end. Generosity can be found at every...
Holiday Spirit
MIRACLES & WONDERHoliday SpiritJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 15, 2022There is something wonderful about this time of year that brings people together. Of course, our culture has also deemed it a somewhat anxiety-inducing and debt-expanding...
History is Written
HISTORY & WRITINGHistory is WrittenJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 8, 2022 “History is written by the victors.” Winston Churchill I’m not sure the quote above is as true today as it was when Winston spoke it. With today’s self-publishing,...
Thankful for Discernment
PROMISES & PROGRESSThankful for Discernment JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupDecember 1, 2022In January, as I’ve done for the past three years, I made myself a promise. My promise for 2022 was to be more discerning with my time. Historically speaking,...
The Corner Bench
BEING ALONE & BELONGINGThe Corner BenchJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupNovember 17, 2022This weekend, I took a trip to visit my aunt and uncle in New Hampshire. It was about a four-hour drive one-way, eight-hours roundtrip. Before I began the journey,...
Let’s Talk Politics
VOTING & POLITICSLet’s Talk PoliticsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupNovember 10, 2022It’s election week! If you’re a fellow American citizen and had the opportunity to vote this past Tuesday, I’m sure you had plenty on your mind. I know I did. Our...
Feed the Machine
What do you do if you're a self-respecting bureaucracy? Come on. You got this. Right! You add layers. According to this post from the BBC — "The rise of the 'chief remote officer'" — the latest layer is the addition of the chief remote officer (CRO), whose duty it is...
Some Thoughts
OLIVER SACKS & MY BRAINSome ThoughtsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupNovember 3, 2022I recently finished reading Insomniac City by Bill Hayes. It’s a memoir of his life in New York City when he was dating the brilliant writer and neurologist, Oliver...
My Path
OUTDOORS & WONDERMy PathJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 27, 2022This past weekend, despite the light rain, my kids, my significant other, and I wanted to take an adventure outdoors. We put on our rain jackets and rain boots and headed out to...
When Life Gives You a Lemon Tree
GROWTH & BIRTHDAYSWhen Life Gives You a Lemon TreeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 20, 2022This past weekend, I completed my 38th lap around the sun. It was a great day filled with birthday wishes from all the people in my life who love and care...
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & AWARENESSDomestic Violence Awareness MonthJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 13, 2022We’re almost halfway through October and before the month is complete, I want to dedicate a blog post to Domestic Violence Awareness Month....
Uncovering Ignorance
LIFE & LEARNINGUncovering IgnoranceJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupOctober 6, 2022When I was a teenager, I knew everything. In fact, I knew more about life then than I do now. The beauty of my adolescence was that my world was small. Sure, I knew how...
Cathect vs. Love
CATHECT & LOVECathect vs. LoveJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 29, 2022While reading bell hook’s, all about love, I came across a word that has changed my perception. I love when that happens. While I still have 10 percent of the book left to...
It’s Time
FALL & LIFEIt's TimeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 22, 2022 As I look out my office window, I can see it: The first orange leaves have shown themselves. The trees in my purview are still 99.5 percent green, but the presence of this one...
The Almost Fall Sun
NATURE & PERSPECTIVEThe Almost Fall SunJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 15, 2022I’ve made it a point to get outside and enjoy the sun lately. I’m a remote employee, so I have the luxury of bringing my laptop outside to bask in some vitamin D....
A Grumpy Dogcatcher
CHRISTMAS & DOGCATCHERSA Grumpy Dogcatcher JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 8, 2022My kids are on a Buddies kick. And so, this weekend, we watched Budderball, Rosebud, B-Dawg, Mudbud, Buddha, and Puppy Paws in Santa Buddies. It was a tragic...
That Sound
VACATION & PEACEThat SoundJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupSeptember 1, 2022I love Vermont. I love the combined scent of pine, maple, and cedar trees that seem to sweeten the oxygen. It makes purposeful breathing pleasant. It’s easy to relax in a place...
Kiara – The Lost and Found Mascot
LOST LUGGGE & FOUND HUMANITYKiara – The Lost and Found MascotJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 18, 2022Have you ever talked to a stranger who simply made your life better – even for a short period of time? Sure, by the nature of engaging with...
A Wave of Heat
LIFE & HEATA Wave of HeatJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 11, 2022I’m not sure where you live, but in my neck of the woods, it’s been hot. It’s been hotter than usual, earlier than usual, for longer than usual. I’m not one to regularly use air...
Grape Tomatoes
GRAPE TOMATOES & MY SONGrape TomatoesJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupAugust 4, 2022Last summer we bought a packet of grape tomato seeds. We planted them indoors around March. That year we had the perfect amount of rain and sun for those tomato plants...
Just Keep Swimming
BRAVERY & TRANSFORMATION Just Keep SwimmingJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJuly 28, 2022For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a mother. I was the little girl who collected and carried around baby dolls. I would care for them and dote on them. I...
Learn. Always.
INTELLIGENCE & CHANGELearn. Always.JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJuly 21, 2022“If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.” I’ve heard this statement several times, in several different contexts over the years. I’ve...
People Are Just People
PEOPLE & PERCEPTION People Are Just PeopleJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJuly 14, 2022I have a quote hanging in a picture frame in my kitchen. The quote is from the book The Power of Lift by Melinda Gates. It reads, “Connect deeply with others. Our...
So’s Your Uncle Louie
I don’t like to think of myself as being a terribly reactive person. I’m not a panic-first kind of guy. I generally prefer to be tempered, measured, moderate, contemplative. I prefer to weigh things as objectively as I can — to consider evidence, to gather facts (if...
It’s More than Personal
HARDY ACORNS & SUNLIGHTIt’s More than PersonalJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 23, 2022 The tallest oak in the forest is the tallest not just because it grew from the hardiest acorn; it is the tallest also because no other trees blocked its...
Who Am I?
STATE INTEGRATION & MEWho Am I?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 16, 2022I’m an insatiable reader, a liberal, a reflective writer, a full-time marketer, a mistake-maker, a dog/chicken/tarantula owner, a mother of two, a divorcee, a survivor, a...
The Big Picture
UNDERSTANDING & LIFEThe Big PictureJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 9, 2022Have you ever lost the ability to see the big picture? Have you ever faced a problem you simply couldn’t resolve? It seemed so much bigger than what you could handle. Or...
A Loose Tooth
COURAGE & TEETHA Loose ToothJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupJune 2, 2022Last week, my daughter came home from school and did what she usually does. She ran around with her friends, ate a lot of snacks, and rode her bike up and down the driveway. It was...
Perception vs. Truth
PERCEPTION & TRUTH Perception vs. TruthJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 19, 2022As Malcolm Gladwell wrote in What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures, “To a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish.” This quote is as much about perception as...
Aground or Afloat?
BOOKS & LIFEAground or Afloat?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 12, 2022Listening to Brené Brown read her book, Atlas of the Heart, got me hooked on audio books. I enjoy listening to her podcasts, but this was more. It was hours of her reading...
The Big Switch
About a year ago, I published a post about a practical joke I'd attempted to play on my grandson, Evan. It blew up in my face. But it didn't change me or prevent me from pulling his leg. From Wednesday, April 27, to Monday, May 2, I was with Evan (now nine years old)...
I’m Biased. Are You?
BIASES & IMPERFECTIONI'm Biased. Are You?JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupMay 5, 2022I read/listened to a blog post from Melissa Hughes, Ph. D. yesterday titled, Are You Biased? Is the Wrong Question. In this post she suggests, “The question is not, are...
Life Lessons
LESSONS & BABIESLife LessonsJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 28, 2022On April 6th – 22 days ago – one of my very best friends had a baby, a boy. She lives 138 miles away, so unfortunately, I couldn’t meet him right away. As a mother-of-two myself,...
Home, Sweet Home: Part Two
Those of you who are masochistic enough to read my posts with any regularity may remember my first post in this series. I had no idea there would be a second one. But then Saturday happened. Before we get there, a wee bit of history first: You might recall from the...
No Turning Back
BOOKS & RIGIDITYNo Turning BackJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications GroupApril 21, 2022I’ve always been a serial reader. And by serial reader I mean I’d read one book cover-to-cover before I’d start another. Sometimes I’d get through a book quickly, but other...