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.
Peace, Love, and Joy
MERRY CHRISTMAS Peace, Love, and Joy JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group24 December 2020 The following poem adorned the back of my Christmas cards. This year may not have brought me more streams of income, dream vacations, or new acquaintances. But it did...
Things Go Better With COKE
Jack Dorsey, co-founder and CEO of Twitter, was born 13 years after "Things Go Better With Coke" was adopted by Coca Cola as its promotional slogan in 1963. And he was born seven years after it was retired by Coca Cola in favor of "It's the Real Thing". Nevertheless,...
The Important Questions
This year has been one of distraction and disorientation. With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, myriad questions have been part of our daily lives: Are we going to die? Are we even going to get sick? If masks prevent the spread of the virus, why do we have to...
A New Tradition
TRADITION & REBIRTH A New TraditionJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group10 December 2020 tra·di·tion - /trəˈdiSH(ə)n/ - the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way. I’ve been using the...
Meteorologically Speaking
I was listening to a podcast the other day. Hosted by a local news and sportscaster, the podcast featured a local meteorologist. Said meteorologist had formerly been the Chief Meteorologist at one of the local TV stations, until he committed the cardinal sin of making...
A Thrill of Hope
HOLIDAYS & CONTROL A Thrill of HopeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group3 December 2020 Steve Maraboli, the author of Life, the Truth, and Being Free, said, “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power...
Boxed In
If you happened to stay away from your TV and keep 50 bucks in your pocket last Saturday night, you missed the sad spectacle of two fat guys in their 50s conducting a series of sad, two-minute dances in a boxing ring in Las Vegas. As Roseanne Roseannadanna loved to...
Happy Thanksgiving
FAMILY & TRADITIONS Happy ThanksgivingJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group25 November 2020 We arrive about 2:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. I walk in the door of my Aunt Catherine’s marble and polished-mahogany kitchen, and the aroma of Thanksgiving fills my...
Gather, Comprehend, and Share
THE BEE, THE DEER, & THE LIONGather, Comprehend, and ShareJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group19 November 2020I was recently turned onto a Tibetan text that stopped me in my tracks. It’s from the Dzogchen scriptures, and is translated as follows: As a bee...
A Modern Woman in Search of Resolve
HISTORY & EMOTIONS A Modern Woman in Search of ResolveJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group12 November 2020 I’ve been feeling rather flummoxed these days. At times I’ve been excited, relieved, anxious, nervous, elated, and aggravated. I’m a full person and...
My Tiny Teacher
LISTENING & LEARNINGMy Tiny TeacherJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group5 November 2020I’m staring at my laptop. My fingers are resting softly on the keyboard, but I’m not typing. I’m thinking, “What will my blog post be about this week?” There is much...
Worth Our Respective Whiles
RELATIONSHIPS & CONFERENCES Worth Our Respective WhilesJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group29 October 2020 When I stepped out of the airplane on the tarmac of Nashville International Airport, I could feel the temperature was thirty degrees warmer than the...
Musical Discoveries
If you're an excitable boy like me, you can get really juiced over headlines. This one, for example, grabbed me by the tonsils: "Scientists discover new organ in the throat." My first thought, of course, was that someone had found a new, original Hammond B3 organ in...
Happiness
COMPASSION & HONESTY HappinessJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group22 October 2020 fear seeks control revenge prolongs pain animosity disrupts peace compassion ignites healing honesty releases burdens happiness is letting go -yung pueblo Have...
The Migratory Habits of Scammers
I normally wouldn't copy and paste an email in its entirety. But this one, which I received on October 16, 2020, warrants the sharing of every word. Please forgive me: Very good afternoon From Mr. Ibrahim Guido Stella Roberto Address: Aldo De Luca Via Cardano 20042,...
The Ides of October
BIRTHDAYS & PHILOSOPHYThe Ides of OctoberJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group15 October 2020One-hundred-seventy-six years ago, on this very day, Franziska and Carl Nietzsche became parents to Friedrich Nietzsche, a German writer and philosopher. And 36...
Nitro – The Ride
ROLLER COASTERS & ANTICIPATION Nitro - The RideJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group8 October 2020 We had four Coke cans collected in a disposable plastic bag. I heard them clanking into each other and the subtle rustle of the bag every time we hit a bump...
Mr. Fudd Goes to Washington
I read an article in The Washington Post the other week entitled, “Hot new job title in a pandemic: ‘Head of remote work’”. My first thought was that only the kind of creative imagination that characterizes American business could come up with that title: Head of...
Horizontal Harmony
SUNSETS & HARMONYHorizontal HarmonyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group1 October 2020Have you ever seen a sunset while sitting on the beach? When you take a picture of such a breathtaking sight, it never comes out even close to being as vibrant as it was...
Fateful Attraction
If you’ll forgive the redundancy, there are a million books in print about how to become a millionaire. You can easily find The Millionaire Next Door, The Millionaire Fastlane, Millionaire Mindset, The Mindful Millionaire, Millionaire Success Habits, and How to Make a...
Crush Your Own To-Do List
PRODUCTIVITY & PERSISTENCE Crush Your Own To-Do ListJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group24 September 2020 I created an overly ambitious to-do list for this past weekend. There were nine items on the list, one of which had a question mark at the end because...
Embody Your Peace
PEACE & MINDSET Embody Your PeaceJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group17 September 2020 We’re nine months into a world-wide pandemic. We’re four months into social unrest in the United States. In such turbulent times, it may be difficult to imagine how...
Where’s the Beef?
Between the deaths of criminals resisting arrest being called murder — and burning, looting, and killing being called peaceful protests (to say nothing of the myriad malefactions of this election season) — we seem to have had a dearth of real news in this long Summer...
Transitions
SUMMER & AUTUMN Transitions JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group10 September 2020 The first summer in my new house was perfectly picturesque. With a little care and a lot of love, we were able to grow a sunflower forest. We also nurtured coral...
Innovoxing
There are times at which I can be so dimwitted that it frightens me. As all of my friends, family members, co-workers, and professional colleagues can attest, I’ve always been an advocate of thinking outside the box. Most days, even without a hangover, I’m completely...
Let’s Do This!
IMPERMENANCE & KINDERGARTEN Let's Do This! JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group3 September 2020 This week marked my daughter’s first day of Kindergarten at her big-girl school. It looked much different from what I’d imagined. And it was likely the most...
My Shangri-La
PEACE & PARADISE My Shangri-LaJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group27 August 2020 In the 1933 novel, Lost Horizon by James Hilton, Hugh Conway finds inner peace, love, and a sense of purpose in Shangri-La. After having that experience, he decides to leave....
Just When You Thought it Was Safe …
As if we didn't have enough to worry about with COVID-19, now, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), there's a new disorder to be concerned about. We can expect it to be added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Sixth...
You Can’t Catch All Flies With Honey …
SWEETNESS & VITRIOL You Can’t Catch All Flies With Honey … JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group20 August 2020 There is an old adage that says, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” This statement implies you’ll get more from a person by...
Are You Positive?
In doing some research for one of our clients, JoAnna came across an entity called, Positive Physicians Insurance Company. That prompted her to ask me if there's a Negative Physicians Insurance Company. It's a fair question. And I imagine there must be. It seems to me...
Backyard Beauty
CLOUDS & SKYBackyard BeautyJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group13 August 2020 The Beginning We’ve eaten breakfast. I’ve fed the dogs. The chickens are out. And I’ve got enough cold brew in my system to effectively navigate the day. One glance at the clock...
The Perfect Breakfast
Since yesterday was Sunday, since Anne and I had no immediate plans for the day, and since Sunday breakfast is a thing, I decided to surprise Anne and make the perfect breakfast for two. I began by slicing scallions, mushrooms, and some Trivial Prosciutto (that’s the...
Sunflowers in the Storm
SUNFLOWERS & A HURRICANE Sunflowers in the StormJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group6 August 2020 I have about 25 sunflower stalks lining the side of my driveway. They’ve bloomed more than 40 beautiful flowers, but that number grows each day. They’re a...
Procrastination
While idly perusing Fast Company online, I came across an article. Before I get to that, however, I'd like to make a few things clear: I came across the article on a Saturday, so I wasn't procrastinating. Okay, I might have been procrastinating. But my procrastination...
The Education of Self
SELF-RELIANCE & SELF-REFLECTION The Education of Self JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group30 July 2020 We are almost in our fifth consecutive month of the pandemic. The changes it has brought to our individual lives vary greatly but are likely part of our...
Bee Yourself
BEES & LEGACYBee YourselfJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group23 July 2020Mary Ash Kay, an American businesswoman and the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. was known to say, “Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee...
Breathe Deep
The esteemed philosopher and philanthropist, W.C. Fields, once said: "There comes a time in every man's life when he must take the bull by the horns and throw it." And so it is that fast-food giant, Burger King, and its parent, Restaurant Brands International (RBI),...
The Rainbow of Life
RAINBOWS & RAIN The Rainbow of LifeJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group16 July 2020 I see skies of blue, clouds of white The brightness of day, the dark, say goodnight And I think to myself Oh, what a wonderful world The colors of the rainbow so pretty in...
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Business Development
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & A PANDEMIC The COVID-19 Pandemic and Business DevelopmentJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group9 July 2020 One of the last debilitating pandemics in the United States occurred 102 years ago – The Pandemic Influenza of 1918. I’m sure...
The Tale of the Broken Dryer
EDUCATION, ACCEPTANCE, & GRIT The Tale of the Broken DryerJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group2 July 2020 I’ve learned throughout my colorful life that you can resolve any problem with education, acceptance, and grit. Be it a compromised server, a toxic...
Peaceful Power
HACKERS & POWER Peaceful PowerJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group25 June 2020 When I contemplate the word and the concept of peace, I think about humanity. I think about singing Kumbaya by a fire while holding hands with people I love and people I’ve...
The Better Mousetrap
I don’t know if there’s necessarily been an uptick in celiac disease. But since the onset of COVID-19, there’s been a markedly discernible increase in bellyaching. Contrary to the intentions of the Founding Fathers of these here United States, we want to be completely...
Welcome to the Ride of Your Life
WAITING & RIDING Welcome to the Ride of Your Life JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group18 June 2020 Life is often described as a roller coaster. It’s full of ups and downs as well as twists and turns. Sometimes you’re slowly creeping up a hill, and other...
Chaotic but Cathartic
SELF-PRESERVATION & SURRENDER Chaotic but Cathartic JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group11 June 2020 When the pandemic started, I was a nervous wreck. I couldn’t see my behaviors for what they were in that moment. But in hindsight, I’m able to reflect. I...
Control vs. Compassion
POWER, CONTROL, EMPATHY, & COMPASSION Control vs. Compassion JoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group4 June 2020 I feel drained. I feel deflated. I feel like I’m not in control of my world. I know I’m not in control of anything except myself. I want to inject...
Seasons of Reckoning
In the midst of (1) the global coronavirus pandemic, (2) a black man was killed in Minneapolis by a white police officer, who now stands charged with murder for taking that man's life. Evidently, those two things weren't enough to satisfy our appetite for chaos. In an...
Don’t Take the Bait
MARKETING & MINDFULNESS Don't Take the BaitJoAnna Bennett, O'Brien Communications Group28 May 2020 I should be sleeping. Instead, I’m scrolling through my Instagram feed. My favorite part of Instagram is following mental-health accounts, abuse-recovery accounts,...
We Become What We Count
On June 13, 1995, Bennett R. Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, launched a contest called, "Yo! I'm Your C.E.O." Ben Cohen had decided to relinquish his role as CEO of the company, which was then 17 years old. Part genuine effort,...