Laura Gassner Otting 
Thank goodness for evolution. You know, evolution: that thing that has trained up over millions of years to (mostly) not do really hare-brained, death-inducing things. Jump off that bridge? Instincts say no. Stick my head in that lion’s mouth? Seems like a pretty bad idea. Eat day old sushi from my local gas station market? … Read more
Several years ago, Arnie Miller, my second boss, asked me to escort him to the cemetery to visit the grave of Eli Segal, my first boss, on what would have been Eli’s 73rd birthday. Arnie has Parkinson’s Disease and was told by his doctor that he shouldn’t drive anymore; he is not a man who … Read more
So, you’ve gotten a request for your time. You should say yes, right? It’s just a little advice, just a little got-a-few-questions, just a little massive disruption of your entire day. Not so fast, cowboy. First, ask yourself: Am I the right person, the only person, the most important person to help out in this … Read more
Misery is contagious. It’s slippery, it’s insidious, and it’s sneaky. You don’t even realize it’s shaded your sunshine until it’s too late. And then there you are: stuck. Stuck in a dark vortex of unhappiness, having lost all momentum to live your best life. But, here’s the thing: Joy works exactly the same way. You … Read more
I recently read an article which posed a question that went something like, “Why aren’t people from Nordic countries suicidal as fuck?” I mean, let’s face it: it’s dark, it’s cold, it’s dreary. And it’s like that for about six months out of the year. As a Miami girl who has spent 20 years trying … Read more
How well do you trust yourself? How much do you trust your expertise? How deeply do you trust your delivery of it? Do you have the confidence to share what you know? Last night I had the privilege of addressing a room in Bratislava, Slovakia of the country’s 100 top businesspeople and philanthropists. It was … Read more
With the exception of the pandemic, I’ve consistently logged somewhere between 150,000-175,000 miles each year for the past ten years. I spoke at a US Army Base in Japan, rode a camel across the dunes of Arabian desert, and danced the night away in Cartagena. But, I also spent a cold and sleepless night on … Read more
It’s that time of year. Your social media pages are full of seemingly perfect mothers with their seemingly perfect children, all thrilled about going off to their seemingly perfect first day of school. Perhaps they are; let us celebrate them. Perhaps they aren’t; let us empathize with them. It’s a rare moment in my house … Read more
The unforgiving 90-degree sun is beating down on you and your boat mates. A scrawny kid in a “US Rowing Masters Nationals Volunteer” t-shirt is holding your racing shell in place at the starting line. You’ve been rowing only for a year, and this is your first big race. And, it’s The Big Race. You’re … Read more
The toxic personalities have got to go. I didn’t grow up cool. I was never the popular kid. I orbited around the brighter planets, and was the quintessential sidekick. I cultivated snark and sarcasm, a tough outer shell of self-protection, armor for days. Somewhere along the way, this childhood insecurity grew into adult bad habits. … Read more