Be A Boss, Not A Knock Off

You ever punish yourself for screwing up, only to realize later, that screw-up might have saved your life? I’m talking about Bruce Springsteen. Long-haired loner Bruce Springsteen.High school graduation skipping loser Bruce Springsteen.Concussion having military draft failing Bruce Springsteen. Wait, what? Bruce Springsteen’s first break didn’t come in music. It came when he failed his … Read more

You should quit, but also keep going

This week’s message is a little bit of a paradox. I want to tell you to quit.But also… to keep going. Let me explain. Last week, I was off-grid. Like, truly off-grid. Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru with my family, surrounded by clouds, ruins, and precisely zero cell service. No inbox. No Instagram. Just mountains I never dreamed possible, … Read more

Worst Graduation Speeches Ever

Last week I told you about the wild spectrum of emotions that ricocheted throughout my body during my son’s college graduation. But what I didn’t tell you was how much it triggered my own “I need to be perfect” younger-self trauma. Did you think you had to have it all figured out the day you walked … Read more

Oy, Such Naches

Four years ago I left half of my heart in Texas. This weekend, I sat in the stands at Rice University, watched him graduate from college. The ceremony took place in the same stadium where, more than sixty years ago, President John F. Kennedy stood before the nation and said: “We choose to go to the moon in … Read more

Make Room

You know how back in March I told you that you could make your own luck? Circling back today and telling you a story of how I just did that, and how you can, too. Sitting in the Nashville airport last December after an Impact Eleven speaker training event, Sheri Jacobs looked at me and said, “I know everyone in … Read more

Did You Miss It?

Life is… lifing. Per usual, I’m trying to shove ten pounds of life into my five pound bag, and sometimes something drops. I just saw a great instagram post about this, actually, from the tarmac, as I sat for hours on my delayed flight that I thought I so cleverly booked after the first delayed … Read more

Stop Being So Defensive

There’s a certain kind of panic that creeps in when you’re about to walk into a moment that feels just slightly—okay, wildly—bigger than your confidence. A job interview after years out of the market.A presentation to a room full of people who could change your life.A keynote with a mic pack and a green room… … Read more

Leaving It All On The Field

Sales Keynote Speaker Laura Gassner Otting on Stage wearing bright yellow

Last week I got a standing ovation. But, it wasn’t for me.​It was for my client.​Here’s what happend:​One of my favorite things to do from stage is to thank a company for the work that they have done by telling them a story of how they have personally impacted my life. Thanks to VaynerSpeakers, I got … Read more