I was in Barcelona to attend a business conference. One evening, a small group of us found our way to a fancy bar with quiet music. We knew each other – we’ve met all around the world, from developing-world resorts to New York City cafes. Our conversations are mostly stories and laughs with like minds. But in the middle of all the jokes, I got offended.

For someone who is new to the DC, attending an event is a great way to get introduced to the community. We think through the entire experience and handle all of the details including help you connect with likeminds so that you focus on being present and finding ways to grow your business over the weekend.

I was at dinner in Barcelona with two Americans who live in the United States. They wanted to know why I had chosen to live abroad for the better part of a decade.

Some management theorists will tell you that they’re also the essence of good management – that leading well means giving smart people smart KPIs and getting out of their way. I tell my staff, “Increase quality leads by 20% in the next quarter!” Then I approve the budget and let my people do their thing.

Ten years ago this month, I was spending a sunny Saturday morning in Barnes and Noble. In the business section, I noticed a book with a palm tree and a hammock on the cover. It boldly suggested that I could work less, earn more, and travel widely.

We have been hosting events for entrepreneurs the better part of a decade. Generally, one in the summer, and one in the fall. This year, our summer event will be in Austin, Texas, a hotspot for entrepreneurship and many readers of this blog.

The idea is that cities send signals through a variety of means – from overheard conversations, to architecture, to how residents decorate their living rooms. Like great books, great cities whisper their messages subliminally.

Etsy is an ecommerce site for unique products that are difficult to find on other platforms, like Ebay, Google Product search and Amazon. Etsy features items that would rarely ‘rank #1’ in a Google or Amazon search – and caters to consumers for exactly that reason.

Very few words seize my attention like “retire early.” So it’s no wonder that, over the years, I’ve found myself consuming a wide range of ideas from ‘early retirement’ bloggers and financial gurus. Most emphasize the fundamentals: being frugal and saving money.

One thing I kept coming back to: why do so many entrepreneurs gravitate towards endurance sports? (And insane endurance challenges like the India Pacific Wheel Race, or Ironman Triathalons).

While listening to Zach Lowe’s podcast last night, I noticed him make a small mistake that most questioners of all types make. Sometimes, this mistake is made intentionally for deceitful purposes (see if you can spot the use case).

When we were building our first business, Getting Things Done (“GTD”) was the guidebook for productivity in the digital age. Its concepts recognized and served the specific challenges that the internet — and specifically, email — had introduced into our lives.

I’m not sure if I realized it at the time, but I turned, during that period, to something I’ve relied on my entire career: A mastermind. A small group of people, all with similar goals. I was lucky enough to have been working with Taylor already, so he invited me.

Behind the scenes at the TMBA, we work with a handful of service providers on a weekly basis (like copywriters, tech folk, sound engineers, etc). Earlier this year, I was on the phone with one of my favorites.

Behind the scenes at the TMBA, we work with a handful of service providers on a weekly basis (like copywriters, tech folk, sound engineers, etc).

Dave, over at Grav.com, is one of the leading manufactures of glass pipes in the marijuana industry. We first met in Austin, but serendipity brought us together, for morning biscuits, in Denver the other week.

One thing that’s interesting about this space is that most of the people who are really doing well don’t want to talk about it publicly. It’s easy to forget, with all the “success” narratives thrown our way everyday, that the vast majority of business success stories aren’t shared in the press or on social media.

We also get that doing this can be a pain and fraught with pitfalls, I think that’s why so many of you have been emailing about this. Most of you are short on time. We have been working out ways to facilitate mastermind placements (as a paid service) and reduce some of the work involved.

Flattering stuff! This was, perhaps, the first episode where our new podcast production team — Ian, myself, Jane (producer) and Arison (engineer) — brought something to the feed that we wouldn’t have been able to do when it was just Ian and myself spitting gas.

I was on the phone with a friend this week who aspires to get his PhD in the next few years. They are notoriously difficult to complete — with deadlines sometimes years away and distant advisors, it’s easy to procrastinate and feel isolated in the task.