I’ve been struggling of late with my ability to focus. Whether it be design, writing, or podcasting—all areas of my work life have been running inefficiently, and I haven’t been able to figure out why. Ideas flow like an endless river, but finding the time to execute them has always been my Achilles heel. Recently, I had a revelation, and I think I’ve finally been able to put my finger on why things have gone in this direction. Here’s the thought I landed on, and also what I shared on Twitter: The more we focus on being great, the less […]

Over the past month, I have done something I’ve never done before—started taking mid-morning walks around my neighborhood to intentionally remove myself from my computer and the busyness of the Internet. I’ve used this time to listen to podcasts, hoping the distraction-free environment of the woods would provide a blank canvas for me to consume creative content rather than trying to create it. Because I don’t know everything, there is so much we can learn from fellow creatives. Thus, I seek knowledge and wisdom from those who came before me. Lessons from Jewel Back in 1998, one of my favorite […]

A few weeks ago, I watched the movie Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner, for the umpteenth time. It’s a great movie, filled with many life lessons, and one I’d highly recommend if you haven’t seen it. The story revolves around the fictional general manager of the Cleveland Browns, Sonny Weaver, deciding what to do after his team acquires the number one draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Weaver, played by Kevin Costner, is met with many opportunities—various trade offers that might (or might not) be in the organization’s best interest. A yellow post-it note is shown […]

I’ve always considered myself a contemplative person, and with good reason. In high school, I wanted nothing more on Friday nights than to drive to the Barnes & Noble in downtown Evanston—the home of Northwestern University—to drink cappuccinos and read poetry. Meanwhile, my friends were at parties. I immersed myself in the readings of Henry David Thoreau and Robert Frost: “Morning is when I am awake, and there is a dawn in me” and “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference,” respectively. When my friends wanted to yin, I tried to yang. When […]

When I was in high school, I worked as a cashier at a convenience store. I was seventeen and the typical “thought-I-knew-everything-but-did-not-know-everything” kind of kid. One morning, I was stocking the shelves in an aisle when a customer started talking to me. Toward the end of the conversation, she accidentally dropped the coffee she was holding. Frazzled and embarrassed, she apologized and started to pull out her wallet. “I’ll go get a mop after I ring you up, ma’am, and the floor will be fine.” My boss, who was in the same aisle taking inventory, came over and said something […]

Before January 26, 2020, there were three events that I unquestionably remember where I was and what I was doing when they happened: the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, the infamous O.J. Simpson car chase in 1991 ( I witnessed it firsthand, standing on a bridge that spanned the 91 Freeway), and September 11, 2001. A fourth event is one that impacts the way I approach my work. I was born in the greater Los Angeles area, so I have always followed local sports teams. I wouldn’t consider myself a diehard Laker fan, but on January 26, 2020, a […]

Every day, more stuff comes into our lives: stuff in our home, stuff on our calendar, and stuff cluttering our minds. All that stuff gets in the way of where we want to go and who we want to be. Our work lives often resemble our personal lives. Pair that with social media and internet consumption, and one could find themselves in a predicament that I was in several years ago: becoming a hot mess. It was a slow, methodical takeover. I didn’t know it was happening until one day I completely broke down and realized it was a problem. […]

In this monthly column, Brian Gardner explores the challenges of operating a WordPress-based business and shares insight into servicing and refueling the human soul. A few summers ago, our family road tripped to Waco, Texas, to cross an item off our Bucket List. We are huge Fixer Upper fans (Chip and Jo!) and had dreamt of visiting Magnolia Market. As we were driving through Checotah, Oklahoma, my wife shouted, “Oh my goodness, we’re driving through the town that Carrie Underwood grew up in.” I questioned how she knew such a random thing, but something about Checotah sounded familiar. Then, a […]

In this monthly column, Brian Gardner explores the challenges of operating a WordPress-based business and shares insight into servicing and refueling the human soul. While I was born in Southern California, I have lived in the Chicagoland area since I was six months old. Even though palm trees and sunny weather would have been enjoyable, life isn’t so bad in the Windy City. Midwesterners understand the nostalgia and beauty that happens this time of year. Pumpkin Spice lattes, cool crisp air, and magnificent colors surround us for several weeks. Unfortunately, it never feels long enough to me, but as the […]