Articles

What’s Better: Above-Average Team or Superstar?

A weak-link network is when it is more important to have large number of above average players. Business and community requires this deep bench.

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Want to Charge More? Be a Master

As the world flattens, what you do matters less than how well you do it and what you know. Mastery is what helps you stand out and show up. Mastery is what enables you to charge more and provide more value in the same amount of time. Mastery is the end goal few seek and few achieve.

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The Advice We Don’t Follow: Meditations on Community

There’s been a three-year debate at 9 Clouds about this very blog. We write about both business and community, but we often ask ourselves: Why talk about community? If we followed our own digital marketing advice,...

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Force Mindfulness: One Lesson from RASDAK

Three 9 Clouds employees biked across South Dakota. We, too, need to clear our mental cache to create transformative work and avoid the end of reflection.

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Hack Your Goals: Read These 9 (Short) Books

Goals should inspire outcomes, not impede progress. They keep us focused, improve our output and inspire us to be better people. And, you can hack goals.

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5 Ingredients for People Development

People are the economy. Focus on people development, not economic development. The outcomes will follow.

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Today Is Your Birthday (and Mine too!)

Birthdays are a day we have permission to ask for what we want. Yesterday was mine. I’m 34 and celebrate with my wife and daughters. I also celebrated by writing. As I reflect on years gone...

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Thank Genghis for Your iPhone: Cultural Carriers and Your Business

Reach outside of your industry and culture. The fusion of ideas will help you write the rules and build your empire.

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[Ebook] 22-Step Blueprint to Winning a Local Election (or Marketing Campaign)

One year ago, I took the leap and ran for city council in my hometown of Brookings, South Dakota. I learned through trial and error what worked and what didn’t. In the end, I ran...

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21 Ways to Optimize Your Life in Seconds

You need top-end optimization. In life and business, focus on small improvements to the actions taken every day. Incremental improvement is magnified through repetition.

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