Insights

Meditation on Fish and Food Workers: Faces of a Fish Empire, a Work Family

Seven years ago, Naomi Shersty organized a photo exhibit of my Dad’s portraits of Empire Fish Company employees, which opened on Labor Day Weekend. This week, the Wauwatosa Public Library welcomes our updated and expanded exhibit to its gallery space with new photos,...
Immigrant Stories to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month

Immigrant Stories to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month

#HispanicHeritageMonth officially kicks off today, September 15, and runs through October 15. It begins on the Independence Days of five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – and continues with a nod to the...

Preview to Pause the Journal

Preview to Pause the Journal

My friend Rachael O’Meara invited me to write the foreword to her new book, Pause the Journal: How to Use Intentional Writing to Create Your Dreams, which helps readers form new habits in taking daily breaks to read, write, and reflect. I share it with you here on my website, as a preview to the book and also because I’ve become a big believer in journaling and meditation. In combination, these practices have helped me to create a gratitude practice, which helps me improve my mood. feel clear headed, and experience better focus in my work and family life.

Beginning the New Year with a Beginner’s Mind

Beginning the New Year with a Beginner’s Mind

Do you practice meditation or have you ever tried meditating?   I started a number of years ago and have found it to be very helpful for my mental health and overall happiness. One of the key concepts of meditation is to practice what is called “beginners mind,”...

Portraits of Immigrant Voices: Stories of Gratitude

Portraits of Immigrant Voices: Stories of Gratitude

This past August, I got a call from Karla Almendarez-Ramos who manages the City of Richmond’s Office of Multicultural Affairs. She said, “Joe, I need a writer to help me and an artist write profiles of immigrants as a celebration of National immigrants’ Day this...

Interview with Ryan Frederick about His New Book, The Founder’s Manual

Interview with Ryan Frederick about His New Book, The Founder’s Manual

I just finished reading a terrific new book, The Founder’s Manual: A Guidebook for Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur, by Ryan Frederick. I found it to be an excellent resource for startups, entrepreneurs, and anyone who develops or markets new products. Watch Ryan Frederick and I discuss his book in this video interview. And here’s a transcription of our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity.

Entrepreneurship + Creativity in Times of Crisis: My Story of Writing a Book

Entrepreneurship + Creativity in Times of Crisis: My Story of Writing a Book

“Crisis is opportunity.” You’ve probably heard that catch phrase numerous times. The word crisis evokes for me an anxiety-producing event, such as a financial/job loss, a breakup, a health problem, or political instability. However, when I look up the word on Dictionary.com, it reads, “a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; a turning point.”

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