Reality Check: If you build it, who will come?

Empty Stadium Seats

If you derive hope from the Field of Dreams story and  recite the ever popular “if you build it, he will come” quote as your reasoning for building without logical rationale, you may be in for a disappointment. In a tech savvy, well-connected city of potential app users, you would think that your awesome app…

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Reality Check: How Failure Can Lead to Long Term Success

Illustration of business man in a gear

I had the great fortune of failing on my first project. Yes, you read that correctly and it was not a typo. I know it doesn’t seem like the type of thing one would be proud of, but I gained something from that experience that I continue to look for in other projects. I was…

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Getting Organized

A curved library wall of books

The key to productivity is planning and focus; to do one successfully you must also do the other. I’d like to share a presentation I gave last week representing CauseLabs at the Tech4Good meetup in Denver, Colorado. Download the Presentation Slides: Getting Organized If tools were all we needed to be more productive, we’d be…

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Is your organization a social enterprise?

A woman in a hijab clapping

What is a social enterprise? Social enterprises are organizations whose primary purpose is to serve the common good, and whose strategy applies business disciplines and market-based strategies to achieve social or environmental missions. Social enterprise models There are two social enterprise models: Non-profits and For-profits. Non-profits utilizing business models and the power of the marketplace…

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An Interview on Changing Careers

Sheryle Gillihan reading Start Something That Matters

I have a varied skill set due to the twists and turns in my career path. I started off in the U.S. Army as an Arabic linguistic specialist, then worked (mostly as a volunteer or board member) in the non-profit realm as I raised my children. When I was ready to re-enter the business world,…

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50 Inspirational Quotes On Leadership

Paper speech bubbles hanging from above

Quotes are incredibly inspirational. Granted, we are taking a one liner out of the context of the greater conversation, but the motivation is there and the heart of message is clearly articulated. That’s why some of these quotes have been repeated a million times over and will continue to be tweeted, quoted, recited and shared…

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How to “Right-Size” a Project

Calculator

If you’ve been a project manager for a while, then you know that when a client says, “can you send me a scope of work?” that means, “tell me how long this will take and how much it will cost.” If you’re new to project management, then you have all of this to look forward to and whether you’re new or rather experienced, here are some pointers to help you along your way.

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3 Reasons to Consider Mobile First

Man with a cell phone in a market

1. Your Audience is Mobile. Trust me.

Need proof? I can understand your need to crunch numbers since redesigning your website is a daunting undertaking. This Infographic makes the data more digestible: http://bit.ly/1dHrocV

The truth is, more and more users are viewing websites on mobile devices.

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The Best of Agile

Development Cycle

Are you and agile project manager developing software for not-so-agile stakeholders? Perhaps you’re product owner wishing for a more agile manager or development team.

Here’s my advice: When all else is in question including the scope and the budget and the timing of milestones, put the people first.

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Let’s Move Mountains

Mountain peaks

Recently, I took course titled “Grow to Greatness.” The many case studies reiterated that growth and success require focus. This isn’t a big secret. For years, entrepreneurs and leaders have echoed the importance of focus. However, deciding to limit your services, products or market can be a scary decision and staying committed to this choice…

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