Toastmaster’s Death Spiral – And How to Reverse It
Recently, Toastmasters, the international speaking and leadership organization, announced a price increase from $60 per half year to $72 per half year. This is after another increase a few years earlier, nearly doubling the dues in a decade. When I see the new $72 semiannual dues, I don’t just see a price increase. I see […]
A Tale of Two (or Three) Models
I have a character named AL who writes emails for me in character to my email list. Yesterday, I started using Claude, so I created Cal, a second character. I prompted Al to write a follow up email to Cal’s introduction, and I noticed something interesting. ChatGPT 5.2 has gotten really away from natural speech […]
They’re Stealing My Content! What Do I Do?
A coach asked how to deal with people copying her stuff in The Coaching Jungle Facebook group. This is something that, sooner or later, if you are successful in the world of coaching, you will deal with. So, let’s discuss… What are you gonna do about it? Let’s imagine that you find someone using your content. […]
April Fools
This email was a joke (all the links go here) I hope you found it amusing. Don’t worry. We’ll be back to normal tomorrow, but I just love April Fools Day. Since I’m out of the country and away from all Internet all day, I’ll have to read the archives, so I figured I should […]
How to Provide Value in Networking and Be Unforgettable
When it comes to building real relationships, learning how to provide value in networking is the secret sauce. It’s the difference between being remembered and being forgotten before dessert. And if you want networking to actually work for you—bringing leads, referrals, and meaningful connections—this is where you start. Most people approach networking with a “What […]
New Year, Same You, Just Better
We hear it all the time: “New Year, New You!” Why? Because it sells stuff. It sounds easy. Throw out that old you that’s not working out and get a new one. I would like to invite you to never say it ever again. You have spent many years becoming the you that you are. […]
In the Image of God
Rowan, my 9 year old daughter, says many wise things. Some on purpose, others unintentionally. A friend recommended that I should listen to a “Bible In a Year” program, and, always open to new ways to become inspired as I do my exercises, I started today. My daughter happened to walk in as Nicky Gumbel […]
The Corruptors of Networking
Why do so many people hate networking so much? 🤝Networking is about building relationships, sharing resources, helping people, finding support, building a community. 🤝 Who could hate that? We hate networking because the concept of networking has been Corrupted. REAL Networking is about collaboration, relationships, and communities. But Corrupted Networking is about elevator pitches, prospects, […]
I was a 15 Year Old Coach
The first time I used the skills of what I would later come to call coaching was at the age of 15. I’m going to get into some fairly heavy issues in this message including abuse and suicidal ideation, so if you’d rather not continue, you can read this article about how I married the […]
Why entrepreneurs can’t trust Facebook
I believe that Facebook is no longer a platform that we, as entrepreneurs can trust, and by the end of this story, you will as well. “It looks like someone may have accessed your Facebook account,” was how the message started that I got earlier this week.