Today, we officially say goodbye to Artsicle. Nearly 7 years after writing the first business plan, we are exiting stage left. Exit Stage Left: To exit or disappear in a quiet, non-dramatic fashion, making way for more interesting events. This isn’t what I dreamed of. I, like so many entrepreneurs…

Last weekend, I went to Paris. Just saying that feels exotic and a bit irresponsible. I wasn’t there for work. It wasn’t a big, planned vacation or a special occasion. It was spontaneous, and disorganized, and amazing. Last weekend we embraced a season of life. In this season, I’m healthy…

What did you vote for today? What did you vote against? As Americans, and members of a representative democracy, most of us didn’t actively vote for anything. That’s why we have elected officials — they participate in democracy on our behalf. Whether you voted for them or not, these individuals…

Some years fly by in a blink, while others feel like a lifetime. This was one of the latter. Last year I ended one adventure, started another, reconnected with my community, and asked a lot of big questions about the future. …

I live in a sea of information. I twitch between sources — Facebook, Twitter, NY Times, Medium — endlessly searching for something important, something challenging, something distracting. I tell myself I’m learning or staying informed. But am I? …

If you haven’t seen it yet, take a minute to watch this recent video of a dad’s morning pep talk with his daughter. I loved this video for a dozen reasons — the father-daughter bond, the positive self talk — but this one line stuck with me. …

“Hi, I’m the founder of Artsicle. Well, the former founder. The founder of the former Artsicle. I’m Alex. I’m unemployed right now.” After 5 years as a founder & CEO, my identity is so tangled up in my company I’m not sure where it ends and where I begin. I…

What do you need right now? Don’t just say “nothing” and go back to looking for Pokemon. I’m sure you need something. We all do. Too often, I don’t define what I need. I walk around wishing my dream would fall into my lap. It doesn’t and I get frustrated…

“Let me know how I can help.” I say this all the time, most recently as I started my Lagniappe Project. I’m sincere in my offer, so why doesn’t everyone take me up on it? …