It’s the difference between those who are forever “planning to start a business” and those who do start a business. — Have you ever met someone who seems to be forever starting a business? But they never quite do it. They always plan to. But they don’t do it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen it happen a lot. People have enthusiasm but don’t know how to make the…

Negative feedback can teach us a great deal if we let it. — The first time I got negative customer feedback, it shocked me. I obsessed over it. I let it put me in a bad mood. “Hadn’t I done everything right?” “Why doesn’t this person get it?” “How could they say that?” Once I got over the initial shock, I wanted to…

These mistakes undercut your brand — but they are easy to fix. — Trademarks provide the foundation for every brand. Making mistakes on your trademark can cost a ton of time, money, and energy. In addition, trademark mistakes sabotage your business and brand. But if you know about the biggest trademark mistakes that brand owners make, you can easily avoid them. …

Copyright lawsuits cost a ton of money, time, and energy. So here’s how to avoid that. — As a lawyer for creatives, I see creatives get in trouble when they make copyright mistakes. Even if they had no ill intent, these situations would sometimes evolve into messy legal matters. Messy legal matters distract creatives from doing the real work of creating and cost a ton of money…

Major truth gets revealed when you look inwards and write. — I spent the last decade writing a book about things that I would have rather not have to write about. I wrote about how, when I was an adult, I learned the story of my birth family (I was adopted when I was seven years old). It’s a big story…

A few simple techniques will help you not do extra client work for free. — “Can we do one more revision? And while we’re at it, there’s a new feature I’d like you to add quickly….” Scope creep eats up the profits of many creative businesses. Many creatives accept scope creep as a regular part of doing business. But it doesn’t have to be. A…

Use these legal ideas to supercharge and transform your creative business. — As a lawyer, I have worked closely with hundreds of innovative companies. This includes working with single-person side hustles and established companies with dozens of employees. During that time, I've seen patterns. I've seen that companies succeed by understanding the legal framework in which their business exists. The principles below…

An idea floated down thorough the centuries helps us avoid interpersonal conflict today — It’s easy to assume the worst. It seems built into human nature. Our successful ancestors evolved to spot and respond to threats. Our brain biases us to detect and respond to threats. This impulse may even be heightened in the social context that most of us live in daily. If…

Your money will burn, whether you like it or not. — Building a business means traveling a hard road. Growth happens, but along the way, challenges arise. You spend money on things and get little return. Mistakes, disappointments, and wrong turns make the whole process messy. The key to all of this is to understand how to respond in a way…