One of the greatest things that ever happened to me, a day that changed my life, was the day when, as a young child, my aunt took me to the public library. I grew up in the country, outside a town of four thousand people in rural Wisconsin. Life was good. I had plenty of […]
The Strategic Monk 2011 Craft Brewery Pilgrimage arrived at its final destination over the weekend. One Saturday each month from May to October, a thirsty band of pilgrims, and designated drivers, braved the freeways and surface streets of Southern California in search of the best craft brews. Inspired by the historic connection between brewing great
Craft Brewery Pilgrimage Arrives! Read More »
Fairly often, I finish a conversation with a saying that echoes my Midwestern roots. As I take my leave of someone, I encourage them by saying, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” I get a wide variety of responses. My favorite so far was the person who told me that they were still trying to
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One of the principles behind my Craft Brewery Pilgrimage is that leadership has a lot in common with creating a great craft brew. Being an effective leader begins with pulling together the best ingredients. Those ingredients include the resources you need to lead; the finest skills, financial resources, perseverance, the leadership qualities within your self,
Leadership is Like Creating a Craft Brew Read More »
I started running again a couple of weeks ago. A few years ago, I trained for a marathon. I bought a book about marathon training for nonrunners, and followed the program for 16 weeks. On the day of the race, smoke from wildfires here in California caused the organizers to cancel it. The last training
Running for My Life Read More »
We tend to understand our lives as having ever-increasing level of complexity. Nearly instantaneous access to information from anywhere in the world at almost anytime shapes, and shatters, our thoughts and feelings. We connect with ever-growing networks of people who live in distant places; more and more diverse perspectives influence our own. We live in
Sometimes Life is Simple Read More »
Each month, I sponsor a Happy Hour with a Difference. I invite a knowledgeable, supportive resource person to join us, to share part of their story, and to spend time one-on-one in individual conversations with anyone who is interested. We also get to try a new restaurant each month. We have already visited a Hawaiian
A Happy Hour with a Difference Read More »
My Craft Brewery Pilgrimage is moving at full speed; we have already visited four of the six stops on this year’s list, and are headed to September and October stops in San Diego County! We are pilgrims with a mission; actually, a few missions. Recognizing the strong historic connections between monastic life and brewing beer, and the significant contributions
Craft Brewery Pilgrimage Keeps Rolling Along! Read More »
1. The best possible result is to end up exactly where you started. 2. The field only has boundaries on two sides. 3. The managers wear the same uniforms as the players. 4. The only time anything interesting ever happens is while I am out getting something to eat or drink. 5. Football is more
12 Reasons Why Baseball is Not our True National Pastime Read More »
Something exciting is happening in Southern California! It began with an interview on Epicurious about the Craft Brewery Pilgrimage. That interview describes the tour, and includes suggestions of meals to pair with excellent craft brews. Then, the Los Angeles Times ran a story on June 2 about the growing number of local craft breweries, and home
Crafting a Movement Read More »
