Ooching past blind spots Lesson this week: pay attention to what you naturally gravitate to. Last week I talked about “ooching”: Running small, low-risk experiments to test a decision before fully committing to it. Gathering real-world evidence to support a decision instead of trying to predict how things will work out. And how I’ve been using it to work towards my solopreneur value and direction. This week I realized how blind I am to my “non-experiments”: things I naturally gravitate...
9 months ago • 2 min read
Have you ever “ooched”? I've been experimenting with small, careful steps to "ooch" my way along the solopreneur journey. In 2013 I read the book Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath. In the book, they introduced “ooching”: Running small, low-risk experiments to test a decision before fully committing to it. Gathering real-world evidence to support a decision instead of trying to predict how things will work out. This week I’ve continued my “ooching” on finding my solopreneur value and direction....
10 months ago • 1 min read
LinkedIn makes me vomit, so why am I doing it? Why am I choosing to get squashed by the "LinkedIn Algorithm"? This week I started a challenge to post 5 days a week on LinkedIn and I’m reframing the challenge to tap into my VIA values and strengths. Why it matters Honestly, posting on LinkedIn mostly feels pointless, empty, and makes me want to vomit. Everything seems so superficial and the algorithm monster eats up constant content. I like connecting personally with people one-on-one and this...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Improve your conversations with the One-Word Question Look for that one important word in a conversation. Make active listening a habit and easily keep conversations flowing by using the One-Word Question technique. Why it matters It seems every book I’ve read on better communication talks about the importance of active listening… But never presents a quick and easy hack to get started. I developed the One-Word Question hack out of my authentic relating training and the skill of Reflective...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Find your motivation to help progress towards your goal Motivation is the wheel to get moving towards your goal. Here’s a free quiz to discover your motivation tendencies, what could be holding you back, and how to overcome your motivational blocks: https://gretchenrubin.com/quiz/the-four-tendencies-quiz/ Why it matters Have you ever wanted to accomplish something, yet couldn’t get yourself to actually work towards it? You could be trying the wrong motivation strategies. Rubin’s quiz...
10 months ago • 2 min read
Philip’s Newsletter In this newsletter: Are personality tests of any use? Favorite cartooning video of the week How you can get better testimonials What can this personality test reveal about you? Are personality tests of any use? My verdict: Most aren’t. But I found one that has worked as a golden compass for my life: the VIA Character Strengths. https://www.viacharacter.org (Not an affiliate link.) The backstory There was a time in my life when I seemed to take every personality test I...
11 months ago • 3 min read
Philip Teaches Cartoons Newsletter I thought I had all the time in the world. Cancer showed me I didn't. How cancer caused a life reboot When I was diagnosed with cancer in March 2025, I felt punched in the gut. It was aggressive and I needed surgery quick. One thing I knew… I needed something to get me through the prep, the surgery, and the recovery. It was going to be painful and traumatic. What would keep me going? What would make all the pain, discomfort, and change in my life worth it?...
11 months ago • 2 min read