An image of a telescope aiming off into the great blue yonder. It's the type of telescope used on observation decks to look at the surroundings. In this case, the telescope is symbolic of vision.

What is a vision and why should you and your business have one?

Dave LabowitzPersonal Growth, Scale, Start

The first time someone told me I needed a vision for my business and life I rolled my eyes at them. To me, vision equaled fantasy. What was the point of imagining a pretty picture of the future if I didn’t know how to get there? I didn’t see the value without a map to get from point A to …

A cartoon picture of a student writing in a notebook. A large thought bubble hovers in front of his head saying "B-" in bold red letters.

The Top 12 Reasons to Stop Being a Perfectionist About Your Work

Dave LabowitzPersonal Growth, Scale, Start

For a long time, when people suggested I stop being a perfectionist, I rolled my eyes at them. I’d come back with a retort like, “Why would I want to be less good at what I do? By striving for perfection I achieve the best possible results!” I had perfectionism programmed into me since early childhood and I honestly thought …

A closeup of the reflection of a man's face in the review mirror of his car. Across his forehead is the work "KPIs" in red letters.

What are KPIs? They’re your business’ reflection in the mirror.

Dave LabowitzLeadership, Scale

What’s a KPI? If I had to define them in one sentence, I’d say: If your business looked in the mirror, KPIs are what would be staring back at it. But, since I have more than one sentence, I’ll elaborate. KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. A KPI is a piece of tracked and trended information that helps explain how …

Large, winding roller coaster set against a beautiful blue afternoon sky.

The Entrepreneurial Journey is a Roller Coaster. Put Your Life First.

Dave LabowitzPersonal Growth, Scale

Not All Roller Coasters are Fun “The entrepreneurial journey is a roller coaster,” they’ll tell you. “But the rewards are worth it.” I’ve heard this, or some derivative of it, more times than I can count. Some entrepreneurs really believe it while others just mouth the words. I’ve gone on the entrepreneurial journey myself a few times, so I know …

Leadership vs Management: A picture of sculpture of two metal faces, facing each other, two feet apart. From Medford, England. In this case, the faces are to represent Leadership and Management.

Leadership vs Management: Jekyll and Hyde? Or Yin and Yang?

Dave LabowitzLeadership

Leadership vs management… what’s the difference? If you Google it you’ll find a host of articles painting “management” as the shadowy underbelly of leadership done poorly and putting “leadership” on a worship-worthy pedestal. Is “leadership” the Dr. Jekyll to “management’s” Mr. Hyde? Or are these comparisons unfair? If you buy into leadership vs management as a light vs dark paradigm, …

The word "f*ck" in large, black letters on a white background.

Breaking the F Barrier: How Cursing at Work can Build Connection with Your Team

Dave LabowitzCareer, Leadership, Random

One of our junior technicians was looking at me nervously. He had probably been expecting one of the managers to review his proposal to tweak our workflow. Instead, somehow I, the VP, Operations, had gotten a hold of it. I finished my read through and looked up at him, grinning. “This is some fucking great work,” I announced. His face …

A cartoon of two figures shouting at each other and waving their arms, clearly very angry. The thought bubble over both of their heads reads, "MY WORDS CAME OUT FINE! THEY WERE PROCESSED INCORRECTLY BY YOUR BRAIN!!!"

Would You Like to Eliminate Miscommunication in Your Business?

Dave LabowitzLeadership

Have you ever wished you could eliminate miscommunication in your business? I have. When miscommunication rears its head, failure tends to follow. This can include screw-ups like building the wrong thing for a client, setting incorrect expectations which lead to a missed deadline, or one of your team members wasting time doing work that isn’t want you were asking for …

A partial-team photo of the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles. The players are obviously having fun.

15 Business Lessons You Can Learn from the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles

Dave LabowitzLeadership

As Super Bowl LII approaches, most people agree there is something special about the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles team. Some describe it as a sense of destiny, others have pointed out the team’s chemistry. But what is truly different and special about the team this year? As a lifelong fan, I thought it through and came up with a surprisingly extensive …

Shows a picture of a hand writing a to do list: 1) So 2) Many 3) Things

How to Stop Your To-Do List from Stressing You Out

Dave LabowitzLeadership, Personal Growth

Is your to-do list stressing you out? At one time you were excited about everything you put on your list. But now, somehow, your list is littered with… just stuff. You may not even know why some of the stuff you committed to doing is on your list! There’s so much to do! Your list is driving you forward, but …