Category: growth

This Is Why Word-of-Mouth Referrals Should Be Your Number One Metric of Success

By David Wagoner The saying goes that when you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. But when your clients love what you do, you’ll find yourself in a position to unlock the most powerful form of marketing that exists: the word-of-mouth referral. Word-of-mouth referrals can be difficult to generate,…


The Lasting Benefits of Getting Comfortable With Discomfort

I woke in a tent, a bit disoriented, and my attention immediately fixated on my feet. It was the morning of day two of what was to be a four-day, 43-mile hike through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Three friends and I had carefully planned the journey. We had enough food, clothing, tents, and supplies to…


US Retail Sales Unexpectedly Rise in June

WASHINGTON—U.S. retail sales unexpectedly increased in June as demand for goods remained strong even as spending is shifting back to services. The rebound in sales reported by the Commerce Department on Friday was despite purchases of motor vehicles declining again because of a lack of supply caused by a global semiconductor shortage. The scarcity of…


US Weekly Jobless Claims Drop Sharply; Second-Quarter GDP Growth Unrevised

WASHINGTON—The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped more than expected last week as layoffs subsided, with companies desperate for workers to meet surging demand unleashed by a rapidly reopening economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits totaled a seasonally adjusted 406,000 for the week ended May 22, compared to 478,000 in…


Staying at the Edge of Uncertainty

When we get into a situation that feels uncertain, most of us will immediately try to get to a place of certainty. Instead of writing a blog post, I’ll find myself wanting to check emails or my favorite websites. Instead of having a difficult conversation, we’ll stay in a bad situation for longer than we…


The Long, Slow Path to Progress

I stopped writing for nearly two years. I had intended to return to my Life and Whim blog long ago, but various circumstances too mundane and uninteresting to recount got in the way. At least that’s how I rationalize things in my mind. Certainly, the COVID-19 crisis didn’t help, but my departure long predates the…