Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about sales and storytelling. Storytelling isn’t just about words - it’s about structure, emotion, and creating memorable turning points. Pixar animator Bobby Podesta illustrates how a surprising twist transformed Steve Jobs’ presentation of the iPod nano into an iconic moment. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ I had a call recently with Bobby Podesta, a 20-year veteran animator...
11 days ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about sales, resilience, and storytelling. Telling a story isn't inherently useful. But captivating an audience – making them feel something – is. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ The utility of taste I was on a call with a client recently and found myself saying that the human desire to listen to Homer recite The Odyssey is timeless. Even when AI voices become as good as today’s...
18 days ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about resilience. My AI avatar logs into Zoom to chat with your AI avatar. Sounds great – fewer meetings! But then what? What happens when AI takes over both our mundane and creative tasks? From Mission Impossible and water fasting to navigating an AI apocalypse—here’s what’s been haunting me this week. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ The AI Apocalypse My AI avatar logs into...
24 days ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about navigating chaos. When life gets messy, the best thing to do is often the simplest — return to basics. From ballet studios to business turnarounds, focusing on foundational habits can guide us through challenging times. Here’s how, and why, it works. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Getting back to basics Over the last few months, I’ve fallen out of my routines. Since my...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about navigating chaos. Knowing how to influence and persuade are essential skills for navigating chaotic times. So, last week, I gathered a group together to talk about one of the most overlooked elements in sales – being of service. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Last week, I taught the first workshop in a series about selling – because knowing how to influence and persuade...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about resilience, learning and behavior change. I'm taking a break from a weekly article about resilience to talk about Responsive Conference. Responsive is the annual event I produce, and the team and I have been busy crafting an incredible experience. I hope you'll join us! ↓ Join us in September! Ten years ago, the Responsive.org Manifesto laid out that “The rate of change continues to accelerate” and “The future is increasingly hard to predict.” Today, those...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about resilience and behavior change. Great athletes don’t just train for performance – they train for chaos. Most of us wait until disaster has struck to figure out how we’ll react. As a result, we panic, freeze, and make bad decisions. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ How to train for chaos Michael Phelp’s coach, Bob Bowman, understood that the greatest athletes don’t just...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about resilience, learning, and behavior change. There are two different ways to tackle something difficult. You can plot, and plan, and spend months studying your challenge. And then you can make a single attempt – and hopefully succeed. Or you can do the opposite, and study your challenge while attempting it. Both of these approaches are valid, but I prefer the second. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about resilience, learning, and behavior change. "Tilting at windmills“ means going to battle despite the certain knowledge that you can’t win. Not every battle is worth fighting. But some – even unlikely ones – align with your values, stretch your capabilities, and help you grow. Perhaps we all ought to spend a bit more time tilting at windmills If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was it sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓...
2 months ago • 4 min read