My definition of success is having a predetermined plan, successfully carrying it out over a long period of time and having a good time doing it.... more
The Hewlett-Packard Company was famously founded in a one-car garage by William Hewlett and Dave Packard. It has become one of the world's most innovative and successful technology companies, but it's... more
We take many everyday items for granted, but when these items were introduced to the market, they were anything but ordinary. Have you ever wondered how you got along without a specific product, a mus... more
A woman received a phone call at work, letting her know that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left the office and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication, but when she got back to h... more
December 6 is a historic day for dreamers. On this day in 1877, Thomas Edison recited "Mary Had a Little Lamb" into his phonograph invention and made the world's first recording of a human voice.... more
November is National Entrepreneurship Month, which in my world is the next best thing to a national holiday. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of American business. They take risks with their ideas, mone... more
Ten-year-old Billy stumbled while boarding the school bus one morning and bruised his cheek on the stair. But he got up, brushed himself off, looked out at his dad, who was at the bus stop, and gave h... more
I want to share the story of a remarkable teacher who taught her students an unforgettable lesson. On the first day of school back in 2005, a social studies teacher named Martha Cothren gave her class... more
A lot of people believe you only have one shot at success. But that's just not true. What is true is that many people don't even take that one shot -- out of fear of failure, inexperience, lack of mot... more
This story is often told about Harry Houdini, the master magician whose proudest claim was that he could escape from anything. During a tour of Scotland, Houdini agreed to be locked up in the stronges... more
A poor boy named Harlan with only a sixth-grade education wouldn't have made anyone's list of the most likely to succeed. His first major success came at the age of 39, when he was able to come up wit... more
Four psychiatrists shared a hotel suite at a convention. Talking one night, one of them said, "You know, people are always telling us their troubles, but we have no one to talk to about our problems."... more
There's an old saying that goes: If you can dream it, you can achieve it. That's a good start, but I think that statement needs a qualifier. I would add a few words: If you can dream it, you can achie... more
Lucy, the constant critic of Charlie Brown in the comic strip "Peanuts," is one of my favorite characters because she always says exactly what is on her mind.... more
When a lesson can be summed up in a few well-chosen words, the message often stays with the student. A little tool to jog the memory, a clever saying to remind you what is truly important -- that's wh... more
"You can't stand out if you're trying to blend in." That's the message Sally Hogshead drives home in the updated edition of "Fascinate," her how-to handbook for making any brand impossible to resist.... more
A small village by the sea depended on fishing to survive. Each year the village boats had to go farther and farther from shore to catch enough fish to feed the population.... more
There once was a strange storekeeper who talked to himself. He talked to himself while he rang up groceries. He talked to himself whenever he leaned into the candy case for the children who wanted to ... more
While I was perusing the business section in a bookstore recently, I was immediately attracted to one with "shark" in the title. I am referring to Robert Herjavec's new book, "You Don't Have to Be a S... more
Watching the Olympic trials for long-distance-running events, I was again struck by how little margin there is for error in making the U.S. team. Athletes who had trained for years lost by fractions o... more
Athletes and actors have long hired coaches to help prepare for a specific competition or role. But they aren't the only ones who can benefit from expert advice. Coaches are available to help people i... more
Thomas Watson Jr., former chairman of IBM, liked to tell anecdotes about his father, Thomas Watson Sr., who founded the company. One of them went like this: "Father was fond of saying that everybody, ... more
One rainy night many years ago, a gentleman and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. The man asked the clerk if he had any rooms available.... more
I will never forget the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta when Muhammad Ali was the surprise person to light the Olympic torch. I was sitting in the stadium, watching that spectacle with my entire ... more
J.M. Haggar was fascinated with Henry Ford's idea of the production line and mass production. He thought if cars can be mass-produced, why can't men's trousers -- and at popular prices?... more