Happy Holidays!

 

May you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas and a very Happy New Year! The MMM will take off next week for the holidays and return on Monday, January 5^th of 2026. 

Clarity

 

The excerpt below may come from a work of fiction, but the principle is absolutely true. Consider how this applies in sales, when introducing new ideas to your team, or even during a debate or negotiation.

“The secret to convincing anyone of anything comes down to a single moment of clarity. It might be a sentence, certain words artfully strung together, or maybe a gesture or demonstration of some sort, something that transcends the limits of language.”

Seek that moment of clarity.

Listen

 

Preaching the virtues of listening is not new to the MMM. It is a favorite topic of mine and a critical aspect of leadership and life. There is nothing more powerful than giving someone your undivided attention and listening. I recently came across another great quote regarding listening…

“You ain’t learning nothing when you’re talking.” *

Think about it! Learning requires listening.

*This statement is often attributed to Lyndon B. Johnson, but it also reportedly hung in the office of the Chief of The United States Secret Service, U.E. Baughman from 1948 thru 1961.

Passion

 

Passion is a powerful motivator. Recently I had a chance to witness passion firsthand. We spent a few days in the Paso Robles wine country of California. Passion in the wine and food world is not unique. In fact, it is pretty much required, but seeing it in action is always impressive.

-          There was the winery owner/winemaker working at the sorting table alongside his interns. He was the one constantly cleaning the floors and the bins.

-          Another winemaker was monitoring fermentation and working his warehouse by himself. He and his wife work 80+ hour work weeks during harvest.

-          We dined with a world-famous chef and sommelier, who personally prepared and served us a 5-course meal and 10 different wines in his restaurant.  

 

We don’t all get to turn our passions into careers. It is fun to experience and learn from those that do get to live out their passion. Just because our career might not be our passion, there is no reason to ignore the passion. Chase it. Find a way to engage with it. Start a second career based on it. Volunteer for an organization you are passionate about. Leverage the power of your passion.