Transition, Not Transaction
A Blog and Resources From Denise Logan
Transition, Not Transaction
A Blog and Resources From Denise Logan
Building Your Courage Muscles
I was talking to my massage therapist the other night about a workshop called Courageous Choices that I led recently for a group of senior executives. I was preparing them to exit their companies and discover a legacy beyond just money. Helping people make courageous choices is at the heart of what I do as a...
Taking Back Your Life
Have you ever been to a restaurant with a sushi train? It’s a revolving conveyor belt that snakes through the restaurant loaded with little plates of sushi. Diners choose directly from the sushi-go-round the nibbles that appeal to them. Like at a dim sum restaurant, the plates are color-coded by price. At...
The Unexpected Danger of Putting a Call on Hold
“Denise, there’s a call on line 1 for you. He wouldn’t give me his name and said ‘you’d know what he was calling about’.” “Can’t you see I have my Do Not Disturb light on?” I replied. “Tell whoever it is I’m busy and I’ll call him back later.” My assistant responded that the caller said he would hold until I was...
Integrity at Work
INTEGRITY AT WORK … Do Your People Care? No, REALLY, Care? For two days, I’ve been trying to catch a little stray dog in my neighborhood without success. I’ve enlisted neighbors and tried to engage passing motorists to help as this scraggly little brown dog would dart away from me toward the traffic on a busy main...
Can This Deal Be Saved? The Art of Asking “What Matters?”
Last week I was talking with a banker about how to save a deal of his that was spiraling out of control. It seemed the Seller had become less and less responsive over the past several weeks and then, suddenly, threw up a wacky deal term out of nowhere that threatened to kill the deal. The entire deal team was left...
The Power of Revealing Who You Are and What You Want
“Finally. At least now I don’t have to go on pretending anymore that it’s really what I wanted to be doing. Now I can finally do what I WANT to do.” That’s what my client Lon said after his business sold. I wasn’t surprised that, after the initial shock of the transition wore off, what he felt was relief....
The Legacy Dinner
The Legacy Dinner is a small curated dinner & discussion experience exploring the topic of What Constitutes a Lasting Legacy? It is an informal gathering, along the lines of a Jeffersonian-style dinner. For each event, I’ve chosen a variety of people I know who I think are open to discussion and would each bring...
Is Money Your Security Blanket?
In many of Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts comic strips, Linus' security blanket is prominently featured. Linus loves his blanket, carries it everywhere, often while sucking his thumb, and is not embarrassed by it. He cannot survive without it and really suffers when it is being washed. However, in...
A Life in Focus
"To be honest, it's a blur," Jeff told me. We were trying to discern the vision he might have had for his life before it ran amok. I had asked him to tell me what he could remember as the highlights of his life from the past year off the top of his head (without looking at his calendar). It took the better part of an...
The Antidote to Burnout – It Isn’t What You Think It Is
"I'm burned out," Mitch told me. "Work shouldn't suck this much." "How much SHOULD it suck?" I asked him. I suggested he check out this humorous video about careers and burnout . It would be funnier if you didn't see yourself in it, right now. Children dream about their futures, they imagine things they can do to...
X Marks the Spot
"I want to leave my mark on this world - something that really shows I was here!" Gary tells me. That's not uncommon. The desire to leave our mark, to show we were here - that we mattered - is nearly universal. So, I ask him, "What would be a meaningful marker to you?" For some people, it's having their name on a...
Something Worth Standing For
This week, conversations with clients have often veered into their views on the controversy surrounding NFL players "taking a knee" while the national anthem is being played. I'm less concerned whether they think the players should or shouldn't be doing it, or whether they think the President should or shouldn't be...
What Harvey Can Teach Us About ROI, Benchmarks and Metrics for Investing When Tragedy Strikes
The callous use of a common phrase in someone else's blog on Tuesday shocked me. The writer used the common acronym "ROI". But he couched it as "Relief on Investment" in describing how to choose a charity to support victims of Tropical Storm Harvey, which has just devastated south Texas. My anger flared. How the...
Whaddyado?
"What do you do?" a man at the cocktail party asks me, glancing at my name tag. Those four simple words and the answer they elicit could be a doorway into a meaningful conversation. "About what?" I want to reply, but I know that isn't the question he thinks he is asking me. My thoughts were already falling back...
7 Reasons Why You’re Not Doing Work You Love (and why it almost certainly guarantees a lousy retirement is in your future)
You don't owe anyone an explanation. But, here are seven likely reasons why you're unhappy at work and how it's probably going to carry over into your retirement, too. Why can some people easily find work they love while others (like yourself) remain eternally doomed to work that sucks them dry? In the past seven...
HOW TO BE IMPORTANT
"This could be my chance. I mean the REALLY BIG BREAK I've waited my whole life for" David told me. A new firm was wooing him hard, promising to double the salary he was making and give him the responsibility and recognition he had been craving in his current firm. Everyone he talked to about the offer was urging...
Legacy as the Measure of a Life of Significance
I've been talking a lot about two topics lately - significance and legacy. On the day I got married, I had a few blessed hours alone before the hubbub of the day began. Given that I am bent toward reflection, I went for a meditative walk along the Potomac River. Contemplating what lay before me that day and...
A Simple Tool for a Happy Life You Can Be Proud Of
It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. “I’m not sure what I should do here,” Marco told me. “I feel confused. How do I know which choice is the right one?” He was in the middle of a lucrative and complex transaction with his current firm. A new firm had offered him a position, pressing...
A List of Values
List of Values Abundance Acceptance Accessibility Accomplishment Accuracy Achievement Acknowledgement Activeness Adaptability Adoration Adroitness Adventure Affection Affluence Aggressiveness Agility Alertness Altruism Ambition Amusement Anticipation Appreciation Approachability Articulacy Assertiveness...
Are You Headed For a Wile E. Coyote Moment?
Yesterday, while having dinner with friends, we spotted a roadrunner making its way through the yard. Yes, they really do exist and it’s one of many pleasant surprises living in the desert. I always wondered what made Wile E Coyote double down in his endless pursuit of the Road Runner. Time and again, he...
Grabbing Your Brass Ring
Last week I met with two clients who are planning to make big changes next year. Glen is going to leave his current firm and Corey is going to sell his company. Both men know that to prepare themselves for the best possible outcomes, the actions they take in the next quarter are critical to set themselves up for the...
If This, Then That – The Key to a Successful Exit
It doesn't matter if you've just made a huge windfall in your 30's, turned 50 and hit your original financial "freedom" goal or are nearing 70 and have achieved the external markers of success. Leaving is harder than it looks. ***** "When we close these next two deals, then I'll have the financial security I...
Some Mid-Year Mojo – Rebalancing
"I've spent my whole life working to provide for my family. When do I get to make it about me again? I'm not a selfish man, but isn't it ok to rebalance at some point? The challenge is, I'm just not sure how to even start!" My last column titled "Being the Best Damned Provider You Can Be - Because Failing Your Family...
Being the Best Damned Provider You Can Be – Because Failing Your Family Isn’t An Option
Jeff, who had been a managing director at a boutique investment firm, arrived at Starbucks wearing an expensive suit with a power tie, impressive cuff links and impeccably polished shoes. As he took a seat across from me, his crisp scented aftershave lingered from our handshake. I asked if he had an interview that...
Changing Jobs Again? Steps to Stop Churning Your Career
"After six months of grueling negotiation and endless weeks of travel, three straight days without sleep and countless rolls of Tums, the deal was finally done. I'd hit the goal, doubled our assets under management, was facing my wife's wrath because I'd left her hanging yet again at a family event, making excuses...