Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something about myself or what we are working on at PCI.

One of my goals this year is to get better at time blocking.

I first learned about time blocking many years ago when I had the opportunity to participate in the … continue reading

1: What do we see when we look into a mirror? Ourselves.

Imagine, though, looking into a mirror and seeing another person. 

A moment before, each of us was “doing your own thing—feeling our own emotions, making our own moves, and following our own inclinations,” Barbara Fredrickson writes in her book Love 2.0: Creating Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection,“

“But in this particular moment of connection,” Barbara … continue reading

1: Barbara Fredrickson‘s firstborn son was not a good sleeper. 

“He needed to be in our arms while he drifted off,” she writes in her book Love 2.0. “He also needed a particular motion, one that we couldn’t achieve in the comfort of a rocking chair, but only by walking.” 

For thirty minutes or more each night, Barbara or her husband would slowly pace around his tiny nursery, … continue reading

1: As human beings, we tend to have many ideas and beliefs about what love is.

“Many of these beliefs reflect our shared cultural heritage,” Barbara Fredrickson writes in her book Love 2.0: Creating Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection.

“Like all those proliferating songs and movies that equate love with infatuation or sexual desire, or with stories that end happily ever after, or even the realistic marriage ceremonies … continue reading

1: Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson “was minding my own business as an emotions scientist.

“My main goal at the time was to find a way to probe the long-range effects of accumulated positive emotions,” she writes in her book Love 2.0: Creating Happiness and Health in Moments of Connection.  “Would they build people’s resources and transform their lives for the better as the theory predicted?” 

At the time, she was desperate … continue reading

1: To increase our motivation, we want to tap into our intrinsic drivers.

We amplify our intrinsic motivation when we perform activities we find interesting and internally satisfying, Steven Kotler writes in his book The Art of Impossible.

We do this when we spend time doing things we are curious about, that we are passionate about, and that increases our feelings of purpose, autonomy, and mastery. 

2: That’s one of … continue reading

1: Brant Pinvidic sat in a room with his client, Keith. Brant is a top Hollywood producer who has successfully sold nearly fifty TV series using his 3-Minute Rule, which is also the title of his book on how to deliver a successful presentation.   

Brant’s brother was on the speakerphone. Keith’s assignment: Deliver his 3-minute pitch to Brant’s brother.

Afterward, Brant told his brother: “I need you to pitch … continue reading

1: Hollywood producer Brant Pinvidic was delivering a keynote speech at the National Speakers Association. 

“I put a big picture of Katy Perry up on the screen,” he writes in his book The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation.

 I said, “I’d like to introduce you to one of my friends, Katy Perry. I know you know her and her music.” 

Next, he put … continue reading

1: “We are going to revolutionize the healthcare industry” is a typical opening statement in many presentations. 

The likely reaction: “Really? I find that unlikely,” Brant Pinvidic writes in his book The 3-Minute Rule: Say Less to Get More from Any Pitch or Presentation.

Even if the rest of our pitch lands with our prospect, the best we can hope for at the end of our presentation is, “Yeah, it’s … continue reading

1: Paraag Marathe‘s first major task as president of the San Francisco 49ers was to build a new stadium.

The team’s former stadium, Candlestick Park, was falling apart. As in, actually falling apart.

The team’s owners, the York family, had decided they would never move the team to another city.

The other option was to build. Which would be no easy task. “Imagine a nearly $2 billion project that … continue reading