Jason

- - - | written by Jason on 10/20/2019 | - - -

No Joke: The Life-Changing Lesson I Learned From Joker

So I saw Joker. Normally, I avoid sad movies that I know will have sad endings. (I still haven’t seen Schindler’s List or any 9-11 movies for this reason.) I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think it’s fairly obvious that the titular character doesn’t opt for a career spreading joy and goodwill entertaining children at birthday parties. Still, I do love a good backstory and was drawn in by the superhero movie vibe. Of course, Joker is no superhero movie and is not suitable for children. It is disturbing and intense. I have also come to see it as beautifully-crafted documentary on the mental health crisis, brilliantly disguised as a mainstream movie about the origins of a pop culture supervillan. My hope is that the hype and success of this movie will start new dialogues around the mental health issues that have bubbled up in our country. Between the increase of mass shootings in schools and public places, to the homelessness epidemic invading our large cities, something …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/14/2019 | - - -

Paula Wick Wins Framed Canvas!

To celebrate and promote the release of A Chance of Awesome, we invited fans to share a fun photo of themselves with the book and tag us with the hashtag #AChanceOfAwesome. One lucky winner would be able to choose a 20" x 20" framed canvas reproduction of their choice. That lucky winner is...Paula Wick! Congrats, Paula; we'll be in touch to confirm the details! Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who has helped spread the word about this book! We have mostly received a wonderful reception (although we have had some people hate it, as you can see from the reviews). If you've read the book, would you please take a moment to post an honest review on Amazon? I'd really appreciate it! …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/13/2019 | - - -

The Magic of Making Deposits

Making deposits: eating cheeseburgers, playing mini-golf, and engaging in man-to-man conversations with The Boy. Try this: Starting today, stop making deposits into your checking account. But continue writing checks to pay your bills. What happens when you write a check the day after your money runs out? It's pretty easy to see the financial lesson here. What’s interesting is that we can apply the same lesson to relationships. So many parents tell me what a struggle it is to get their kids to do anything. They always have to get after them to get up and ready for school, do their homework, eat their vegetables, pick up after themselves, look presentable for church, etc. It’s exhausting! Parenting is no joke, and continues to be the biggest challenge I’ve ever encountered. I’d like to share an idea – it felt like a magic trick – I got from my wife when our kids were very young: You can’t expect to make withdrawals from your kids if you haven’t made any …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/6/2019 | - - -

Did You Notice the Rainbow Today?

I had the good fortune of getting invited to speak at a big conference in Hawaii, and the even better fortune of being able to bring along my family. The event was in Honolulu, and we were booked in a hotel on Waikiki Beach. Three minutes after checking in, we walked out onto our balcony and were treated to THIS view. (This is not a postcard, and I did not airbrush the rainbow in!) Trust me, in a speaking career that has spanned fifteen years, and after many, many views of ugly, rusty air conditioning units, this is NOT the norm. We had spent a week in Oahu at this point, and this was already our third rainbow sighting. The next day, on our walk to dinner downtown, we saw another one. As we stopped to savor the free gift, I noticed we were in the minority. None of the obvious locals seemed to care. I haughtily climbed upon my majestic high horse, scoffing at the cynical people who were missing out on something pretty special. How jaded! How ungrateful! How …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/1/2019 | - - -

Use art to create an inspiring, empowering, and innovative culture

I’ve had people tell me that they love what they do, but they hate where they work. When you operate in an environment where it’s difficult to find and keep good people, your culture — and an environment that supports it — matters. A lot.The artwork I use in my presentations does more than just serve as a pretty picture to illustrate a story. It creates a mental anchor in the mind of the participant, establishing a visual shorthand for the principle I’ve shared. Since we all think in pictures – not words – this is an extraordinarily effective way to help provide a long term impact that goes far beyond a single speech. I’m thrilled that a number of smart organizations, from school districts to financial institutions, have utilized my artwork to enhance their environment and support the positive, dynamic culture they have built. When Summit Credit Union built a new, state-of-the-art corporate office building, they were very intentional about the artwork they used to …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/29/2019 | - - -

Why You Should Only Make Decisions While Wearing 3D Glasses

“3D Panda” by Jason Kotecki. 40″ x 40″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. Too often, we look at our plans and big dreams with rose-colored glasses. We only see the upside, the pros, the best case scenarios. But if our dream – whatever it is – actually comes true, there will be downsides as well. As author and entrepreneur Mark Manson has pointed out, everything sucks, some of the time. Every dream – no matter how wonderful or glamorous it first appears – comes with some flavor of what he calls a shit sandwich, a lousy side effect that you have to deal with.That’s not to say we shouldn’t dream. We just need to do it with 3D glasses. When we look at something with 3D glasses, we see it from all sides: the good, sexy, photogenic slide, and the ugly, unfavorable, hideously-lit side. This allows us to behold a more realistic appraisal of the situation. In the early days of our business, I dreamed of creating a giant online retail store that …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/28/2019 | - - -

Walk Your Way to a Better Marriage

Kim and I doing one of our favorite things: walking. We’ve been walking since our earliest days together, back when we couldn’t afford to run the air conditioning in our apartment and a trip to Pizza Hut was a real splurge. Over nineteen years into our marriage, and I am convinced it is one of the biggest keys to keeping it fresh. We brainstorm business ideas, talk about the kids, explore our faith, hash out our struggles, work through problems, dream of the future, and sometimes just admire the scenery. Even after all these years, we never run out of stuff to talk about. My parents have always been big on hopping in the car and going on rides. Strong marriages are built on communication, and there’s just something about movement that helps jumpstart conversation. #strongmarriage #walkingbyfaith #happydoughnuts …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/26/2019 | - - -

Barbara Boustead, September 2019 Adultitis Fighter of the Month

An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Barbara Boustead is a beacon of light. She shines so brightly and intentionally that it is literally impossible not to be affected by her in a positive way. She is the youngest 68-year-old we’ve met! Barbara approaches each day as a gift from God and has a gratitude for life that is radiated through her beautiful and generous smile. She believes she is here on this earth at this time for a reason and a purpose, to serve and uplift others. Her life is a gift to others and her example is one for all of us to emulate. In recognition of their efforts, Adultitis Fighters of the Month …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/22/2019 | - - -

How to Tell When Your Dream is Not Really Your Dream

“Angry Eagle” by Jason Kotecki. 16″ x 20″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. I spent nearly seven years writing and drawing a comic strip that wasn’t successful. Well, that’s not entirely true. People enjoyed it. It had fans. And it made a little bit of money. But it never got syndicated and didn’t generate a big enough audience or enough revenue to earn a living. And so I had to stop. It was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do, especially after pouring so much time, energy and money into that endeavor. Seven years of developing the discipline to sit down and write, even on days when no ideas come. Seven years spent drawing comic strips in a humid apartment with no air conditioning. Seven years learning the basics of business, of profit margins and net income and balance sheets. Seven years of sinking deeper into debt as we tried one idea after another in the quest to make a profit. It was a hard dream to let go of. I was …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/15/2019 | - - -

Giving Up Is Easy. Staying Focused is Hard

“Angry Owl” by Jason Kotecki. 16″ x 20″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. I’ve always thought owls looked angry. That perception inspired this painting, as I decided to give him something to be angry about. But now I wonder if maybe they’re just focused. After all, perpetually being on the lookout for your next meal kind of requires your undivided attention. Likewise, in order to achieve a dream or accomplish anything worthwhile, you have to be incredibly focused. You can’t let distractions knock you off your game. One of the biggest reasons people are not as successful as they’d like to be – regardless of their definition of success – is due to a lack of focus. They keep chasing shiny objects and fail to follow through on any one initiative. As Steven Pressfield writes brilliantly in his book The War of Art, “The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.” Understanding …