I participated in a spelling bee.

It was the first time since second grade I had entered one. Being a word nerd and having somewhat of a sixth sense with spelling, I  was so excited for my first spelling bee. I even wore my favorite shirt. And…I was out in the second round on minute. Not the measurement of time, the measurement of size.  Oh, the English language is vexing.
 
I never spelled in public again.

Or wore that shirt. Fearing it to be my spelling kryptonite, I threw it away. 
 
This weekend I jumped up on stage at an adult spelling bee and did something I swore I'd never do again. Submit myself to public humiliation by mis-spelling words.  It may have been liquid courage that I gained from that half glass of wine I drank before it. Or, that I had no idea why I was jumping on stage except that my friend Terry Cabeen, the MC, asked for 4 people to join him. Nonetheless, there I was in the limelight. Competing in a lightning round with the winner being crowned for spelling the most words correct in 90 seconds. And I won.

Now I get to have a delicious, decadent dinner at this place.

I'm not sure the reason for this post is much more than a big old victory lap for my second grade loss but since this is a blog, I feel compelled to have a moral. Here it is.

Let go of the past.

Be here now.

And? Always jump on stage whenever they ask for volunteers. You never know what you might win.

Even if you're an extravert, a little quiet time can likely help your creativity and productivity.  Let's curl up and watch shall we?

Although this quintessential Ted talk by Sir Ken Robinson is focused on education, it's also highly relevant to entrepreneurship. Being open to being wrong allows us to take chances, to fail, to learn. It also gives us the chance to find new and creative solutions to problems which is critical for entrepreneurship. Our education system encourages being right and learning facts rather than taking chances and following our natural instincts. It takes courage and a good bit of effort to go against this educational training.

If you're an entrepreneur or would like to unleash the one waiting inside of you this is a much watch.

Listen. Your ears will thank you for it.

Thanks to Alejandra Owens for bringing it to my attention.

We need to talk.

It's like this. I've got lots of clients lately and they've asked me to blog for them. And? It brings in the bacon. So I've been blogging–just not on your pretty digital pages. I've missed you. I know, I know. Everyone says that. But I really mean it. The thing is, I'm just not that good at balance. I tend to swing from one extreme to the other. I don't say this as an excuse. This is more of a reality check. There are times when my client work is just going to have to come first. I hope you'll take solace with the fact that I have been blogging.

Here are a few of the things I've been blogging about lately.

• Perusing Twitter helps me find unearth cool new gems like the fact that the new SimCity will be rad with alternative energy sources and other cool additions. Thanks to Miss Courtney O'Rourke for the tip.

• Earlier this year I walked the High Line in New York City. When I heard about The LowLine a KickStarter project that aims to re-purpose an abandoned trolley station into an underground park I just had to write about it. And? They're using innovative new fiber-optic solar technology.

• Apparently there's a World Water Day and we recently celebrated. I wrote a little piece about how to  save some water !

• I also wrote about the cool new 918 Spyder hybrid sports car from Porsche. Um, it's a sexy car. That plugs into the wall. And it goes 0 to 60 in 3 seconds.
  

Let's see. I've written about saving the planet, playing fun games that help save the planet and a sexy sports car. You have to admit–it's pretty cool right? No? Does it make you feel any better that it was for a good cause?

You can take your time to make up your mind on that one. In the meanwhile I hope you'll forgive me for needing to focus on client work and be happy that at least I've been blogging. A lot actually. And? I promise to make more time for you–ok?

Now, what have you been up to?

Why I Selected Warby Parker
- Buzz. They were the talk of the town at SXSW so I figured it would be good to learn more.
- Charity. When you buy a pair they donate a pair of glasses to a needy person.
- Great pricing model. Each pair costs only $95!

What I learned as I ordered my pair was that they're fantastic marketers. The best part of their marketing is that it feels so natural and organic to who they are as a brand. They strike just the right balance between being cool and being too earnest. Of course they have a product that is just ripe for kick ass customer service and yet…they still knock it out of the park.

The Evidence

Video. When I mentioned how excited I was that my very first Warby Parker glasses were coming soon I got this message in reply.

High Touch. They have high-levels of engagement on their facebook page. People consistently post their Home Try-ons with multiple people giving feedback. Warby Parker weighs in on every. single. post.

Sense of Humor. Their April Fool's Day joke was just brilliant, well done and super fun. Take a look yourself.

Yes, this post has far more dogs than it really should. I know, I'm shameless like that. But c'mon. A dog–wearing a monocle? How could I resist?

Clearly this woman is bright. Like off the charts smart. And incredibly talented. As a creative at heart, this is a very inspiring talk. It's a bit long but if you want to feel understood, learn more about the creative spirit and laugh it's well worth it.