Tools for talking when stakes are high
Author: Darren
I am a long-time member of the salsa dance community in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I am terrified at how outdated – and misleading – the results are on Google and Bing (including their AI Bots) for where to dance salsa, bachata, and kizomba in Ho Chi Minh. We have a unique and welcoming […]
#32 Mindful Meals
Can you taste the sunshine, water & earth in every bite?
Be Yoda

We all want to be the hero. But when it comes to business, always remember, your customer is the hero. Not you or your brand. You are old, shriveled, hairy Yoda who teaches Luke Skywalker to use the force. You are the eccentric guide dedicated to helping your customer – the hero – reach his […]
How Much Money is Enough?
I’ve been thinking a lot about money lately. I don’t have much of a choice. It’s in my face every day, the engine driving so much fear and action in America. “The S&P 500 is down 4% today.” “How much is he making? Why can’t you get a job like that?” “The Jones are doing […]
My Favorites from 2021
Now is a great time to look back at 2021, learn from its highs and lows, and set our sights on making 2022 a banner year. Each year around Christmas, I also thank creators whose work inspired and changed me. Most creators hear from 3% of their audience – if they’re lucky. Personally, I know […]
After 20 years of helping people with therapy and coaching, Steve McCready shares his thoughts on the art of listening.
Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Email Justin Parkes, a strength and performance coach, shares how entrepreneurs can build an effective strength training routine. He also recounts his career arc from finance to fitness, and how he has built an enthusiastic community of customers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Topics Justin’s journey […]
Our lives and hard drives are filled with clutter. What digital documents do adults absolutely need? By adult, I mean an emotionally and mentally mature person (or trying to be!) responsible for doing life’s necessary but mundane tasks. In other words, a responsible person in society. I haven’t read a single blog post on […]
#29 The Four Dimensions of Energy
Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Email Our performance barriers are often related to energy. Understanding the four dimensions of energy – physical (quantity), emotional (quality), mental (focus) and spiritual (force) – can help us identify and overcome what holds us back. Show Notes The 4 Dimensions of Energy: Physical, Emotional, Mental and […]
A 10-year relationship with The Tropical MBA Podcast comes full circle
What do all successful consumer companies have in common? One thing for sure: a lot of easily accessible buy buttons. Those buy buttons could be on your devices or even offered by physical vendors near you. A humble bánh cuốn vendor in Ho Chi Minh City could have their buy buttons in their store, on […]
Where Experts Fall Short
When it comes to learning, I believe books offer the greatest return on investment. Hundreds of self-help and business books pack my Kindle. Where else can I get someone’s hard-earned lessons, distilled and painstakingly written, for $15? It’s an astounding, almost comical bargain. Yet, I discovered that even books have limits. In 2017, I was […]
Don’t Lose Two in a Row
From age 9 to 22, I played competitive tennis, practicing every day for 2-3 hours. Tennis was my life and identity. Last Sunday, I stayed up until 3am to watch the Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic French Open semifinal. Both men were chasing history, to win the most Grand Slams ever. Djokovic had 18 titles, […]
Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Email On April 15, 2021, I accomplished a life dream by becoming a published author. In this episode, I share the four-year, behind-the-scenes journey of how an idea to write down my own rules for success (for my eyes only) became a #1 New Release book on […]
My new book, The Fail-Safe Solopreneur: 6 Essential Practices to Manage Your Well-Being Working for Yourself (ASE, 2021) is now available for purchase on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback, and Audible! Over the past 10 years working virtually and independently, I’ve read many books about making money. But few talk about the mental and emotional costs of being […]
“Qigong is about supporting your body’s ability to be healthy. It’s about doing less.” – Mimi Kuo-Deemer Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Email Mimi Kuo-Deemer, author of Qigong and the Tai Chi Axis, shares her 20-year journey with qigong and how it can nourish mind, body and spirit. Mimi explains the core […]

“I think practice and watching a lot of YouTube videos is the only way… you have to do something others haven’t done before to make people curious about you.” – Celine Yeh Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Email Celine Yeh shares her journey from studying chemistry to becoming a YouTuber. How did […]
#25 Two Pockets
Trying, failing and trying again
#24 My Annual Review Process & 2020
How was your 2020? I share my annual review process and lessons from this year, despite not hitting my goals.