Category: Expectations

• Trust yourself

  It’s simple, pithy, and cliche. It’s also something worth reminding yourself of more often than you think. There are two films that convey this message really well, spoiler alerts for both: In Rental Family, the protagonist is an actor whose job is pretending to be people’s family members. For example, a mom hires him to…

  Herbert Lui

  February 20, 2026

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations

• Bet on each other

  When a friend or family member wants something for themselves, be happy for them. Believe them, and believe in them. Support them in making the change. Don’t just bet on yourself. Bet on your friends and family, and invite them bet on you.

  Herbert Lui

  February 18, 2026

  Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• Recoverable and irrecoverable decisions

  When you need to make an anxiety-inducing decision, ask yourself: What is the worst realistic outcome? Will you be able to recover from it? Let’s say you want to make a product and sell it, and you need to invest in inventory. The manufacturer needs you to order $1,000 worth to meet their minimum. The…

  Herbert Lui

  February 7, 2026

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• The night I became an entrepreneur

  Before I can talk about that, I need to tell you about the first time I bought something from an entrepreneur with my own money: In elementary school, my friend made me an offer. He would make me a CD of the best songs of the month, for $2. At the time CDs sold for…

  Herbert Lui

  February 3, 2026

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• The 48 Laws of Power started with powerlessness

  Early in his life, Robert Greene wanted to be a writer. His first attempt at this started early, with a job in journalism. After working for several years, one of his editors took him out for a liquid lunch and told him, “You should seriously consider a different career. You are not writer material. Your…

  Herbert Lui

  February 1, 2026

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• The hungry ghost’s favorite ingredient was ambition

  In Asian mythology, there are ghosts known as pretas with insatiable appetites. They have big mouths and thin necks. They can eat all they want and never feel full.  Spoiler alert: There’s a scene in The Ballad of a Small Player, in which the protagonist is possessed by such a ghost. Together, he wins big,…

  Herbert Lui

  January 30, 2026

  Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• Craft your little empire

  My friend Hamza works as a keynote speaker, author, and leader of a new tech company. If you asked him for career advice, he would tell you, “Be your own boss.”  This resonates with me; it’s about taking yourself seriously, investing in yourself, and reclaiming responsibility and agency. Whether you work with other people and…

  Herbert Lui

  January 28, 2026

  Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• You can either learn or be judgmental

  You can’t do both at the same time. When you ask questions, with a desire to understand, and listen, you are learning. Questions like: What assumptions am I making? How else can I think about this? What is the other person thinking, feeling, and wanting? When you’re mindful, you can catch yourself being judgmental and…

  Herbert Lui

  January 15, 2026

  Creativity, Expectations, Turning Stories

• Reflecting on my failure to write a NYT bestselling book

  Over a decade ago, I attended a charity gala at The Spoke Club in Toronto. I was wearing a tailored suit, having a great time with friends, and, after a couple of glasses of bubbly, feeling celebratory. My career was off to a strong start. My articles went viral at Medium and were picked up…

  Herbert Lui

  January 12, 2026

  A Matter of Time, Contentions, Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations, Turning Stories

• When you delay a task, your mind makes it more intimidating

  Delay has a way of making a simple, ordinary, task seem more intimidating.  Your mind rationalizes: you must think the task is hard, that’s why it’s taking so long. That’s why you’re hesitating. The more time you give your mind, the more intimidating the story sounds. Maybe you’re even procrastinating, because it must be scary. …

  Herbert Lui

  January 9, 2026

  A Matter of Time, Creativity, Creator Confidential, Expectations