Category: Turning Stories
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Why Allen Iverson stopped dunking
A basketball game’s regulation time is 48 minutes. When Allen Iverson played in the NBA, he would play, on average, over 41 minutes. That’s over 85% of each game. During the playoffs, that number went up; Allen played over 45 minutes each game (93%). Allen loved basketball, and he hated sitting on the bench. In…
Herbert Lui
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When is a best effort enough?
Japanese transportation is well-known for its precision. For example, when a train runs more than five minutes late, the railway company will issue a delay certificate for its passengers to show their employers and teachers. In other words, Japanese transportation all but guarantees results. In business-to-business deals, this type of guarantee is enforced by a…
Herbert Lui
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Participation is more important than the outcome
Whether an outcome turns out your way in the near term—which you and I usually call, “success”—or not, isn’t that important. Showing up to participate in the outcome is much more important. Bringing good energy, showing your expertise, and starting a working relationship before a formal engagement, is much more valuable. Participating, and constantly improving,…
Herbert Lui
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The joys of blooming “late”
For much of my 20s, I spent a lot of time feeling like I was late. I blamed my teenage self for slacking off and having fun. I blamed him, effectively, for being a teenager. I wasn’t being nice or kind. When I was 25, I considered myself a late bloomer. I wrote to my…
Herbert Lui
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While the image of success is loud, real success is quiet
If you asked me nine years ago, success often involved images that conveyed money, power, and respect. It was very theatrical. Thanks to my stomach, I realized a truer, clearer, and more real definition of success. For some people, those images are worth everything, including their health. For me, I realized that they meant next…
Herbert Lui
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Sometimes, the quiet achievements are the most important ones
One winter night, nine years ago, I was a few bites into a pad gra prow with crispy pork when I felt like I was full. It made no sense because I hadn’t eaten in several hours. A part of me still felt very hungry. When I tried forcing the food down, a technique my…
Herbert Lui
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The writer’s room inside your mind
Many TV shows hire writers. These writers work together to discuss what they want to accomplish with the show, characters, and episodes. They also share what they’ve noticed and what has caught their interest. Each writer pitches ideas, writes and edits scripts, and in the process turns them into stories that, hopefully, stick with us.…
Herbert Lui
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Create full-time job opportunities by adding value as a freelancer
If you’re unemployed and seeking a full-time job, you could intentionally approach freelancing as if it were an alternative to the interview process. This can be effective, because every hiring manager has too many problems and too little time. They are, often, toiling away at work that doesn’t add leverage for them (nor does it…
Herbert Lui
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Imagined realities can be shaped
For better or worse, people know what “content marketing” is. It’s a genre. It also used to make me feel sick. I felt embarrassed, as if content marketing meant that I didn’t take writing seriously. I vented about it a few years ago. When I started a business which worked with software companies on their…
Herbert Lui
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Being frugal makes entrepreneurs less fragile
Many—maybe most—bootstrapped entrepreneurs tend to bias towards frugality. A dollar saved is a dollar earned. Saving money buys greater freedom, it also enables the entrepreneurs to survive longer, so they have more time to execute their plans or to get lucky. Here are some scenes from my career to illustrate: A client leased a beautiful…
Herbert Lui