Shitty First Draft

The Basenji Dog: A Quirky, Charming, and Peculiar Companion

The Basenji is a unique dog breed that has fascinated people for thousands of years. Originating in Central Africa, this breed is known for its athletic abilities, intelligence, and independent nature. While many people today know the Basenji as a beloved family pet, this breed has a rich cultural history that spans back to ancient times. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the origins and cultural significance of Basenji dogs, exploring their past and present roles in society.

If you're considering adopting a Basenji, there are several things you should know about the breed:

  1. Energy levels: Basenjis are a high-energy breed that require plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy. They enjoy running, playing, and exploring, and they need plenty of opportunities to burn off their energy.

  2. Intelligence: Basenjis are highly intelligent and independent dogs that can be stubborn at times. They require consistent training and socialization to learn good manners and behaviors.

  3. Vocalizations: While Basenjis are often referred to as "barkless" dogs, they do make a variety of vocalizations, including yodels, whines, and growls. They are not completely silent, but their unique vocalizations can be less disruptive than traditional barks.

  4. Grooming: Basenjis have a short, fine coat that requires minimal grooming. They are clean dogs that groom themselves like cats, but they still benefit from regular brushing and occasional baths.

  5. Temperament: Basenjis are curious, playful, and affectionate dogs that bond closely with their families. They can be wary of strangers, but with proper socialization, they can learn to be friendly with new people and animals.

Overall, Basenjis make great pets for active families who are willing to provide plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. With proper training and socialization, they can be loyal and loving companions.

Intelligence: Unleashing the Potential of These Highly Skilled Dogs

Basenjis are often known for their quirky personalities and vocalizations, but they are also one of the most intelligent dog breeds out there. These dogs are quick learners with a keen sense of observation, making them highly skilled problem-solvers and adaptable companions.

Energy and Exercise: Keeping Your High-Energy Dog Happy and Healthy

Basenjis are a high-energy breed that require plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to stay healthy and happy. If not given enough exercise, these dogs can become bored and destructive, leading to behavioral problems and unhappy owners. In this blog post, we'll discuss the unique exercise needs of Basenji dogs and offer tips and strategies for keeping them engaged and active. From hiking and running to obedience training and puzzle games, there are plenty of ways to keep your Basenji happy and healthy.

Making Informed Decisions: The Role of Advisory Services

When it comes to running a business or managing your personal finances, sometimes you need a little extra help. That's where advisory services come in. But what exactly are advisory services, and how can they benefit you? Let's break it down in simple terms.

Advisory services are professional services provided by experts in a particular field. They offer guidance and advice to help individuals or businesses achieve their goals and make informed decisions. These services can cover a wide range of areas, from financial management and investment advice to marketing and communication strategies.

Here are some common types of advisory services and how they can help you:

  • Financial Advisory: Financial advisors provide guidance on investment management, wealth management, retirement planning, tax planning, and estate planning.

  • Management Advisory: Management advisors provide guidance on business strategy, organizational design, operational improvement, and change management.

  • Risk Advisory: Risk advisors provide guidance on risk management, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and crisis management.

  • Technology Advisory: Technology advisors provide guidance on IT strategy, digital transformation, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

  • Human Resources Advisory: Human resources advisors provide guidance on talent management, recruitment and retention, employee engagement, and compensation and benefits.

  • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Advisory: ESG advisors provide guidance on sustainability, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

  • Legal Advisory: Legal advisors provide guidance on legal matters such as contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.

  • Marketing and Communications Advisory: Marketing and communications advisors provide guidance on brand strategy, advertising, public relations, and digital marketing.

These are just a few examples of the many types of advisory services available. The specific type of advisory services needed will depend on your unique needs and objectives.

As the saying goes, "trust your gut." But when it comes to making important decisions, it's not always that simple. That's where the guidance of an advisor comes in. By working with an advisor, you can trust your instincts while gaining a valuable outside perspective.

Your advisor can help you ask the right questions, challenge your assumptions, and weigh the pros and cons of different options. Together, you can make informed decisions that are based on both your intuition and expert advice. So don't be afraid to trust your gut – just make sure to partner with an advisor to gain the added perspective you need to succeed.

Consulting vs Advisory: What's the Difference?

If you're new to the world of business, you might have heard the terms "consulting" and "advisory" thrown around interchangeably. While the two might sound similar, there are some key differences between the two.

Consulting typically involves working with clients to solve specific business problems or challenges. Consultants are often experts in a specific area, such as finance, marketing, or technology, and are hired to provide guidance and expertise on a particular issue. For example, if a company is struggling with its marketing strategy, they might hire a marketing consultant to help them develop a new plan and maybe even follow up that work to implement the plan.

On the other hand, advisory services are more broad and encompass a wider range of services. While consulting may be a part of advisory services, it can also include guidance and recommendations on broader business issues such as risk management, governance, and compliance. Advisory services are often ongoing or periodic and can involve providing guidance to clients on a wide range of issues related to their business. That said, the most productive client advisory relationships are often long-term, goal-oriented, tailored/adaptive, and most importantly, on the basis of trust and honest communication.

To put it simply, consulting is typically focused on solving specific business problems, while advisory is more focused on providing guidance and recommendations on broader business issues.

For example, a consulting firm might be hired to help a company improve its supply chain efficiency. The consulting firm would work with the company to identify areas of inefficiency and develop a plan to streamline the supply chain. Once the project is completed, the consulting firm's involvement would end. On the other hand, an advisory firm might be hired to provide guidance on risk management. The firm would work with the company on an ongoing basis to identify potential risks to the business and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.

Of course, these are just examples, and the specific services provided by consulting and advisory firms can vary widely depending on the needs of the client, the capabilities of the firm, and the existing village of trusted professionals of the client.

So, which is right for your business or organization? It depends on the specific issues you're facing. If you're dealing with a specific problem or challenge, consulting may be the way to go. If you're looking for ongoing guidance and support on a range of issues, advisory services may be more appropriate.

Ultimately, the key is to find a firm that can provide the expertise and support you need to achieve your business goals and with whom you find good chemistry.

Serving Mid-Market Businesses

Serving Mid-Market Businesses

This is a summary post about what I learned from 100 conversations with owners/CEO’s of mid-size businesses.

Here’s the structure of this post:

  • Background on why I did this

  • Defining a midsize company

  • Who are the people I spoke with

  • Common challenges during transition (from small to mid size)

  • Common challenges at midsize

  • Tips to their younger selves

So let’s get started!

Why did I do this?

Around 2015, it started to become apparent to me that there is abundant resources/expertise available for large global enterprise companies and small local/hobby businesses. They are thus very well served for nearly all of their business needs by available in-house talent and professional services. But what about those companies in between? Those mid-size/mid-market companies you her about? How does one journey from being small business to becoming a global enterprise?

This question niggled at me for a long time, until finally in the spring of 2016 when I couldn’t take it anymore. Folks I’ve mentored will smirk at this next bit. Yes, I followed my own advice that I’ve given to every one of you that you’re tired of hearing: I hustled to arrange 100 deliberate conversations with people who understand this better than me and I learned from them.

Thus, I set out to learn more about the challenges of companies in this growth/transition phase. Maybe I would discover there’s already a solid solution available on the market (spoiler: there wasn’t) or gather enough insight to be able to propose a solution for this market segment.

But before we move on…

What’s a mid-size company?

Here we know there’s this glaring gap in available resources/expertise to serve the segment of mid-size / mid-market companies, but what exactly are they?

Health & Wellness 2019

Health & Wellness 2019

Through this post, I want to:

  • Stay accountable to improving my Holistic Fitness pillar (currently my #1 investment area) by publicizing my efforts

  • Analyze the state of my Holistic Fitness: where it currently is, what got it here, why it is as it is, and how to hack it better

  • Document a progression so I can revisit this in the future if/when relevant

This (now very public) post is an exceedingly scary thing for me.

It pains me to so openly admit what I perceive to be a weakness and character flaw (working on this), but this is important and I’m committed to being better…

Venture Studio - Attempt 1

Venture Studio - Attempt 1

tl;dr: The Momenta Lab project started for the purpose of building a Venture Studio company. We underestimated the intensity of research to test our hypotheses. We were successful in coming up with a business model (strategic, financial, legal, operating) which the market has confidence in. We did not have the financial means and adequate clout which were requisite in the model. We were unsuccessful insofar as we did not launch the company. These findings and the model is something I intend to pursue one day.

Momenta Lab.

This is the name of a recent project of mine seeking to establish a Venture Studio. The objective was to create and operate profitable, right-sized technology products.

Bookmarks Clearing 2018

Bookmarks Clearing 2018

Note for any readers: this is written to myself for future reference.

While going through the exercise of year-end cleaning, the process includes checking bookmarks for what will be highly relevant going forward. These are a few I’ve kept throughout 2018, which are now lower priority but which I may like to reference again in the future.

Frameworks and Tools:

Dec 2018 - What is Joshua reading?

Dec 2018 - What is Joshua reading?

Having recently attended a number of events this autumn to speak with university students, young professionals, and small business owners, I’ve fielded many questions about what reading I would recommend to them.

While I’ve previously shared my thoughts on this topic, my journey has taken me down many paths and through many hoops in the three years since then. I have a few more thoughts to share.

The big one is that everybody should learn Sales. > Cue groans <

Listen, I get it: ‘selling’ is thought of as something dirty… but that’s such an outdated notion. The reality is that we are all selling, all of the time. Selling is the art and science of…

Some Reading on Sales Operations

Some Reading on Sales Operations

Sales Operations.

What is it? Do I need it? Where does it fit in the org? I've also heard of Sales Enablement; is it different? How do I do it right? What career paths get you to Sales Ops and where can you go from there? Is Sales Ops leadership the same as Sales leadership? So many questions. So few good answers.

DEF CON 26 - My Thoughts and Reflections

DEF CON 26 - My Thoughts and Reflections

I was recently in Las Vegas for DEF CON, the world's largest Hacking Conference (Site, Wikipedia). For four days, 20,000+ nerds descended upon Vegas and put security professionals on edge. It was my first time participating in DEF CON, and it won't be my last.

Over the course of my week in Las Vegas, I caught up with old friends, met new people, learned about the Hacker world, was exposed to novel ideas, had fascinating and thoughtful discussions, lived it up Vegas-style, explored the famous city's culture, and ate too much unhealthy food (*cough* Typical West Coast).

I've been left with a lot to ponder since coming home from DEF CON…