by Christopher S Penn | Jul 7, 2020 | Awakening, Buddhism, Ninjutsu, On ko chi shin
Daniel Johnson Jr. recently asked: For every one of my strengths, there is a balcony and a basement level. The balcony level of a strength is when the strength is showing up at its peak effectiveness. The basement level is when the strength can potentially become a...
by Christopher S Penn | Feb 7, 2018 | Awakening, Business, Marketing, Ninjutsu
Buying a martial arts black belt from Amazon does not bestow the skills of a martial artist on the buyer. Hiring someone unqualified and giving them the title of CMO does not confer any skills the candidate didn’t already have. Misnaming something to defy...
by Christopher S Penn | May 1, 2017 | Awakening, Education, Facebook, Marketing, Ninjutsu, Social media, Strategy
When I teach the beginners’ classes at the Boston Martial Arts Center, one of the models I use for ensuring that a class runs smoothly is called FASTER, which stands for: Form: learn the way the technique is supposed to look and work Application: learn why the...
by Christopher S Penn | Mar 3, 2017 | Awakening, Buddhism, Jedi mind tricks, Music, Ninjutsu, On ko chi shin, Productivity
In the martial arts, we spend a lot of time learning how to face and deal with difficult situations, dangerous enemies, and unpredictable challenges. However, the worst, most dangerous enemies we often face are ourselves. We get in our own way. We sabotage ourselves....
by Christopher S Penn | Nov 18, 2016 | Awakening, Business, Leadership, Ninjutsu, On ko chi shin, Photography, Strategy
What’s the difference between leadership vs. management? Imagine you’ve got a patch of woods that’s brambles, thorns, trees, and brush. You need to move yourself and your group through the woods safely and quickly. The Leader is the person in front,...
by Christopher S Penn | Nov 16, 2016 | Advertising, Conferences, Marketing, Ninjutsu, On ko chi shin
One of the most common questions asked of conference organizers goes something like this: “How do I justify this conference? Why should I attend it?” The short answer is: no conference can provide justification. None. Even if some conference marketers make...