Well, I survived my first Thanksgiving in the US. Although it’s not over yet – I have one more lunch tomorrow so perhaps I shouldn’t speak so soon. It reminds me a lot of Christmas Day meets Australia Day. Except there’s less bogans (Australian Rednecks) and no ‘oi oi oi’ being crassly shouted from cars. I don’t miss that. I do miss beach barbecues however. … Continue reading I sold my life for a $2 waffle maker

Today was the first day I’ve ever rowed in a double. A double is a boat with two people and an oar each. I’ve rowed in a single scull (two oars), an eight, a four, a quad (eight oars) and even a double scull (two people/two oars each). But never a double. I’ve always looked at them suspiciously because they represent the ultimate in balance … Continue reading The real reason you need to practice

I remember as a kid having the fear of diving into a cold pool. I’d take twenty minutes to toe dip and think about the consequences, feeling it one more time to check if it was still cold. Meanwhile, my sister had already jumped in, accepted the reality and her body had adjusted to the temperature. Within seconds she went from ‘OMG!’ to ‘it’s beautiful … Continue reading How do you eat an elephant?

The greatest thing I love about my mama is that she’s good at so many things. She’s not so good at some things too but I forgive her for those – she’s human after all. I don’t know she used to be able to cook a gourmet meal whilst helping me interpret, answer and articulate complex homework. She’d juggle the phone talking business, welcome friends … Continue reading Being a jack of all trades is the path to master

When I was 23, I started my first company. I didn’t know what I was doing is probably the simplest way to describe it. All I knew is what I wanted to try and achieve a successful life (whatever that is) and to carve my name into the world. I didn’t think about what I didn’t know but I certainly thought I knew a lot … Continue reading The world domination state of mind

Never before in time have we had greater social acceptance, access to information, resources and teachers. We are living longer, have a overall higher standard quality of life and we are more accepting of differing races, religions, genders, sexualities, attitudes and beliefs. Even the poorest countries on earth are benefitting from the standard quality of modern life. Whether it’s access to cheaper technology, the chance … Continue reading Who are the real 99%?

What is your stress threshold? Y’know, that point where you stop trying or say ‘enough?’ That very notable point where your mind floods and hell will freeze over before you can take another second. Do you find that your threshold changes according to your level of hunger, tiredness, schedule, urgency, stress etcetera? Mine certainly does. We often hear and talk about how people perform under … Continue reading How to lift your stress threshold forever with one easy step!

When I adopted my beautiful cattle dog Stitch, he was a handful. In fact he still is and I’m forever appreciative (as I’m sure he is) of my patient parents who are his current guardians. At the animal shelter, I was apparently the first person that he actually stopped jumping around for and came and sat quietly next to. It’s like he was on his … Continue reading Positive reinforcement is the key to the heart

Since time began, man has been telling stories. From cave paintings to the Bible to the famous works of Plato, Shakespeare and Mozart. Every moment of your day, you are exposed to stories. You’re either telling them or consuming one. From the barista’s small talk about your accent to the boardroom executive’s reasons for why they want it done ‘this way, this time’, stories are … Continue reading Once upon a time…

Since I started writing my blog just 50 or so days ago, I’ve been blown away by how many people have opened up to me and shown me their secret stash of social guilt, low self esteem, fears, confusion, personal battles and possibly the hero of them all – life fear. What is life fear I hear you ask? Starting from my very own blog … Continue reading LifeFear™ – for the low price of self-esteem! Hurry!

I’m thrilled to hear that over the course of the last couple of months, I’ve managed to influence and encourage readers of my blog to take action, to effect change and to make bold decisions toward the life they seek to have. It’s quite humbling when I hear these stories and have people reach out to me to thank me for my words and perspective. … Continue reading Yay you made a big decision! Now what?

The best advice I’ve had in recent times has been words to the effect of “in order to give the future a real chance, you need to completely let go of the past”. It took me a split second to realise that all the decisions, baggage and concerns I’d been holding onto in an attempt to keep the peace and maintain a comfort zone, were … Continue reading Time to say goodbye to kainotophobia

One of the very cool things that makes San Francisco stand out from nearly any other city in the world is the culture of investing into future potential. It’s a bit crazy when you step into it for the first time and most people don’t believe the stories of smart kids meeting smart money and it equalling billion dollar valuations. You have thousands of talented … Continue reading The value of future potential

The brilliant thing about humans is that we have the ability to imagine things and then bring them to life. Unlike other species that roam the earth, our capacity for connecting dots, imagining the missing ones and then inventing things to paint a new picture is what keeps us out of the trees. As a result, the world we live in has been imagined and … Continue reading Wanted: Imagineers wanting to be rich. Apply within.

Our clothes, our job, our language, our bodies, our cars, houses and friends. Everything we have and do in our lives helps to create and present our ‘identity’. The image of our projected selves onto others. We commit our lives to it – racking up debt, working harder, spending that extra hour in the bathroom, sacrificing experiences and time with loved ones in order to … Continue reading Why you’re paying far too much for your identity

The one thing that gets me up every day is music. Listening to it, playing it, writing it, thinking about it, performing it, discovering it, talking about it. It’s only been recently that I’ve really acknowledged how much it dominates my life. Back home in Australia, I was obsessed with music in my car opting to spend lots of money on upgrading everything to make … Continue reading You can’t switch the music off

We’ve all eaten lumpy custard or bitten into a piece of meat to taste a mouthful of gristle. It’s the kind of moment that makes you shudder and screw up your face. It’s a bad surprise, it’s unwelcome and it’s inconsistent with the expectations of the experience. Interestingly enough, when you eat olives or a chicken leg there’s a great big seed/bone in the middle … Continue reading The expectations of consistency

When I was a child, I had the privilege of learning to play golf by Ian Baker-Finch. For those who don’t know who he is, he is an ex-pro Australian golfer who won The PGA Tour, British Open and The Open Championship in his career. Whist I didn’t realise at the time, Ian was a brilliant golfer whose career teetered on the edge of ‘elite’ … Continue reading Being the wildcard takes courage

There’s this concept called “have-do-be” that my friend Simon Bell told me about a few years ago. Effectively it goes like this: If I have this, then I can do that then I can be happy. It’s the commonly believed path to happiness. We’re sold through marketing, advertising and ultimately social proof that our path to being fulfilled is through the acquisition of stuff. If … Continue reading The path to happiness is upside down

Radar, helicopters, satellites, lookouts, zooming out and just plain old standing back. They all share the same property of gaining a wider perspective of a scenario by increasing the distance between you and the subject matter. Focus is important. Being in the ‘thick of it’ is important. Working at the coal face is invaluably important. But it’s not the whole picture. When we get entrenched … Continue reading The Outside In

When you do stuff just for the time being, what are you referring to? The ‘time-being’ is this voided place in time that is related to the ‘around to it’ and ‘one day’. It’s the vague projection of time and space that enables us to remain non-committal, ambiguous and justify a half-arsed effort. If you preface things with ‘the time-being’, it’s kind of like saying … Continue reading Stuck in the ‘time-being’

One of the interesting things I’ve noticed about sacrifice and compromise is where one draws the line in the moment of fight or flight. Obviously, the ‘line’ is all based on context. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all that jazz. It’s easy to say – I stand for this, I believe in that and no matter what happens, this is where I … Continue reading The fundamental confusion about jelly

Ever been faced with a decision that you’re sitting on the fence about? Or perhaps it’s just easier to remain indecisive? Maybe it’s always worked for you and maybe it always will. Maybe you think it’s always worked for you but instead you’ve just sterilised the flavour of life. I’ve spent a lifetime being unsure and making very slow decisions disguised as ‘being sure’. My … Continue reading Being in or being out

Kenny Rogers said it best in his 1978 hit, the Gambler: You’ve got to know when to hold ’em Know when to fold ’em Know when to walk away Know when to run You never count your money When you’re sittin’ at the table There’ll be time enough for countin’ When the dealin’s done We all have our different thresholds for what we feel is … Continue reading The gambler

Yesterday I applied for YCombinator which is an accelerator program for tech startups. Basically they have some cash, a network of experienced people from a range of industry that can help mentor these startups and they mix it all together to build a community of like minded people. The result? A forceful reputation for being a place where innovation and innovators are ‘incubated’ producing extra-ordinary … Continue reading Always do it your way – you’re going to anyway

It turns out that there are a few different ways to see the world and none of them are right or wrong. They’re just different. I think by now Steve Jobs has proved this enough times. Some people see the world as a flurry of words, others are musical and hear the world as melodies and riffs whilst others are logical and interpret the world … Continue reading How to discover brilliant people

In Australia, we have a saying that goes “call a spade, a spade”. Shovels versus spades – there’s a difference so don’t mince your words. It also means don’t piss in my pocket, don’t beat around the bush and certainly don’t talk in circles and try to make it sound different to what it is. Be direct and be honest with me so we can … Continue reading Call a spade, a spade!

One of the characteristics about life is that it doesn’t stop moving forward regardless of what you think, what you feel and what you want. You can spend your time fighting it, accepting it, flowing with it, tolerating it, changing it or working with it. The fact is, everyone on the face of the planet will evolve and ultimately change who they are as a … Continue reading We’re all cogs and it’s perfect that way

I remember the day my grandfather died. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. You don’t ever forget. He was brilliance personified to me. My whole life I had lived in the shadow of greatness and I knew I would have big shoes to fill but I was determined to do it. I still remember the speech I gave at his … Continue reading “Greatness” – pass it on.

Steve Jobs was the most powerful man in the world. Thousands of Apple stores will become shrines, he built the wealthiest company in the world and created a desire and independence for the innovation that came from of his mind. He was brilliant because he not only had great ideas but he took great action. Don’t grieve for his loss but rather turn to yourself … Continue reading Thanks Steve.

I was walking down the street in San Francisco today and noticed this homeless man on the side of the road with a shopping cart full of knick knacks. Now at first I was a bit grossed out by what I saw in the cart but then on closer inspection, I was fascinated with his attention to detail. Everything had a place, a purpose and … Continue reading Your attention to detale reveals more than you think

As a child, the box our dishwasher came in became a fort. A spoon was a plane that needed to land in my mouth and when I was jumping my bike in the backyard on a ramp made from a rickety wheelie bin, it was for the crown of ‘king of the universe’ in front of an imaginary crowd of 1000’s. And when I stacked … Continue reading How to be the champion of the universe

I’ve had the privilege to meet a lot of amazing entrepreneurs, product peeps, business minds and generally cool kids since moving to San Francisco. The lifestyle here is really something that my dreams are made of. I wake up everyday and am faced with ambitious, focussed, hard working and ridiculously intelligent individuals who will stop for little to achieve their dreams. They are driven, they’re … Continue reading Why it’s important to be a hacker

There have been many reasons in my life that I’ve hesitated. Perhaps it was a shortage of valuable information, a cloud of doubt over my ability/judgement or just the belief that I needed more time or money than perhaps was necessary. Other people in my ear, myself in my own ear, the media in my ear and basically all the sources of influence have made … Continue reading How to make big decisions easier

As part of my music training, I’m going back to basics and have been re-entering the world of musical theory. It makes a lot more sense to me nowadays than it did as a six year old but it still makes my brain tired after an hour or two. Part of my reason to step back to the core and learn music all over again … Continue reading Write the melody of your life and the chords will be there

There have been many times in life that I have forced an issue by making decisions I wasn’t aligned with. I’m sure you have too. You know the situation, you want something SO badly that you will do whatever it takes to get it? You will even hold your breath and bite your tongue to make a decision you’re not comfortable with but you do … Continue reading Your life is a cumulation of details. Never ignore the details.

‘Cause that was the real you running through the fields of gold wide open, standing in places no picture contains; That was the real you, windows down, we could smell the mint fields crying, sing with the radio to songs we can’t name – Mat Kearney, musician This weekend I went to the Two Door Cinema Club concert with close friends, played guitar/sang three nights … Continue reading Learning to love again

I started playing the piano when I was five years old, I played the violin and cello for a couple of years as a pre-teen then found my love in the guitar around fifteen. Since then I’ve tinkered around between playing the guitar and the piano and only recently in the last few years decided to give my vocal chords a try. I play guitar … Continue reading You don’t have any spare time, just time.

I’ve been writing my blog now for a few weeks and when I first started out, I was emphatically writing about my disgust at the face of modern retail trends and the importance of your environment and the influences within it. I didn’t really choose a particular tone or direction for my blog other than to dump all the critical thoughts I’ve had in my … Continue reading Embracing your vulnerability is the key to happiness

I’m not sure how many times I check my phone in a day but with some quick mathematics, I would say: I’m awake for roughly 18 hours a day On average I would check my phone 2 times an hour I definitely use it every day whether for searching, emailing, messaging, calling etc That’s about 36 times a day I would check my phone at … Continue reading Being authentic – what are you so afraid of?

Yesterday I went out with some girl friends for a birthday brunch celebration. Well a few rounds of mimosas later, the conversation turned more serious onto the subject of intimate relationships, girls versus boys and how we all have our version of what we want in life and how few people fit that criteria. It started out because a few years back when out on … Continue reading The list of 50 things I want in a girl

You know the story all too well. That sickening feeling in your stomach as you just agreed to something against your real wishes, or you tolerated something past the point of no return or maybe you are dealing with the consequences of a decision you buckled on. The worst bit is when they now think you’re happy to do this all the time. Whether it’s … Continue reading Please set your bar MUCH higher

When you meet someone who says they want to help you, wants to talk with you in public, wants to teach you something, wants to support you or just wears their heart on their sleeve and shares their story – what do you do? What do you think at that moment, how does it make you feel and how do you respond? Do you walk away, … Continue reading Why you’re so scared of strangers

So one of my little things in life that I tend to be quite particular about is selecting the right word for the occasion. From social situations, to business, to spending time with a friend or a girlfriend, we all have been on the receiving end of a poor choice of words. Similarly, we have also been responsible at times for delivering the social faux … Continue reading Choosing the right words for your life

I was having a chat with a good friend of mine last night about all the pursuits I have recently committed back into my life and the conversation suddenly got snagged in my mind, on one word. Discipline. As some of you may be aware, I wake up at 4am four mornings a week to jump out of bed, cook/eat two eggs on toast, drink … Continue reading Be happy and achieve greatness by not being disciplined

My grandfather, Paul Toose was a brilliant man. He was a Major in the Army at 23, a QC and a NSW Supreme Court Judge, created one of the largest legal communities for South East Asia long before the internet existed, he held Chairman of the Board at numerous companies and was highly sought after for his wealth of experience, knowledge, insight and general brilliance. … Continue reading Who is influencing you in life?

This week I’ve stared loneliness and fear in the face. Not my loneliness and fear anymore but that of my friends’. I can see how much it affects them because I was there too until recently and it breaks my heart to see them suppressing these emotions. Being male, I want to ‘fix’ it for them but realise the only respectful and objective way I … Continue reading Always choose to deepen your relationships

One of my greatest challenges in my life has dealing with success. Not because I consider myself successful but rather quite the contrary. I’ve become very good at understanding and admitting my failures and absorbing that as part of my brand. I’ve found it easier to acknowledge a lack of skill or knowledge which has resulted in ‘failure’ rather than take responsibility for the components … Continue reading Taking responsibility for your success

When friends, family or colleagues come to us for advice we are faced with some important decisions. Decisions that we need to be conscious about and really force ourselves to consider what it is we’re being asked and the role we play in this important and valuable interaction. You see there’s what they are wanting to hear and then there’s what you are saying. Back … Continue reading Mentoring versus Lecturing

When you’re having an interaction with someone about anything there’s a few simple ‘rules’ to achieve a successful outcome for both of you. Supposing that you’re in China and you want a cab. You hail one down and the driver asks you in Chinese where you want to go. Now supposing for stereotype purposes you’re a blonde haired, blue eyed english speaking citizen who speaks … Continue reading The responsibility of communication

The well dressed man in the BMW with his swagger, new shoes, the money clip full of bills and the nonchalant comment that anything is obtainable. The pretty girl with her long flowing hair, new designer handbag, casual elegance and a pace that suggests she has all the time in the world.  It’s easy to be lured into the image of others and base our … Continue reading Envy is what you think they did

As many of you may be aware, I’m currently studying further musical studies with my teacher Robert Robinson who is a seasoned and inspiring teacher, producer, song writer and thought leader. For those interested in his techniques and about him please check out his website. Today is musical theory day and we were going into the mechanical depths of how music is written. Effectively it’s … Continue reading Knowing many words means choose the right few

When I started my companies five years ago, I had zero business experience. I was 22 years old and was full of bravado and naivety and like most young men, felt I was bulletproof. The thought of starting a company was thrilling and the learning curve ahead of me was not only in the dark but the thought was ‘how hard could it be?’. During … Continue reading Their good intentions could be your kryptonite

Today I came back to my regular haunt which is The Summit at 780 Valencia Street. It’s this rad space that’s owned by I/O Ventures which is a startup incubator and they have segmented half of the space into a cafe with free internet. As a result the place is abundant with creatives, entrepreneurs, tech employees and just generally cool people so it’s like a … Continue reading You’re a product of your environment

When we have a particular view (or wish to have a particular view) on something, we tend to first look around for evidence to validate our views. This might be anything from people, pop culture, resources even to symbols including horoscopes and the word ‘fate’. The validation we seek can be to change our body image to our career or even changing the world. Whilst … Continue reading The power of validation

Definition of Value (n) – the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance or preciousness of something. The material or monetary worth or something. I’m curious as to why during the course of evolution we have associated ‘value’ as being a synonym of the word ‘cheap’. I’d say that a heart transplant is not cheap, but it’s good value. Yet people will opt … Continue reading Why aren’t we selling value anymore?