# firebirdsummit.com

> AI-optimized mirror of firebirdsummit.com containing 44 pages totalling 14,974 words of clean markdown content, structured data, and semantic HTML. Original source: https://firebirdsummit.com/. Last updated: 2026-06-14T02:59:46.968Z.

Each page is available as HTML (with JSON-LD structured data) and Markdown (text-only, ideal for LLMs and RAG).

## Homepage

- [_The strength to rise._  _The traction to excel._](/content/site-root.html): Each of us has something we really want to do with our lives – but haven't done yet. Or we’ve reached a milestone, only to feel we want something different – something more. Maybe you want to break free of the corporate world. Build your own business. Travel the globe. But you think you can't – because you're the breadwinner, the boss, the responsible party. Or debt keeps you standing still. The list of perceived limitations is long. So we keep ourselves locked into familiar roles and expectations. (1,237 words)

## Articles & Blog Posts

- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-21-transition/index.html): How do you deal with transition? What kinds are no big deal versus which ones are a struggle? Join me and Lawrence while we discuss what goes into that process, how we struggle with it, and what things cause us to bristle against it. (70 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/the-price-of-being-right/index.html): One of the things I see in relationship of all kinds -- business relationships, parents/children, spouses, etc. -- is that the short-term need to be right comes with a price tag that is bigger than we often realize in the moment. And over time, repeatedly succumbing to it can take a very steep toll on trust, empathy and respect. (573 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-sucking-it-up-when-you-hate-your-job/index.html): Coaches like to talk about values and self-care. But the truth is, the ability to quit a job you hate is a luxury that not everyone has -- or, at least not one that everyone has all the time. Whether it's for your own reasons or your family responsibilities, you may feel (right or wrong) like you have no choice but to stay in a job that you dread. If/when that is the case, how do you square your sick gut with what you need to do, even when you hate it? Join us for this discussion. (140 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-dealing-with-hostile-coworkers/index.html): The first presidential debate of the 2020 US general election presented us with an all-too-common work scenario: trying to get work done while dealing with a hostile, belligerent co-worker. While most of us don't typically face as extreme a version as we saw in the debate, the reality is that pushback surfaces constantly. Whether it's with clients, peers, partners or project teams, there are different techniques you can use, and so Lawrence and I spend this episode discussing the very tactical things we and our clients use. (122 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-identity-family-and-trust/index.html): We have kicked off Season 2 of Grow or Die -- Join me and Lawrence while we discuss identity, family and trust. Throw in some sexism and racism, just for good measure. (63 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-living-in-limbo/index.html): In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election and before the results were called, we all had to sit in a truly uncomfortable state: limbo. We took the opportunity to discuss this, particularly as it pertains to self-management, leadership and larger organizational impacts. (71 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-climbing-out-of-mental-traps/index.html): What are the traps that you create for yourself because of how you are thinking -- or not thinking -- about things? All of us have a different set, and they are usually caused by a combination of how we grew up, our values, the lessons we've learned from those around us and what identities we choose to adopt. But without being clear about the impact, we can keep our biases intact and operating to our detriment. So what do we do about it? (118 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/transition/index.html): Once more, with feeling... adios Miami! Hello, Colorado! (452 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-authenticity-as-a-business-owner/index.html): Owning your own business can be exciting. But it often brings up questions and challenges you didn't typically face as someone else's employee. One of them is what happens when you have to decide the right type of client to work with. Whether you are a consultant or a coach, the match of personalities, values, working styles and priorities can be extremely important but also enormously difficult to surface in time to make the decision before it's too late. Or, worse yet, as a business owner, can you afford to tell a client no? Join us in this episode while we explore how you stay authentic to yourself while also building a business. (147 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-personal-power-when-to-use-it-and-when-not.html): One of the hardest things to learn about yourself over time is how much personal power you are capable of conveying (and when), and then when and how to use it wisely. Join us in this week's episode as we discuss figuring out this nuance. (94 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-managing-your-own-triggers/index.html): Have you ever heard someone make an excuse like, "Ignore him. It's just his temper talking." Is that actually helpful? One of the most important characteristics of leadership -- and the PERCEPTION of someone AS a leader -- is their ability to handle pressure gracefully. One of the most important ways to start learning to do that is to identify your own most sensitive triggers, and then work on managing them. If someone else can press your buttons and get under your skin, you are going to have trouble projecting the image of yourself as a leader. (128 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-when-a-colleague-drives-you-nuts/index.html): For all the talk about teams and all of my love of work as a source of social interaction, there are times when you find yourself working with a colleague who SIMPLY DRIVES YOU CRAZY. In this episode, I break down my three big buckets of crazy-making when it comes to co-workers, and Lawrence and I discuss how we deal with each. (99 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-trying-to-buy-a-business/index.html): The idea of owning your own business is enormously appealing to many people. There are a lot of ways to do this, and one of them is to buy one. In today's episode, Lawrence and I discuss his journey -- and ultimate decision -- when it comes to buying a business. (85 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-intentionality/index.html): Do you feel like you spend your time chasing things for the sake of someone else's rat race? Is it productive? Is it useful? Is it serving you? In this week's episode, Lawrence and I talk about the value of being intentional. Pick your battles, and then choose to be intentional in how you expend your time and energy. It's harder than it sounds, but it's definitely worth it. (91 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-managing-your-own-energy/index.html): We like to pretend that our energy is infinite and that we can muscle our way through when times are tough. But the reality is that our energy matters to how we show up in all aspects of our lives. So when you are feeling out of control, and you feel like you are scattered or struggling, what can you do to start getting a handle on how you are feeling? (102 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-giving-yourself-permission-to-act/index.html): How do you get past analysis paralysis and ACT -- especially when your current situation is safe and predictable? What do you need to do in order to step out and bet on yourself? Join us in this week's episode for a discussion for how to grant yourself the leeway you need to move ahead. (89 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-feeling-helpless-to-help/index.html): One of the hardest things we are ever called upon to do in life is to stand by and watch while someone we love is in pain. Whether that is physical or emotional in nature, the reality is that we are often unable to help someone no matter how desperately we'd like to. Join us in this week's episode as we discuss how to deal with the situation we all like to avoid, but which we all have to face at one time or another. (116 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/time-and-space-for-reflection/index.html): I was recently talking to a high school sophomore about her favorite subject in school (World History) and why (her teacher was talking to them about buying lab-created diamonds vs. natural). "Ah!" I said. "He was making a point about Blood Diamonds!" Yes, she agreed. To which I replied, "Yep. History was always my favorite subject, too. Almost all important lessons are clearer through history." (710 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/being-likeable-is-a-red-herring/index.html): Likeability is a nasty topic, and one that I truly resent. For starters, what constitutes being likeable? And how do you measure that for a single person, much less a group of people, all of whom have different definitions and standards? Even worse, what happens when we have decades of evidence that shows us that people generally apply different standards and expectations of 'likeability' to men vs. women, people of our own race vs. a different one, cultural differences and foreign accents? (857 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/wedding-vows-to-myself/index.html): As I was writing my vows to exchange on the beach at sunset last night, I kept finding myself thinking about all of the mistakes I made the first time I got married. A list, I assure you, that is too long and mortifying to share -- ranging from cowardly decisions to unchecked ego. But in the process, I realized there were some vows I needed to make to myself before we stood in front of an officiant and exchange leis with each other in front of my beloved Pacific Ocean. (820 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/language-and-the-brain/index.html): One of my favorite topics is neurolinguistics. Aside from my general fascination with how the brain processes information (and what it means to how we function on a daily basis), growing up in a trilingual household always made this topic seem obviously important to me in a way that single-language environments seem to take for granted. (519 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/derailed-plans/index.html): When does the act of planning shift from being useful and valuable, to being compulsive and self-indulgent? (504 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/being-thankful-when-you-dont-feel-thankful/index.html): Your email boxes are undoubtedly full of emails this week reminding us of all the things we have to be thankful for. And reminding us that the act of being thankful is sometimes important to help us feel grounded enough to in our own fortunes to be reminded of that one, truly horrible thought: it could always be worse. (511 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/dont-should-all-over-yourself/index.html): One of those things I've been wanting to do for a long time is take improv classes. Aside from my indelible conviction of my own hilarity, the reality is that one of the things I get most frustrated with myself about is thinking of the perfect response to something after it's too late to use it. (543 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/feedback-without-being-tonedeaf/index.html): If there is one thing that I get asked advice about more than anything else it is this: How do I give feedback to someone who may not have asked for it? In other words: Tell me how I can tell someone they are making me crazy in a way that is both professional and doesn't make me feel like a schmuck. (540 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/ukrainian-super-powers/index.html): Don't let the Russian last name fool you. The stamp that appears most in my passport is Ukrainian. Kyiv is one of my favorite cities in the world and the European city -- bar none -- in which I have spent the most time, have the most friends and have watched with the most delight as it has transformed its geopolitical ambitions over the past decade. (1,014 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/kyiv-friends-and-a-birthday-wish/index.html): My (Ukrainian) former boss told me last week: "I don't think the world has the resolve. Ukrainian people have the resolve, but I don't know if they have the strength." I've been thinking of those words all week, as we've watched Ukrainian resolve transform into something the whole world can rally around. I fear he is right, though, by themselves, the people of the Ukraine are outgunned and outnumbered. They need the rest of the world. (1,154 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/the-choice-to-believe/index.html): Over the past couple of weeks, as I've been heartbroken over what has been happening in Ukraine, we have seen American legislatures pass some truly terrible, cruel laws adversely affecting trans and gay populations, and voters of color. And while I never rule out a politicians self-serving opportunism in stoking the fears and anxieties of voters, the question that constantly surfaces is, "But why does it work so well?" (756 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-knowing-and-managing-your-own-weaknesses.html): We are back for the beginning of Season 3, and we get things kicked off by discussing how to manage our own weaknesses -- without getting bogged down in them! (36 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/the-fight-to-fit/index.html): All of us want to belong. We want to fit. Our craving to feel seen and accepted and understood, to feel that we are valued and that we have meaningful connections to the people who are important to us is at the heart of both our greatest joys in life and our greatest sorrows. (706 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-anger-management/index.html): Anger is universal: we all feel it, we all feel JUSTIFIED in feeling it, and we all have behaviors that are triggered by our anger. But what happens when our behavior when we are angry begins to cost us too much? Is it possible to manage our own anger? Is it possible to help someone else with theirs? Join me and Lawrence as we talk about all the versions -- work, family and ourselves. (26 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-community-during-times-of-trauma/index.html): There is no time like when you're hurting to lean into your community. But how do you do that or build that when you don't think you need it? And how do you show up for the people who need you? Lawrence and I talk about this and more in light of family loss and Russia's invasion of Ukraine this week. (35 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-the-great-resignation-and-permission-to-quit.html): The NYT recently had an article that discussed the psychological component of The Great Resignation: that quitting is contagious. Or, put another way, that when we see someone quit their job, it gives us permission to consider that option, too. Join me and Lawrence while we discuss quitting, permission, post-Covid work struggles and each of our big "aha!" moments around giving ourselves permission to change how we were seeing things. (41 words)
- [Page not found](/content/event/grow-or-die-show/index.html): The page you are looking for doesn't exist or has been moved. (16 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/choosing-our-choices/index.html): As we age, while we might be upset by it, we fully understand that our bodies change. Whether it's our eyesight, our muscle mass, our running speed or just how much sleep we need, most of us are pragmatic enough to recognize that we have different bodies at 50 than we had at 20. (635 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/the-real-life-application-of-happiness-research/index.html): I have an evolving relationship with social science's quest to figure out what makes people happy. In fact, I used to listen to my former business partner talk about it and have to actively resist the urge to roll my eyes and groan dramatically (and, in all fairness, he knew I was barely containing a scoff, so he mostly just fed me more beer with chips and guac). It always felt so... trivial. I was interested in meaning and impact and a whole host of other things. But "happiness" just felt... trite. And far too trivial to be worth pursuing in its own right. (721 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-the-motives-and-mechanics-of-reframing/index.html): Join Lawrence and me as we discuss the nitty gritty of reframing -- how to do it, why bother and what things you need to get clear about in order to decide whether or not it's worthwhile. We have a great discussion about the tough parts of adulting, and who should (and shouldn't) have the power to emotionally hijack us, including what we need to do to prevent it from happening. (108 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-disruptive-leadership/index.html): Today Lawrence and I discussed the notion of disruptive leadership -- how and why it happens, why it matters, and what it can look like from different angles. (53 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-toxic-positivity/index.html): Join Lawrence and I this week as we discuss a recent hot topic worth spending a few minutes tackling: toxic positivity. What is it? Why do people do it? Why is it unhelpful? And what is a good yard stick to use to determine when being positive about something helps, versus when it stops being constructive? (81 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-midlife-transitions-friendships-and-a-book-to-read.html): Join Lawrence and me while we discuss Arthur Brooks new book, "From Strength to Strength." Midlife changes, transitioning to new strengths, reviving relationships and more. (68 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-transitions-emotions-and-couplehood/index.html): In theory in our discussion today, Lawrence and I tackled the topic of transitions. But it evolved into a lot of dialogue about transition in and as part of being a couple, including the importance of communication and struggling to be supportive of other people's transitions. (77 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/grow-or-die-fairweather-allies/index.html): Join us in this week's conversation as we discuss the reality of post-Covid life, and the 'return to normal' that is starting to roll back a lot of well-intended efforts around diversity. Is it just about company culture? Or bigger things like politics and the economy? Probably a bit of both. Lawrence and I tackle what being an ally really needs to look like in our 'new normal,' and possibly on-coming recession. (97 words)
- [The Atlas](/content/the-atlas/index.html): Firebird Summit's Blog "The Atlas", Being grateful for what matters most.I am a bit of a junkie when it comes to the Harvard Study of Adult Development. If you aren't familiar with it, you can check out Dr. Robert Waldinger's TED Talk on it to get more background. But the net-net is that, for nearly 80 years, the research team at Harvard has been tracking the lives of a group of men who came from all walks of life, to see how their lives unfolded — and ultimately, what led to a happy, satisfying life. As it turns out, the answer is actually pretty simple:it's the quality of our relationships. (549 words)

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