Brewed From Within

Atmospheric

Why do we insist on talking about the weather?

When there’s nothing else, atmospheric conditions offer an early bond between strangers.

It’s a safe way to avoid awkward silence. Weather is always changing and may be one of the easiest forms of small talk, but it’s just so shallow. Remain courteous to cordial strangers, but for anyone we already know, talk of the weather is weak and pointless. Now, there are meaningful topics like climate change, severe weather, and contingencies for planned activity, but sagacious leaders make it rain with thoughtful questions that draw out deeper discussions.

Breeze past the weather talk to respect people’s time, to show an interest in real progress, and to forecast more relevant bonds that last.

Brewed From Within
#43 📖 Leadership

By Ben McDougal, ago

Sharing

The essence of sharing is kindness. This type of kindness forms bonds and endless interactions.

Humanity’s interest in sharing has led to a connected society that invites everyone to do more with less. The idea of such generosity seems simple, yet, the focus on our own well-being leads to egocentric sharing that is more selfish in nature. Children fighting over a toy and adults showing off may seem unrelated, but the histrionic call for attention remains the same. How, then, can we lead without being selfish?

Perhaps harmony lies on a continuum of intent. If we leverage what we have by sharing without a need for recognition, attention is earned without hidden agendas. Although this form of selflessness is not philanthropy, there is less concern for how it is rewarded. When sharing returns to an altruistic act, generosity builds trust, engaged networks flourish, and kindness melds to accelerate those who need it.

Brewed From Within
#123 📖 Life & Happiness

By Ben McDougal, ago

Seasonality

Seasonal changes are revitalizing. The awakening of spring, the relaxation of summer, the release of fall, the refreshment of winter, and endless surprises keep us all bewildered. What if seasons apply to our work as well?

Agility awaits those who think of a job, specific roles, projects, experiments, side hustles, content creation, or entire business ventures more like creative seasons.

Quality takes time and consistency requires sacrifice, but seasons change. This reality makes decisions easier to make and action more accessible. Stress is typical when we care enough to ship something we’re proud of, and yet, every story ends. Embracing the seasonality of impermanence trims the fat of forever.

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Seasons change but never lack significance.

As we dance with new pieces of our own puzzle, milestones track progress and a beginner’s mindset keeps valiant optimism flowing. When a creative season begins to connect with the right audience at the right time, a nourishing sense of success emerges, which can extend that creative season. No matter how long a creative season lasts, prudent awareness along the way helps leaders remain harmonized with how time is invested, while the subtle lightness adds liberating vibes to keep an uncharted future interesting.

In the event energy begins to stall, as it often does, ensure you’ve done what’s needed to push through dips, gather feedback from diverse perspectives, avoid isolation, and be honest with if/how you want to continue navigating this quest. When these inevitable impasses arise, find your own version of unanimity, knowing that even if a creative season is held in abeyance, seasonality makes something you spent time with more natural to return to in the future.

If it’s time to leave one season behind, avoid potential regret by appreciating the progress made. Take time to reflect on learnings, put the old seasonal decorations away, and maintain relationships as you regenerate energy and lean into whatever season is next.

Brewed From Within
#62 📖 Leadership

By Ben McDougal, ago

Uncharted

Building without a map is a bold art form.
It’s challenging, dangerous, and rewarding.

It’s challenging because these expeditions call for initiative to show up but also an unknown amount of resources to stay persistent. All seven capitals (intellectual, human, financial, institutional, physical, network, cultural) can each be hard to find, but celebrating what we have attracts more of what we want. As different types of capital connect, staying balanced with your personal bandwidth requires attention. But when we care and remain realistic, we give ourselves the permission to keep building.

Uncharted crusades can also be dangerous. This quest will not go as anticipated and the opportunity cost is high, with endless ways to spend our time. Even when odds are against us, a healthy obsession paired with a willingness to succeed or learn cultivates a potent mix of curiosity, optimism, and righteous recklessness. Those willing to try have a huge advantage over everyone else willing to wait.

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What might you regret not doing?

When exploring the unknown for the first time, be clever, collaborative, and patient. Also, remember that winners quit all the time. They simply quit the right things at the right time. So, get passionate without falling in love with impossible and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s much to learn from heroes, mentors, and those you seek to serve. Success and failure leave clues, so speed up progress and avoid pitfalls by leaning into tribes you trust.

When you’ve built without a map, the highs and lows strengthen decision-making. Practice also makes the unknown less intimidating. Experienced wayfinders gather feedback faster, measure the right metrics, and appreciate the hardships without allowing pride from the past to mislead them.

We know how rewarding it can be to build an event, business, or relationship you’re proud of.

To dance toward the unknown, be thoughtful with early moves but don’t get paralyzed by perfection. Sustain growth with sequenced storytelling. Be urgent but not frantic by activating trust channels that stimulate accountability. Welcome feedback like a scientist, listen with concentration, and savor metrics beyond the money.

Brewed From Within
#1 📖 Entrepreneurship

By Ben McDougal, ago

Indexing

Create a library of written works.
It will unfold into a timeless asset.

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Reading helps us understand the world.
Writing helps us understand ourselves.

Imagine if you had already started writing. You would have articulated thoughts into a collection of organized ideas. You would have also felt the energy that comes from writing about something you care about.

Now, imagine you moved past fear and began sharing your writing with others. With a growing library in place, even if traffic is uncertain, your future self can access an index of thoughtful goodness any time. This treasure trove becomes a handy reservoir for adding thickness to any interaction.

Along with helping to maintain intensity, our writing connects heart into what we think, talk, and build around. Does writing take time? Yes. Does publishing your writing online spark hesitations? Yes. Will writing welcome a creative release, help you think, and potentially deliver more art for you to ship?

Also yes.

Along this path, writer’s block is a tempting distraction. Life is busy, we’re oversubscribed, and writing requires the privilege of time. Even with all we take on, writer’s block is an illusion, an excuse not to ship the art. This paralysis is a symptom of low prioritization in our creative practice.That’s okay, provided we recognize the dip, preserve topics to revisit, and reprioritize writing when necessary.

Whether you listen to yourself in private (journaling) or share your heart in public, when you know you’re going to get something done, you become consciously introspective. You stay in-tune with what needs to be synthesized, while recursion and this indexing effect help sustain a healthy obsession. Even when a thesis is not obvious, you’re strong enough to explore what needs to be said. This becomes a habit that invites anyone to reach higher.

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Don’t wait for inspiration.
Let the work inspire you.

As with writing, the mainspring behind creative acts may not seem obvious, but trapping time is advantageous when the theme of this moment is referenced in the future.

A creative act is a wide-open construct with a kabillion examples. To throw one in for context, let’s use this book you’re sharing time with. For no reason, take a cool photo or video of the book in a creative setting. This is not a required action, but now it exists.

Seconds to years later, imagine texting a friend and this book is mentioned in conversation. The option to easily respond with a related and creative asset is now yours.

These creative acts require a quark of attention, but this practice earns intriguing depth that can be randomly included in planned and unknown ways. You won’t run out of film and these assets may go untouched, but we can’t use what we don’t have. From funny additions to a profound surprise, this type of b-roll adds flare to your writing and helps glue our stories of life together. Could you create supporting content later? Maybe, but then it’s work. The ease comes in our consistency. Having fun with b-roll ends up providing a supportive cast that extends your writings.

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When it’s natural, it’s nothing.

For now, get back to thinking by writing (again), then be generous with time as you creatively share it with us.

Brewed From Within
#91 📖 Life & Happiness

By Ben McDougal, ago