I spent a lot of time this fall with Oscar-nominated cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth. Jeff was the cinematographer for a couple of little movies you may have heard of, including Fight Club, and A Social Network. He also filmed the Shake It Off video for Travis Kelces’ girlfriend, Taylor, which has been viewed a Dr. Evil-sized 3.3 billion times!
Our team at The Weaponry worked with Jeff and his director brother Tim on a great new TV commercial for a great client that I can’t talk about yet. Kinda like the way you can’t talk about Fight Club. Except in this case nobody gets punched in the tooth.
The Photos
Throughout the month-long multi-timezone shoot, the agency, client and the Cronenweths would take a picture after we wrapped at each location. As we gathered for our team photo following an early morning sunrise shooot, Jeff gave our group a piece of advice. He told us to position ourselves so that we could feel the warmth of the sun on our faces. This would ensure that our face was lit for the picture. It was great advice that allowed us all to direct ourselves, kinda like Kevin Costner, Tyler Perry, or Pam & Tommy.
Positioning ourselves so that we can feel the warmth of the sun on our faces. Jeff and Tim are in the front. John Hancock is in the back.
But I couldn’t help but think that Jeff’s great advice transcends photography and film. In fact, I think it is one of the best pieces of advice and direction we can give another person.
The Sunshine Advice
Always position yourself so that you feel the warmth of the sunshine on your face. Don’t be content to stand in the shadows. As you navigate your personal journey always position yourself amongst people who shine on you. Surround yourself with others who provide the warm glow of kindness, support, respect and encouragement. Find a career where you can feel the glow of the work you do on your face. Spend time in places where you can feel the warmth of the people and the culture. That warmth you feel is the sign that you are exactly where you should be.
Key Takeaway
When you are in the right place with the right people doing the right things you can feel it like warm sunshine on your face. Seek out that feeling. Enjoy it when you find it. And don’t settle for less.
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I have bought 5 homes in the past 20 years. I know a lot about the process. After all, I do it every 4 years. Which means every time you watch the Summer Olympics, vote for president, or admit you were wrong, I am buying a house.
The critical first step to buying a home is considering how much you can afford. You start with a price range, that includes the minimum and the maximum amount you would spend. You know, like something between $200,000 and $300,000. Ish.
Then you shop for your home. The final price of the house you buy falls in one of two places:
A. At the top of your price range
B. Above the top of your price range. (Am I right?)
The challenge is that once you see how good the homes at the top of the range are it is hard to settle for anything less.
Applying this to the rest of your life.
To maximize your life, approach it the same way you approach purchasing a new home.
This means that you should have minimum expectations for your life. And you should have maximum expectations for your life. This includes relationships, careers, adventures, investments, health and anything else that leads to your happiness and sense of achievement, accomplishment and fulfillment. (Basically all the ments.)
Then, like with the home buying example, push yourself to the top of your range. Or beyond. Don’t settle for less. Always strive for the upper limit. Because when you do, you will often find yourself above it.
Key Takeaway
Imagine what you are capable of at your best. Then don’t settle for less.
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It’s that time again. Time to mash some taters, crush some cranberries, jam some yams and think about thanking. It’s a great day for us all to reflect on our blessings. And not just the ones we got after sneezing in public. So before I fall asleep in front of the football game, here is my annual reflection.
23 Things I’m Thankful For In 2023.
My Wife. My wife Dawn and I have now been married for 21 years. She is the best. Rocky Balboa once said of his wife Adrian, “She’s got gaps, I’ve got gaps, together we fill gaps.” I love the way Dawn fills in all my gaps. And all my Banana Republics.
2.My Kids. My little people are a gift. Ava (18), Johann (16) and Magnus (13) are funny and smart. I love seeing them each tap into their unique talents and passions. And I am thankful for the opportunity to see the world through their eyes. I’m also thankful that they each have eyes.
3.They Weapons: The Weaponry, the advertising and ideas agency I lead, has already had its best year ever in 2023. Businesses are people-powered. And I am thankful for the great people on our great team.
4. My Health: I turned 50 this year and I feel great. I had a physical a few months ago. I had a colonoscopy too. (Because they save lives.) Everything looked as good as I feel. My mental health is good too. That warrants a good thank’n.
5.My strength: I am thankful for my physical strength. It’s proof that good habits compound. Like interest. Not like a fracture.
6. Books: I am having my best reading year of all time. I will finish the year having read at least 40 books. And not one paper cut. Each book makes me a little smarter and a little better thinker. And I could use all the help I can get. I will share a full list of my titles at the end of the year.
7. Travel to Europe. My family went to Europe for 2 weeks this summer. I am thankful to be able to experience London, Paris, Switzerland and Munich with my tribe. I also learned how to say I don’t speak the language in 4 languages. Including English.
8. My Parents: Bob and Jill Albrecht are still going strong. I love that they are less than 4 hours away and that I get to see them several times a year. I have friends who have lost parents this year. Which makes me even more thankful for a tank full of parents.
9. My Mother-In-Law: My MIL is 86 years old and is doing great. She’s with us for some turkey this week. Family always makes Thanksgiving better. And my family is not getting together this week, because of #10.
10. My Sister’s Wedding!: My baby sister Donielle is getting married next Saturday in my hometown. So my family is traveling home to Hanover, New Hampshire next Thursday. I am thrilled Donielle is getting married, and that my parents, my 3 sisters and their families will all be back home for the first time together since 1996. Which was just 4 years PM. (Post Mullet)
11. Puerto Rico: 2 weeks ago my high school friends Dan Richards, James Colligan and Matt Prince got together for an epic Guys Weekend in Puerto Rico. We saw Ludacris perform at a private party. We rode an 8300-foot zip line. We drove side-by-sides through jungly mud. We played 11 games of pickleball. (I lost most of them.) We visited Old San Juan, hiked, swam in the ocean and had an all-around amazing guy time. And I still feel like Guy Smiley thinking about it.
12. My Most Recent Commerical Shoot. The Weaponry had an epic commercial shoot this fall. We filmed in Los Angeles, Telluride, Utah, Chicago, Cape Cod, and Western Massachusettes. I can’t wait to share the final spot. It is one of the most beautiful commercials I have ever been part of. Plus, I got to meet new people, deepen my relationships with others, and see several old friends as I traveled the country. It was an experience I will never forget. At least not until I forget everything else too.
13. Coaching Football: I coached my son Magnus’ 7th grade football team this fall. We went 5-3 this season, after winning 3 games total in the past 2 years. The players were great. The coaching staff was great. I am thankful to have so much time with Magnus. And that he was healthy throughout the season. And I love that I get called Coach all over town. It makes me feel like Craig T. Nelson.
14. My John Deere Lawn tractor: I love mowing my 1.7-acre lawn. That’s all I have to say about that.
15. My Jeep Wrangler: We have a red Jeep Wrangler, and I love driving that thing. Especially in the summer with the top off. (The Jeep’s top, not mine.) It’s a very American feeling. #jeepwave
16. Speaking Opportunities: This year has been full of amazing speaking opportunities. Much of it stems from my book What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? But other opportunities have come from business-related topics and student groups. I have traveled to Dallas, Minneapolis, Madison, Columbus, Chicago, Florida (x2), and more. I am always happy to speak. I’m typically called to kick off events with energy or keep people awake at the end of the day. Only in a healthier way than Redbull. Or cocaine.
17.Coaching Track & Field. This year was my 3rd year coaching my daughter Ava’s Homestead High School track team. Ava had a great season and is just 2 feet shy of the school’s 43-year-old discus record. She is working hard to far surpass that mark this year. I am thankful for the time together and how inspiring she is to watch train. I can’t wait to see what the next year holds for her. Plus, I really like the other coaches.
18. Expanding My Ripples Media Team: I published my book with Ripples Media because of the opportunity to be part of a community of authors. I have greatly enjoyed getting to know the other writers and sharing knowledge. It’s fun to join a new community later in life, especially when it’s not at The Villages.
19. My dog Lola: I have a 2-year-old Border Collie named Lola. I am thankful for the joy and friendship she has brought to my home. She brings a lot of energy to our family. And she is always happy to see me, even when the rest of the world isn’t.
20. UW Track and Field Team Reunion. I got to see a bunch of my college track teammates a month ago in Madison, Wisconsin. Many of them I hadn’t seen in 5, 10 or 20 years. See your people in real life. It’s different. Like Nuprin.
21.Laughing: I have laughed a lot this year. I’m thankful for all the funny people and funny situations from the past year. If laughter is the best medicine I am happily overmedicated.
22.Food on the table: I have never gone without this year. That blessing is not lost on me.
23. Shelter: I am thankful for my home. We have been in our current home for 2 years. It is the only house I have lived in as an adult that doesn’t feel temporary.
Bonus Jonas
24. New Friends: I have met a lot of new people this year. They have expanded my world in innumerable ways. (Who needs to numer anyway?)
Key Takeaway
Take time to count your blessings. Today is a great day to recognize all the good in your life. Thank you to all my family and friends. At the end of our days, the only thing that will really matter is the impact we have on each other.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
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Last Wednesday I woke up at 5:00 am. I quickly got ready and hurried to the airport in Milwaukee to catch a 7 a.m. flight to Atlanta. Then I was supposed to catch a flight to Boston where I was to meet up with coworkers and clients for a 2-hour van ride west to Northampton, Massachusettes. We were coordinating our flights into Boston so that we could get out of the city before rush hour hit like Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
However, when I arrived at the airport in Milwaukee I got a notification on my phone that my flight was delayed. At first, this felt like good news. I was running a little behind schedule, and the delay ensured I wouldn’t miss my flight.
On Delay. On Delay.
Then the flight was delayed again. And because of some Milwaukee-style winter weather in early November, we would also have to de-ice the plane. At 8 a.m. they announced that we were delayed until 9 a.m., with an expected arrival into ATL at noon. Which meant I would miss my connection. Which, unlike Chuck Woolery, I did not love.
That’s my flight at the top of the board delayed because of a mechanical issue. I called Mike and the Mechanics. They said all I need is a miracle.
A quick check of my Delta app showed that the next 4 flights from Atlanta to Boston were sold out. So there was no telling when or if I would make it to Boston. Oy.
Beantown Plan B.
However, I also found a direct flight to Boston that left Milwaukee at 1:15 p.m. So I rebooked myself onto the direct flight, left the airport, and headed to my office at The Weaponry in downtown Milwaukee to work for the morning.
The delay meant that I would miss the van driving our team to Northampton. Instead, I would have to rent a car and drive for 2 hours by myself. Here comes the plot twist.
I realized I didn’t have to rent a car. I was able to rent a car. And this created some new possibilities.
Fire Up The Friend Detector.
One of my favorite things is to carve out time from my business trips to see friends. So I shuffled through my mental Rolodex wondering who I could see on the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston, besides James Taylor.
This is the Milwaukee shoreline of Lake Michigan. It’s beautiful. Unsalted and shark-free.
Jeremy ‘J.D.’ Durand
At 11:50 a.m. I sent my friend Jeremy Durand a message through Facebook Messenger, asking him where in Massachusettes he lived. I shared that I would be driving across the state that evening and would love to meet up.
Jeremy and I grew up in neighboring towns in Vermont and worked together for several summers during college setting tents for Blood’s Seafood, Catering, and Party Rentals. (And you don’t need a career in branding to know that Blood’s is not a great brand name for anything related to food.)
Touchin’ down in New England town. Feel the heat comin’ down. (Name that tune.)
Jeremy informed me that he lived in Sturbridge, Mass, which was the midpoint of my drive. He was excited to grab dinner that night. So we quickly scrambled plans and at 7 p.m. that evening, I met Jeremy at a sushi restaurant in Sturbridge called Kaizen. Near Wicked Lick ice cream. Seriously.
The food was excellent. The conversation was even better. We caught up on our careers, families, hobbies, and common friends. This was the first time we had seen each other in 27 years! And the only reason we connected was because I got some bad news about my flight. Which turned out to be great news. Because it allowed me to reconnect with an old friend.
We asked our waitress if she would take a pic for us. She said, ‘Sure! I’m wicked good at it!’ She wasn’t. So here’s our selfie instead.
Ramble On
After I left JD that night I drove to the beautiful old Hotel Northampton. Shortly after checking in, I wondered if there was anyone else I might be able to see the next day. I would be filming a commercial at sunrise. Then I had to drive 3 hours to Cape Cod where we would be filming another scene at sunset and looking for those great potato chips they have on The Cape. But again, because I had a rental car I could stop for a few minutes to see another friend.
After a little thinking, my high school friend Zena Clift came to mind. I thought she might be in the general area where I was. A quick search on Facebook revealed that she lived 15 minutes away! So I messaged Zena.
I heard back from Zena the next morning at 6 a.m. We quickly coordinated a pow-wow. So after we wrapped our stunning sunrise shot and the rest of my team hopped in the van headed for the Cape, I jumped in my red Jeep Gladiator and drove to Amherst.
I was the blue circle. Zena was the red marker that looks like Kenny’s hoodie from South Park.
Zena Clift
I met Zena at a cafe on the campus of Hampshire College where she works. We talked and caught up the way Jeremy and I did the night before. Zena and I went to high school together in Hanover, New Hampshire. We were on the track team together too. She was a great runner. But we hadn’t seen each other in 30 years. 30 years!
Me and Zena and a building directory at Hampshire College.
After taking as much time as we could carve out of our busy schedules we took some pics and said goodbye. I headed off for Cape Cod for my afternoon shoot feeling like I was winning at life.
Key Takeaway
Your personal relationships are your most valuable assets. They enrich your life in immeasurable ways. Make time to see your people in real life. Look at the delays and detours in life as opportunities to spend time with friends and family. Make time to reconnect with those you haven’t seen or heard from in decades. It’s worth the effort. And if you are ever traveling near Milwaukee, look me up. I am always up for a good pow-wow.
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You have a valuable talent. Everyone does. You probably have more than one. But just being born with a valuable talent doesn’t make it valuable. Sorry, Charlie.
To unlock the value of your natural talentyou need to do 3 things:
You have to recognize what your valuable talent is.
You have to develop that talent.
You must find opportunities to put your talent to work where it creates value.
Valuable talents could be anything. Here is a non-exhaustive list to get your introspector introspecting.
Listening
Organizing
Remembering
Strategizing
Pruf Reeding
Creativity
Drawing Attention
Details
Humor
Caring
Impersonating Arron Neville.
Managing
Sales
Art
Picking Locks
Throwing Parties
Music
Teaching
Making Long Lists Less Boring To Read
Math
Words
Energy
Vision
Mechanics
Relationships
Looking good (This talent pairs well with all others)
Discovering talent in others
Key Takeaway
Don’t waste time trying to strengthen your weaknesses. That doesn’t unlock the kind of value that will make you highly successful. Instead, focus on your talents. Discover them. Develop them. Put yourself in situations where you can use them every day.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
I am having a great day. Scratch that. I am having a great week. I am shooting a new commercial this week in Los Angeles. All of the leaves are not brown. And the sky is not gray. This is just the beginning of an amazing filming adventure that will cover 5 states in all 4 US time zones. (The United States has 4 different time zones if you ignore Hawaii Time, Alaska Time, and Hammer Time.)
Some other fun updates from this week:
Let’s do this!!!
Key Takeaway
Great effort, great reading, and great relationships compound. Keep putting in the work. Force good things to life through your actions. Be of value to others. It’s the most valuable thing you can do for yourself, your career, and your happiness.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
One of the greatest studies ever conducted on humans is the Grant Study, also known as the Harvard Human Happiness Study. It has tracked the same people for 85 years. And it has developed a clear conclusion that the greatest influence on human happiness and fulfillment is strong personal relationships. Having close, meaningful relationships with your friends and family will make you happier and healthier, and help you live longer. Which helps explain why Keith Richards and Willie Nelson are still kicking.
But what if the relationship has sailed?
Yet strong and deep personal relationships take work to maintain. You undoubtedly have good friends or family members that you were once close to, but now it has been a long time since you talked. Maybe there was an issue.Or a move. Or you no longer work together. Because many of our strongest friendships develop at work. Which is where I met my wife. And a bunch of other great friends that I didn’t marry.
Yet studies clearly show that resuming and restrengthening your relationships will have a positive impact on your health and happiness.
Hello…
Interestingly, studies also show that the number one reason people don’t reach out to friends, family and former coworkers after long silences is that they worry that reaching out will be awkward.
Which means that worrying about the awkwardness of a conversation with a once close friend or family member is one of the greatest barriers to human happiness.
Really? Awkwardness? (Said the way Allen Iverson said ‘Practice?‘) That’s crazy. And we’re not even talking about real awkwardness. Just the perceived potential of awkwardness.
In reality, most people are thrilled to hear from a friend or family member they haven’t heard from in a long time. Which means that by reaching out you are doing yourself and the person you are reaching out to a solid. Because reconnected and reestablishing meaningful relationships is not only highly enjoyable, it is extremely good for your health and happiness. Which makes you feel like Pharrell Williams in a room without a roof.
Key Takeaway
Strong personal relationships are the key to happiness, health, and longevity. Invest time and energy in your current relationships. Reconnect with friends and family members you have not been in touch with lately. Get over the awkwardness. It will be worth it.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Life isn’t easy. It never has been. In fact, things go wrong all the time. And when you are trying to do hard things personally or professionally you will experience bumps, twists, stops, and restarts. It can be maddening. But so is quitting.
When things get hard and the ride gets rough, I always tell myself these 5 simple words:
Just stay on the horse.
Like you, most of the challenges I face don’t involve riding an actual horse.
But many of the difficult things we encounter feel like a bucking horse trying to throw us to the ground.
Things like work issues, relationship challenges, parenting, adversaries, unexpected expenses, illness, and weather. (Did I mention parenting?)
Remember, problems and challenges will keep coming. But they will also go away. You just have to make sure you stay on the horse long enough to enjoy watching the challenges go away.
So don’t quit, Buckaroo. And don’t give up. Tame the challenge. And enjoy the smooth ride on the other side.
Key Takeaway
Just stay on the horse. The bumps are part of the adventure. They make the ride more difficult. But they make the success sweeter. They make the story better. And ultimately, they make you better too.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
I am trying to get better all the time. But the reality is that I am not always better.
I’m building good habits. But I still have bad habits too.
I try to be patient and kind. But I still get angry, lose my temper, and say naughty words.
I try to be a doer. But too often I procrastinate. (Although sometimes I don’t procrastinate until later.)
I try not to let my phone take attention away from my family and friends. But then I’ll find something hilarious on social media, or wonder about the Wordle word, or get a notification about the famous person from the 80s who got eaten by a snake, and just have to click on it to find out if it was David Coverdale.
Why? Why?
Tell em that it’s human nature.
But I keep trying.
And I don’t let my lesser actions and behaviors define me. Or confirm that I am not actually getting better. I know I am.
Instead, I always think about those signs you see in a factory that count the number of days they have gone without a workplace injury. They are reminders of your accumulated success. And encouragement to keep the streak alive. And presumably the people too.
So I have counters in my head, on my phone, and on pieces of paper around my house tallying my successful days doing or not doing various things. The streaks feel good. So I focus on extending them and not breaking the chain. But when I do, I reset the clock, start again, and try to go longer, if not forever.
Key Takeaway
Self-improvement is directional. It is not about absolutes. Increase the number of days and times you do the right things the way you want to do them in your head. Do the good things more. Do the bad things less. Focus on building your streaks. A winning streak is an uninterrupted sequence of successes. That should always be your goal. Just keep adding days. Go as long as you can without messing up. The goal is to be better for the rest of your life. But if you break the chain, always start a new chain and try again.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
There is a boy on the 7th-grade football team I coach named Josh. He’s a good athlete. He can run the ball well, he’s a strong receiver, and he’s a great defender. He plays both running back and linebacker. And he is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic kids on the team. And I have a special affinity for energetic and enthusiastic types.
While Josh has a broad range of valuable football-related skills, one thing he doesn’t do very well is ride a bike. And unfortunately at the beginning of the season, Josh fell off his bike and broke his arm. Boo. He has been in a light blue cast, that extends to his upper arm since the second week of the season. I expect he inherited this biking inability from his father, Mike, whom I have known since we were athletes at the University of Wisconsin.
Despite the broken wing, Josh and his positive attitude come to practice every day. He helps the coaches run drills. He plays practice quarterback and hands off the ball for running back drills with his good arm. He cheers. He encourages. He laughs at my jokes. He has all the valuable intangibles.
On Saturdays during our games, Josh is in charge of the water. On most teams, this role is called the waterboy. But I never liked that term. It has always felt diminutive, even before Adam Sandler and Fonzy’s hilarious hit movie Waterboy. (You can do it!)
The role of keeping our players hydrated during games is extremely important. And Josh approaches the role with such enthusiasm that I felt we needed to rename the position.
So on game days, we don’t call Josh the waterboy. We call him Aquaman.
The name is fun. It feels as important as the job really is. Just like the superhero Aquaman, Josh and his bottles of magic liquid have special powers that are used for good. Those bottles of water that Josh brings to his teammates on the field and on the sideline help the players in their moments of greatest need. In fact, there are many times during a game when the players need Aquaman more than they need the coaches. (Don’t tell Josh I said that, or he may get a big head and his bike helmet will no longer fit. And he needs that helmet.)
Key Takeaway
Names matter. They affect the way you think. They affect the way you feel. If you want more out of a role, consider the title you use for it. If you want people to love your product, service, process or place, carefully consider the name you give it. Perception is reality. And a more attractive name creates a more attractive brand. And better brands get better results.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Adam Albrecht Blog 