for innovation

There is more hot and smoky in store for the day, including a very real threat of thunderstorms. You may want to stick to indoor activities when the air quality is low like this. The Capital City Community Band has a free concert and ice cream social scheduled for this afternoon at the First United Methodist Church. All are welcome, and it’s hard to argue with ice cream on a day like this. If you are looking to start your own business, but still some legal guidance, you’ll find the ‘Lunch-n-Learn’ workshop at the Adams Hub extremely helpful.

Business is kind of like a horse race. When you line them up at the starting line, the horses all look good. They are all fast, just some are faster than others. Some of them have better odds than the others. Nevada is a betting state, so I will ask you some betting questions.

What a day. The Concert Under the Stars brings Jefferson Starship to the outdoor stage at the Brewery Arts Show. Get there early to peruse the silent auction items and food vendors; the annual fundraising benefit for the Greenhouse Project is always the talk of the town. The Greatest Showman on Earth makes an appearance at the Dangberg Home Historic Ranch: it’s Chautauqua night, and Doug Mishler will be portraying “Circus Showman P. T. Barnum.” The Stewart Indian School in east Carson City has history reaching into the early days of our state.

Sorry – It’s such a common word. It’s intention and meaning vary from person to person. It could be nothing more than pre-conditioned response or a heartfelt, sincere understanding of wrongdoing. Regardless of what goes wrong, even in business and customer relationships, the first inclination is to say sorry. However, what is sorry without something to back it up?

There will be some tales told today. The Dayton Historical Society had to postpone the last lecture in their May series until tonight, so you still have a chance to hear Karen Howe’s presentation on the Dayton Cemetery and who you’ll find there. Local author Jennifer Quashnick visits the Browsers Corner Book Store for a meet-and-greet, and to discuss the latest addition to her Mountain Girl book series. Get the little ones in their jammies and head to the Carson Library for Pajama Storytime.

Yesterday, I woke up at 5 a.m. to start my radio show, Drive Time: Your Motivational Drive in the Morning, airing 6 to 8 a.m. every Monday on KNVC 95.1 FM Carson City Community Radio. Having a morning show seemed like a pipe dream a year ago.

Ever messed up? That should be a rhetorical question. Because, the truth is, we all have. We have all fallen short. Sometimes the mistakes are small. Other times they are big. At the time of a mistake, we reach a crossroads. Do we hide in shame and continue to make the mistake worse?

Hello Carson City! It’s been a bit since I’ve written a column. May has been a whirlwind, which started with a pre-graduation meditation retreat with Mindful USC. I was honored to be one of two alumni present on a silent meditation retreat with 30 people. The remaining 28 were USC professors and employees. After the retreat, I worked in Los Angeles for two days before participating in commencement activities.

This week is just flying by and the weekend is just around the corner. Mothers’ Day is this Sunday and there will be plenty of ways to spoil Mom. A trip to Virginia City on the V & T Steam Train is always memorable. The annual RSVP Spring Celebration Carnival opens tomorrow in Mills Park.

Join us at the Union every Wednesday from 9 to 10 amfor up to 2 entrepreneurs explaining their business, how it got started and their future plans. The audience is encouraged to ask questions, give advice and ideas for improvement. Free coffee, food available for purchase. Sponsored by Adam's Hub for Innovation.

It seems, this week, so many I know have lost something. Whether it’s a job, health, a relationship, or an expectation, loss is real. It’s emotionally hard. In some cases, it’s a crisis. Loss of a client can hurt or kill a business if a contingency plan isn’t in place. Losing a job or a partner can be life altering. So, how can you recover faster?

The projects are piling high like the snow on the summit of the Sierra Mountains. You are suffocated. You can’t breathe. The air is thin. There’s too much to do and no time to do it. You’ve hit overwhelm and you shut down. You Netflix and chill or find some way to forget about it, just making the matter worse. The pile gets bigger the more time you don’t tend to it, which just makes the overwhelm worse.

Milton Chen, 65, recently started taking jazz piano lessons. He’s learning from an instructor as well as from an app and other online sources.

Well, so much for spring. Stay warm today as the wind whips into town. It’s National Library Week, and the Carson City Library isn’t shirking its duties with the Lego Club, Story time, and a sewing class in its Makerspace all happening today. They have also brought in renown speaker, author, and innovator Milton Chen to lead a panel discussion on education inside of the Brewery Arts Center’s Performance Hall.

For the last several months, the Galaxy Theater has been playing a movie from yesteryear on Sundays and Wednesdays. This week’s ‘Flashback’ is the disco classic ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ in all its polyester glory. For those interested in a nursing career, Western Nevada College is hosting an informational meeting that will cover what can be expected for those enrolling in the educational program. Now that spring is more or less here, Carson City BMX is back on the track. You’ll find their races on Sunday mornings, but Wednesdays are for practice.

What does it mean to be free to be yourself? Sometimes, I see clients who are quite confused. Some are at the end of their rope. They are doing what they are “supposed to do.” But something is off. They are dissatisfied. Business, life, career, isn’t matching up to what they expected.

The other day, I was watching Katy Perry’s music video for the song “Rise.” The video shows Perry looking strong, strapped to a large red parachute that is pulling her upright, up into the air. She smiles. But then life happens. She’s grounded. She’s crawling through the dirt, hanging off the edge of a cliff. She’s drowning in water. It seems things get worse and worse. The one thing she doesn’t do is leave the chute behind. That parachute we all have has a name. It’s TRUST.

Those of you who have read my column for a while know I picked up a mentor in the last year named Brendon Burchard. If you haven’t heard of him, Google the name. I just returned from High Performance Academy and one small shift has transformed my productivity. No, I’m not following some new system or complicated technique. I just added a morning routine!

I used to say, “expectations are pre-meditated resentments.” I used to try to stop myself from having expectations, of myself, others, and outcomes. Every time I tried to stop myself, I waged a private war in my head. What I didn’t realize at the time is that I needed to stop communicating with myself so much and start communicating with others.

March 14, or 3.14, is jokingly referred to as ‘Pi Day’ because of its resemblance to the mathematical constant. The Tahoe Mountain Milers host a fun run every year to celebrate. If you can run 3.14 miles in a time closest to 31.4 minutes, the bragging rights, and a delicious pie, will be yours. Spaghetti is on the menu at the Nevada Governor’s Mansion where the Nurses of Western Nevada College are hosting a fundraiser.

How often do you allow yourself to play? If you just rolled your eyes, I’m definitely talking to you. At some point, you had joy in what you were doing. Maybe it wasn’t work. Maybe you were at the hot springs with a pool noodle shooting water at your friends. Whatever you were doing, you were in a place of joy.

Life comes out of left field sometimes. I remember when I was laid off from my last full-time job. I had it all: a nice salary, stock options, insurance, and a 401k. By all auspices, I was set. More than set, I was really happy. I loved my co-workers. I really enjoyed the work I was doing. The boat was sailing on smooth seas. Then, the typhoon hit.

This week's edition of It's Your City host Cortney Bloomer features Miya MacKenzie and Peggy Borgman of Adams Hub for Innovation based in Carson City. The three discuss what it is to be a business incubator and how entrepreneurs are learning and growing via mentorships throughout the surrounding area.

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to say something, but you didn’t know how? What does that feel like in your body? Does it feel like a headache, pressing on your chest, or a pit in your stomach? Stating your truth is uncomfortable. But it’s also necessary in order to have authentic relationships with others.

This morning, my thoughts were consumed by the idea of being the leader, the benevolent king or queen, or the alpha. The word alpha stuck in my head. I thought of the wolves and how an alpha wolf leads the pack, both from the back or the front.

Today is traditionally a day to celebrate sweethearts, but there are those who eschew the trappings of what they consider a ‘Hallmark holiday.’ However you choose to spend the day, you’ll find some options here. Show some love to local non-profit ‘Food for Thought’ by grabbing a yummy beverage at Dutch Brothers coffee today. Battle Born Social is hosting a Un-Valentine's Roaring 20s Party and hoping to see some zoot suits and flapper dresses while they serve era-inspired cocktails and appetizers.

I’m on a mission. Maybe you are too. Maybe there’s something you want so bad you can taste it. That might be a weight loss goal. It might be an ideal relationship. You could be striving for a revenue goal or promotion. Whatever you want, you increase your chances of getting it if you plan to succeed.

There doesn’t seem to be any ‘brrrr’ in this February so far, and this week won’t buck the warm weather trend. A new exhibit can be found at the CCAI Gallery on the second floor of the Carson City Courthouse: Writing from Mars, by Rick Parsons, is on display until May 23. Red’s Old 395 is known for their happy hour with great drink prices and yummy appetizers. Martinis are half-price today if you need to unwind.

My column is late this week. And, you know what? It’s OK. It’s OK because done is better than not at all. It’s OK because I can get out of my head long enough to forgive myself for how busy I have been. And, guess what else? It’s OK for you to just get things done too.

The weekend is over and we are just a few days from February. Let me be the first to remind you that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. If you have a romantic dinner in mind, make those reservations now. Start the week with some swing in your step; the High Sierra Swing Dance club will even get you started with some new moves. Sing the workweek blues away during karaoke night at the Fox Brewpub.

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