I'm Aware

Brandon Hull

My kids say this to me and my wife all the time: "I'm aware." It used to bug me. It felt dismissive. But now I get it. I'm aware means I'm paying attention. It doesn't mean I'm on top of everything. I'm trying to take that awareness and curiosity deeper. Reading more widely and thoughtfully. Working on improving habits and virtues. Seeking to understand others instead of labeling and rushing to judgment. Subscribe if you're ready to become more aware, too.

On friendship and inclusion

I’m teased by my wife and kids about the old friendship I have with two men: Jim Bradford and Bruce Roach. The friendships date back to about 1982. To this day, we still quote Chevy Chase movies. We still sling our faux sports broadcaster voices around in contexts that make no sense. We still build favorite-song playlists with different themes. We communicate several times each week. I asked them for their thoughts on friendship recently for a talk I had to give on the subject. This is what...

3 months ago • 2 min read

Photo courtesy of https://unsplash.com/@namroud

How to be memorable

'The child is father of the man' The secret to being memorable is in not seeking this out as a goal at all. The key is putting all of your energy, focus, and interest into serving others. It was fall 1987. The first day of my senior year in high school in Olathe, Kansas. The bell rang and as students we slid into our desks. It was seventh hour, our final class. Since that room bordered the front face of Olathe North High School, with windows filling the entire wall, it was as though the...

4 months ago • 4 min read

Photo courtesy of https://unsplash.com/@laughayette

Everything can change by just noticing people

'I am a watcher from the sidelines' While teaching an online class about sales and customer relations to 50 students, I had one student quietly slip away for two weeks, not participating in our discussions or submitting assignments. When she reappeared, I made a point to add a short comment on her discussion post, acknowledging and celebrating her return. Her email to me reminded me how big a difference we can make in peoples' lives when we assume nothing about where their head is at, how...

4 months ago • 1 min read

My #1 Piece of Communication Advice

Sep 29, 2023 For 29 years I've been consciously studying how I and my teams communicate to persuade other people. I'm fascinated with how we all do this. We've sold physical products, consulting services, technology, organizational philosophies, business growth ideas, leadership approaches. You name it. The one advice to someone wanting to persuade or train others is not what you think. It’s not about rushing to craft the perfect message or an incredible offer or build your outline for...

almost 2 years ago • 3 min read

My kids say this to me and my wife all the time: "I'm aware." It used to bug me. It felt dismissive. But now I get it. I'm aware means I'm paying attention. It doesn't mean I'm on top of everything. I'm trying to take that awareness and curiosity deeper. Reading more widely and thoughtfully. Working on improving habits and virtues. Seeking to understand others instead of labeling and rushing to judgment. Subscribe if you're ready to become more aware, too.