I’m so excited you are here…

People who invest in their growth are kindred spirits. Welcome!

Here’s what you can expect. Your five-minute Friday letter will bring you a story, idea, or takeaways from the Just One Pivot podcast. Once in a while I’ll throw in a science-based insight you may find helpful in your growth journey.

And with that, my job is done, and it’s your turn.

You then apply the stories, questions, and tools as needed, discarding what doesn’t apply to you.

If you find clarity and are inspired to pivot to your next best move, hit reply and tell me all about it!

I’d love to cheer you on.

Ok, let’s go!

Episode #1 Takeaways

The maiden episode is less than 10 minutes long. You can also listen on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube, which offers automatically generated transcripts. Here are three key takeaways:

1. Just one pivot can change the momentum of the game—at work, at home, in business, and in life. My father, who only lived to be 39, drilled this into me one chess game at a time. The tumor may have won the battle, but the gift he left behind is why I’m here. Now, I’m passing that gift to you.

2. Everything can shift in an instant—and it starts with a mental shift. And a mental shift begins with a single question. For example, when I told Joyce, my mentor of 20 years, that launching Just One Pivot was my BIG 2024 GOAL, she said, "You know, you've been talking about this for as long as I've known you.” That was June 2024. The question that shifted everything: What’s different now? 

3. The secret sauce is in the question. You can ask, “Why me?” or an empowering question like, “What’s my next best move?” And why does this work?

I’m so glad you asked. Read on.

Science Snapshot: Priming

In cognitive psychology, asking questions is an example of priming. Priming works by activating the brain for associations. For example, a question can prime the brain for positive associations or negative bias.

Consider these negative priming questions: “Why me? How could I be so stupid? Why would I do that? Why didn’t I say anything? Why did I open my mouth?” 

These are the types of questions your inner critic loves to hear. Trust me. The answers won’t be helpful because your inner critic is a bully.

In contrast, asking, “What’s my next best move?” pivots you from thinking like a victim without possibilities to thinking like a creative person who has agency and boundless possibilities.

You can learn more about priming in this accessible article.

Your Turn

I’m excited that you’ve read this far!

Now, I invite you to ponder the question, “What’s my next best move?” and pay attention to the rush of creativity and serendipity that will knock at your door.

If you found this week’s podcast episode and this newsletter valuable, I’d appreciate you sharing them with others. Just send them to JustOnePivot.com.

Let’s help each other stay unstuck and find our forward momentum, just one pivot at a time.

Stay kind. Be courageous.

P.S. Interested in more growth for yourself and your team? Here are three ways:

• Share the podcast and newsletter with your team. Just send them to JustOnePivot.com. Then, consider carving time for group discussion and application to your work. A lunch-and-learn, perhaps?

• Get a copy of my book, Bridge Builders: How Superb Communicators Get What They Want In Business and In Life, and read it with your team. Every chapter has reflection questions to help you grow together, one pivot at a time.