As an entrepreneur, I value curiosity as a vital business trait. You never know where your curiosity will take you. Case in point: this essay. Which has nothing to with business, but everything to do with being human. Three degrees of separation: Let’s connect Orson Welles, Winston Churchill, Napoleon’s sister, D.W. Griffith, and Gilligan’s Island. In preparation for my upcoming month in Paris, yesterday I started reading John Julius Norwich’s book: France: A History: from Gaul to de Gaulle. I didn't get very far.  I got stopped in the Preface, where the author, John Julius N ..read more

So today I asked ChatGPT: "How will generative AI help entrepreneurs manage their businesses? Please go into detail with examples, and provide sources for your examples." Its answers look pretty useful. How could some of these ideas impact your business? ChatGPT reported back: Generative AI can provide entrepreneurs with valuable tools and capabilities to enhance various aspects of business management. Here are several ways in which generative AI can be beneficial for entrepreneurs, along with examples: Data Analysis and Decision Support: Example: Generative AI algorithms can analyze large da ..read more

Interesting new story on the importance of entrepreneurs and startups in the Harvard Business Review.  Authors Kenan Fikri and Daniel Newman, researchers at the Economic Innovation Group, start by noting the strength and resilience of entrepreneurs: “While some data sources on entrepreneurship operate on a lag, so far it appears that the entrepreneurship surge is real and likely to lead to greater job creation and productivity in the U.S. over the long run.”  Startup entrepreneurs don't get much love nowadays, but as the authors note, startups are important because they drive both ..read more

 A blast from the past. "Presence" is about putting your best self forward at every opportunity. The ebook of Amy Cuddy's book "Presence" is currently on sale for just $1.99 at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. My 2015 interview with Amy Cuddy, from the Financial Post: How adopting Wonder Woman's power pose might change the outcome of a meeting, or even your destiny Harvard professor Amy Cuddy’s message is simple: 'Our bodies change our minds. Our minds change our behaviour. And our behaviour changes our outcomes' Author of the article: Rick Spence You’re sitting in a waiting room, about to meet ..read more

 I talked to an entrepreneur the other day who was very excited about but his business, but disappointed in his friends. It seems that the more successful this entrepreneur became in his business, the more some friends shrank back. They didn't share the excitement of his success... In fact, some seemed to resent it. This type of behavior concerns me, on multiple levels. Entrepreneurs run on adrenaline and confidence. They need positive energy, from within and without, to keep going. When friends don't align their energies with yours, you slow down. It's like running on broken ground ..read more

 I sat down to ask myself,  "What makes a great entrepreneur?"  What skills, attitudes, learnings and outright gifts can most help people to build good products and successful companies? Here's a list of 25 essential skills and traits I came up with. Only the top 10 are in any sort of priority order. Which of these do you think are most important? Which other skills/attitudes would you add?  And which of these strengths should you be actively working on?  Vision and creativity, to see things that aren't there, but could be. Communication skills Leadership Stamina Con ..read more

  What you can learn about communication from listening to Trump’s 2001 call with Georgia election officials I just listened again to Trump’s Jan. 3, 2001 phone call with the Georgia Secretary of State to discuss voting irregularities in November 2000’s presidential election – won by Joe Biden. This hour-long call, recorded by the Georgia side, preserves live evidence of Trump’s lies about the election, his disregard for protocol, his arrogance, and his willingness to bully and threaten any honest administrators who stand in his way. And now we know the call will likely end up being key ..read more

Busy times here at Canadian Entrepreneur, so here's another blogpost written by my AI friend, ChatGPT. Don't forget to use it yourself when pondering new strategies, evaluating new markets, or wrestling with any problem. Today's question: Based on university level research, what are the best strategies businesses can use to hire and retain top talent? Hiring and retaining top talent is crucial for businesses to maintain a competitive edge. Based on university-level research and industry best practices, here are some strategies that businesses can employ: 1. Employer Branding: Develop a stron ..read more

As big companies shrink their workforces, cities have to work harder to support and promote economic growth and good jobs. Luring companies away from other cities is a zero-sum game. That's why cities have to get serious about leveraging the talent and imagination of all their own residents. Entrepreneurs develop new business ideas, create jobs, help each other, and inspire creative and economic resurgence.   There are many ways to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. Here's ChatGPT's menu of 10 ways your city can foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem: 1.   &nbs ..read more

As regular readers may know, I do a lot of writing on sustainability and climate change for a unique Canadian magazine called Corporate Knights. I am proud to be associated with the world’s flagship magazine of “Clean Capitalism.” This is an exciting time to be writing about business and sustainability. Right now, we are at the tipping point for renewable energy the clean energy transition. As I wrote in a story earlier this month:   “A new report from climate statisticians at BloombergNEF (BNEF) says global investment in the low-carbon energy transition totalled a record $1.11 tril ..read more