by hcingram
Have you ever had that dream? The one where you are taking a test that you haven’t prepared for? I often think of that when I read about success habits. “Wait?! What?! – I should have been eating avocado toast and chia smoothies all along!? Why didn’t anyone tell me!” Then I remind myself 1. not to be a dope 2. not to compare … Read More Your Success Portfolio – Balancing Grit, Talent, Tribe and Grace
by hcingram
“Start with a beginner’s mind” is an oft repeated mantra for design thinkers. It’s meant to encourage expansive, non judgemental observation – and open up new connections and possibilities. That’s because design thinking — unlike engineering or business thinking — is not about applying known solutions. Design thinking techniques are good for messy, complex, hard-to-define problems that require exploration and creativity, aka wicked problems. … Read More You have to be confident to be humble
by hcingram
I admit I am a total weirdo. I get bored really easily and one of my “growth areas” – i.e. “what I suck at” – is savoring my victories. My credo has always been “don’t rest on your laurels.” I’m always looking for the next challenge, looking to grow, learn stretch myself. A lot of folks are similar, looking to the future, striving, working, … Read More Don’t wait for success to feel successful…
by hcingram
While I basically agree we should “give honest and sincere feedback” – it’s important to realize that not all feedback is created equal. Below are my thoughts about why creatives should (and should not) give a crap about your feedback. Creatives are intrinsically motivated Artists manifest ideas because they must. They don’t necessarily do it for an audience or other people. The goal is to bring to … Read More Give honest and sincere appreciation – addendum
by hcingram
“Give honest and sincere appreciation.” Carnegie’s second principle is easier to accept than his first. It does, however, make you think of that line, “Sincerity is everything, once you can fake that you have it made.” Actually, a lot of the criticism against Carnegie is that his advice seems kind of fake. Intentional sincerity, as opposed to spontaneous sincerity, feels inauthentic to a lot of … Read More Sincerity is everything…
by hcingram
One of the biggest challenges launching MATAGI, has been convincing people to “work for free.” I’ve had some missteps and disappointments when folks failed to show up. Those failures brought me back to the drawing board and made me question if getting folks to work in mini-collaborations was possible? (Spoiler: It is.) Many folks think it’s crazy to expect people to collaborate without a … Read More When should you work for free?
by hcingram
How to Win Friends & Influence People was recommended to me by a well-intentioned sycophant. At least, I want to assume they were well-intentioned. At the time I found that person to be an enormous brown noser, but an effective, enormous brown-noser. I didn’t like this person and I am pretty sure this person didn’t like me. And yet the book’s kind of famous. … Read More Do you want to be right or do you want to be liked?
by hcingram
Awhile ago* I came across these three SUREFIRE ways for overcoming your fears and doubts. Friends Facts Faith Starting a new business venture is a risk and I’ve had far more gut clinching moments than expected. A lot of entrepreneurs gloss over how taking on new risks “feel” and I think that is a mistake. It’s not just me As I work to build … Read More Three Surefire Ways of Overcoming Fear
by hcingram
I like the double meaning of the tagline “get out of your mind.” It’s meant to imply both a designer’s “bias to action” as well as an element of craziness. The day of my first MATAGI event certainly was crazy but not for the reasons anyone might expect. Looking back in ten years, I suspect it’ll be almost funny that on the same day … Read More “Get out of your mind”
by hcingram
I’m great at customer service, and by “customer”, I mean nearly everyone in my business ecosystem, internal and external. For most of my career, I was all about going “above and beyond”, anticipating needs, and “being nice.” (This makes sense especially given research out there that suggests women especially benefit from being perceived as nice.) As I’ve launched MATAGI, I’ve had to “cut back” … Read More Not Being Nice.
Heather C. Ingram founded Matagi with the simple idea, that everyone has a purpose and a gift to give. Matagi was founded both to MAke opportunities and as a reminder that you don't need to be GIven a chance to TAke a chance. Matagi helps entrepreneurs, businesses and start-ups realize the exponential potential of the digital economy.
