Pearls of Wisdom | Brilliant Visions, LLC

“You’re Grounded.” (Thank You!)

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

“You’re grounded!” These words have been uttered by many a parent as punishment for mischief-making teenagers. “Grounding,” in this sense, means you are taking the kid out of the action and putting her on the sidelines for a bit. One mom I know said that grounding doesn’t work as a deterrent for her son because he likes it. No iPhone,…

Wallow in the Mystery

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

I’m noticing the whir of creativity in the air these days. Another year is winding down, and thoughts of a new year are wafting in. A fresh new year feels like a reboot, an opportunity for new ways, new thinking, new possibilities. As 2015 peeks over the horizon, I encourage you to call upon the mystery of creativity. Business owners often…

5 Reasons You Should Blame “Them”

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

They made this mess. It’s their fault. If it weren’t for them… Oh, there are so many ways to invoke blame! Here’s the raw truth about blame: In the heat of the moment, it seems easy and natural to lay blame on others. But operating from a stance of blame is more harmful to yourself than it is to the entity or person…

Gut Check: Are You a Compassionate CEO?

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

There have been quite a few studies in recent years conveying that a number of business leaders, entrepreneurs and politicians (ummm, no surprise!) have a propensity toward sociopathic traits. The hallmark qualities of a sociopath include: lack of empathy, an insincere charm, and great skill in manipulating others. We’ve all seen that boss, I’m sure. And I would bet that…

Are You Working Hard? Or Working Cruel?

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 3 Comments

Hard work can be awesome. I love pushing myself beyond my perceived limits and achieving more than I thought possible – whether in a business or physical pursuit. And the notion of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is inspiring. But somehow, our achievement-oriented culture has skewed the definition of work. Collectively, we’ve taken a healthy, enlivening part of life…

My Theme for 2014: Spark

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Martha Carnahan | 5 Comments

Got big plans this year? Did you make any resolutions? Goals? As you probably know, the “honeymoon” period of New Year plans tends to fade away – sometimes as quickly as February! I have found that when I gift myself the soul-searching process of selecting a theme, the goals fall in line more easily. After doing this for more than…

How to Have More Powerful Conversations with Yourself

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Martha Carnahan | 19 Comments

When you are running a business you need a good team. You may be the captain, but your partners, employees, assistants, advisors, and vendors all play critical roles on your ship’s crew. There is another team on board too – your inner team. I’m sure you’ve noticed that sometimes you feel like you are at the helm and sometimes… well,…

Why Failure is FANTASTIC!

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Martha Carnahan | 3 Comments

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~Thomas A. Edison I know you’ve heard this many times, but it bears repeating: Failure = Opportunity to Learn. A device I use to remember this comes from a story I heard many years ago during a coach training class. We had just been taught a new skill…

Fetching? Guarding? Herding? What’s Your Natural Talent?

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Martha Carnahan | 2 Comments

I truly get off on witnessing a talent shared and embraced. It’s a beautiful thing. Let’s start with dog competitions. I swear, I cry at dog shows and agility trials. There is something about seeing the natural instincts of a particular breed come to life that makes me weep. I once watched a television show where puppies were exposed to…

We Are All Self-Employed

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Martha Carnahan | 0 Comments

Often, new clients come to coaching because they feel trapped in their jobs. Trapped by money, loyalty guilt and quite often, fear of the unknowns of a new job. They hate Monday mornings, resent management decisions and often feel quite stressed out. There is actually a cure for this misery! And you don’t even have to quit your job to…