Chris Deals With It

Today’s question covers what’s often a difficult, and crucial early-career transition point:

My employer has hired several eager, entry-level employees for my department. Although I’m still early in my own career, they’ve assigned me to train and mentor them. I’ve been with the organization for four years, and have a reputation for getting things done effectively. What advice do you have on being an effective mentor, while not sacrificing my own development?

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Over the Labor Day weekend, my beloved cat Yoshi passed away. Losing someone is a chance for each of us to reflect. To crystallize that person in our hearts & minds. Ensure their best memories & qualities live on in us. It can’t be helped that they turn into a kind of abstraction through this process. An incomplete imprint of a person, but still a soul impacting lives long after their passing.

In this memorial episode, I share these insights, these abstractions, along with stories to illustrate these insights.

Trigger warning: I talk about the death and burial of a pet. Please skip this episode if this is something you don’t want to hear about.

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Today's question:

Back on Episode 1, you talked about ideas turning into viruses. Well, I’ve been infected with one. My new project’s going to require a ton of work over a long period of time. This doesn’t scare me, but I’m struggling to carve out the time to do the work. I have a family & kids to care for, demanding job that requires 50-60 hours a week, and a dizzying array of other responsibilities. Can you share some mindsets & techniques that can help me find consistent time & discipline to make this project a reality?

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

The Managing the Middle Series is a guide to managing the middle: Advice on how to serve as a better bridge between the divides within our organizations, societies, and lives.

It’s the kind of advice I would have benefitted from when I started managing projects and people. I’ll provide advice on ways to counter polarization and extremism, and how to embrace the shades of gray between issues.

In this first episode of the series, I’m injecting myself into one of my favorite movies: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. I’ve decided to pull Charlie aside and offer him some advice on the eve of his new opportunity within a large, well-known corporation.

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Workshops are live working sessions, where I dive deep into a specific problem or focus area alongside a special guest. Today’s workshop will be relevant to anyone interested in:

• Parenting

Marie Burke is mother to your host, his two siblings, and grandmother to six awesome kids 9 months to 5-1/2 years old. Today’s special workshop has Mom dealing with a variety of parenting from her oldest son on the eve of his 40th birthday!

Question 1: It’s been forty years since you became a mother. Any reflections?

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Workshops are live working sessions, where I dive deep into a specific problem or focus area alongside a special guest.

Criss is one of my audio engineers from A Shared Universe who have helped get the CDWI podcast off the ground. During a recent recording session, he asked a live question, which we recorded. He’s a fantastic musician, and you should totally give his stuff a listen:

Criss brings two questions to today's episode:

When do you take your hobby into a business, or into a bigger venture than just being a hobby?

When you get to the point of turning it into a business, how do you confront your first failure? How do you take that and grow & learn?

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Today's question:

I run a small B2B marketing firm and I keep hearing about CRMs and how they can drive growth. But they look expensive, a pain to setup, and regular effort to maintain. Can you help me explore CRMs, and how to understand if the benefits end up being worth it?

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Today's question:

I’m a jack of all trades, master of none who is looking for a new job after over a decade in the same company. How do I sell my skill set AND find the right match?

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

Workshops are live working sessions, where I dive deep into a specific problem or focus area alongside a special guest.

Today’s workshop will be relevant to anyone interested in:

• Publishing & Marketing creative works

Lauren Bilanko is the owner of Studio Bilanko and co-founder/owner of the Twenty Sided Store in Brooklyn, NYC.

Today’ workshop kicks off with Lauren’s question:

I’ve built the fictional World of Mira over many projects stretching beyond the past decade. I’ve bootstrapped many experiences in this world, all of which required learning as I go. But I struggle with where to start with all my plans to expand the World. Being on the retailer side of things I have a lot of experience with what a game needs to have in order to sell... but I do not have any experience with working with publishers, distributors, printers, or manufacturers.

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin

My current challenge is trying to purge the excess of stuff I have accumulated over the years. Part of the issue is the time to do it. Breaking it down into smaller jobs hasn't really worked for me. Do I sell it? Do I donate it? Do I throw it into the trash? Do I leave it as a legacy for my children to sort through? All kidding aside: Getting started is easy, seeing it through to the finish line is the hard part.

For more info & to download a free PDF of today's episode notes, visit: www.chriskreuter.com/CDWI

Join the Kreuter Studios mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/810367311f3d/ksbulletin