Brian Immel says...

6 Things I Learned While Getting My Teeth Cleaned

Honestly, no one really likes a visit to the dentist’s office. Certainly not me. But as I was lying there on my back, mind wondering, it occurred to me there were a few lessons I was not expecting to find.

Trust the Professionals

If you’re going to outsource anything, make sure it’s to someone you can count on. Referrals make this easier. Ask a friend. Find a good review online. Do whatever research it’s going to take for you to have confidence in the person.

If you do this right you’ll stop worrying and quickly get back to more important things. If you don’t, you’ll be micromanaging and distracted the entire time (which defeats the point). Do you’re homework and build trust with the professional, then stand back and let them do their thing. What you’re really paying for is piece of mind.

Dental Wisdom: Find a good dentist that people you trust, trust. You’ll sleep better at night.

10 Tips to Remember for Startup Weekend

Startup Weekend is a great kick in the pants that pushes you to your limits regardless of skill set. Want to see what you’re made of, try creating a startup in 54 hours. Here’s my tips for success.

Prepare yourself: You don’t have to spend sleepless nights before Startup Weekend, but make sure you are ready for the event. If you want to design graphics all weekend make sure you’ve got Photoshop installed and ready to go. The clock may start Friday night, but you don’t want to waste it with stupid stuff you could have figured out earlier.
Shop around: After the pitches Friday night you’ll have a big choice of which team to join. If you pitched yourself, you might even have to make the tough choice of abandoning your idea and joining forces with others. Either way take the time and walk the room and talk to the presenters. Once you dig deeper and hear the details of the “how” and “why” of their idea you may change your mind.
Surround yourself with a solid team: You’ll be spending the next few days with these people. Make sure they’ve got the chops you need, are going to be easy to work with and don’t smell too bad.