Blog Posts
My little-girl self was terrified of the deserted farmhouse up a dirt road from the suburb where I grew up in the 1960s. The family who had lived there still owned the land and rented the pasture and barn to local horse owners. The abandoned house seemed to be crumbling into the ground. When my…
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Cultural anthropologist, brand marketer, and disruptor, Susan Lindner believes that incredible connections change the world. Starting her career as an AIDS educator in the brothels of Thailand, she helped turn former prostitutes into entrepreneurs. Today, she’s an Innovation Storyteller and Founder of Emerging Media, an innovation communications consultancy dedicated to helping innovators and disruptors to create…
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By Lois Storlie (with assistance from Jean Storlie) The youngest of eleven, my Grandma Mary (Mimmi) was born in Målselv, Norway, a mountainous, apline region about 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. In 1879, when Mimmi was about a year old, her parents, Ole and Marit Olson made a big decision to relocate to…
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“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ―Helen Keller
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Minnesota’s long stretches of sub-zero temps this winter gave me a good reason to curl up on the couch and watch British crime dramas, like Shetland, Broadchurch, DCI Banks, and River. I’ve been a fan of mysteries since my childhood—the suspense, problem solving, emotional struggles, and resolution tickle my fancy. The British take on crime…
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“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” —Martin Luther King, Jr. I went skiing today on one of my…
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Yesterday, walking into the local food shelf where I volunteer, I encountered a staff member dressed as a skeleton. She told me they were hosting a trick or treat event for the community, so the staff decided to dress in costumes. As someone who loves Halloween (my birthday is Oct. 30), I embraced their spirit.…
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Last year, I wanted to resign from a volunteer role about six months before the end of my term. There were many, many rational reasons why it made sense to walk away from a toxic situation. But something inside me wouldn’t let me quit. Every time I’ve faced the dilemma about quitting versus finishing something,…
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My work group gathered in a cozy room for a team-building retreat. The conference room was tucked away from the hubbub of the main workspaces and high-traffic corridors, adjacent to a comfortable lounge area. We’d worked together for a while and knew each other well. Also, we enjoyed our work and got along. Our plan…
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My daughter’s Brownie Troop embarked on an outdoor excursion one February evening in Minnesota, about 15 years ago. We were on a weekend retreat, and I’d signed up to build a fire in an outdoor fire ring. Meanwhile the other moms would take the girls to a pond for a curling match. Arriving at the…
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