Author Archives: Charlene Norman

The Gift of Pause

Today, December 21st, the winter solstice arrives. It’s the darkest day of the year, when our ancestors had no choice but to stop. Not because they were lazy or unambitious, but because the world itself demanded it. Short days, long nights, and the simple biological truth that human beings cannot extract indefinitely without breaking. They […]

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When Ready Meets Opportunity

I’ve written all my life. For more than seven years, I’ve written to you every week. Not to sell, but to share. This approach baffles traditional business advisors. I see countless opportunities to monetize, optimize conversions, and deploy the usual email engagement tactics. I deliberately choose not to. Because the moment I cross that line, […]

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Getting From Here to There

Have you ever noticed that getting from ‘here’ to ‘there’ is NEVER a straight line? It’s a messy, uncomfortable unravelling of everything we thought we knew. We talk about transformation as if it were a decision. It’s one bold choice (I’ll start a new business, I’ll get a divorce, I’ll get back on my feet […]

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The Rebranding of Common Sense:

How Marketing Turned Frugality into a Trend Have you noticed? The more things change, the more things stay the same. Except …. NOW they come with a catchy name and a marketing campaign. Eons ago, my husband and I had a tiny wedding. Twenty-five people. We didn’t know 200 people, our families weren’t large, and […]

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The Seven-Year Beef Crisis

The month of November is always special for me because it’s the time when hunting and fishing activities typically slow down. I know this because I scheduled my wedding around the hunting excursions of family and friends. It’s always very quiet in the third week of November. Our wedding feast was very dull and reflected […]

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The Market Never Knocked on My Door

“The market demands higher returns.”   You’ve heard it. Maybe you’ve said it. My journey in the C-suite spanned 30 years, and not once did the market come knocking on my door.   But you know who did? Private equity firms with term sheets. Activist investors with 2% stakes and PowerPoint decks. But never the stock […]

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The Morning After: Eight Truths From The Best Game Ever Played

It’s early Sunday morning. November 2nd. Coffee in hand. Still buzzing. Last night, the World Series ended in heartbreak for the Blue Jays. I’m not even a huge baseball fan, but I watched every pitch of that game. And this morning, I can’t stop thinking about what I saw. Not the stats. Not the plays. […]

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The Bittersweet Truth About Chocolate’s Future

Are you a chocolate lover like me? When I was in my early twenties, I went on a European travel adventure with my boyfriend and decided to sample chocolate in every country we visited. Then one of my jobs involved extensive international travel, so I continued the taste testing and can proudly tell you I […]

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Stop Fighting What You Can’t Control!

Have you ever thought about the underlying reason behind why we get mad? Why that white hot flame explodes? The ONLY reason we ever get mad is because we have lost control of the situation. And the truth is, we humans want, love, and need control. Of course we do. It’s hardwired into us. We’ve […]

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The Lies We’ve Been Fed:

How Corporate Marketing Shaped the Climate Crisis I’ve been investigating the misinformation surrounding climate change and sustainability, and I’ve found that it often originates from the same source as many other falsehoods. The relentless pursuit of massive corporate profits. Let me tell you a story that will probably make you angry. You know the term […]

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