Clarity Compressed with Paul J. Daly

Clarity Fam, Good morning and HAPPY MAY! I'm pretty sure I've never wished anyone a "Happy May" before, but since its the beginning of a new quarter and the weather in Upstate NY has been stunning, it seemed appropriate. This morning, however, my week was greeted with an email I didn't want. Someone whom we've been wanting to hire for a critical position in one of my...

Clarity Fam, I’m coming off an absolutely gorgeous Upstate NY weekend with my family. As we were putzing about and clearing out our old office space getting it ready for a new tenant, we were doing a lot of thinking about how we got here. There was a lot of talk about how our first company was able to stick together like it did. One of the core elements, and one of our company values was ‘gratitud...

Clarity Fam, If you spent any time around young children, you are sure to hear the phrase, "That's not fair!" before long. The concept of "fair" is one that everyone wants to a point. This is especially true in sports. Without enforced rules, the game becomes less fun for everyone. However, over-focusing on 'fairness' is the quickest way to lose in so many areas...

Clarity Fam, I've been loving this track, Keepin it movin by one of my favorite Hip Hop artists, Andy Mineo. Consider it the soundtrack to this episode as we talk about the concept of "movement" this week. Your relationships, business endeavors, health, and just about everything around you is in a state of movement. This means if you aren't intentional about the way you are mov...

Clarity Fam, Let't talk about 'context'. Last week, everyone was talking about the 'slap heard round the world' as Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars. We are NOT getting into that, however, I think it is important to consider that 'context' plays an important role in how we should think about it. Actually, 'context' plays an important...

Clarity Fam, Often times we don’t need any more knowledge. No more wisdom. No more motivational quotes or insight-driven speeches. I’d argue that we’ve already heard 99% of what we need need to hear in order to do the next right thing. What we typically need, is more acknowledgement and adherence to what we’ve already learned. This week the principle of reaping and sowing was put smack in the midd...

Clarity Fam, This past week has been one of the most personally challenging weeks I can remember. Often, the Clarity Compressed Podcast reflects what I’m working on in my own life and this week’s episode is certainly no different. There is so much more to being a “good listener” than meets the eye. In fact, to reach the actual goal of listening, which is ‘to hear’, takes maturity, experience, and...

Clarity Fam, I got some fresh perspective this last week after wrapping up five high-octane days at the National Auto Dealers Association Conference in LasVegas Nevada. We ran 15+ hour days…every day. Then…the last leg of my trip left me sitting in BWI Airport for hours.  I just wanted to be home, but I also knew I got to choose how I invested my time there. So this week you have a very worn out r...

Clarity Fam, It's probably no secret to you that I’m doing A LOT in my life. I'm deep in the throes of three businesses, a full service agency, Congruent , a small consultancy, Contagious Auto , an up and coming media publisher, ASOTU . On top of that I'm redeveloping a new production studio, Tipp Hill Studios in Syracuse NY annnnd I have a family of seven to keep led, fed, loved, a...

Clarity Fam, I learned two important lessons this past week from my trip to Waco, Texas to visit the Magnolia Empire: 1. The power of brand connection is alive and well. 2. It is A LOT different (but worth it) navigating an airport with a family including a 2 year old and a mother-in-law than it is my myself. I had a speaking engagement in Dallas last week and since our family are fans of Fixer Up...

Clarity Fam, Like many of you, I stayed up later than usual to watch the nail biting end of Super Bowl LVI. We had two teams who were full of finely tuned athletes and coaches who had trained for the majority of their lives to be in this position. It came down to the final seconds and one team was victorious, while one team was the loser.  After the excitement died down, the game had me thinking a...

Clarity Fam, Like many of you, I stayed up later than usual to watch the nail biting end of Super Bowl LVI. We had two teams who were full of finely tuned athletes and coaches who had trained for the majority of their lives to be in this position. It came down to the final seconds and one team was victorious, while one team was the loser.  After the excitement died down, the game had me thinking a...

Clarity Fam, Four years ago I released Episode One of the Clarity Compressed Podcast. Actually in the early days, it was called “Dealers Compressed” and it was a fully produced spot. The intention was to release 10 Episodes of series created around a book called “Like I See It” by my (now) good friend, Dale Pollak. I’ve had the honor to interview so many amazing people. Entrepreneurs, New York Tim...

Clarity Fam, Lately, I've been thinking about the velocity of highly opinionated content coming my way that is masquerading as fact. The truth is that any article that is titled "How to think about ________" should cause us major pause. Thinking for ourselves is one of the greatest gifts we've been given and is the bedrock principle of progress that allows us to take care of on...

Clarity Fam, This week I tell the story of how my wife and I were invited to hang out with Grammy Award Winning recording artist, Leon Bridges . It started at baggage claim in Orlando and ended on opening night for the newest, state-of-the-art symphony hall in the country. The moral of the story is, have the awareness and do the work to make the most of every opportunity. Often times it is the lit...

Clarity Fam, There are very few times where you get to speak with a real hero. Even if you were times you get to speak with a real hero, who is also one of your personal heroes. Today was that day for me as I had the opportunity to sit with retired Navy SEAL and legendary entrepreneur Jocko Willink. Jocko has shaped many of my mindsets through his books, podcasts, and my observations of his life....

Clarity Fam, I was watching a show called “Undercover Billionaire” when I heard a quote that stuck with me for the next week. “Because that’s what successful people do.” I explain the scenario in the podcast, but that quote had me thinking of common traits I see in the successful people around me.  I talk about eight of them in this episode and I’d love to hear what traits YOU have observed in the...

Clarity Fam, I’m so pumped to be greeting you in 2022 for the first time! I know it’s just another day, but it can be a completely blank slate if we let it be. There is something I’ve always loved about a new year because it helps me mentally reset. Like a freshly organized desk. Like a brand new email address. Like getting rid of all my pets and getting new ones…joking.  Today I talk about the op...

Clarity Fam, I hope you are having a refreshing time over the holiday season...I'm doing my best to do just that! Last week I minted and issued my first NFT in the form of a POAP . It was totally new territory for me but I realized that with anything new, I have to feel confused before I can feel savvy. That's how trying new things works. That is the transaction of growth. I hope you enj...

Clarity Fam, No, I wasn't going to miss this episode because yesterdays livestream was exhausting! Typically, I'd have the episode locked and loaded by Monday, but yesterday we put on a big livestream for a community I started as the first Covid lockdown began. It is called, The Automotive State of the Union. I thought it would be great to share the story of where it came from via the op...

I can't believe that 200 weekly episodes have been made. Every week for almost four years, the team and I found a way to make it happen. Because YOU have made it worth it. As I shot this episode, it was appropriate that I was on the road with nothing more than my phone, a paper towel holder I lifted from the hotel room, and a microphone. I just received the 2021 Diversity Advocacy Award from...

Clarity Fam, I’ve never come back to the office to record a podcast AFTER I already went home for the weekend…until this week. It was one of those days where two parents were running around managing five kids. Just when I thought the moment had turned on us, we received the most pleasant surprise. That’s how life is sometimes. Well, a lot of the time actually. I hope this episode helps you see thr...

Todays show is especially fun because the source content is, well, REALLY fun. I do a flyover of a recent purchase experience from a former guest on the show, Jesse Cole, CEO of the Savanna Bananas baseball team. ( Check it out here ) To top it all off, I bought it with bitcoin! It's a story or customer experience, surprise and delight, crypto currency, and more. I hope it gets you thinking o...

As we break out the dinnerware, get that turkey thawing, and prepare for those awkward family conversations, I thought it would be a good to share a little secret about my brain (and yours) I learned over the last week. Negativity Bias. Yes, believe it or not, our brains are hardwired to see the worst possible things before we can even think about things that help us grow and develop. Well that ex...

Isn’t it so easy to be critical? Being critical costs nothing. No risk, no pain, no exposure. But to actually DO is altogether different. This week I talk about the insecurity that’s in the driver’s seat in the times I get critical. That’s all it is. Insecurity. The antidote is doing. Risking. Going for it. We get a little help from an epic quote as we dare to brave living a life beyond. Beyond th...