But the one thing he mentioned that caught my attention was how McSweeney’s, an independent publishing house founded by Eggers, recently released a one-time prototype of a newspaper called the San Francisco Panorama. It was a broadsheet paper that resembled a Sunday edition, but stood apart through its innovative design, articles by well-known authors and amazing content. In Eggers’ words, the reason he and his staff decided to do this was to show what printed newspapers are capable of.

The newspaper’s content was built around serious journalism such as an in-depth feature on forced confessions that occur in Iran, a long-form story on marijuana cultivation in Mendicino County, and a piece on how San Francisco is outsourcing the construction of a new bridge to China. It also contained some less serious items: a “Ramen Done Right” profile, full-page comics and an op-ed on how Michelle Obama’s eyebrows are too angry.

Even though this was a one-time publication that enlisted the talent of top writers and designers, I think it succeeded enormously in demonstrating the value of newspapers that deliver good content and how they inform the general public (which should be more concerned about this in a time where newspapers are struggling to survive).

The other unique thing that Eggers and his staff did was show the economics behind creating the paper and how this could be used to estimate the costs of actually producing a daily newspaper. Using these estimates, the staff did some rough math and found that if you sold 30,000 copies of a 48-page paper each day for a $1, along with some advertising, a paper could survive.

The challenge in today’s world is a fight against an “information wants to be free” mindset with expectations on getting content for free online. Producing good, quality journalism costs money and right now, the business model to do this effectively has been turned upside down. This is an issue we should all care about and consider carefully. For the cost of less than a Starbucks coffee, you could contribute to the power of solid journalism.

Information may want to be free, but what is always needed are those who research, verify, edit and compile this information into a format that tells us something and does it accurately. Good, informative writing matters today more than ever, and this is something we should all support.

What are the real reasons most women still earn less than men? Ask 100 people and you’ll get 150 different reasons. But according to some non-scientific research I conducted in 2008 when I interviewed 174 women and 174 men in Colorado, here are the reasons I heard the most. (Please don’t shoot the messenger.)

a. Many people I talked to said it’s all about lifestyle choices. Some women, they say, believe a full-time career goes against the family, while the majority of men think their career is for the family. The resulting trade-offs in time spent working may impact how much each earns.

b. Others believe it’s because so many women have historically worked in fields that are more public service-oriented and less profit generating. They cited teachers and nurses versus plumbers or stockbrokers.

c. Some claim that it’s due to a handful of holdovers from the good-old-boys’ club still up to their nefarious ways. This group said that these die-hards are smarter and quieter about practicing their beliefs, at least publicly, but are continuing to impact the verifiable skew in compensation levels.

d. A few contend that the pay gap is somehow associated with the notion that many women are more security-oriented than men and are less likely to have their compensation tied to their performance or their company’s performance.

I certainly don’t know what the truth is. It may be some combination of the reasons cited in my survey. At this point, however, I’d rather discuss what the possible solutions might be.

Possible ways to close the pay gap

Other than actions like lobbying our government to speed up the process of overhauling equality legislation, what steps can women take to close the gap? Here are some ideas that I have seen succeed in the workplace:

1. Ask for a performance-based component to your existing pay plan. Most companies like it when employees proactively propose that a meaningful piece of their compensation be tied to (a) their personal performance vs. stated objectives and/or (b) the company profitability.
2. Ask for a raise. The chances for success using the “equal pay” argument are, unfortunately, not great. Base your reasons on your accomplishments since your last raise or review. Oftentimes, the boss may not be totally aware of what you have done. Present the facts only, such as new processes you have created that have improved productivity or new accounts you have brought in or new employees you have referred to the firm or organization
3. Ask for more assignments. It’s a powerful way to change the decision-maker’s view of you. That may help your chances to get promoted and close the pay gap in the near future.
4. Ask for a promotion. Start by making the business case as to why you want a promotion to a loftier position (the best managers like it when their workers are proactive). Focus on the new programs, processes, tools and the like that will enhance your value proposition in their eyes. It can’t just be based on your tenure. Most managers don’t respond well to the entitlement argument.
5. Switch firms. Some companies routinely practice equal pay concepts. There are lists of the Best Companies for Women to Work For published each year.
6. Change professions. You can research which professions typically practice equal pay. Go to your local library branch. (Yes, Virginia, there are still libraries.)
7. Start your own business. There may come a time when this is the step to take to make the money you deserve.

How about you? What’s your take on this topic?

Unfortunately, my mother and sister were forced to move to Kansas City.  Her daily intravenous antibiotic treatment is intense and rigorous, but she has shown many signs of improvement.  Doctors foresee this regimen for another couple of months, and none of the nearly year-long treatment has been covered by insurance.

Growing up in a small town, where your business is everyone’s business, is not always ideal, but we truly learned to appreciate the small-town life when we saw what a strong community can do.  About 550 members of the community came together and participated in a fundraiser for my sister.  Hundreds of items were donated for auction, and food was donated from local restaurants.  In attendance were not only family and close friends, but also local dentists, doctors, babysitters, mailmen, neighbors, teachers, coaches and business owners.  I had never seen some of these people before, and some had known me since I was born.  Our small town really came together as a community to plan this fundraiser.

It was determined that I would speak at the event.  When I got up to thank everyone, I was amazed at all the people standing before me, and the appreciation I felt was indescribable.  It is so important to realize how businesses, friends, and organizations can come together as a community, make such a large impact and touch a family like mine.     

Last Monday my colleague’s family lost a child.  His name was Owen, and he was 8 months old.  He had a liver disorder and was #4 on a transplant list when he got an infection that shut down his organs.  His parents had to make the unspeakable decision to terminate life support for their infant son.  All I could think was, “How?”

I am pregnant.  Due in a couple weeks’ time, this little boy will be our second child, three years after our first, and this time around is vastly different.  I am a parent now, which means I have experienced love for a child—my child—and there is nothing on Earth that compares.  There is nothing I would not do to protect him, give him life, save his life. Anyone who is a parent knows what I mean. 

When news of Owen came I was paralyzed.  Suddenly I felt the weight of the life I am carrying, heavy with the possibilities.  Things can go wrong.  Sometimes terribly wrong, and there is nothing I can do about it.  Since then, every move I make feels like an experiment in gravity, and it is all I can do not to fall on my knees.  With only a couple weeks to go, I am running on faith.  Ten fingers, ten toes, good health, long life.

As I write this blog, Owen’s family is celebrating his life at his funeral services.  His parents had one request of their guests, no black. This morning my colleague was dressed in bright pink.  She looked radiant, and sad, and so beautiful.   I felt a familiar thump in my belly as I watched her leave the office.

There is a poem by Kahlil Gibran called On Children that hangs above my son’s bed.  It was given to him by his godparents when he was born, and is done in breathtaking silver calligraphy against a brilliant blue background.  Sometimes when I look at it, it feels like perfection.

On Children

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

God bless you, Owen.

Shortly thereafter, I learned about Denver’s Road Home. A signature initiative of Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver’s Road Home (DRH) established a 10-year plan for ending homelessness in the community. Noble and ambitious, I thought – but virtually impossible, right? Wrong.

With my doubts soundly intact, I decided to get involved. After facilitating a meeting with DRH’s executive director, I volunteered my marketing communications experience to help drive awareness and fundraise for the effort. My assignment: the Denver’s Road Home annual fundraiser, a PJ Party hosted by Mayor Hickenlooper.  I was beyond thrilled. In addition to helping men, women and children who desperately need our support, I’d get to work with a cross section of movers and shakers from Denver’s public, private and government sectors.

In the three years that I’ve been involved with the PJ Party, we’ve not only raised more than $1.5 million and significantly reduced chronic homelessness – we’ve also raised public awareness of a critical issue and garnered unprecedented support from Denver’s civic and business communities. Personally, I’ve gained an invaluable network that continues to deliver opportunity, from generating business and sharpening my skills to creating long-lasting friendships. It’s an investment of time and talents from which I’ll continue to reap rewards for a long, long time.

So why share this story? It’s an illustration of what dovetail solutions and our focus on strategic community investment is all about. When you leverage your strengths for the betterment of the community, it’s not only personally rewarding, it can bring business to your doorstep. So get out there and get involved!

From a practical point of view, many of us are going too fast and doing too many things at once to stop and enjoy any particular part of our day, hindering not only our happiness but also the productivity and quality in whatever we are doing. “Savoring” is a counterbalance to this, and we can plan for it at meals, in our jobs and with our families.

“Savoring requires a deliberate mindful awareness of the present moment and like any cognitive-behavioral skill we get better at it with practice.” Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff, in their book,  Savoring:  A New Model of Positive Experience, speak of savoring as involving, “… a sense of immediacy, freedom from social and esteem needs, and …  a focused and mindful connection to the experience.”

Perhaps we should look more toward savoring as the process of paying attention to joy.

Bryant and Veroff suggest the following four ways of doing that:

1. Thanksgiving – expressing gratitude for blessings or favors
2. Marveling – being struck with awe to the point of losing a sense of time
3. Basking – receiving praise for a job well done and allowing ourselves to accept praise
4. Luxuriating – indulging in pleasurable physical sensations (Think of giving a hug or a high five.)

Those are experiences which can happen to you; they are activities you can plan for with some thoughtful time around your calendar.  Ask your spouse, friend, teammate, or kids, “What can we do to savor more of life?” Be a leader for your business team and encourage some new ways to say thank you and allow your team to bask, luxuriate, or even marvel – at least a little.

Act Like an Owner. If a firm employs you, stop thinking of yourself as an employee. Ask yourself, "What would I do if I were an owner?" By acting as such, you'll probably become more engaged in the work an your "happy meter" will start ticking upward. Plus, the management will notice the change and start listening more to your ideas. You might even see more raises and promotions. 

Become a Thought Leader. Don't hold back on positioning an idea, program or new process you have been thinking about, whether you are an employee or free agent. Thirteen years ago, when I decided to leave corporate America after twenty-five years and became an executive coach, I based my distinction from other coaches on the concept of job jumping as a career strategy. I even self-published a book about it. In reviewing all the great joy I have experienced in my work in the years since, that move ws very instrumental. 

Ensure Your Marketability. How can you ensure your marketability if you don’t know what the market wants? Start by developing new playmates on new playgrounds. Step outside your comfort zone. Unfettered contact with people from different disciplines can be magical.  Try sitting on committees of community and business organizations, joining volunteer groups, attending workshops, and spending a few hours each week researching the latest trends and business activities. By updating your knowledge and thinking, you are improving your chances of future success.

Create a Stake in the Outcome. Most companies or organizations don’t respond well to people who clamor for more money because they’re overworked, understaffed, or underpaid. They prefer people who come to them and say, “I’d be willing to have a piece of my compensation based on a) how well the firm does, b) how well I perform, c) how well our department or team does. The idea is to demonstrate that you feel strongly about your contribution and that you have skin in the game. This idea may not sit well with all of us, but I have seen it open doors for people that may never have opened otherwise.

I’ll take Hodgepodge for $200, Alex.

One goal that touches all aspects of my life—work, social life, health, family—seems a lot easier than several different resolutions. The other thing I like about this goal is that it’s about improving the environment around me, not just myself.

Here are a few ideas that grew out of this notion of balance:

Read just as much fiction as non-fiction

Every day I scour the headlines of newspapers, magazines and websites looking for nuggets of information that relate to what I do-- and that’s good. But in the last month, I have rediscovered what a good piece of fiction can provide that daily doses of media can’t. It can bring history alive in a new way, connect with your own experiences and create a new sense of insight, or just make you grin at the flawed beauty in this world.

Reconnect by disconnecting

Social media—it will still be the buzz in 2010, and if you’re not updating your Facebook status about your day on the slopes, you may feel like your falling behind the trend. However, I don’t think any social media app will ever be able to replace a face-to-face interaction, especially when you’re limited to 140 characters. I plan on putting monthly happy hours on my calendar, getting to know the grade school kids we work with through the Denver Public Schools Partner Program and making occasional trips over to clients’ offices instead of always depending upon email.

Stretch my mind and body

After a long day of work, I find that some of the best decompression comes on the yoga mat. There’s nothing like it for a full body (and mind) stretch that helps work out the kinks and knots that accumulate after a day at the office. And the best thing about yoga is it’s all about creating your own practice, something that provides what you need to stay refreshed and relaxed. I recommend Samadhi Center for Yoga (www.samadhiyoga.net).

Be realistic and optimistic about what can be accomplished

My day usually starts with a checklist of tasks I need to complete in the next eight hours. I am ambitious as to what I want to get done, and this is good, but I also need to be realistic for both my own expectations and those of the people I work with. There’s a lot of pressure to be productive and accomplish great things nowadays, and I have found that planning for what needs to happen as well as what could happen helps to prepare you for the challenges that each day brings.

1. The loss of an old friend at the age of 156

On February 27, 2009, Coloradoans grieved for the closing of the Rocky Mountain News.  Our long-time, trusted friend shut its doors and said goodbye to a century and a half of covering news across the state.  At its inception, present-day Denver was still part of the Kansas territory, and the very first issue of The Rocky was printed on the printing press. In recent years, The Rocky won four Pulitzer prizes for its feature photography, breaking news photography and feature writing.

2. The making of a new friend, aged younger than 156

As we said goodbye to Joe Blake as long-time president of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, we welcomed Kelly Brough, former Chief of Staff to Mayor John Hickenlooper, to take the reigns as CEO.  Kelly brings a fresh (and female) voice to our city, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for her as our new leader. 

3. Rocktober x2!

Rockies fans rallied once more in support of the 2009 Rockies during an amazing comeback season.  With a not-so-stellar start in April, any hope of the playoffs seemed bleak.  Still, with each passing win, fans began to see a glimmer of light, and our home team managed to clinch a Wild Card spot for the first round of the playoffs.  In the end, the Rockies surrendered their Word Series chances after facing the defending world champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.  Maybe it had something to do with the unseasonably freezing weather?  No matter, 50,000 Rockies fans showed their undying love!

4. A hopeful start to the Broncos season

After a tumultuous summer for the Broncos – ridding themselves of a crybaby quarterback and hiring a younger, less experienced coach – the start of the 2009 Broncos season looked a little bleak.  Still, the team started strong, with an unexpected and impressive 6-game winning streak.  That was the high point.  Playoff glory is impossible now. We’re just hoping our new quarterback doesn’t take a losing season too personally (ahem Jake Cutler). 

5. Medical Marijuana centers make their debut

In 2009, medical marijuana took the reigns as the fastest growing industry in Denver and the cause for one of the most controversial debates of the year.  At issue is how the state will regulate the sale and dispensing of medical marijuana.  Legislators will take action next year and all signs point to 2010 being an interesting one for pot enthusiasts and naysayers alike. 

It didn’t take me long to come up with my answer.  Immediately, images of my “other” self passed before my eyes.  I’m up on stage, guitar slung over my shoulder, leather pants and spiked heel boots, effortless cool oozing from every pore as I belt out my latest hit song. I am a Rock Star.  Not a Pop Star, à la Britney Spears or Beyoncé, I mean a real dirt and grit Rock Star.  I am Joan Jett circa 2009.

My colleagues had equally ambitious dreams, all of which suited their personalities: Novelist, Celebrity Chef, PGA Pro, Forensic Psychologist, and my personal favorite, Bat Boy for the New York Yankees.  I really loved this little exercise.  In every one of their responses I was given a glimpse of their “other” selves.  The people who don’t show up to work, but come alive at the end of the day when they walk in their back doors, uncork the wine and shrug off the day.

So how come I’m not a Rock Star, or at least trying to be one?  Why isn’t the guy down the hall a novelist?  Why isn’t his office mate a chef?  Why is it that, unless we are guaranteed success, our paths so often take on a tamer trajectory?  Is it a lack of the raw talent needed to achieve our dreams?  (I have to admit guitar and vocals are not my strong suit) Is it really that we can’t bear to fail?  Perhaps it’s practicality.  Or is it a lack of commitment?

Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book Outliers estimates that in order to be considered “expert” at something, you have to have committed a minimum of 10,000 hours to the pursuit.  In the vein of rock stardom, he cites the Beatles as a famous example.  They did not achieve their remarkable synchronicity by chance.  They spent night after night after night in the bars and clubs of Liverpool perfecting their craft. 

Which brings me to New Year’s Resolutions, the most easily broken of our annual “commitments.”  Most people I know consider them the bane of holiday rituals, and I confess I never make them.  I think this is because our resolutions are too often punishing, committing us to a life of deprivation sans junk food, cigarettes, or whatever vice we hold dear.  But this year I just might.  Perhaps I will make a commitment to my “other” self, my inner Rock Star.  Maybe I’ll buy Guitar Hero and give it a whirl or sign up for a live karaoke spot.  Maybe I’ll challenge my colleagues to the same.  Who knows, if I put in my 10,000 hours, the next time you see me I could be headlining at Madison Square Garden.