Jaden was cursed. It wasn’t his fault; a wish from his fairy godmother had gone dreadfully awry. She was still a first-year apprentice, woefully undertrained, and she’d waved her wand nonchalantly and said something that would have made any competent fairy godmother slap her in the tiara. She’d said, “Let Jaden be capable of anything!”…
The boy who cried “Eureka!”
To say that Thom is an enthusiastic man is to say that taming wild bears is a wee bit risky. Thom has a lot of friends – as the wildly enthusiastic tend to do – and many of his friends encouraged him to strike out and start a business. “You’re dying in your job,” they…
The irresistible power of your flaws
Kadee started her own yoga studio on the day she was fired from her fifth yoga job. The other yoga teachers had been a bit leery of Kadee from the first day. They thought her red fingernails and Bettie Page hair weren’t really appropriate for the space they were creating. And she was loud. And…
Why you don’t get what you want
It was Sunday, Celia was six, and she wanted an oaty-fruity biscuit. So she sidled into the lounge-room to Dad, who was folding the washing. “Hi Dad.” “Hey sweetie. Want to help me with the socks?” As Celia folded socks she oh-so-casually mentioned, “Biscuits are yummy, aren’t they Dad?” “They sure are, darling. What else…
The Magical Pink Donkey theory of marketing
You live in an old house and the plumbing is… interesting. Translated: it needs repairs quite regularly. A strange knocking noise has started coming from behind the kitchen wall; you sigh and call Steve the plumber. Steve comes on over later that morning, examines things under the kitchen sink and says, “Yeah, no worries. I’ll…
This is why you’re boring
Santiago built the world’s loudest stereo. It wasn’t just a loud stereo, though. It was also the stereo with the roundest tones, the most powerful heart-pounding bass, the most tear-inducing clarity on the high notes. This was a stereo to make the gods weep. Santiago strode out to share his gift with the world. His…
The other 90% of marketing
Parveen decided to create a one-woman show. On Parveen’s first day, she blurted her lines like a nervous eight-year-old in the school play. On Parveen’s fifth day, she was more practiced and the words started to flow. On Parveen’s eleventh day, she realised that she should be wearing an outfit that matched the theme. On…
Two signs in a wood
You’re walking down a country lane in autumn. The leaves are a thousand shades of eye-catching, the air is crisp and leafy. Your spaniel is romping off through the leaf drifts and barking at god-knows-what. Life is grand. You see a beautiful hand-carved sign up ahead and go to investigate. It has a map, and…
The sprinkler or the fire hose
Once there was a woman named Celia, and she had power in water. She wanted to use her power, share it, and spread it. Thus, Celia bought a water sprinkler. Celia turned the tap and lo! water was sprayed in a thousand directions. Much of it was wasted on people who didn’t want to get…
A Goddamn Radiant giveaway
I love generosity. It’s been one of my most effective business-building tools. (Actually, it’s been the main one.) So I was shocked to realise that I haven’t used it yet here at Cash and Joy. Shocked, I tell you. This shall not pass! It’s time for a giveaway. Roll on Radiance! I’m going to help…
