by Brooks Mendell | Oct 31, 2025 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing, Learning, Sports
Years ago, my younger brother, Loren, and I traveled to Uruguay to study Spanish and eat grilled meat. Our return home included a troublesome and frustrating connection in a regional Brazilian airport. Previously, Loren had worked at CAA as a talent agent assistant,...
by Brooks Mendell | Jun 16, 2025 | Leading/Managing, Books, Communication Skills, Learning, Thinking/Analysis, Writing
I can basically do one round of creative work each day. Maybe two. No more. The attention, capacity, and focus required to write, research, and develop ideas are limited to a few hours daily, especially when life includes a spouse, children, bills, bowel movements,...
by Brooks Mendell | May 31, 2025 | Leading/Managing, Books, Communication Skills, Forestry, Learning, Sports, Thinking/Analysis
As a kid, I learned that the “knee bone connected to the thigh bone” thanks to the School House Rock song “Them Not So Dry Bones.” The lyrics remind us how things “really fit” and “it’s a framework… holding you together.” This idea, that we are combinations of...
by Brooks Mendell | Apr 27, 2025 | Thinking/Analysis, Communication Skills, Learning
How to Load a Dishwasher Take a break from fixing the world via social media to consider the art of loading silverware into a dishwasher. Dishwasher manufacturers recommend putting knives point down and spoons and forks tongs up (though there exists a minor kerfuffle...
by Brooks Mendell | Feb 28, 2025 | Thinking/Analysis, Communication Skills, Forestry, Leading/Managing
Introduction When it comes to managing positive and negative risks, I think in terms of “transparency” and “competence.” Many risks are relative, and we have the abilities to enhance resilience, mitigate unwanted exposures, and leverage our best opportunities. Years...
by Brooks Mendell | Aug 25, 2024 | Communication Skills, Leading/Managing
My parents gave me a sport coat earlier this year. The sleeves were too long, so I looked for an experienced tailor near my home. Multiple calls later, I found a helping hand at the local Men’s Wearhouse, where the staff didn’t require me to have bought the coat in...
