What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0123

6101.  One Eight Distilling (OneEightDistilling.com) is named for Article One Section Eight of the Constitution, which provided for the establishment of a district to serve as the nation’s capital;
6102.  Gin is (just) vodka infused with botanicals (i.e., juniper berries);

6103.  Apparently, smoking and fire are bad in a distillery;

6104.  What does an eleven-year, veteran NFL center from (Fond du Lac) Wisconsin (specifically Cory Raymer of the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers) do in retirement?  The answer is: (Make and) sell chocolates;

6105.  Blackfinn Ameripub (BlackfinnAmeripub.com) in D.C. has bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys (for brunch) on Saturdays and Sundays until 3:00 PM for $13.00.  You’re not limited to one or the other.  You can switch back and forth. . . . If you’re looking for more bang for the buck, go with the Bloody Marys;

6106.  Lenders and investors (such as banks, private organizations or individuals) simply want to know that they are going to get a healthy return on their investment;

6107.  The key to raising money comes down to four factors that will help demonstrate the return on investment: 1.  Project: What is the project the lender is providing you capital for?  What makes this opportunity unique and attractive?  Don’t share just the positives also explain the negatives and how you plan to overcome them; 2.  Partners: Who are the key players in the project?  Who’s putting the deal together and what is their track record?  The experience and expertise each partner brings to the table is a big part of the equation; 3.  Financing: Show the investor, as accurately as you can, how the project (either a business or investment) will make money.  Be realistic and don’t avoid discussing the roadblocks ahead because every business and investment project has problems so pretending yours won’t makes you look like an amateur.  You’ll want to show how much money you’re raising in total, where the money is coming from (i.e., private parties, traditional lenders, etc.), the terms of the money being borrowed and how the money will be allocated.  Hint: If you even suggest that any of the money raised will be used to pay your salary, doors will close.  If you want a paycheck then go get a job.  Potential investors want to know how soon they will get their initial investment back and what their return will be so they will use all of these numbers to determine if your financing structure and terms are attractive; and 4.  Management: Investors want to know who’s running the day-to-day operations because this is crucial to the ongoing success of any venture.  Explain who they are, their background and how they react under pressure, etc.;

6108.  Elizabeth thinks I’m a “player;”

6109.  Elizabeth thinks I’m handsome;

6110.  Apparently, if you’re chatting with a woman on a dating app and you haven’t asked her for her number or a date within a week, she thinks you’re not interested;

6111.  Women really do get inundated on dating apps;

6112.  I can say I’ve gone diving;

6113.  Caucasian . . . check . . . ginger . . . (double) check;

6114.  When your heart is closed: 1.  You are distant and aloof; 2.  You don’t connect to people; 3.  Communication shuts down; 4.  You leave people to fend for themselves; 5.  You focus on what people are doing wrong; 6.  You are critical and demanding; and 7.  People feel oppressed.  The result is possibility dries up;

6115.  When your heart is open: 1.  You are fully present and accessible; 2.  You connect to people; 3.  Communication is wide open; 4.  You are a resource; 5.  You may focus on what is missing, but not on who is wrong; 6.  You are affirming and encouraging; and 6.  People feel free;

6116.  People today spend up to 25 percent less time enjoying nature than people did just 20 years ago;

6117.  Experiencing nature can improve our minds, rejuvenate our bodies and restore our spirits;

6118.  In one study, people performing memory and attention tests upped their scores by 20 percent after walking through an arboretum.  By comparison, walking down a busy street offered no such benefit;

6119.  Short “micro-breaks” with nature, even just looking at pictures, has discernible benefits for our minds;

6120.  Long, immersive stretches in nature offer big benefits for our creativity and problem-solving skills.  After spending four days in the wild, disconnected from any sort of digital technology, students performed 50 percent better on problem-solving tests;

6121.  Spending time in nature is a great way to find physical rejuvenation.  It turns out the reason is that nature is a stress killer;

6122.  Nature is the reset button for our minds, bodies and spirits.  If you’re spending all day indoors, you’re missing the restorative power of nature;

6123.  Apparently, Baileys Irish cream has a shelf-life of 2 years.  After that, the cream (within) can curdle;

6124.  Apparently, Abe Doumar invented the ice cream cone and the first (cone) machine to make them.  It’s still in use today at Doumar’s (Barbecue) (Doumars.com) in Norfolk, Virginia;

6125.  If you’re looking for a biergarten with nice views of (downtown) Norfolk, try Grain (GrainNorfolk.com) in the Hilton Norfolk;

6126.  People, who appear to be “gifted,” are, in fact, no more gifted than you or I.  They have just learned how to practice;

6127.  Three tips to accelerate your performance and reach your peak sooner: 1.  Master your mindset.  What you think about, you become.  And if you are still caught up believing that some people are “just born with it,” that’s going to create a limitation on what you think is possible.  Another view is “deliberate-practice mindset,” which argues that anyone can get better if they take the right approach.  This approach begins with thinking a personal breakthrough is possible; 2.  Practice with purpose.  Not all practice is necessarily equal.  Sometimes, trying harder doesn’t get you better results.  If you are not improving, it’s not because you lack innate talent; it’s because you’re not practicing the right way.  To reach peak performance, you must push yourself past what you think is possible.  If you’re not doing that then you aren’t really practicing.  You’re just spinning your wheels.  You have to put in the hours, but you also have to put in the effort; and 3.  Be around greatness.  It’s not just mindset or practice that affects our performance.  It’s also our environment.  This means that putting yourself around others who will challenge you and help you grow is essential to mastering any skill.  So, if you’re not achieving greatness then it may be time to surround yourself with others who will challenge you to grow;

6128.  We all love heroic tales of overnight success, but the truth is expertise is never an accident.  Without the right training, peak performance is practically impossible;

6129.  Anyone can achieve expert status if they understand the process and are willing to do the work.  It starts in the mind, works itself out in your daily practice and is cemented by the company you keep;

6130.  Don’t wait to have it all figured out.  A hunch is never enough, but it’s enough to get started.  You’ve got to begin someplace.  If you wait to map everything out, you’ll never get off the starting line;

6131.  Failure provides critical information.  It tells us when we still have work to do;

6132.  There are opportunities all around us, but if we’re not prepared and determined to take advantage of them, they’ll pass us by every time;

6133.  Hoping against change is hopeless.  We end up fighting against our own personal growth and professional development.  Just as bad, we make ourselves obsolete in an environment that depends on flexibility, creativity and momentum;

6134.  While the comfort zone might be comfortable for a while, it’s rarely fulfilling;

6135.  People, who cannot imagine learning and growing, are just wrapping an iron chain around their ankles.  To thrive in today’s environment, keep asking questions and poking around the next corner;

6136.  Whatever is your level of education, there’s always more to learn;

6137.  Our range of opportunities are often set by the reach of our professional network;

6138.  Change can be tough, but the only alternative is eventual obsolescence;

6139.  Getting connected with a good group can accelerate your learning, provide key insights, help you find important resources and teach you best practices;

6140.  Intentional relationships make us more productive, creative and useful than we could ever be on our own;

6141.  Your business will not grow unless you grow as a person.  If you want to lead others, you have to lead yourself first;

6142.  It is not the facts that make you miserable; it is your perception of the facts;

6143.  Constant innovation will kill you.  You don’t need more innovation, you need strategic innovation;

6144.  Most dreams die on the tyranny of “how.”  The “how” will show up when you get clear on what you want.  Focus first on what you want without regard to how you will make it happen.

6145.  It’s never about your resources; it’s about your resourcefulness.  If you are resourceful, you will acquire the resources;

6146.  The financial goal of business is not to get rich.  The goal is to get rich and stay that way.  You can get rich by being lucky, but you can’t stay rich by being lucky;

6147.  People always act on the basis of what they believe.  If you want to change their actions (or your own) you have to change their beliefs;

6148.  People lose their way when they lose their why;

6149.  If you lose the motivation to pursue your goals, you need to expand your why;

6150.  Generosity makes us healthy.  One study found generosity actually reduced blood pressure as much as medicine and exercise.  Generosity also lowers the risk of dementia, reduces anxiety and depression, and improves chronic pain management;