One Mai Tai, Hold the Colonialism Please

I was once served a piña colada by the bartender at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, who claimed that he invented the drink. Of course I did not believe him at the time. I thought it was a line. Turns out to be true.

Find the Change You Want to See in the World

While the usual saying is “Can’t see the forest for the trees,” I think it can often be the other way around: the size and sweep of the forest is so overwhelming that we can’t appreciate the loveliness of the trees in front of us.

Money with an Expiration Date

Why shouldn't we just stash our cash in the mattress and be assured to getting $1 back for every $1 we “deposited” in the mattress? Gesell thought that too, so he came up with a solution.

Responsible Globalization, Global Business, LeadershipRay BrimbleOctober 7, 2019money, banks, the economy, planet money, gesell, Silvio Gesell, NPR, NPR MoneyComment

Base Operations: security, no matter where you go

When I think about the world of the near future, and what kinds of businesses and services will prosper, unfortunately, there are many new and severe challenges to address.

Leadership, Global BusinessRay BrimbleSeptember 7, 2019base operations, startup, startups, investing, techstars, security, travel, MIT, MIT startup

Fin del Mundo

Your arrival signpost for your own personal Fin del Mundo is very distinct—it is when you feel that there is no way forward, and no way back.

Done, and Undone

Many of the Austin things we know and love today were just glimmers in our eyes in 1989. So it was with me as well.

Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think

“This is about holding on, letting go, and most of all, rising above.“

Being Human, Doing Good, Giving BackRay BrimbleJuly 31, 2019the atlantic, old age, aging, career, career decline, career advice, life adviceComment

Join the Mitzvah League

While a mitzvah can be something really large and life changing, one could think of mitzvahs more as little deeds, done on a regular basis, as a matter of habit. Mitzvahs are not the meal—rather they are the chips you dip into the salsa of life.

The Ties that Bind

“The world" is not a legal entity, and one cannot legally become a citizen of it. Yet, on some levels we all are already, by virtue of the fact that we live and breath on this planet.

Inside the secret team dinners that have built the Spurs' dynasty

Leadership takes on many forms. The ties that bind teams are not just the skills of the players, the playbook, the logo and mascot, or even the fans."

Bill Miller's Used Cars

To me, this story speaks to an almost romantic notion of enterprise, opportunity, and freedom. It's also a definition of a paradigm shift.

The Science of Altruism

It turns out that kindness is one of the most powerfully beneficial forms of “connectivity.”… I have always thought this to be one of the most wonderful mysteries of life.

Simply Stella

The first important thing I ever did was something I didn’t know how to do: play an old, beat up Stella guitar which had been sitting behind some clothes in the family closet.

Forget Socialism Versus Capitalism. Here’s the Real Debate We Should Be Having.

Like many (most) philosophical debates these days, socialism versus capitalism is a circus of false choices. In this article, William Taylor suggests what we should REALLY be talking about, and I couldn't agree more.

Being Human, Global Business, Responsible GlobalizationRay BrimbleJune 9, 2019RepostComment

Global Poverty Will Hit New Low This Year, World Bank Says

What is it about this era that we lack confidence in humankind's ability to do good and prosper, in spite of such evidence of our positive headway?

Being Human, Responsible Globalization, Global BusinessRay BrimbleJune 2, 2019RepostComment

The World War II veteran said he didn't do anything. I almost believed him.

We don’t know this man, but we all know him. The middle class, post-war neighborhood I grew up in had several of these men on every block. We saw them get up and go to work every morning, and they did not look like heroes. Then, and now, we mistake modesty for insignificance.

Ray BrimbleMay 27, 2019

If a Tree Falls

“There are thousands of human beings, animals, causes, ideas tended thoughtfully, lovingly, and yes, anonymously, by folks we never get to hear about. These are the doers of good deeds, who just do what they believe is their job. These are the unnoticed good deeds which are the fibers that make up the strings that bind us all. Yet their actions often go unheard, just like the falling of that solitary tree in the forest.”

Being Human, Doing Good, Giving Back, Global BusinessRay BrimbleMay 19, 2019Comment

Me, Converso

My story is not that special, really. In fact, its core is the most typical of all immigrant tales: bloodlines fractured and families displaced—voluntarily or involuntarily. Inherited stories forgotten along the way, replaced by mystery, fabrication, indifference, or even shame. What is special is that the frayed string of my family history happens to lead to this place and time—now.

Being Human, Most PopularRay BrimbleApril 14, 2019immigration, ancestry, identity, spanish Comment

The Fire Starter

One’s skill becomes a craft when soul and destiny are tied to it. Often, this skill seems like something found, when in reality skill is a blossom made visible by the fertile soil of necessity. While necessity may be the soil, the rain which draws the bloom into our world is one’s proclivities.

Learning from Leonardo

Leonardo’s wisdoms were for times like his, times like ours . They are uniquely suited, not just for survival , but also extreme accomplishment. All we must do is learn to “see” what is connected to what, and how it works.