Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 3/30/26
I’ve noted before that there’s a difference between age and aging. The former is a chronological metric (trips around the sun for the poetic) and the latter is about remaining vibrant and contributing versus declining and simply consuming.
For the past 60+ years (probably since President Eisenhower shockingly had a heart attack at age 64—he took seven weeks to recover and went on to win a second term), physical fitness has been a societal focus. Starting with Jack LaLanne and proceeding through today’s Pelotons and cross-training, and billions of dollars spent in the industry, many Americans have worked on their health. (My daughter told me yesterday she’s going to New York for a Peloton race. “I thought they were stationary,” I said, “how do you ride it to New York?” After rolling her eyes she explained it was a group effort in a ballroom with luminaries in the biking crowd.)
We’ve also worked on emotional health, with positive psychology, positive self-talk, therapy, support groups, spirituality, meditation, and “hot yoga.” (I don’t know about that last one, but why else would anyone engage in it?)
Which leads me to what we’ve mostly missed and is in mortal danger: cognitive health. I’ve found that people’s critical thinking skills have precipitously declined, through an erosion in education, reliance on technology, immersion (drowning) in screens, and relying on normative pressures to use the wrong conclusions or to accept opinions over fact.
The equivalent of the physical and emotional health maintenance for cognitive ability:
• Reading, original sources, and omnivorously: fiction, biographies, the classics, science, history, economy, philosophy. Stop scrolling and turn a real page, in the book and in your life.
• Personal socialization, a phrase which would have been redundant years ago: go out with friends and acquaintances, join clubs, engage in sports and games.
• Participate civically and/or pro bono: attend and speak out at meetings, serve on boards, coach and mentor others.
Here’s a quick cognitive unscientific test:
- Do the complete 7, 8, and 9 times tables mentally within 30 seconds.
- Specify how you’d find the square footage of a rectangular room that is 40 feet by 30 feet.
- Put these revolutions in chronological order (you should be able to rationally figure it out): English, American, French, Russian.
- Why are “manhole” (“personhole”?) covers always round?
When you tend to use the phrase, “I think we should….” make sure you've truly given it some thought.
Coming to understand a painting or a symphony in an unfamiliar style, to recognize the work of an artist or school, to see or hear in new ways, is as cognitive an achievement as learning to read or write or add. —Nelson Goodman
Understanding our cognitive flaws and overcoming them is the lowest-hanging option to leveling up. —Bryan Johnson
I know we can all remember the days of sitting in algebra class asking ourselves, “Why will I need algebra or chemistry in the future?” The answer was and still remains that advanced math and science classes help high school students develop their analytical and cognitive skills and better prepare them to compete in college and the workplace. —Mercedes Schlap
Cogito ergo, sum (I think, therefore I am.) —René Descartes
Monetizing Thought Leadership: https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/monetizing-thought-leadership/
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR THE RIGHT ATTITUDE: HOW ELITE CONSULTANTS EARN MORE BY THINKING DIFFERENTLY
Date: June 23-24, 2026
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Fees: Starts at $2500
This is not for those who need more tactics. It’s for those who seek an identify shift to shamelessly build brand and command the income justified by their value. Objectives:
- The economic prism to best evaluate opportunities and clients
- Creating and justifying high fees without guilt or trepidation
- Exploiting the reasons buyers pay six- and seven-figure fees
- Before and beyond a brand: a repositioned identity
- Creating a business that serves your life, not the reverse
Topics and Discussions
- The economics of expertise
- Better positioning trumps “more leads”
- The active volcanoes of IP
- Revenue depends on value clarity
- The supremacy of recognized value
- Continual value creation
- The psychology of capturing value and ignoring price
- Offensive, not defensive proposals
- Walking your talk, talking your walk
- Surpassing “trusted advisor”
- The IA (indispensable authority)
- The myths of likeability and accessibility
- Distance without arrogance
- Rejecting positive and dysfunctional relationships
- The authority/brand/gravity alchemy
- Visibility is not authority
- Thought leadership is framing, not solving
- To market upward you can’t go sideways
- The ROI journey begins at the destination
- There must be “reasonable certainty”
- Work backwards from outcomes
- Confidence and competence over credentials
- Your internal transformation
- Road closed, do not proceed
- Scaling is something you do to fish
- Only profitable growth makes sense
- The “E” word is elevation, not expansion
- Your life cannot serve your business
Who should attend?
- Experienced consultants, speakers, coaches in any field
- Those seeking a great lifestyle, not a specific monetary goal
- People who can openly share and be honest with colleagues
- Those who feel their talents and value can be spread much farther
- Those who feel under-valued and under-appreciated
Applicants will be “curated” to ensure proper interactions.
$2,500 per person
$3,500 to include second morning with Q&A with Alan demonstrating transition needs for each attendee
$7,500 to include four hours of one-on-one coaching in 30-60-minute segments within six months, flexibly scheduled
$10,000 includes dinner with Alan one-on-one in a great restaurant
You will no longer struggle for client affection, selection, or projection. You’ll be chosen because of your identity and authority.
Summary: You’re not “buying” information or tactics, you are investing in a new way of thinking about yourself, the market, and long-term, sustainable immediate and passive income for your value.
NEW: The Assertiveness Belief Experience
The majority of people I’ve coached and advised globally lack the proper degree of assertiveness applied in the appropriate situations and with critical people.
That’s largely because assertive behavior cannot be successfully applied without the underlying belief that you are an authority and worthy of respect, not seeking approval or affection.
A large part of my success has been derived from telling people they are wrong, in error, misinformed, mistaken. The few who dislike being told that I don’t want as clients. But the majority who appreciate candid discussion have been excellent, long-term clients.
Without self-worth:
- You hedge
- You over-explain
- You defer unnecessarily
With self-worth:
- You state
- You decide
- You successfully move on
Join me on April 23* for 90 minutes of demonstration of how simple it is to become far more assertive in the moment when you are yourself confronted or uncertain or the old “imposter voice” yells in your ear.
I’ll demonstrate how this is done with volunteers where I’ll switch roles, with language suggestions, and with case studies.
Never retreat:
Instead of “handling objections,” reframe:
- Don’t defend—reposition
- Don’t argue—clarify value
- Assertiveness redirects, it doesn’t resist. Assertiveness is the external expression of internal certainty
- It is not aggression, volume, or dominance
- It is the absence of neediness
Is it worth $500 to become more assertive immediately? How many times have you said too late: “I should have said…”? or “Why didn’t I argue about that”?
April 23, 10:30-12:00 US eastern time.
Register here: https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/
FIRST 15 people to sign up receive a free, personalized copy of their choice of: Million Dollar Consulting 8th edition, The Seven-Figure Consultant, The Consulting Bible 2nd edition, or Thrive!
That date is St. George’s Day, who is believed to have slain a dragon, and who is a Patron Saint of England. He did not ask the dragon about whether it would entertain a discussion, nor did he seek its approval. There was a life to be saved.
2026 Zoom Workshops
January 6 Maximizing the coaching/advisory dynamic
February 3 Maximizing speaking spin-off business
March 3 Role-playing tough conversations
NEXT: April 7 Maximizing workshop effectiveness spin-off
May 5 Maximizing current events potential
June 9 Role-playing tougher conversations
July 7 Maximizing low project labor practices
August 13 Maximizing panels—participant/moderator
September 8 Role-playing toughest conversations
October 6 Maximizing publishing potential
November 2 Maximizing lifestyle potential
December 8 Maximizing 2027 personally and professionally
All sessions are approximately 90 minutes beginning at 10:30 US eastern time. These sessions are $450 each, or the entire year for $5,000. Add three months of weekly 30-minute coaching for $2,500, a total of $7,500. (My cards are accepted for the full-year, and for the full-year and coaching options, not for individual sessions.) All sessions will include video recording, visual photos, and Zoom Companion summary.
Register here: https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/
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