"Do you ever that sense of fear in your stomach when you try something new?

Me too.

That fear means you’re learning. You’re growing. You’re expanding and moving out of your comfort zone.

That comfort zone feels safe because it’s what we know — it can also trap us in the status quo.

The imposter syndrome, fear, procrastination, insecurity means you are in the fear zone.

You cannot chase your dreams, grow, or live your purpose in the fear zone.

You just can’t.

What you want is on the other side of fear. It’s on the other side of your comfort zone.

It’s found in the learning zone.
It’s found in the growth zone.

The only way to get out of the fear zone is action. It’s doing. It’s creating daily habits. It’s setting routines. It’s becoming.

It’s doing and moving forward even when it scares you.

Lastly, your body doesn’t know the difference between fear and excitement.

Next time you get that feeling in your stomach, tell yourself that it is excitement.

You are excited to apply to that job. You are excited to speak in public. You are excited to ask that person out.

And sometimes, you just need to do it anyways.

Do it afraid. Do it scared. Do it while your hands tremble.

I promise you, the next time you’ll be a little bit less fearful.

And then it becomes habit and finally who you are.

You got this, Raindrops!

Who’s entering the learning and growing zone with me? Let me know in the comments!

Stephen Covey has helped us with a lot of insightful ideas, concepts and models. One of them is the Circle of Influence Model, also known as the CIA model along the three main actions resulting from it: Control, Influence, Accept.

It distinguish three types of issues or worries that you may have and that ask for a different response:

The Circle of CONTROL → Control
Key question: is it in my control?
Description: the factors that are directly within your control. They mainly concern you personally, and you (and often only you) can change them.
Examples: thoughts, behaviors, mindset, actions, skills, mistakes
Response: direct most of your time and energy to these factors, this will minimize feelings of overwhelm and makes you feel in control.

The Circle of INFLUENCE → Influence
Key question: if it’s not in my control, can I exert influence in it?
Description: factors involving other people or situations that you can interact with but that you can only partially affect.
Examples: relationships, commitments, job, roles, positions
Response: focus on those factors that you have most influence on and accept the factors on which your influence is limited.

The Circle of CONCERNS → Accept
Key question: If I can’t control or influence it, can I accept it?
Description: the factors outside your control. They affect you and they may concern you, but you can’t do something about them.
Examples: weather, economy, war, legislation, virus outbreak
Response: let go and accept that you can not directly do something about them. Focus on what you can influence and control.

The categories are not fixed and they depend on your position. What is merely in the Circle of Concern of most people, such as the economy for example, is in the Circle of Influence of politicians.

This means that the Three Circles of Influence look different for every individual person. But exactly that makes it such a powerful model. Because you can immediately apply it to yourself, or to your team or organization.

One way to do this smartly is to make an inventory of all issues and topics you are currently concerned about; that you worry about and keep your head busy. Once you have the list you can then categorize them in the three categories and follow the brief recommendations given above.

The main effect this should have is that you feel more in control and spend your time more effectively on those factors where you can actually make a difference.

Do you spend your time and energy on the right factors? "

Color Coding of Industrial Pipelines – Safety Starts with Identification

In any chemical or process industry, proper pipeline color coding is not just a best practice—it's a critical safety requirement.

Each color represents a specific utility or fluid: Green – Water
Red – Fire protection
Yellow – Gas
Brown – Sewage
Blue – Compressed Air
Grey – Electrical conduit

Clear labeling and standardized color codes help: ✔ Prevent operational errors
✔ Enhance workplace safety
✔ Streamline maintenance
✔ Comply with industrial standards (e.g., ANSI/ASME A13.1)

Let’s keep our plants safer, smarter, and more efficient—because safety isn’t optional. It’s engineered.

hashtag#ChemicalEngineering hashtag#ProcessSafety hashtag#IndustrialDesign hashtag#PipingSystems hashtag#SafetyFirst hashtag#Maintenance hashtag#PlantEngineering hashtag#Utilities hashtag#ColorCodeStandards

You want to become a paid speaker?

Here's why so few people achieve that goal:

Most people in those early stages have the right intentions, but focus too much on their topic and not enough time understanding how the business of speaking works.

Because it is a business.

They write a talk.
Update their social profile that they're a keynote speaker.
Post some of their ideas for others to see.
Tell their friends and colleagues that they're a professional speaker.

Maybe there's a couple early wins, but there's no real momentum or sustainability.

Here’s what successful speakers actually do:

They treat this like a business, not a hobby.

Let me show you the difference:

What most people do:
– Create a talk without knowing who it’s for
– Talk about a topic or their own story, but don't solve a real problem for the audience
– Ask their network of connections for stage time
– Post vague content hoping someone notices

What real speakers do:
– Start with the market, not just their idea
– Study what’s already working
– Position themselves with clarity and confidence
– Build proof, then momentum, then income

Here’s how to get out of your own head and into the game:

➡ Go to a speaker bureau site like WSB, BigSpeak, or Gotham
➡ Click on a category like AI, culture, sales, or innovation
➡ Filter by fee range
➡ Look at taglines, bios, and pricing
➡ Ask yourself:

Is my topic truly unique?
What marketing assets do they have in place (website, video, social profile)?
Do I actually bring something different to the table?
Are others getting booked for this topic?
Could I eventually charge what they charge?
And most importantly…
Do I feel excited after this exercise — or intimidated and drained?

You don’t need to be the only one in your lane. With others in that market category, it validates that there is a category.

Stop wondering if you can do this. Start studying the game strategically to really understand how it works.

POV: You are a digital marketer in 2025.

It would drive most people crazy

It means being a copywriter, strategist, videographer,
Social media manager, graphic designer and video editor...

That's all before lunch...

I've found this is especially true for startups,
Where it's all hands on deck.

You don't just have one role, you have five.

Is it the ideal situation? Not really.
Is it chaotic? Absolutely.

But if you're early in your career,
I do think it can be a gift in disguise.

You'll get to be involved in every step of the funnel,
And learn what works and what doesn't.

Most importantly, you'll be surrounded by people with different skillsets:

That media buyer who sees angles you don’t.
The dev who makes your landing page 10x faster.
The founder who rewires your brain in 10 seconds.

Being in the room with those minds,
Is worth more than any online course you'll ever buy.

So don't write off the job just because it's messy.
It's probably the fastest route to being a better marketer.

Repost this to your audience.