“Play Gloria!” 10 Life Lessons from the 2019 Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues

June 27, 2019 by Chris Luecke in Business, Career, Just For Fun, Personal Development, St. Louis

Earlier this month, my hometown St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup in their 52-year franchise history. In true St. Louis sports fashion, their road to the Cup was nothing short of magical. On January 2, 2019 – halfway through the season – the Blues were dead last in the league. Their head coach had been fired in November. The team lacked a cohesive identity and looked more competitive when they were fighting each other at practice than when facing their opponents on the ice. The idea of the Blues even making the playoffs was simply laughable.

Then on January 7, a rookie goaltender named Jordan Binnington stepped in front of the net for his first NHL start and recorded a shutout…

6 Ways Long-Term International Travel Makes You a Better Businessperson

June 28, 2016 by Chris Luecke in Business, Career, Personal Development, Travel, Reflections

In just over a month, I’ll be hitting the road again for my first international excursion of 2016: Brasil. Not only will I be checking the Olympics off of my bucket list, but I’ll get a chance to explore the Amazon while saving some time for spontaneity around the Rio de Janeiro state.

A lot of people in a corporate job will look at their time off of work as a “vacation” – an escape from the daily grind – but I look at my time abroad as one of my most important development experiences of the year. While the word “vacation” brings to mind thoughts of temporary escapism, the word “travel” makes me think of something completely different: leaving what’s familiar to you to approach daily life with a heightened sense of your surroundings and a thirst to explore.

2 Criteria for Finding a Great Mentor

February 26, 2016 by Chris Luecke in Career, Business, Personal Development

Mentorship is a word that is all too commonly thrown around in the business world. There’s no doubt that a great mentor can help accelerate your career and help you achieve your business or personal development goals. But, the word “mentor” has become watered-down, and many mentorships fail to reach their full potential – for both the mentee and the mentor – or worse, they are not the right fit to begin with.