Denise Cornell — What I’m Doing Now

(This is a now page. You can make one too.)

Updated July 28, 2024 from Austin, Texas

Behind the scenes at work.

You know that feeling when you try on a new pair of shoes? Sometimes it takes wearing them to realize how well your old ones fit. That's me right now. I've stepped into a fractional COO role for a long-time client, partly because I wondered, "Hey, can I do this?" Turns out, I can, and damned well.

But here's the thing: this detour? It's like a neon sign pointing me back to my sweet spot.

Strategic advising isn't just what I do—it's who I am. Every client I've worked with, every bit of satisfaction I've felt, heck, even those personality/career assessments—they're all screaming the same thing. Sometimes you've got to veer off course to see your true path more clearly.

My work in its simplest form…

  • Asking a better set of questions

  • Asking those questions at the right time (both sequentially and emotionally)

  • Asking them of people who are willing to answer

  • At the heart of every engagement, the ultimate question we’re answering is, What business am I really in? or at the personal level, Where in this business should I really be spending my time and how?

    • This is the true definition of Value Proposition

    • Building off of the work of Theodore Levitt and Clay Christensen

    • Astoundingly simple and astonishing hard to answer when you’re in the weeds with your heart and pride on the line

Who is more important than why or what. I’m way more interested in who I work with than the specifics of the scope of work. I gravitate towards:

  • curiosity, a willingness to embrace new ideas or new ways of thinking

  • people seeking answers instead of needing to be right (There’s freedom in being wrong.)

  • thoughtfulness, kindness

  • brave, crazy ideas that change the conversation (New and improved is for toothpaste.)

  • the Zero to One phase of company building

Reading.

The Power Law by Sebastian Mallaby

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport


Storytelling.

Wow, it’s been almost two years since I debuted my latest story, The Red Tractor. I’m so damn proud of this story — the writing of it, having lived it and performing it. It’s starting to feel like this story wants a bigger stage.

Personal.

On a Canadian mountain high after a trip with 8 college friends. We came from NYC, KY, WA, and TX to collectively celebrate our birthdays -- a tradition we started years ago. Incredibly grateful for these 30+ year friendships.