TIM RICHARDSON, Knoxville, TN (2026)

09/17/2026

Last week, like many people, I found myself thinking about September 11th: where I was, what I was feeling, how people around me responded, and the impact the attacks had on me personally and professionally.

The weeks that followed revealed something remarkable. Out of one of the most tragic experiences many of us have lived through came moments of immense good. It was a test of our ability to look deeply into something so awful and still find evidence of humanity, courage, and hope.

Shortly after 9/11, I asked an audience a question: What good came from something so horrible?

To my surprise, the group generated a list of more than a dozen answers. They spoke about things like stronger communities; people treating one another with greater kindness; renewed patriotism; deeper respect for those who serve selflessly; strengthened faith; and a renewed commitment to spending time with family.

None of those outcomes erased the tragedy. They did, however, show that even in the midst of great loss, people can choose to find connection, purpose, and a way forward.

The challenges we experience today may pale in comparison to that historic event, but they can still feel overwhelming. When something difficult happens around us, we need to look honestly at the negative and then ask what good might yet come from it.

I call that positive expectancy.

For leaders, this can be especially difficult. When results decline, priorities shift, budgets tighten, or uncertainty grows, it is natural to focus on what is broken. Yet it is critical to lead with positive expectancy, not shallow optimism, but a grounded belief that people can learn, adapt, and create something better.

It starts with a pause. Ask yourself: What good has come or could come from this life-changing or life-challenging event? What can we learn? What opportunity can we create?

I experienced this firsthand while working in 2001 with a luxury resort that was committed to elevating service delivery across every department. After 9/11, the tragedy initially took the wind out of our sails. Business declined sharply. The organization reduced its workforce, hourly employees’ schedules were cut, and morale suffered.

Yet something important emerged from that difficult season.

The organization created seven teams charged with significantly improving the guest experience from every angle. One team called itself the Spirit Team. Its members took responsibility for providing training, learning opportunities, and inspirational moments that could lift morale during an exceptionally challenging period.

While the organization was suffering externally and team members were hurting internally, the Spirit Team consistently created moments of reflection, encouragement, and connection. Their positive influence helped move people forward.

Combined with the work of the other teams, those efforts changed the organization’s direction. On the other side of 9/11, the resort achieved something it had pursued for more than 25 years: AAA’s coveted Five Diamond Award.

I am not suggesting that we need bad things to happen in order to accomplish something good. We do not. But when difficult things inevitably happen, we can choose to leverage every available resource to find opportunities for growth.

For years, one of my mantras has been: “On the other side of adversity is always something better.”

Positive expectancy is not pretending that adversity is good. It is refusing to let adversity have the final word. It means acknowledging what is hard, supporting one another through it, and asking, “What can we build from here?”

A current leadership lesson is the idea that hope must be paired with realism and action. Harvard Business Review describes effective leadership in uncertain conditions as grounding people in the present reality, setting an aspiration that feels credible, and giving people clear pathways to contribute. In other words, positive expectancy is not wishful thinking; it is a disciplined way of communicating, planning, and mobilizing people toward a better outcome.

Today’s strongest leaders model this same balance. They do not pretend uncertainty is easy or minimize what people are experiencing. Instead, they name the reality, clarify what matters most, invite people to contribute ideas, and create practical paths forward. That is what turns hope from a feeling into momentum, and positive expectancy from a slogan into a leadership practice.

09/11/2026

For most of the summer, I ignored the w**ds slowing taking over my garden.

I kept telling myself I would get to them tomorrow. Then tomorrow became the next day, and the next day became another week. Before long, the job felt overwhelming.

The problem only became worse.

The w**ds choked out my strawberry plants, hid the stepping stones I had carefully put down, and kept some of my favorite flowers from appearing. By the time I finally addressed the garden, it took hours and hours of work to make it look good again (and there is still work to be done) and it was too late for most of the flowers.

As I worked, I kept thinking about how much easier it would have been if I had just worked in the garden a couple of times each week.

My w**d problems is kind of like the people problems we encounter in our lives.

Many problems begin like w**ds. They are small at first: a missed expectation, a strained relationship, a teammate who is disengaging, an issue no one wants to raise, or a difficult conversation we keep putting off. We notice it, but we tell ourselves we will deal with it later.

Sometimes later comes with a much higher cost.

Last month, this played out with the leadership uncertainty at Tata Sons, where reports described months of board disagreement over Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran’s reappointment before he announced he would not seek another term. The details are unique to that organization, of course, but the broader lesson applies everywhere: unresolved leadership questions do not stand still. They create uncertainty, invite assumptions, and make the eventual resolution more.

This is where the power of the pause matters.

Pausing does not mean avoiding. It does not mean putting off a hard conversation until conditions are perfect.

A healthy pause helps us notice what is happening, understand it more clearly, and choose a thoughtful response before a small issue becomes a much bigger one.
When you sense a problem, pause long enough to ask:

What am I avoiding?
What is this issue costing the people involved?
What conversation needs to happen now?
What is one constructive step I can take before this spreads further?

The w**ds in my garden taught me a simple lesson: a few minutes of intentional attention today can save hours of repair tomorrow.

The same is often true in our teams, our organizations, and our relationships.

08/28/2026

Each time you climb a ridge, it looks like the final one. Then another hill appears, making the climb seem even more difficult.

That is what hiking at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, on Michigan’s western coast, felt like.

It was the summer of 2020. My family and I began hiking from the base of the first dune, hoping to reach the shore of Lake Michigan. Eight of us started the hike. But after climbing the first, and one of the hardest, dunes barefoot, some turned back. It was simply too challenging.

I could relate.

At the time, the world had turned upside down, and every speaking engagement on my calendar had disappeared. I was struggling, not only because I had lost my income, but because speaking was my lifeline. It was where I found energy, purpose, and connection.

I did not know what the future held. I considered quitting multiple times. No one wanted to talk about live events, and although I offered virtual programs, those were not going very well either.

I was trying to hold it together for the most important team I have ever belonged to, my family, but I was cracking. I worried deeply about what the future might hold.

Could I find full-time employment?

Would I be able to use my experience in meaningful work?

Would my age be a deterrent?

Those thoughts consumed me, not only on that increasingly difficult hike, but every day.

I had metaphorically climbed many difficult hills throughout my career. There was the aftermath of 9/11, the economic downturn of 2008 and 2009, a year-long project involving some of the most challenging personalities I had ever encountered, and prolonged sleep problems.

Just like those dunes, the hills never seemed to stop.

And the challenges may never stop.

There will always be mountains to climb that seem unconquerable:

Leaders who do not lead well.

The impact of AI on your organization, your role, or your career.

A difficult political climate and uncertainty about the economy.

Shifting workforce skills and the need to keep learning.

New rules, regulations, and compliance requirements.

Reorganizations, competing priorities, and constant change.

Heavy workloads and the expectation to accomplish more with fewer resources.

Burnout, exhaustion, and little time to think clearly.

Difficult coworkers, customers, or stakeholders.

The fear that your work no longer matters, or that you may no longer have a place in the organization.

At times, every step can feel heavier than the last. The finish line can seem like a mirage.

Still, keep going.

Pause when you need to. Catch your breath. Look back and recognize how far you have already come. Ask for help when the next ridge feels too steep to climb alone.

Then take the next step.

Sometimes progress is not reaching the shore as quickly as you hoped. Sometimes progress is simply refusing to turn back.

08/14/2026

Five years ago this week, I face-planted during an early morning bike ride. To add insult to injury, the cyclist riding behind me ran over my neck while I was still on the pavement.

It was not my first cycling accident, and it likely will not be my last.

It was an epic cycling failure.

Failure is a necessary part of life. Looking back on that day, I realized that if I had done a few things differently, I might have avoided the accident. The same can be true in our professional lives.

We are going to fall. We are going to fail.

I failed repeatedly in my first job with IBM and was almost fired.

I failed in the training field when I first began speaking for a public seminar company.

I have failed more times than I can count in my current work as a professional speaker.

I failed over and over again in multiple ways.

Failure is part of growing.

Though in the moments following failure, it can be difficult to see any value in a mistake, a missed opportunity, or an unpleasant outcome. But evaluating what happened is an important part of growth.

Every failure, frustration, confrontation, and unpleasant outcome can help prepare us for what comes next, if we are willing to learn from it.
The list of leaders and entrepreneurs who experienced failure before finding greater success is long.

Walt Disney’s first animation business, Laugh-O-Gram, collapsed and went bankrupt in 1923.

Steve Jobs was forced out of Apple, the company he helped create, before returning years later to lead one of the most remarkable turnarounds in business history.

Abraham Lincoln experienced a number of political losses before being elected president.

Oprah Winfrey was removed from an early news-anchor role before finding success in a format that better suited her strengths.

Henry Ford’s early automobile ventures struggled before he built Ford Motor Company Motor Company. Bill Gates’ first company, Traf-O-Data, did not succeed.

Sara Blakely’s idea for Spanx was initially dismissed by manufacturers before she found someone willing to take a chance on it.

Failure can be good when we use it to propel us forward.

Failure is not always the opposite of success. Often, it is the tuition we pay for better judgment.

Steve Jobs’ departure from Apple forced reinvention. Walt Disney’s bankruptcy became the beginning of a new creative chapter later resulting in The Walt Disney Company . The question is not whether we will fail. The question is whether we will pause long enough to learn what the failure is trying to teach us.

We should not romanticize failure. Failure becomes a stepping stone only when we do three things:

Own the result without blame-shifting
Extract the lesson: What assumption, behavior, process, or decision needs to change?
Change something concrete before trying again

The next time you fall short, make the mistake, lose the opportunity, or face an outcome you did not want, pause before you move on.

Ask yourself: What can this teach me that success never could?

07/31/2026

Last week, I lost a good friend. One who loved me unconditionally, even though I didn't want her for the longest time.

My life was too busy. There was too much responsibility involved. Our kids were getting older and no longer required as much care.

She would tie us down, and I didn't need one more thing to take my time and energy away.

As it turned out, we became great friends and walking buddies.

Early last year, I decided to get intentional about memorizing segments of my keynote speech. I needed someone to just let me talk and say the same things again and again.

She was an easy first choice.

I would wake up early - often before sunrise. We would walk in all kinds of weather without a complaint of any kind from her.

As we walked, she listened to me practice. She heard me work on memorizing new statistics to support my key points. She heard me repeat my presentation and waited patiently when I stopped walking periodically to review index cards with the content I was trying to memorize.

She never complained. She never got tired of hearing me, and she never gave me unsolicited feedback - she just listened without judgment as I talked while we walked.

We walked miles and miles together early in the morning, and she always welcomed me when I came in late at night from a business trip when no one else waited up.

She was always happy to see me, despite the fact that I sometimes got angry with her for barking at everyone who came to our door. She never held a grudge when I would pull her back to me, sometimes too forcefully, when she wanted to chase a rabbit or squirrel.

She would chase balls and frisbees that I threw over and over again. My arm tired out before she did.

Her needs were simple: food, walks, and an occasional tummy rub.

Eight years wasn’t enough with her, even though while she was alive I thought about how free it would be when she was gone. She hung on long enough for us to return from vacation. Last week, she let us know that she was ready right before I left for my annual National Speakers Association conference. Fittingly, it was a dreary, rainy morning when the vet came over to help with her transition.

I learned a lot from her about valuing practice and repetition, forcing myself to do hard things that I didn’t like doing, having simple needs, listening fully, and loving people unconditionally.

All great life lessons at any age.

The lessons she left behind are ones every business professional can use: practice what matters until it becomes natural, stay committed to the hard work of improvement, keep your priorities simple, and listen with full attention before you respond.

In a world full of noise, those habits can strengthen leadership, deepen trust, and improve the way we serve others.

07/22/2026

Having just returned from vacation, I am still carrying the memories of the planning, the packing, and the anticipation. With all the catch up work and planning for another upcoming trip, I have found myself asking a simple question: was it worth it?

Was it worth the messages waiting for me when I got home?

Was it worth missing a few things while I was away?

Was it worth the worry that something important might happen while I was unplugged?

My answer is yes.

It was worth it for the early morning sky over Sandpoint, Idaho.

It was worth it for the fresh raspberries I picked almost every morning during the first week of the trip.

It was worth it for the boat rides, jet ski time, and meals on the water.

It was worth it for time with family, quiet mornings on the porch, long hikes, and the gift of being fully present.

It was worth it to see the mountains in Banff, still snow capped and framed by evergreen trees.

It was worth it to see longhorn sheep, a grizzly bear, and even a jackrabbit that stopped and stared me down on the trail at dusk.

It was worth it for the laughter, the fun, the adventure, and the togetherness.

When we step away from the daily routine, something important happens. We make room to breathe. We remember that not everything depends on us. And we give our minds the chance to reset.
That pause matters more than many of us realize.

Studies show that vacation can improve well-being, reduce stress, and support better performance when we return to work. Research has also found that the benefits of vacation can extend beyond the trip itself, especially when people fully disconnect and engage in restorative activities. In one long-term study of business executives, taking vacations was associated with lower mortality risk over time.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih+2

And yet, many people still leave vacation time on the table. In one U.S. survey, workers used an average of 17.4 vacation days while 27.2 percent of earned time went unused. Another report found that 768 million vacation days went unused in a single year, with more than half of employees saying they did not take all the time available to them.edition.cnn+1

The average business person may tell themselves they are too busy to step away, but that mindset can be costly. Taking time off is not a luxury. It is a practical way to restore focus, improve effectiveness, and protect long-term health and longevity.

You owe it to yourself, and to the people you love, to make time to get away. Refresh your thinking. Rest your mind. Be quiet. Be still. Absorb the beauty and experiences that do not happen every day.

So if you have been putting off a vacation, consider this your reminder to plan it, take it, and fully enjoy it. The work will still be there when you return, but you will return better rested, more focused, and more present for the people and responsibilities that matter most.

07/08/2026

The first episode aired 37 years ago this week. It wasn’t well received. In fact, NBC initially wanted to cancel it. But NBC executive Rick Ludwin saw potential and funded four more episodes.

That show was Seinfeld.

Created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David, the series, often described as a “show about nothing”, followed a fictionalized version of Seinfeld alongside characters like George Costanza, Elaine Benes, and Cosmo Kramer. It debuted on July 5, 1989, as The Seinfeld Chronicles, and the pilot drew poor reviews. Despite that, Ludwin’s decision to give it another shot led to a nine-season run, 180 episodes, and a place as one of the most successful sitcoms in television history.

The finale, which aired in 1998, drew more than 38 million viewers.

Not bad for something that almost didn’t make it past episode one.

There are lines from the show that still show up in everyday conversation:

“No soup for you!”
“Yada, yada, yada.”
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”
“Hello, Newman.”
“Serenity now!”
It’s 37 years later and we are still repeating this lines. I would say it was a mildly successful. show!

How easy would it have been to quit? To give up?

And some do … after failing once.

But Seinfeld never would have become what it is if someone hadn’t seen the potential beyond the first attempt.

That’s what has me thinking about how easy it is to give up on someone or something when failure shows up.

A new employee.

A new idea.

A new business practice.

A new personal routine.

Most of us have given up on at least one of these. Maybe too soon.

There’s no doubt there are times to walk away. But it’s almost never after just one attempt.

Sometimes what looks like failure is just the first draft of something great.

Before you give up on something or someone new, pause to ask yourself: is this truly the end or just the beginning that needs one more chance?

07/01/2026

We are roughly halfway through the year, and that makes this a good time to pause and take stock. In sports, halftime is the point in the game when coaches examine their plan, offer feedback, and motivate their team to keep going, even when the next move feels difficult.

That idea is especially relevant right now. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is making headlines not only because it is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, but also because FIFA is adding a first-ever halftime show to the final, signaling how sports, entertainment, and business now overlap in major ways.

For people in business, this is a natural moment to readjust, revisit your plan, and make necessary changes.

If you are like most people and most organizations, you likely set goals earlier in the year.
Maybe your team held a retreat at the end of last year or early this year to plan for the months ahead.
Maybe you and your family sat down and talked about the things you wanted to accomplish this year.

For the high achievers among us, some goals may already be complete. But more often, there are still things left undone. Some goals have not been achieved. Some dreams have not been realized. Some plans have not even been started.

That is common. Plans are made, but action does not always follow. It is easy to find reasons why. We did not have time. It was not in the budget. We were too busy. It had never been done before. We were dealing with other priorities.

But action takes time. Action takes commitment. And action often requires revisiting, readjusting, or even changing the plan.

If this sounds familiar, carve out some time in the next few weeks to review the plans you made earlier this year. Ask yourself what action steps you can take today to move them forward. Create a visible chart or checklist that includes a few steps, a timeline, and the resources needed to get started. Find a way to reward yourself or your team for progress and accomplishments along the way. If you manage a team or organization, assign each person one task and give them the support and time they need to help put the plan into action.

It is also important to recognize that life happens. Some things are beyond your control and may have kept you from starting at all. In those moments, give yourself grace. Celebrate the successes you have had, and do not let difficult circumstances keep you from looking ahead with hope.

You have probably heard the phrase, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

It is also true that if you fail to act, you will likely fail to achieve.

06/18/2026

Years ago, when I served as Director of Training for a Five Diamond hotel -the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, one of the policies I brought to the organization was this mantra.

I explained to the leadership team and managers that when an employee sees a manager or department head bend down to pick up trash, it normalizes that behavior. It sends a clear message that no one is above doing the right thing.

When guests visit a luxury resort, they expect it to be spotless. That standard should not belong to one department. It should belong to everyone and every organization. Even if you work at home.

If the restroom counter is a mess, wipe it down. If someone leaves trash in the break room, throw it away. If there is litter in the parking lot, pick it up.

Recently, I was inspired by stories of Japanese soccer fans and players who cleaned up locker rooms and stadiums after matches. Their culture reinforces personal responsibility and respect for shared spaces.

I was also struck by a photo of NFL quarterback Jameis Winston in the stands after a game, holding a trash bag and helping clean up. No spotlight. Just action.

Maybe it is catching on.

Just this week, I attended a baseball game with my son and noticed employees moving through the stands with trash bags. Midway through the game, an announcement encouraged fans to help keep the space clean. By the time we left, the stands were practical spotless. It elevated the entire experience.

What if we applied that same mindset beyond physical spaces?

What if housekeeping was everyone’s job in our relationships, both personal and professional?

Housekeeping might look like:

Apologizing after unintentionally belittling an idea in a meeting
Following up to elevate the guest or customer experience when you did not meet a customer’s expectations
Owning a comment made in frustration that impacted a colleague
So when should you do housekeeping?

Immediately after an infraction.

People leave organizations because of ill-timed or inappropriate words. Customers stop doing business because they felt disrespected.

The cost of leaving a mess behind is real.

The lesson is simple: do not leave a mess for someone else to clean up. Whether it is a physical space, a conversation, or a relationship, take responsibility, make it right, and move on with integrity.

Housekeeping is everyone’s job because respect is everyone’s job. The next time you see something out of place, step in. The next time your words or actions create a mess, own it quickly. That is how we build stronger teams, better workplaces, and healthier relationships.

A cleaner culture starts with each of us. Take a moment today to notice what needs attention, and do your part to make it right.

05/14/2026

The first time I met my wife’s family, we gathered for dinner at a restaurant in Saint Augustine called Barnacle Bill’s. My in-laws had grown up in St. Augustine, and Barnacle Bill’s was their favorite place to eat. Every visit to Saint Augustine included dinner at Barnacle Bill's.

On this particular evening, much of my wife’s extended family joined us, including cousins and their spouses. When the waitress came to the table and asked if we needed menus, my father-in-law immediately replied, “Nope, we know what we want.”

What happened next amazed me.

One by one, around the table, every single person ordered the exact same meal: the Shrimp Buster.

Apparently, this had been the routine for years.

Then it was my turn to order.

I ordered the broiled seafood platter instead.

You would have thought I had announced I kick puppies.

The looks around the table were priceless. Confused. Shocked. Maybe even mildly offended. No one expected me to order something different. The assumption was simple: this is what we do here.

And for years, that routine continued.

It was always shrimp buster night at Barnacle Bill's!

Until one day, it wasn’t.

A few years ago, Barnacle Bill’s closed their original location and later relocated under new management, but they closed a short time later.

That raises an important question: did the restaurant suffer because it kept doing the same thing, even while customers’ expectations and options kept changing?

The best businesses do not just ask, “What have we always done?” They ask, “What do our customers need now?” They listen for shifts in preference, they test new ideas, and they remain willing to adjust before the market forces them to change.

In 2026, restaurant trends are leaning toward more limited-time menus, more healthy choices, more low-alcohol drinks and mocktails, and more guest-focused innovation as operators try to sharpen the experience and stay competitive.

Other industry coverage points to flexible menus, hyper-local ingredients, plant-based dishes, and novelty-driven offerings as ways restaurants keep attention in a crowded market.

The broader lesson applies beyond restaurants: in an attention economy, novelty and relevance matter, but so does discipline. Leaders who pause long enough to notice what is changing are better positioned to respond before customers drift away.

The organizations thriving today are the ones willing to pause long enough to ask difficult questions:

What are you repeating simply because it is familiar?
What customer feedback have you been ignoring because “we’ve always done it this way”?
Where has your team confused consistency with stagnation?
What would happen if you paused long enough to invite fresh thinking?
What one small change could you test this month to better meet current needs?

Even iconic brands like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Chick-fil-A constantly experiment with technology, personalization, rewards programs, mobile ordering, and customer experience because they know standing still is not an option.

That is why I often speak and write about The Power in the Pause.

The pause creates space for awareness.

The pause interrupts autopilot.

The pause challenges tradition.

The pause gives leaders permission to rethink, reinvent, and reimagine before the marketplace forces them to.

Without the pause, organizations drift into repetition. And repetition, over time, can quietly become irrelevance.

But this isn’t just about businesses.

It’s about leadership.

As leaders, we can easily fall into our own version of the “Shrimp Buster” routine.

We lead the same way. Run the same meetings. Use the same strategies. Give the same answers. Avoid the same difficult conversations. Resist the same necessary changes.

Not because they are still effective - but because they are familiar.

The best leaders challenge familiarity.

They stay curious. They invite feedback. They ask questions others avoid. They create cultures where new ideas are welcomed instead of resisted.

Most importantly, they pause long enough to reflect before momentum carries them in the wrong direction.

So here’s the real question:

What is the “Shrimp Buster” in your leadership or your organization right now?

What are you continuing to do simply because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”?

And what might happen if you paused long enough to consider a different choice?

Sometimes growth doesn’t begin with a massive change.

Sometimes it begins with simply ordering something different.

TIM RICHARDSON

09/17/2026

09/11/2026

08/28/2026

08/14/2026

07/31/2026

07/22/2026

07/08/2026

07/01/2026

06/18/2026

05/14/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request