Insights

Personal reflections on business, giving, and life’s big pivot — all from the messy middle of figuring it out.

Below is a collection of 1,129 posts Tim has made including blog posts, books, songs, quotes, and videos. Filter by category, type, or pathway to find what you need.

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The Ohio State University Q&A: Building a Network
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The Ohio State University Q&A: Building a Network

October 30, 2025

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The Ohio State University Q&A: The List
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The Ohio State University Q&A: The List

October 30, 2025

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What Traditions Matter to You?
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What Traditions Matter to You?

By Tim McCarthy

October 29, 2025

Make a list—it should be fun.  Traditions big or small, carried on or long passed, old/new/borrowed/blue.  Traditions beget memories and memories bring feelings of structure. How many of the things...
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You Can Change Outcomes for Yourself
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You Can Change Outcomes for Yourself

By Catherine Burns

October 29, 2025

"If you look at the facts of something and write down your thoughts, you find that those thoughts lead to certain feelings, and those feelings lead to action. If you...
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Fast Car
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Fast Car

By Tracy Chapman

October 29, 2025

Song of the Month:  "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, covered by Ryan Montbleau Editor’s Note: The original of this song is a favorite, but Monbleau’s interpretation adds more instrumentation and, for...
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5 Types of Wealth
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5 Types of Wealth

By Sahil Bloom

October 29, 2025

Book of The Month: “5 Types of Wealth” by Sahil Bloom Editor’s notes: I’ve enjoyed many books regarding the value of time and wealth but none describe as thoughtfully and...
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Truly Funny |  Miller
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Truly Funny |  Miller

By Tim McCarthy

October 29, 2025

Truly Funny: Miller I was visiting my outlandish brother, Miller, not long after he moved to Florida when we went to the dealer to pick up his new Volkswagen Beetle...
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Startup Communities
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Startup Communities

By Brad Feld

October 20, 2025

Editor’s note:  Feld’s writing is thorough and accessible.  It reflects the foundation’s experience in economic gardening in our own hometown “to a t”.   Favorite excerpt – if you read nothing...
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My Friends
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My Friends

By Fredrik Backman

September 29, 2025

Editor’s notes: Thanks to my pal, Joe Gibson, for the heads-up on this one. While reading, I highlighted dozens of humorous and poignant quotes—it's that kind of book. Any Backman...
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Truly Funny |  Colonoscopy
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Truly Funny |  Colonoscopy

By Tim McCarthy

September 29, 2025

My son was wheeled into recovery from an anesthetized colonoscopy.  As he returned to consciousness, he looked up at the nurse, asked her for a date, then proceeded to fart...
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Money, Love and Change
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Money, Love and Change

By Trey Anastasio Band

September 29, 2025

Editor’s Note: This "new to me" guitar superstar will get a lot of my attention in the coming months. "Money, Love and Change" made me think of my favorite jam...
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Have You Been to Bentonville?
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Have You Been to Bentonville?

By Tim McCarthy

September 29, 2025

My first visit to Walmart's hometown in Arkansas was in the '90s. I remember a classic southern small-town square and a Walmart buyer who turned a 15-minute timer on me...
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Architects of Our Own Growth
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Architects of Our Own Growth

By Raffaello Palandri

September 29, 2025

"With discipline, we become the architects of our own growth, forging a path where inner development is not a consequence of circumstance but a deliberate journey toward wisdom and fulfillment." ...
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5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life
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5 Types of People Who Can Ruin Your Life

By Bill Eddy

August 29, 2025

Editor’s note:  My sisters and I have been discovering that age brings wisdom that mostly escaped us in our younger years. This book, and the people it describes, have been...
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Truly Funny | Banker and Doctor
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Truly Funny | Banker and Doctor

By Tim McCarthy

August 29, 2025

I spent time with a childhood friend, who has been in private banking his entire career who told me about his client who was also his doctor doing an exam...
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Breakup With Everything
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Breakup With Everything

By Michael Franti & Spearhead

August 29, 2025

Editor’s Note: Here’s a lovely song sent me by my son, Kevin.  One old acoustic guitar and one voice with feeling. Favorite lyric: “If it’s love that you lost, Or...
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Did You Take Your Medicine Today?
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Did You Take Your Medicine Today?

By Tim McCarthy

August 29, 2025

There are many phrases I attribute to my mom and among my favorites is, “laughter is medicine for your soul”.  Throughout my lifetime, I’ve added a few more “pills” I try...
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Staying Focused
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Staying Focused

By Shane Parrish

August 29, 2025

“Staying focused requires a lot of effort and discipline. One clue outstanding people leave is that they tend to commit and focus on something for an abnormally long period, even...
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Bad Days in History
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Bad Days in History

By Michael Farquhar

August 5, 2025

Editor’s note:  You’ll need a strong stomach if you choose to read this since many of the bad days described are matters of barbarism, particularly those from earlier centuries.  But...
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What Do We Know About Immigration?
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What Do We Know About Immigration?

By Tim McCarthy

August 5, 2025

After November's election, I dedicated significant resources—time and money—to learning about "undocumented" immigrants. Our foundation avoids advocacy in favor of action. We are now in our ninth month of researching...
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Know Why You’re Living
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Know Why You’re Living

By David Brooks

August 5, 2025

“Over the past 30 years, people have tried to fill the hole in their soul by seeking to derive a sense of righteousness through their political identities. And when you...
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