(From 2010–2019, I co-wrote the column “What It Takes” for author Steven Pressfield’s site. This article is the last article in the series. ~Callie Oettinger) December 1, 2010, Steve introduced the “What It Takes” column with his introductory article of the same name, “What It Takes”. Shawn’s first article in the series, “Getting the Meeting”,…
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Do This Every Day
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) It was 1990-something. I was working in a small mom-and-pop publishing house just down I95 from Health Communications, the publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul. My boss wanted a series just like that. Think of all the…
Brian Wilson, Warren Buffett, Albert Einstein, and Ruth Stone
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) In the documentary Beach Boys: The Making of Pet Sounds, Al Jardine said Brian Wilson “sees things I don’t think the rest of us see and hears things, certainly, that we don’t hear. He has a special receiver going…
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A Correction: Nothing Always Works With Everyone
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) Last Friday I wrote that the list of things below always work. Hard work has always worked. Being honest has always worked. Doing the right thing has always worked. Keeping promises has always worked. Being transparent has always…
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The Road Not Taken
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) I can see Robert Frost’s yellow wood. In my mind, it’s always Fall and always the golden hour before sunset. A thick layer of leaves blankets the ground and yet every tree is full, as if not a…
Do You Believe?
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) For the 14th year in a row, my kids and I drove to Pentagon City Mall for a picture with Santa. Now 15 and 11, they know the fat guy in the red suit is an echo of…
First Things First
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) A jab is a quick, sharp punch. It’s the setup for other punches—that seemingly small thing that serves you well in the ring. “It is their most important weapon. Fighters throughout time have spilled blood and sweat attempting…
Print on Demand Wins
(This post was first published as a part of the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site.) Steve announced the release of Black Irish Books’ first subscription-based product earlier this week. Fitting in with Black Irish’s boxing glove logo, the subscription features “JABs” from Steve—mini-books that pack a punch—starting with two books from…
On Gratitude
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) I spent the last month writing hundreds of thank you notes. My son asked why I didn’t have them printed, since the message is the same in each card. It’s the time and the action and the intention….
Anger and Writing
(This article first appeared within the “What It Takes” series on author Steven Pressfield’s site. ~Callie Oettinger) So often I read Steve’s “Writing Wednesdays” posts and think he’s writing about me. Did you read his last article? It’s the one titled “Being Ignored.” Steve tackled why he wrote—not for a New York Times review or…