Be an active listener.

• When asking qs, try to thoughtfully engage your audience. Don’t just listen for what you want to hear.

Remove yourself from the equation.

• More often than not, the work you are doing is not about you. It is about your audience.

Avoid the vacuum.

• Whenever possible, don’t work alone. Talk with people, whether they are your teammates or guerrilla testers in a cafe. Solicit input and feedback as often as possible, and remember your audience.

Be humble.

• Know when you’re right, and know when you’re wrong.

Be honest.

• Be honest with yourself, with your team and with your time.

Pay respect.

• We’re all in this together, and we all have people to thank.

Don’t be afraid to fail.

• Challenge yourself at all times, and learn from every experience — good and bad.

Learn to say no.

• This can be the hardest lesson to learn, but also one of the most important.

Laugh.

• We all want to live longer, right? Enjoy what you do.

Advice from architect, Benjamin Dauer, from his interview with Smashing Magazine.

The SBA and Agility are offering free tips on how to avoid the costly mistakes that could put the safety of your clients and your organization at risk at a webinar hosted by Agility Recovery and the U.S. Small Business Administration on Tuesday, December 10. "True stories about business owners’ pre-disaster missteps, plans not followed and errors made—as well as what they learned during the recovery phase, will be discussed." WHAT: “The Top 10 Most Common Mistakes During a Crisis” WHEN: Tuesday, December 10, 2013 -- 2 to 3 p.m. EST HOW: Space is limited. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/625471417

As Thanksgiving passes, and we move our attention towards the commercial focus of the Winter holiday season, this infographic encourages you to look at the economic and ecological impact of "buying local."  See what you think.

“I would rather be able to appreciate things I cannot have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.”

—Elbert Hubbard

Great profile at CNN on veteran and entrepreneur Randy Hetrick, who is responsible for the suspension-based workout equipment you've likely seen at the gym.

The contraption consisted of an old jiu-jitsu belt he mistakenly brought in his bag and some extra parachute webbing. He tied a knot and threw the straps over the door, using it to do weight training exercises like pull-ups and curls. The gear kept him and his team members in shape and ready for duty while deployed for weeks in remote areas across the world.

About four years later, after 14 years of service, Hetrick returned home, got an MBA from Stanford, and launched TRX. The prototype created in Asia wasn't too far from the suspension training gear that you see hanging from the ceiling at your local gym. In its eighth year, the company now brings in more than $50 million in annual revenue.

Head over to CNN Money for the full profile.