Hannah Aster

SEO Team Lead

Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.

Expertise

Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing

The Sacred Pause: Stop Running From Your Shadow

What is the Sacred Pause? What does pausing have to do with Radical Acceptance and Buddhism? In order to be fully present, we have to pause. The old folk story about the man who kept running from his shadow is the perfect example of this. He could never put even the smallest distance between himself and his shadow but if he’d just paused to sit in the shade, it would’ve disappeared. Keep reading to learn more about Radical Acceptance and the Sacred Pause.

The Law of Focus: Choose a Branding Word

What is the Law of Focus? How can associating your brand with a word increase your sales? Law #5 of The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is the Law of Focus. It says that a successful marketing strategy can create a universal association between your word and your product. This also relates to the Law of Exclusivity which says that you can’t use another brand’s word. Continue on for more information about the 5th and 6th laws of marketing.

The Founding of Andreessen Horowitz Venture Capital

How did Ben Horowitz go from managing software companies to starting the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz? Why was the company so successful? Ben Horowitz, author of The Hard Thing About Hard Things, didn’t know what to do after he sold Opsware in 2007. He wanted a change of career but didn’t want to waste all the knowledge he gained as a CEO. His solution was to start a venture capital firm to help entrepreneurs realize their dreams. Keep reading to learn more about the Andreessen Horowitz venture capital firm.

6 Deep Work Workouts Inspired by Cal Newport’s Book

Looking for Deep Work workouts to help you apply the book’s lessons to your life? How can deep work help you improve focus? The best and most meaningful progress comes from deep work. Deep work is focused and undistracted work on a task that pushes your cognitive abilities. Here are six Deep Work exercises inspired by Cal Newport’s book to help you apply deep work principles to your life. Continue below for six Deep Work book exercises.

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Book Overview (Ben Horowitz)

Most business books focus on strategy, culture, and goal-setting. But Ben Horowitz knows those aren’t the hard parts. The hard parts are the brutal decisions that keep you up at night—such as firing friends who no longer fit or betting everything on one last desperate move to save your dying company. The Hard Thing About Hard Things is Horowitz’s battle-tested guide for navigating those impossible moments. Drawing from his years leading companies through near-disasters (and eventual success), he shares in his book what it really takes to survive “the Struggle” and come out stronger.

What Is Radical Acceptance? It’s Freedom

What is Radical Acceptance? How does Mohini the tiger’s story perfectly illustrate the concept? What are the two key aspects of Radical Acceptance? Radical Acceptance is comprised of mindfulness and compassion. Mindfulness is the practice of understanding what is happening to us physically, mentally, and emotionally, without being ruled by it and compassion is responding with care and tenderness. Both aspects are needed for Radical Acceptance. Continue reading to learn about Radical Acceptance and how you can free yourself.

Buddha Under the Bodhi Tree: Learn to Pause

What is the story of Buddha under the Bodhi Tree? How can taking the time to pause give you a temporary nirvana? After several years of searching for the answer to happiness, Siddhartha Gautama took a moment to pause under a tree. At this moment, he came to realize that there was room in the world for both suffering and beauty to coexist. Continue on for the full story of Buddha and the Bodhi Tree.

The Law of Singularity: Focus on Impactful Strikes

What is the Law of Singularity in marketing? Why is it better to focus your efforts on one big jab rather than multiple small punches? The Law of Singularity states that you should focus on finding opportunities to make a bold move that makes a big impression. The Law of Candor goes further to say that that big impact may even be the act of acknowledging your own negative attributes and exploiting them. Continue reading about the Law of Singularity and the Law of Candor from The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing.

What Happened to the Netscape Browser?

What was the history of the Netscape browser? What lead to its downfall? Where is Netscape now? In Ben Horowitz’s book The Hard Thing About Hard Things, he talks about the rise and fall of the Netscape browser. What started as a promising venture fell apart when Microsoft entered their playing field. Keep reading to learn about the history of the Netscape browser.

What Is Deep Work and Why Is It So Important?

What is deep work and how does it differ from shallow work? Why is deep work so rare and valuable these days? Why does deep work help with learning and productivity? Deep work is focused and undistracted work that pushes your cognitive abilities to their limit. In contrast, shallow work describes tasks that aren’t demanding such as answering emails. Continue on to learn more about deep work and why it’s so important.