Why we're here

Have you ever worked in an organization
that didn’t claim to be innovative?
Or aspire to greatness?

Neither have we.

Why, then, are there so few
organizations that truly innovate?
Or really are great?

Greatness is uncommon.

Why? Because it’s hard.
It’s painful (or has the potential to be painful).
You have to have courage to be great.

At The Courage Lab,
we help brands be courageous.

  • “Only the mediocre are always at their best.”
    Jean Giraudoux, French diplomat and novelist
  • "Nothing any good isn't hard."
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • "Jeff is not only smart but a thoroughly good guy. He brings great insight and great attitude: a valuable strategic partner, whose thinking is both solid and inspired."
    Catherine Piercey, VP, Planning Director, Dare
  • We’re tired of tolerating the mediocre.
    The Courage Lab
  • "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself . . . the nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
    Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "(Jeff's) desire to make a meaningful difference through strategic insight continues to set him apart. I hope you benefit from his skills as much as we did."
    Doug Simpson, Founding Partner, SGCI Communcations
  • “For me, every day is a new thing. I approach each project with a new insecurity, almost like the first project I ever did. And I get the sweats. I go in and start working, I'm not sure where I'm going. If I knew where I was going I wouldn't do it.”
    Frank Gehry
  • "A critical thinker, Jeff balanced his tough questions with a solution-oriented approach that could spell success for any brand."
    Doug Wright, D.M. Wright & Associates
  • "Jeff has always been relentless in examining possibilities and questioning everything . . . If I was to choose a team, Jeff would be on it."
    Elizabeth Braid, Braid Media Services
  • "You are too timid in drawing your inferences."
    Sherlock Holmes
  • “Good and great are seldom the same man.”
    Winston Churchill
  • “. . . if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
    Theodore Roosevelt
  • “The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.”
    Peter Drucker
  • The presence of motion is not necessarily indicative of the presence of progress.
    The Courage Lab
  • Seek out opportunities for serendipity.
    The Courage Lab
  • “Nothing any good isn’t hard.”
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • “The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.”
    Colin Wilson
  • "I was amazed how he managed to extract the essence from two days discussions and visualize the ideas we had been talking about in a way that made the audience say “Yes, that’s exactly how we should do it!”."
    Leif Wien Jensen, Norges Blindeforbund
  • “What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.”
    Charles Bukowski
  • “Creativity is dreaming up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
    Theodore Levitt

Who we are

Jeff George

Jeff is an entrepreneur, planner, questioner, and unconventional thinker. Some people (like his Mom) call him a shit disturber. Jeff is the founder of The Courage Lab.

Collaborators

We work with a variety of agencies, designers, philosophers, researchers, consultants, entrepreneurs, and academics. They share a common trait: a commitment to being courageous.

What we do

Strategy Consulting

We help good brands, organizations, and causes figure out their problems and how to fix them. We use human behaviour to affect change.
 
Need help?

Courage Workshops

In our customized workshops, we help people, brands, and organizations learn how to be courageous.
 
 
Interested in a workshop?

Making
Things

Rather than simply telling other people how to do things, fix problems, or make things, we make things too. We take risks, try new things, and learn from our mistakes. We practice what we preach.
Want to work together?

  • “Only the mediocre are always at their best.”
    Jean Giraudoux, French diplomat and novelist
  • "Nothing any good isn't hard."
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • "Jeff is not only smart but a thoroughly good guy. He brings great insight and great attitude: a valuable strategic partner, whose thinking is both solid and inspired."
    Catherine Piercey, VP, Planning Director, Dare
  • We’re tired of tolerating the mediocre.
    The Courage Lab
  • "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself . . . the nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
    Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "(Jeff's) desire to make a meaningful difference through strategic insight continues to set him apart. I hope you benefit from his skills as much as we did."
    Doug Simpson, Founding Partner, SGCI Communcations
  • “For me, every day is a new thing. I approach each project with a new insecurity, almost like the first project I ever did. And I get the sweats. I go in and start working, I'm not sure where I'm going. If I knew where I was going I wouldn't do it.”
    Frank Gehry
  • "A critical thinker, Jeff balanced his tough questions with a solution-oriented approach that could spell success for any brand."
    Doug Wright, D.M. Wright & Associates
  • "Jeff has always been relentless in examining possibilities and questioning everything . . . If I was to choose a team, Jeff would be on it."
    Elizabeth Braid, Braid Media Services
  • "You are too timid in drawing your inferences."
    Sherlock Holmes
  • “Good and great are seldom the same man.”
    Winston Churchill
  • “. . . if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
    Theodore Roosevelt
  • “The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.”
    Peter Drucker
  • The presence of motion is not necessarily indicative of the presence of progress.
    The Courage Lab
  • Seek out opportunities for serendipity.
    The Courage Lab
  • “Nothing any good isn’t hard.”
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • “The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.”
    Colin Wilson
  • "I was amazed how he managed to extract the essence from two days discussions and visualize the ideas we had been talking about in a way that made the audience say “Yes, that’s exactly how we should do it!”."
    Leif Wien Jensen, Norges Blindeforbund
  • “What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.”
    Charles Bukowski
  • “Creativity is dreaming up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
    Theodore Levitt

How we do it

We break, make, and fix things.
These are the principles that guide us.

  • “Only the mediocre are always at their best.”
    Jean Giraudoux, French diplomat and novelist
  • "Nothing any good isn't hard."
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • "Jeff is not only smart but a thoroughly good guy. He brings great insight and great attitude: a valuable strategic partner, whose thinking is both solid and inspired."
    Catherine Piercey, VP, Planning Director, Dare
  • We’re tired of tolerating the mediocre.
    The Courage Lab
  • "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself . . . the nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
    Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • "(Jeff's) desire to make a meaningful difference through strategic insight continues to set him apart. I hope you benefit from his skills as much as we did."
    Doug Simpson, Founding Partner, SGCI Communcations
  • “For me, every day is a new thing. I approach each project with a new insecurity, almost like the first project I ever did. And I get the sweats. I go in and start working, I'm not sure where I'm going. If I knew where I was going I wouldn't do it.”
    Frank Gehry
  • "A critical thinker, Jeff balanced his tough questions with a solution-oriented approach that could spell success for any brand."
    Doug Wright, D.M. Wright & Associates
  • "Jeff has always been relentless in examining possibilities and questioning everything . . . If I was to choose a team, Jeff would be on it."
    Elizabeth Braid, Braid Media Services
  • "You are too timid in drawing your inferences."
    Sherlock Holmes
  • “Good and great are seldom the same man.”
    Winston Churchill
  • “. . . if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
    Theodore Roosevelt
  • “The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question.”
    Peter Drucker
  • The presence of motion is not necessarily indicative of the presence of progress.
    The Courage Lab
  • Seek out opportunities for serendipity.
    The Courage Lab
  • “Nothing any good isn’t hard.”
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • “The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain.”
    Colin Wilson
  • "I was amazed how he managed to extract the essence from two days discussions and visualize the ideas we had been talking about in a way that made the audience say “Yes, that’s exactly how we should do it!”."
    Leif Wien Jensen, Norges Blindeforbund
  • “What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.”
    Charles Bukowski
  • “Creativity is dreaming up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
    Theodore Levitt