Setting the Stage for Success
My wife and I once visited a winery where the tour guide met with us and told us what to expect along the tour - what things to look for and what we might get to see along the way.
He also gave us a high...
Timing is Everything: The Deciding Factor between Success and Failure
It’s a new year, and that means New Year’s resolutions. Great intentions to do good things. But as with business, music, sports and many other things in life, timing is everything.
For example, it’s prob...
Hall of Fame Hall of Shame? Ranking Customer Service
Customer service is one of those things that many companies do incredibly well while others continuously struggle.
Each year, Zogby Analytics, in partnership with MSN, releases a survey that rates the be...
Happy Happy Happy: The Perks of Staying Positive
I caught a few minutes of the popular TV show Duck Dynasty the other day to see what all the hoopla was about.
The hit reality series is just the opposite of about every other reality show out there. It’...
Entrepreneurial Genius – Taking a Cue from Mr. Selfridge
Harry Gordon Selfridge played by Jeremy Piven on the PBS TV series:
Harry Gordon Selfridge was a genius entrepreneur and highly-respected retail magnate in the early 1900s and is now the basis of the televi...
Every Great Wine Has a Story
Our Brands And Products All Have A Story. But, If We Merely Present Them As Being Basically The Same As The Others, Then We Shortchange Ourselves.
I am a fan of wine. Note that I didn't say I was a conno...
Attributes of the Affluent: Incompetent, Evil, Lucky or Just Plain Good People?
I come from a middle-class family. My dad was an electrical engineer, my mom was a bookkeeper.
We lived in a nice little house and I felt like we were rich. I had no wealthy uncle or aunt who gave me hug...
Finding Meaning in Our Work Lives: Why to Wow
It was a cool autumn afternoon in the Midwest. I received a phone call from my client at a luxury car manufacturer.
On the line was "Ken" (in sensitivity to him and his brand, I've changed his name), the...
Gambling and Entrepreneurs: Calculated Risks Can Lead to a Sure Bet
Entrepreneurs are often viewed as high-risk, gambling daredevils. It sounds great, even exotic, to be described that way.
But the truth is, most entrepreneurs are not gamblers at all.
I've owned and/o...
Rock On: Rock Bands and Business
I've been running my business for 30 years, but before that, I learned how to run a rock band. No, I wasn't in a famous band.
In fact, I often tell people that my songs sold "well under one million copie...