Here in the midst of 2011 planning, I can’t help but feel a sense of dé já vu. Last year at this time, the recession was in full force, business was down and times were tough. This year, the recession is far from over. Business is down. And times are tough. As I review my own company’s performance, I realize...
My son spent the whole summer training for his senior year of high school soccer. He was fit, ready and in the prime of his life by try-outs. Minutes before the first pre-season game, the coach named him co-captain of the team. All his dreams had come true. Unfortunately, less than fifteen minutes into the first game, he tore his...
The World Cup lost some excitement for me the minute the U.S. was eliminated. It’s hard to pull for a team you don’t really care about. And, even though I took three years of Spanish, I found I didn’t really care whether Spain or the Netherlands prevailed. I guess that’s what they call “not having a dog in that fight.”...
I had a really good yoga practice yesterday. The kind that starts out really slow, lasts forever and, by the end, reminds you that you have muscles in your body that you rarely acknowledge. These are the muscles – in your back, around your shoulders and in your hands and feet – that we take for granted every day. ...
If you spend any time in an airport, you’ll find two inevitable truths: (1) you have absolutely no control over what is going to happen to you (what time you will depart, what time you will arrive, whether or not your luggage will accompany you). And, (2), almost every person travels with the same nondescript black carry-on bag. On a...
Imagine for a moment that you have an idea. You sketch out this idea and run it by your client who approves it. Then, you hire a photographer to shoot the exact scenario your idea requires. You pay this photographer a lot of money (say $5,000) for shooting your idea. And, now, guess who owns that shot? The photographer. This photographer...
The year 2009 reminded me of Tiger Woods: No matter how much faith you had in him, he just kept screwing around on you. He took away our 401-k’s, brought back furloughs and made us pay for everyday conveniences like checking luggage. He cost us our vacations, our insurance and, in many cases, our jobs. He was a bad ride. And...
