MONKEYZ BLOG

When someone gets a bonus at work, or some other form of recognition, are you happy for him or her—even when you get no such recognition? Or do you become overwhelmed with the feeling of sour grapes (or bananas), wishing it was you in the spotlight? What about when a family member or friend is…

Learn from the past. Apply lessons in the present. Create a better future by looking six, 12, 18 months ahead. The above seems like a good formula for success—a no-brainer, really—whether you’re talking strategic marketing, engineering a project, building better relationships, or simply living a more balanced life. You’d be surprised, though, how many people…

I enjoy receiving great, relevant content from others within my Social Media circles. Not only do I often find this information valuable and the different perspective refreshing, but the many I share it with do too. This week, Devin Hornick of www.SincerusSolutions.com shared with me timely content on the status of today’s job market in…

Small business owners simply can’t seem to catch a break. Just when the economy seems poised for an uptick, something always seems to come along and knock it back down. Specifically, I’m talking about actions like Bank of America’s (BofA) decision to sever lines of credit for some of its small-business customers. (For more on…

I’ve had my iPad2 for less than a year and already I’m hearing talk the iPad3 is likely to make its debut this spring. Heck, I’ve barely explored all my iPad2 features  . . . and now this, on the heels of a similarly timed transition for the iPhone 4 and its iPhone 4s successor.  Was such…

Maybe it’s because I spent time over the holidays in Alaska, marveling at the wonders Mother Nature has to offer, or back here in California skiing in the mountains, refreshing mind, body, and spirit—whatever it is, I am looking at 2012 with a feeling of renewed energy, piqued curiosity, and clarity of purpose. Even though…

Are you looking forward to year’s end? Do you find yourself thinking, “If I can just hold on another week or two” or “If I can just make it to January 1, everything will be OK?” If so, you’re not alone. What with the economic ups and downs of 2011, business as usual in Washington…

WOW! 10,000 followers and counting on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn . . . 50,000 likes! It’s fantastic, right? But what does it all mean? How can you leverage your followers/social media community effectively? How do you get action, results? I recently asked my social media community for help. It was interesting to see who viewed my…

‘Tis the season of gifts and giving! This holiday season, instead of stressing over what to give and battling crowds at the mall, try thinking outside the “gift” box to create unique experiences for your loved ones and friends as well as to help your local merchants. Below are Los Angeles area individuals and companies…

This time of year, people of every size, shape, and walk-of-life tend to step back from the monkey chatter for a look at the preceding 11 months, wondering where did the year go?  I know I do. And the older I get, the faster the days and months seem to fly by. For many, December…

Why do we serve others? Is it because we expect something (usually monetary) in return? Is it because of some religious or philosophical conviction? Or is it simply because serving others makes us feel good? For most of us, the reasons we serve others are probably some combination of the above, weighted differently depending on…

This time of year people tend to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays that they are often unable to enjoy them. Are you one of these people? How about switching things up this year? As a starter, I invite you to hop off the post-Halloween holiday treadmill, take a…

These days, if you find yourself beating your head against the wall trying to generate more sales or get new clients only to come up empty again and again, it’s easy to blame the economy. Everyone’s doing it  . . . and for many, their woes are connected to the current business climate. But rather…

Do you get so caught up in the day-to-day of life that you begin to lose sight of what’s most important, often taking things for granted, overlooking what’s right in front of you, or simply going through the motions as if on autopilot? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I just seem to put on the proverbial…

These days we all seem to be in “crisis mode” 24×7, as though if we were to relax/lighten up for one second our lives would crumble around us. That’s just plain sad. I’m not suggesting that the country and the world don’t have some pretty serious problems (we do), but if we spend all of…

Halloween is not even here yet (less than a week and counting) and already Christmas and other Holiday decorations are making their way onto some of the larger retailer’s floors. ‘Tis the season, so to speak, which means it’s also time for all those inevitable news stories to begin popping up about how this group…