Blogs

The hills of San Diego and southern California are a bit greener these past few weeks. Recent rains have helped ease some of the drought conditions that have turned roadsides, hillsides, and backyards various shades of dusty brown the past few years. I find all the green energizing, purifying, as though the area is undergoing…

How do you know when a prospective customer is a “real” prospect and not just someone who’s too nice or too embarrassed to say “no” or someone who’s so indecisive he or she will never say “yes”? Think about the time and effort you’d save and the resources you could reallocate, if you could only…

Let’s face it, for everyone reading this blog your days living large in the jungle canopy and hanging out with your monkey friends and family will, inevitably, come to an end. Sad but true. We only get to be monkeyz on God’s green Earth for so long. I know. This is not a very cheery…

With arguably one of the most contentious presidential elections in recent memory just passed and its aftermath still unfolding, Thanksgiving, and the rapidly approaching frenzy of Christmas, Hanukkah, and assorted other December holidays, it’s amazing that anybody has managed to get any work done at all over the last few months. Factor in the normal…

Open enrollment for health care insurance, whether you’re getting benefits through an employer, a state program, or are self-funding, has never been an easy proposition—and adding the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare” or “ACA”) to the mix in recent years has not simplified things a bit. From what you read online or hear in the…

It’s a given that networking is critical to just about any kind of business success—and has been for as long as business has been around (and that’s quite a long time). These days, though, networking consists of much more than traditional mixer events, tradeshows, or grabbing a coffee or a drink with colleagues. Much of…

It’s a given that networking is critical to just about any kind of business success—and has been for as long as business has been around (and that’s quite a long time). These days, though, networking consists of much more than traditional mixer events, tradeshows, or grabbing a coffee or a drink with colleagues. Much of…

Open enrollment for health care insurance, whether you’re getting benefits through an employer, a state program, or are self-funding, has never been an easy proposition—and adding the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare” or “ACA”) to the mix in recent years has not simplified things a bit. From what you read online or hear in the…

Sometimes it’s fun to look back and wonder, what was I doing on this day a year ago, two, three . . . you get the idea. Looking back is a good way to see how or if your thinking has changed or if you’ve made the progress you’d planned on (or not). Perusing the…

Labor Day weekend has come and gone. It’s the proverbial marker to end summer and begin fall, though by the calendar (and for those of us in warmer climes) summer has a few more weeks on the dance card. Chances are you got together with friends and family at some point this weekend and probably…

I get asked all the time where I came up with the name “Barrel O’Monkeyz.” I’ve always been intrigued by monkeys. They always seem to be having fun. Monkeys make me laugh. And that’s a big part of who I am . . . and the kind of organization I wanted my company to be.…

As summer winds down, all of our beach bodies and good eating habits run the risk of taking a back seat to back to school and back to work responsibilities. As we get busier, and as we return to our normal habits, work routines, and school schedules, it’s easy to lose sight of rest, relaxation,…