Blogs

No matter what our business entails, we all need a star performer (or two) on our teams to make success possible and sustainable.

As you go out into the world to represent your brand, who can you rely on to hold down the fort at home? Who’s your pinch-hitter? This is an important topic for leaders who attend or participate in tradeshows like the PPAI Expo premium show in Las Vegas or the SAAC Expo in San Diego—events that take them out of…

Does your business take a stand on issues? As people, it’s difficult not too. After all, businesses are made up of people. We all have opinions, beliefs, and values—so taking a stand on an issue can be tough to avoid, whether it’s an official company stance or not, especially with social media making it easy…

In the best of all worlds, for every decision we make and every action we take we would have sufficient time to consider every angle, think through all scenarios, and answer every “what if” question that comes to mind. We don’t live in such a world. In business, especially, success often depends on the ability…

The rites of late winter are upon us. The Superbowl is over. Major League Baseball pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training soon. The days are getting longer, and warmer temps are with us more consistently here in southern California. My Dodgers seemed primed for another stand-out year, especially with the recent addition…

Have you ever been a mentor to someone—and I don’t just mean have you ever given someone else advice (who hasn’t?). What I mean is have you ever truly mentored someone? Have you been that adviser, counselor, or guide to someone who’s just starting out or to someone who’s looking to change careers or his…

Much has been written and said this week about how the New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl again. Clearly, many fans outside of New England are suffering from “Patriots Fatigue” as it seems the Pats play in the Super Bowl practically every year. Well, they don’t play every year, but after they…

We’ve been told from the time we could understand the spoken word that “hard work pays off” (or some variation on the theme). And while I’m not about to question the veracity of the statement—who am I to argue with such a truism—there are times when I begin to wonder if routinely burning the candle…

Four in 10 Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions. Are you one of them? According to Statistic Brain, top resolutions include getting healthier (21%), improving one’s lifestyle (12.5%), and making better financial decisions (8.5%). Of course, of those who do make resolutions, only 8% carry through on them. No matter how you look at it,…

The “devil is in the details” is a centuries-old saying that refers to how something might seem simple at a first glance but ends up taking more time and effort to complete than first expected. Now, I may be going out on a limb here (what else would you expect from a monkey), but I have to…

There’s a common saying that timing is everything. I tend to agree. After all, who am I to argue with a sage pop philosopher like Alanis Morissette who wrote about the irony of bad timing in her iconic hit “Ironic” in 1995. In it, she sings that “an old man turned ninety-eight. He won the…

This week was time for the annual MLB All Star Game—a time for the American League and National League to showcase their best talent. Watching the game got me to wondering why companies—rank and file businesses—don’t field their own all-star teams. Call me a crazy monkey, but a business team’s contributions to its organization’s bottom…