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It was “swearing-in time” in Washington DC this past week, as well as for state legislatures around the country. Newly-elected and returning senators and representatives smiled for the cameras, swore their oaths, and took their seats. It was a fairly drama-free exercise, especially since it was a mid-term election cycle, meaning there was no Presidential…

One of my long-time brand “heroes” let me down over the holidays. No, it wasn’t the fact that the item I ordered didn’t make it in time for Christmas, though that was the case. Nor was it the fact that this long-time ecommerce vendor failed to plan adequately for the inevitable holiday deluge of orders.…

When a pro athlete takes the field—whether it’s Aaron Rogers staring down Darrelle Revis, Giancarlo Stanton facing off against Clayton Kershaw, or Serena Williams or Venus Williams going head to head with another tennis elite—each competitor has both the ability and the expectation of achieving success given the talents and track record he or she…

Your brand is the sum of your actions, your words, how others experience you, and how they perceive you. This holds true whether you’re an individual (personal brand) or you represent an organization (company brand). Your brand is your reputation. It sets expectations, and it’s based on first impressions and lasting impressions, whether those impressions…

Most of us prefer to think that business is all about dollars and cents, profits and loss, but it isn’t. Business is about relationships, and more specifically about nurturing those relationships so that there’s something “in it” for all parties. Profit and loss are just byproducts of that relationship  . . . and likeability is…

Prices seem to be on the rise again after a few years of holding steady following the economic collapse of 2008. From food prices, to entertainment, to fuel, to housing, to this and that, everything seems to be on the uptick. If you’re like me, you’re thinking, “How can a guy get a break?” Surely…

Be prepared. It’s one surefire way to improve your chances for success. Parents prepare. Teachers prepare. Students prepare. Chefs and shoppers prepare. Businesses and leaders prepare. Doctors and athletes prepare. Heck, “Be prepared” is even the Boy Scouts long-time motto. Sure, some folks find success out of sheer luck, but I tend to believe even…

Cap and gown ceremonies, bridal bouquets, and the telltale absence of school busses on the roads tells me it must be summer again . . . or at least we’re getting mighty close. Summer officially arrives on June 21 at 1:04 a.m. EDT, but already the days are long and warm. While the winter was long and…

In some ways, life is all about balance. Day balances night, the ratio of men to women in the world is roughly 1:1, and when we eat too much or spend too much time in the recliner watching the TV, we try to balance it all out by exercising, eating right, taking walks on the…

We all need to disconnect at times from the day-to-day challenges of our business and personal lives, whether it’s for a planned vacation, an impromptu walk on a local nature trail or beach, watching your favorite sports team on the flat screen (Go Dodgers!), or simply checking out for a proverbial “mental health day” to…

We’d all like to think we’re “Superman” or “Superwoman”—that we can do it all because, up until now, we’ve been able to “do it all” for our businesses and in our personal lives. I’ve had the good fortune over the years to work with teams of individuals who complimented my own skill set well, making…

The workplace is ever evolving. From the integration of computers, smart phones, and tablets in the office, to high-speed connectivity, virtual meetings, telecommuting, and more, it’s a brave new world of work out there. As technology advances and worker education and training levels climb, though, I wonder if management and people “soft” skills are keeping…