When you think of companies that deliver great customer service, who do you think of? Nordstrom, American Express, and Apple are a few that come to mind. For me, one company stands above the rest: Ritz Carlton. Last week, our company had our annual sales meeting at The Ritz Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation. Continue reading
9 minutes. Are you good at adding by 9? I am. How is it that in a dead sleep I can instantly add 9 to whatever time I was supposed to get up and rationalize it? The snooze button is evil…pure and simple. It beckons us with the promise of sweet slumber…in 9 minute increments. If you hit the snooze button every workday for a week, you have just missed 45 minutes of life. Think about it: Continue reading
While watching the 30th Olympiad, I had a couple of thoughts. The first thought was: How can anything be considered a sport where the “athletes” spend time in between their performances in a hot tub?!? Seriously?!? Something else hit me when watching a medal ceremony. Continue reading
Are you in sales? If so, you know the industry is no cake walk. There are obstacles and hurdles you have to face before the closing happens. Here are the three things every salesperson must know – whatever the product or service. Continue reading
“This ad was approved by the committee to elect John Doe for Congress.”
Aren’t you sick and tired of the campaign season? The only thing more empty than a David Hasselhoff concert are the countless promises made by politicians. We expect it from them. But how about us? What do you promise your customers? A better question is: What promises do you keep? Continue reading
While surfing the net today I read that author Stephen R. Covey had died. He was a prolific writer, speaker and consultant but is most widely known for his timeless classic, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” This book made a profound impact on my life in 1993. I was 21 years young, newly married, and clueless as to what I wanted to do in life. Continue reading
I learned several things on our recent beach trip. One of which is that sand somehow always picks the worst possible place on your body to take up residence. I rolled over this morning to find enough sand in my bed to sculpt a sandcastle! Something else I discovered. Continue reading
You wouldn’t believe who I just got a phone call from – an old friend of mine from high school I hadn’t talked to in almost 20 years. And when you have a friend named Daredevil Darren Ferguson, you don’t forget him. Continue reading
Periodically, we all need an attitude adjustment, or as some have called it, a “check-up from the neck-up.” If your co-workers were surveyed, what would they say about you? If everyone in your company displayed the same attitude and work ethic as you, would it have a banner year or file for Chapter 11? Continue reading
Recently my kids got a new toy called, Dinosaur Eggs. Have you seen these things? You put the eggs in a glass of water and over a couple of days they hatch and start to grow. Remember Sea Monkeys? They are kind of like that. Over the next few days of watching the Dinos, we discovered something …find out what…
I love the Food Network. I don’t know why, but I find it entertaining to watch other people cook. Paula Deen is my personal favorite, probably because her dishes remind me of what my Grandmother used to cook. And while we’re talking about Paula, I can’t believe that she has taken some heat for her high calorie, high fat recipes. Seriously?!? What did you expect? She’s from South Georgia where the only two ways to prepare food is either fried, or deep fried!! All the haters out there …read more…
My son Tanner is fortunate enough to be a member of the finest high school golf program in the great state of Georgia. We recently won our 6th state championship and from the looks of our roster, there are many more to come. While we have some great players, what I am most impressed with is our Coach, Bryson Worley. The guy is unbelievable. Continue reading
I spent the other morning attending my daughter’s awards assemblies. Awards were given for various academic achievements including standout performances in Science, Math, Language Arts and Spanish. Several students were also recognized for attaining a perfect score on their standardized tests, all of which received a rousing round of applause. As impressive as that was, the group that received the loudest applause had nothing to do with academic success. Continue reading
A few weeks ago a friend of our family passed away. His name was Martin Massinger. At his funeral, the family gave all attendees a copy of a pictorial tribute they had put together to celebrate his life. In it were pictures of Martin, his family, and friends. The pictures told the story of his life…a life full of memories with those closest to him. What stood out to me the most were the pictures that weren’t included. Continue reading
Pull out your driver’s license. Just do it. What does your height and weight say? That’s what I thought. The last time I went to renew my license, the person at the counter actually laughed when they looked at my vitals. The only thing true stat on it was that I had blue eyes! Continue reading
Today I turned 40. Even typing it feels strange. I don’t feel any more mature than I did last night. It feels like yesterday that I turned 20. I remember everything about it… Continue reading
When I was in the seventh grade, my family moved from a small farm town in Louisiana to a Chicago suburb. Talk about culture shock! For some reason they wouldn’t believe me that they were the ones with the accent! We moved in late November and basketball practices had already begun. By the time I showed up, all of the uniforms had already been given out. The only one that remained was one that could have doubled as a tent. Continue reading
Isn’t it interesting that most of the costumes worn at Halloween are worn to scare others, while the “costumes” we wear as adults are worn because we are scared? Scared of what others may think, say, or do if they knew the real you. I have a theory of why old men wear Sansabelts and Rockport Walkers. Continue reading
Something inside a champion comes to the surface when it’s time to finish a job. A champion could be having the worst game of his career, but somehow he digs deep down and finds a way to win in the end. Framed on the wall of my office is a picture of one such champion. Though he never won a race, he is still one of my heroes. Continue reading
My Dad prepared me with the attitude that the world owes me nothing. If I want to succeed, then I have to go out and make it happen! I can’t just wait for my ship to come in…I have to swim out to meet it! Another principle that he taught me was: Live your life for those that will be at your funeral. Continue reading